Re: [ZapM] Is radiation avoidable?

[Michal Bielinski]

Once upon a time, Javier wrote thus:
> Hello to all.

Hello!

> After some years playing only the "mainstream" roguelikes I decided
> to play lesser known ones like pre-SS crawl, angband variations, and
> altely, ZapM. Now, the problem playing something that isn't that
> popular is usually the absolute lack of information (or spoilers,
> if you want).

Well, ZapM really lacks information. Recently ZapM boards got infested
by spambots and broke which removed the last shreds of freely floating
advice. What remains is more difficult to find.

> So that's how I find myself in ZapM, finding out stuff on my own
> (something i've never done before in rls) but I almost always die
> from radiation.

The stealthy danger of ZapM, yes. Very dangerous. The greatest problem
is of course it is hardly explained.

> i've tried dumping all points in spot and search to
> find radiation traps, but I still find myself radiated (without
> a message saying what or when i got radiated) and rad-aways seem to
> be extremely rare, and in the few cases i've found them, they on't
> take away all the radiation and I still die later.

If the message is "you feel purified" all radiation is gone. If the
message is "you fell less contaminated" you still have some rads in
but hopefully the amount left is not enough to induce radiation
sickness.

> I've thought that
> some areas are radioactive (like the gamma caves, but in the main
> dungeon) but there's usually no way to tell without a geiger counter
> which also seems to be pretty rare.

Yes, some rooms are radioactive and there is nothing to indicate this.
Resting for long periods in single room is unadvised. However, from
source diving I know that hallways cannot be radioactive. Exploit that.

> This is terribly frustrating and I just want to ask: is there any
> waya round the radiation, or is it a purely luck based dead?

What you probably don't realize items you carry can also radiate you!
Here what are those items:

- mutagen canister
- gamma ray gun

Carrying them radiates you a bit every 60 turns. With ray guns just
zap it once you got it. It will auto-identify. If its gamma and you
are not wearing radiation suit either zap it until its empty or
drop it immediately. Empty ray guns can be put to good use.

With canisters it is tough issue because you don't want to drink
unknown stuff. It could be the canister of antimatter. Quaff = die.
It is pretty rare but to be completely sure you need to drop all
canisters every once a while and make stashes. If you find early
shop try selling your canisters. Ones worth 20 buckazoids to clerkbot
might be mutagen. Also, standing over canisters with active Geiger
counter will trigger it and allow you to sort out dangerous stuff
and get to know the canister. Once you are sure which one it is
make sure to name it (but not the individual item).

Oh, standing in a tile with those items also radiates you. Standing
over a sludge vat also radiates you. Well, unless you pour rad-away
into that vat but I think it is a waste of perfectly good medicine.

Wearing radiation suit makes you immune to radiation other than
drinking canisters of mutagen and drinking from vats.

> Also, an unrelated question: is there any sort of morgue files
> in the game?

Sadly no, but certain ZapM variant implements that.

--
Michał Bieliński