-----------------
introduction:  both postings:

     Mischa E Gelman posted several general-purpose Angband surveys
some years back, and a lot of people had a good time with them.  I
know I did; got introduced to some new variants that way!  Anyway, it's
been a while since the last one.


-----------------
text - first posting:

     Hopefully, lots of people will share their thoughts and opinions.
Gelman's surveys are just as much fun to read as they are to fill out.
Thanks to all who sent suggestions or have already filled the survey
out.

(posting)
This survey will be posted three times, once each of the first three
weeks of January.  In (about) the fourth week, the results will be
compiled and presented.
----------------

text - second posting:

     If you haven't filled out this survey yet, please do.  If you know 
of any Angband players whom you think might be interested, please 
mention this survey to them.

     (If you have already filled out this survey, and want to change 
your mind about something, just post or email a new copy.  Only the 
most recent survey for each person gets included in the results.)

(posting)
     Because of the unexpectedly strong response to the first posting 
of this survey, we'll speed things up a bit; this second posting will 
be the last.  Whenever three days go by without a new survey response, 
I'll start preparing the results.

----------------

Body of survey:


------------- GENERAL QUESTIONS -------------

1) How long have you played Angband?  Do you remember the first version
you played?

2) What accomplishment in Angband are you proudest of? 

3) What is your favorite artifact, in any version or variant?

4) What is your favorite weapon?

5) What is the most annoying monster?  Not most deadly, but most
annoying?

6) What do you feel is the toughest non-unique, relative to others at
its depth?

7) What do you feel is the toughest unique, by the same measure?

8) What monster do you enjoy meeting the most?

9) What is the most interesting experience you have ever had in Angband
or one of her variants?   Tell us the story!

10) What is your favorite race-class combo (any version or variant)?

11) What is your favorite spell-casting type? (choices are things like 
Angband priest, Angband mage, GW mage, S necromancy, O druid, Ey
mystic, Psi Psionicist, K illusionist, Z mindcrafter, Pern sorcerer, 
Heng mirror-master, etc.)


------------- INTERFACE, OPTIONS, PLAY STYLE ------------

12) What computer system(s) do you normally play Angband on (within,
say, 
the last year)?

13) Do you use ASCII (or similar), or prefer graphics?  If graphics, do 
you use the small 8x8 icons, the larger 32x32 pictures, play the TK 
version, prefer an isometric view, or what?

14) Do you use maximize mode (where race and/or class bonuses affect
final stats)?

15) Do you use preserve mode (where artifacts are preserved, but you get
no "this is a special level" feelings)?

16) Do you use the autoroller?  If so, how infrequently does the stat
combo you want show up (1 in five, 1 in five million, etc.)?

17) Do you use point-based generation (where you spend points to
increase stats)? 

18) Do you use backup savefiles to reload in case of character death, or 
use other similar methods?

19) Do you level scum (bopping up and down the stairs until you get a
good feeling or see a vault)?

20) Do you auto-scum (use the "auto-scum" option, which re-generates
levels until one is found that has sufficient good objects/tough
monsters/special rooms)?

21) Do you town scum (resting in the dungeon and checking stores until
they stock what you want)?


------------- OPINIONS AND DEVELOPMENT -------------

22) What is your general view of the state of Angband and its descen-
dants?  Is this game headed in the right direction?

23) Do you know of anything in other roguelikes that should be ported 
over to Angband?

24) What game features do you really appreciate (in any variant), that 
you want to see more of in other variants?
(Examples might be a great port to your system, bigscreen, neat dungeons 
or rooms, terrain, wilderness, easy open, spells, autosquelch/
autopicker, graphics, docs/info display, scripting, monster AI, neat
monsters/objects/artifacts, and more.)  Please don't hesitate to mention
your own stuff!

25) What game feature(s) do you not like?

26) What about Angband in general or any variant of Angband do you wish
that there were more or better information about?  (in the form of
in-game docs or information display, or out-of-game spoilers, how-tos,
FAQs, customization tips, etc.)

27) Please pick out one (can be more than one) coder, maintainer, idea 
contributor, rgra denizen, or anyone else you want to specifically 
thank for his or her dedication to the Angband community.



------------- VARIANT-SPECIFIC ------------

28) Which of the below variants have you /ever/ played?

29) What is your favorite variant (include version #)? (Standard 
Angband included)

30) Which one has given you the most pleasure over the past year (2001)?


