u/silma85

Hello, I just wanted to share some thoughts on Nethack 5.0.0 since I began playing again on Android, thanks to the work of JodiJodington who updated the old app.

• I'd ascended most roles and races combinations in 3.4.x and 3.6.x and the experience was starting to get stale. Ascension kits and runs looking mostly the same. Kudos to the DevTeam for keeping the experience fresh!
• I love the new Gehennom levels. Exploring mazes was tedious at best, and in the end it resolved on tunnelling between the up and downstairs. No more of that! You have to plan around lava, ice, undiggable bars, the like. I laughed out loud when I saw the "caged Angel" (still taunting me, a chaotic character, no less) Gehennom level. It really adds character to the place.
• On the other hand whoever thought about fire traps on ice is a sociopath. Wands of secret door detection are an ascension kit item now.
• Cannot thank enough for QoL changes especially the swapping places with peacefuls, and Soko pet behaviour. No more getting stuck between quest guardians.
• Thanks to dragon scale mail and some artifacts secondary effects, options for ascension gear have really opened up. I'm there thinking should I swap speed boots and GDSM for blue DSM, water walking (really useful due to lava and ice) and cloak of MR. Should I hunt for an amulet of reflection, or keep wielding Dragonbane? About that, a third option for MR (barring quest artifact wishing) would really add to the strategy.
• No attribute healing on unihorns really has you value potions of restore and gain ability, and thinking hard about what abuses and trains attributes. I find myself in Gehennom with 16 dex and 17 con because I was as careless as in 3.6. Also is it me, or attribute abuse is way more severe?
• Level drain critters are a real threat, as are paralyzing monsters. I already died twice in Orcus Town with a -30 AC character to shade-vampire combos, without intervention by any demon prince. At least 2 of free action, drain resistance and MC3 is way more necessary than it was before.
• Wand of stasis is a great addition to combat tactics. Monsters using teleport and expensive cameras on you are annoying, but exhilarating too.

All in all a great update which freshened up the use of many items and added many strategies. When did I ever use a blue DSM before, or potions of restore ability? And I'm sure there are a great deal more that I haven't discovered yet.