This is the home public server of SporkHack, a Nethack 3.4.3 variant with a number of changes.
The current version is 0.6.2.

To play, simply telnet to sporkhack.com, create an account, and select 'p'lay.
For discussion and up-to-the-minute info on changes, come join us on #sporkhack at irc.freenode.net, or go to this client page to jump right in.
If you want to connect via SSH, use this ssh key and the user name "spork". There is no password; it goes directly to the main menu.

Major changes will happen no more frequently than every Sunday night.
I will try to avoid breaking save compatibility whenever possible, but I can't make any guarantees. I _can_ avoid doing so more frequently than once a week, however; and when I do, Sunday nights will be it, UNLESS... there is a critical bug somewhere. Those I will fix as soon as I find 'em, because I can't really have game crashes, the potential to start unwinnable games, etc.
Please report all bugs to spork@sporkhack.com.

What is this all about, anyway? Read the design concept...

An installer containing Windows binaries is now available!
These binaries were last compiled on 02/07/10, and can be downloaded from here.
The latest bleeding-edge patch itself can be downloaded here.
This is a diff against the 3.4.3 vanilla source.
You can also (as of 6/30/08) access the bleeding-edge code via anonymous svn from svn://sporkhack.com/nh. There is no guarantee of stability -- be warned :)

The High Score List for sporkhack.com is now available.
The Most Common Wishes on sporkhack.com...

If you need to reference it, the default rcfile that new accounts receive can be viewed here.
*** If you don't see a particular change you're looking for, you can consult the changelog archive. ***

Changelog so far...

2/7:

• DR: Disallow wall-phaser and unsolid shambling horrors to stop error spam
• DR: Windows binaries updated

12/2:

• PK: Split rooms now possible in dungeon
• PK: Possible surprises behind iron-barred closets
• PK: Fix gnome-shopkeeper 3zm bug

11/25:

• DR: Scroll of identify now starts pre-identified
• DR: Spellbook of polymorph is now "polymorph creature" and only affects critters/yourself.
• DR: Spellbook of detect food is now "obtain food" and moved to "matter" school; at Basic or better, will create a food ration at your feet as well as cast 'detect food' effect.
• DR: Several new roles now can cast "Basic" matter spells; this gives access to several utility spells

11/24:

• DR: Shopkeepers can now be a number of other races
• PK: Increase "special room" generation probability
• DR: Re-re-rebuild Windows binaries to make sure it picks up PK's change
• PK: Alter corridor generation slightly to give different map "feels"

11/23:

• DR: Gremlins will only steal partial resistances if obtained via eating
• DR: Intrinsics gained via race or level will properly give message if player has partial already at the time they gain it via race/level
• DR: Remove magic markers from starting equipment and prevent random generation of same.
• DR: Juggle tool probabilities; increase chances of more 'rare' equipment like saddles/instruments
• PK: Add possibility of "trap rooms" as new special room
• DR: Nazgul screams now only affect you if you're within range.

11/22:

• PK: Fix double-throne bug, some minor tweaks
• DR: Add "while helpless" patch
• PK: Allow more than one special room per level
• DR: Non-mindless monsters will be a bit more observant about traps now
• DR: Update Windows binaries

11/2:

• DR: Make sure dwarven archaeologists don't start with two pickaxes

10/31:

• DR: Race/role combos opened up significantly: all roles can now be all races. Some race and role possible alignments altered slightly to make sure each has at least one option available.
• DR: Special spell changes: Valkyrie's is now 'repair armor', Barbarian's is now 'cause fear'; hopefully this will bring them a little closer to being castable.
• DR: Dwarves now have a chance of starting with a pickaxe.
• DR: Allow fleeing covetous monsters to heal faster so they quit jumping all over the place and return to battle eventually
• DR: Fix vanilla bug: SC343-19
• DR: Give some oomph to the Riders' HP and level so they're not so crunchy
• DR: Increase chances of getting golem while polypiling
• DR: Windows binaries re-updated

10/30:

• DR: Windows binaries updated

10/25:

• DR: Steal spell-school staves from Crawl; staff of a particular school provides large casting bonus for spells from that school
• DR: No longer necessary to wield/wear Amulet of Yendor to play hot-and-cold game on Planes
• DR: Tone down AC bonus for higher level monsters slightly