Please comment on any variant that is especially good, bad, or otherwise
interesting:

a1) [Standard Angband, or Vanilla Angband, or simply Angband]

a2) [Angband/64] 

b1) [Bangband]

b2) [BeAngband]

c1) [Cat and the hack Angband (CathAngband)]

c2) [Cthulhu Angband (CthAngband)]

d1) [Dennis van Es' Angband (DvEband)]

d2) [Discworld Angband (Discband)]

d3) [Drangband]

e1) [Easy-Angband (Easyband)]

e2) [Eric Bock's Angband variant (Eric-band)]

e3) [Eytan Zweig's Angband (EyAngband)]

f1) [Fangband]

g1) [Goingband]

g2) [GSN-Angband, GSN2-Angband]

g3) [Gumband]

g4) [GW-Angband]

h1) [Hengband]

i1) [IronMan-Angband]

k1) [Kangband]

k2) [Kamband]

l1) [Langband]

m1) [Michael Barnes' Angband (MJband)]

m2) [Multi-player Angband (Mangband)]

n1) [New Angband (NewAngband)]

n2) [Non-Tolkienian Angband (NTAngband)]

o1) [Oangband]

p1) [Pangband]

p2) [PernAngband]

p3) [Prfnoff's Angband variant ()]

p4) [Programmable Angband (PAngband)]

p5) [Psionic-Angband (PsiAngband]

p6) [Psionic-Zangband (PziAngband]

q1) [Quest Angband (QAngband)]

r1) [Realistic-Aangband (Rangband)]

r2) [RobertAngband]

s1) [Sangband]

s2) [SBFband]

s3) [Silly Angband - Sillyband]

t1) [Team Angband (TAngband)]

u1) [Unnamed Angband (UnAngband)]

u2) [Utumno]

y1) [Ying-Yang Angband (Ying-YAngband)]

z1) [Zangband]

z2) [Prfnoff's ZAngband variant (ZAngbaA)]

z3) [Eric Bock's ZAngband variant (Zceband)]

??) [Any variants not included above]
    (I'd actually like to know of any I missed...)

(end of survey text)


--------------------------------------------------------

comments on the survey in general:

- This survey was unusually successful.  The major reasons for this were 
probably twofold:  1) Three years had gone by with no general survey.   
2) The answers were interesting, as were the commentary that surrounded 
them.  A lot of people started posting commentary in the survey thread, 
then filled out the survey itself.

- This in turn suggests two things:  1) Possibly don't post a general 
survey every year, but rather every other year.  2) Retain the commentary, 
storytelling, and opinion sections.  One idea might be to break up this 
survey into a general questions survey and a variant-specific survey, 
issued in alternating years.  I'm a little unsure about this idea, however, 
if only because the existing format worked so well.

- I am not the right person to be doing Angband surveys.  I'm associated 
with specific opinions and directions, and also with specific variants; we 
really need someone who doesn't carry so much "baggage".  Would you like to 
issue the next survey?  It was a lot of work, but even more fun!

- I neglected to include PernMangband (multiplayer Pern) and Angband-- 
(distant ancestor of Zangband) in the list of variants.

- Many variants got no mentions of being played, no votes for best variant, 
and no comments, except perhaps by their maintainers.  If no new releases 
of these variants come out, there seems little point to asking about them 
in future surveys.

- Surveys need to end at a given date and time; this should seldom be less 
than three weeks after the start.  I had originally planned to end the 
survey about midnight, Saturday, January 20th.  After a response came in 
shortly before then, I delayed a little while.  Then another response 
appeared, and I realized that this could go on indefinately.  At that 
point, I posted a time limit to the newsgroup.

- Many responses do not easily lend themselves to generating precise vote 
tallies.  Here are examples of the judgement calls I made:
   "Probably Thranduil, though I have fond memories of Soulsword":  
       2/3rd vote for Thranduil, 1/3rd for Soulsword.
   "Cubragol, followed by the Glaive of Pain and Ringil. ":  
       1/2 vote for Cubragol, and 1/4 vote for each of the Glaive and 
       Ringil.
   "In V, magic mushroom patches followed by nexus quylthulgs. In Z 
   definitely the GHB.": 
      2/6 for MMPs, 1/6 for Nexus Qs, 3/6 for the GHB.


Comments on individual questions:
- Questions #10 and #11 are pretty redundant.
- Question #12 should be made more specific:  It did a good job of getting 
people to talk about their RAM and HD space, but was really intended to 
learn about operating system and Angband interface/port used.
- Question #13 should probably mention Adam Bolt's graphics, not the 32x32 
TK pictures, as TK is mentioned specifically.
- Questions #19 and #20 should be combined.
- Question #21 has probably been answered clearly enough that asking it again 
is not really necessary.  Almost everyone town scums for necessities 
(variously defined); fewer do for non-essentials.
- Questions #29 and #30 are not really redundant; one was intended to ask 
about current preference, and the other to get people to think long-term.  
However, I suspect many people answered the question "what is your favorite 
all-time variant?".  This part of the survey needs a rethink and a rewrite.




Leon Marrick
January 21th, 2002