I used to be pretty good back in the day before they started removing a bunch of fun stuff
Why do people do this? What was some of the fun stuff you remember?
Other people have covered the 'why' well enough. I'd have just simplified it to mental illness (which also covers all the fucking around with gender they did as well, as well as the other 'socially conscious' changes they made like renaming the Assassin, removing Pikel's slaves, etc).
In terms of cool stuff, a non-exhaustive list, some very minor, some less so:
- Player clinging (using spider form to avoid traps, or deep water on Shoals, etc, was neat)
- Zot Defense
- Felid jump-attack
- Natasha getting weaker after revival
- Plenty of spells (RIP Conjure Flame) and evocables, including potions of ability (also, potions of stabbing was the most stupid idea ever, and whoever had it should feel ashamed)
- Riposte
- Races messed with (e.g. Kobolds getting moved toward casting and away from being stealthy snipers/stabbers, Ogres losing M&F aptitude, etc)
- Loud noises breaking mesmerisation
- Burning spellbooks with Trog (or destroying them to forget spells)
- Blowguns, various dart types
- Amulets of harm
- Strength weighting
- Various spells, like Force Lance, or Deflect missiles (required significant investment but potentially worth it for Elven Halls or Shoals)
- As part of the above, Charms and buffing generally
- Centaurs, Deep Dwarves, Ogres, Meteorans
- Different types of ranged weapon skills
- Abyssal Knights
- Species size affecting SH
I also have to laugh at the recent patch notes listing things like Sack of Spiders, Reavers, etc, as 'new additions', rather than admitting they're undoing their prior removals.