10/22:

• DR: Add new object, "brazier" -- permanent-light floor lamp. Place one of said object on vibrating square at level creation.
• PK: Fix several more 64-bit related bugs (sanctum crash on creation + others)
• DR: Add downstairs to Castle level and link them up properly (removes need to avoid filling/locking trapdoors, which would seem logical to a new player)

10/19:

• PK: Fix 'stack pop' bug related to some special levels

10/17:

• DR: Sporkhack.com updated with save-breaker changes from 10/3
• DR: Windows binaries updated

10/12:

• DR: Artifact-naming bug fixed.
• DR: Fix eaten-intrinsic messages to better reflect "partial" status

10/8:

• DR: Random wands of wishing removed from the game. Magic lamps, djinni, water demons, and thrones left untouched. Castle wand also left intact.

10/3:

• PK: Many changes in level compiler. Saves pretty much toast at this point.
• DR: Finally moved Windows compile tree over to a local VM and recompiled: updated Windows version now available!

9/25:

• PK: Sweeping changes to the level compiler to use stacks instead of structs

9/23:

• DR: Be nice to players for a change; bags of holding now just blow their contents everywhere if you explode them.

9/19:

• DR: Tweak shambling horror's frequency rate so it shows up more (and remove debug pline())
• DR: Fix bug with riding where if player rode very slow monster (wumpus) they would get no turns

9/13:

• DR: Add xlogfile patch (finally)
• DR: Add shambling horror (experimental monster with random stats)
• DR: Add Mikko Juola's AES-RND patch to discourage exploitation via prediction of entire seed space
• PK: Increase verbosity of lev_comp; alter handling of OBJECT, MONSTER, TRAP, TERRAIN (see svn)
• DR: Valley of the Dead tweaked some
• DR: Add 64-bit patch to remove all stupid compiler warnings; also fix statuscolors pointer warnings
• DR: Add long-overdue help text for '%'

9/7:

• DR: Replace Minetown "bustling town" variant
• PK: Fix CONTAINER syntax to allow more than just OBJECT statements inside.
• DR: Add OSX-specific compilation fixes from Steven Noonan

9/6:

• DR: Remove Juiblex from chaotic-altar-summon "list"
• PK: change "container" syntax in level compiler to be intuitive

9/5:

• DR: Fix vanilla bug: explode() didn't have a way to specify not-player's fault. This should fix all the problems with monsters fire bolting you and annoying things like the watch captain. :)

9/4:

• DR: Juiblex may be slightly more dangerous now
• DR: Peaceful casters won't fire/ice bolt you anymore (oops.)

8/31:

• PK: add more level compiler changes; merge MAZE and LEVEL, several others
• DR: change covetous monster behavior to be series of short teleports when pursuing, rather than perpetually underfoot
• DR: add new monster spells: fire bolt and ice bolt. note: these spells are not rays and are not reflectable

8/30:

• PK: add RANDLINE code to level compiler
• DR: shuffle Gehennom filler levels to sometimes use spill, sometimes use river-walk

8/28:

• PK: Enhance level compiler syntax with more C-like structure (brackets)

8/26:

• PK: Fix bug where monsters occasionally placed inside walls of "special" rooms

7/25:

• PK/DR: Fix to a couple bugs with level-flipping

Things that will never be implemented: here

Not yet Implemented...(partial "ideas list")

Cloaks have a chance of protecting items in inventory based on the cloak's natural (ie. non-enchantment) AC.
Rebalance spell schools completely and make sure spell skills matter more
nets and/or "web" spell
Key patch (make #force matter)
Amulet of zombification
little red wagon
#chat to hostiles makes threats

(Rax's ideas below this line; blame Rax, LOL Rax.)

"Rock me, Asmodeus!": YAFM if you petrify Asmodeus
milky potions shouldn't be vegan!: it's good to make people pay attention
wumpodes/octopodes: pluralize these words "correctly"
random generation of ; on watery levels like Medusa

Alignment Spoiler

The original Less Boring Knight Patch
The original Less Boring Caveman Patch

A big "thank you" to runcible and raxvulpine from #nethack, who both helped immeasurably by being a sounding board and sanity check for all my crazy ideas during April and May. :)

If you would like to contact me about SporkHack, please send mail to this address.