/dev/null/nethack Tournament 2001

bakunin writes: "Tonight (Halloween) at midnight Pacific U.S. Time, /dev/null's third Annual NetHack Tournament opens. As with past years, the Tournament is open to anyone who'd like to play. We're also open to anyone who'd like to volunteer to run a game server, since (though we have a T1 hosting the main game server) play can be slow across the transoceanic links." /dev/null is calling for volunteers to run a server; you only need a modest machine but must have good bandwidth. See below for more information. bakunin continues: "/dev/null is a loose association of networking geeks, unincorporated and noncommercial. We make no money from this; we just do it for giggles.

The prize structure going in, as we're open to suggestions to change this during the Tournament, is:

Prizes
The "standard" prizes will go to:

• Highest Score
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd Highest Score in each class

The "additional" prizes will go to:

• Most Ascensions
• Lowest Scored Ascension

Since we'd appreciate volunteer servers to help speed the game play up for folks not near Oakland, California, here's roughly what you need to host:

Server Requirements
Remember, before volunteering, that anyone with admin level access to a game server box is not allowed to compete. So don't volunteer to host if you want to be a contender.

• a multi-user NetHack installation (thus, probably, a Unix of some sort; the /dev/null server is an OpenBSD system)
• sufficient speed/disk/memory to support 250 player accounts and 25 concurrent players (ours is a P133 with 64M of memory and 2.5G of disk)
• a dedicated Internet connection (our is on a T1)
• since NetHack needs real user accounts, we'd recommend that it be a dedicated system (the players will need to be entered in /etc/passwd to play on the box)

"

Comments

I would play, you see, but...

[edashofy]

I would play, you see, but I was walking along when I put on this strange ring I found, and suddenly I found myself transformed into an acid-slime, so I ate the ring (since it's metal, you know), and then I turned back into a person, but occasionally changed into a golem. While I was a golem, I killed off a monster that would normally turn me to stone, but you know I was stone already, so I picked him up to use as a weapon...

I don't remember much after that; although I slightly recall using my dog to go steal stuff from the supermarket for me...

Prize idea!

[Balinares]

Most Stupid Death. :)

Given how viciously rich NetHack can be when it comes to getting killed, this ought to be fun. =)

Re:Prize idea!

[MrBlack]

I can think of one of my deaths that would have won this one easily. I was trapped in a shop (don't ask), starving and wihtout food. I started reading my scrolls (hoping for some salvation) and I found a scroll of genocide! Great, I thought, I can kill the shopkeeper and get out of here! So I genocide all the @'s - stupidest death ever.

Re:Huh?

[Eccles]

This is already a problem with a few MMPORPGs.

What do the Mighty Morphing POwer Rangers have to do with it?

Re:/. thumping (It's Baaaak)

[mav[LAG]]

Welcome bakunin the Invoker - More -
Be careful! New Moon tonight!
.
You see here a large webserver - More -
The server appears to be running normally.

You hear some noises in the distance.

Slashdot hits! Slashdot hits! - More -
Slashdot hits! Slashdot hits! - More -
Slashdot hits! Slashdot hits!
X
What do you want to transcribe? f
You read the spellbook of Instant Hardware Upgrade. The spellbook crumbles into dust!

#pray
A Large voice booms: "You have angered me mortal! " - More -
"I demand a sacrifice!"

Q
Do you want your possessions identified? [y/n]?
n
Goodbye bakunin.
You were BSD-aligned.
You were chaotic.
You were ambitious.
You did not survive the Slashdot effect.