This is the home public server of SporkHack, a Nethack 3.4.3 variant with a number of changes.
The current version is 0.5.0.

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.
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 2/17, 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.

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...

3/19:

• DR: Bug fix: Gnomes get normal inventory again as well as their armor

• DR: Missile range for any missile fired from a launcher extended greatly; crossbows get a large non-strength-dependent bonus
• DR: Converting altars now has an actually significant chance of the owning god being pissed and summoning a minion at you, especially if it was one of his temples

• PK: TERRAIN command now handles secret doors; Castle storeroom doors randomized slightly

• DR: fcntl patch installed, should prevent games from hanging at 99% CPU after exit
• DR: Public SSH now available. Use the key listed above; you will be brought to the main menu, where you can log in as yourself. If you are using PuTTY, you'll need to import that key with puttygen to convert it to PuTTY's format.

• DR: Slightly decreased probability of magic lamp at Izchak's
• DR: Increased average number of candles generated per stack; should now be less than .01% chance of Minetown not having at least 7 candles.

• DR: Things blown into moats, pools, or lava will be handled better now
• DR: Fix obscure problem with Vlad not 'waking up' always
• DR: Monsters who are artificially berserk will show it when you look (';') at them

• DR: Bug fix: segfault with kicking under weird circumstances fixed

• DR: Kicking non-large monsters who are standing in front of a pit may have an amusing result
• DR: Weapon probabilities juggled; most polearms set to '0' (will be removed on a future savebreak, but for now this keeps them out of the 'random' pile)
• DR: New toy: the wand of wind. Does what it says on the tin.
• DR: Windows binaries updated.

• DR: Bug fix: rust traps won't rot leather armor anymore
• DR: Bug fix: monsters who change level while you're targeting with a polearm will no longer mess up the polearm targeting routines
• DR: Many potions now have a lesser effect when diluted.
• DR: Healing and extra healing potions now heal more HP.
• DR: Helm of opposite alignment now adjusts your alignment record when put on and removed.
  • Your past actions are taken into account by your new god. If you've been nothing but Lawful, a Chaotic god is going to need to see you do some chaotic things before suddenly putting you in his good graces.
  • By the same token, if you immediately take the helm off and revert to Lawful, your past actions will still largely appeal to your god, though you get a penalty for conversion.
  • This probably matches up with vanilla change C343-343, though I can't say for sure.
• DR: New description of alignment level beyond "transgressed" in enlightenment effect/endgame dumps.
• DR: Offering the Amulet of Yendor with negative alignment is no longer a good thing.

• DR: erode_obj() rewritten to better support all damage types; this fixes some odd messages with 'destroy armor' and lays a foundation for having _all_ object damage be routed through erode_obj().
• DR: Bug fix: whining about "couldn't place lregion" on Fire plane fixed
• DR: Rodney now has an AT_WEAP attack in addition to his AT_CLAW so he can wield weapons
• DR: "Hungry" shows up slightly earlier on the nutrition scale; "Weak" unchanged. (the practical effect of this is some extra warning that you're getting hungry.)

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
wand of pushing
little red wagon
Skulls
#chat to hostiles makes threats
Alignment Cleanup Patch

(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.

Expelled

All original content on this site is copyright (c)2007-2008 Derek S. Ray and licensed under the OpenContent License or (as mandated for the actual source changes) the Nethack General Public License, unless otherwise specifically noted.