/dev/null/nethack 2008 (and 2007 bragging)

[marcmagus]

The /dev/null/nethack tournament started last night at midnight, Pacific Time. I plan to compete, with the knowledge that I may need to take it easy/stop for the sake of my arms.

Last year I picked up a Dilithium Star and the Grue Challenge Trophy. My goals for this year are to get the new Challenge Trophy and at least a Birdie. I may also go after the Pac-Man Challenge, which I wasn't able to complete last year, but I think I'll probably skip the KoL Challenge in favor of playing nethack. Since I completed it last year, I think I'm going to decline the Grue Challenge this year.

The tournament is a lot of fun, and I encourage anybody who enjoys nethack to give it a try. The star awards exist to provide goals even for fairly new players.

I didn't brag about my accomplishments last year. Rather than post again (backdated or something), here's what I acheived:

After a few throwaway games attempting archaeologists (I just wasn't ready), I decided to do the reputedly easy thing and play a Valkyrie. I think I lost one to a Grue before ascending one. They really are as easy as everybody says they are. This was a neutral human valkyrie, which cut me out of some nice things, but did allow me to wear the Eyes of the Overworld, which I love. Dual-wielding the +7 Grayswandir and a +6 silver saber is obscenely good even if Grayswandir *does* poke you every now and then.