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Re:First NetHack bot ascension by schoen on Tuesday February 03, 2015 @02:32PM (#8992702)
Probably D&D with a human dungeon master would allow more possible actions, in the sense that NetHack only allows (a)pply, (C)all, (d)rop, (e)at, (E)ngrave, (f)ire, (P)ut on, (q)uaff, (Q)uiver, (r)ead, (t)hrow, (w)ield, (W)ear, (z)ap, #dip, #invoke, #name, #offer, and #rub actions with specific items in your main inventory (and most of those actions won't be applicable to most items most of the time). A human DM might allow many more verbs, like stacking things on top of one another, repairing items in a nonmagical way, building new devices or modifying the functionality of existing devices in a nonmagical way, pouring a liquid onto a specific object or dungeon feature (including one that can't be picked up), and a lot more.

I agree that the bot ascension is an astonishing achievement, and one I didn't expect to see for many years!

Re:First NetHack bot ascension by digi_owl on Tuesday February 03, 2015 @04:46PM (#8993628)
Then again, human DMs can also be outwitted by careful specification of actions. Like how someone managed to win the original Tomb of Horrors.
Re:First NetHack bot ascension by steveklabnik on Wednesday February 04, 2015 @02:30AM (#8995727)
Do you have a link with some backstory on this? I'd be interested.
Re:First NetHack bot ascension by digi_owl on Thursday February 05, 2015 @11:01AM (#9003873)
Re:First NetHack bot ascension by steveklabnik on Thursday February 05, 2015 @08:02PM (#9007210)
Thanks for the follow-up.
Re:First NetHack bot ascension by alasdair_ on Wednesday February 04, 2015 @12:34AM (#8995487)
Was that module ever won by the first groups to encounter it?
Re:First NetHack bot ascension by digi_owl on Thursday February 05, 2015 @11:01AM (#9003875)
I have no idea.