History VideoGame / ZAngband

* DungeonBypass: not only can you bypass dungeons by simply going to the nearest staircase (if you can find it), you can keep going up and down the stairs until you find a dungeon you like (a practice referred to as "level scumming" or just "scumming"). Each dungeon is completely randomly generated, so going up and down the stairs is the same as generating a new level. This also means that you can escape any enemy instantly, just by going up or down some stairs. They'll be gone when you return.

** an enemy kind unique to *bands, mainly because the non-persistent levels prevents them from being much trouble. Worm masses and mice will keep replicating themselves until they're a swarm filling a huge chunk of the level, and allowing you to grind.

* InvisibleMonsters: some just are, like ghosts, which is why it's always handy to have some way to see invisible.
* ISenseADisturbanceInTheForce: the player character gets 'level feelings' sometimes, normally a sense of safety or fear which indicates how dangerous the level may be.

* SpellBook: the source of magic spells for spellcasters (which is actually most of the classes in the game, although only mages really specialise in it). Although you have to 'learn' spells, you still need the book to cast them.

The title is short for ''Zelazny Angband'', and is a variant of the roguelike ''VideoGame/{{Angband}}'', pulling inspiration from the fantasy novels of Creator/RogerZelazny (especially his ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber'' series), in addition to ''Angband'''s ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' theme.

It builds enormously upon ''Angband'', adding about 30 more playable species, and setting the game's overworld in a huge, interactive wilderness.

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!Tropes associated with this game:

The title is short for ''Zelazny Angband'', and is a variant of the roguelike ''VideoGame/{{Angband}}'', pulling inspiration from the fantasy novels of Creator/RogerZelazny (especially his ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber'' series), in addition to ''Angband'''s ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'' theme.

* ExplosiveBreeder: an enemy kind unique to *bands, mainly because the non-persistent levels prevents them from being much trouble. Worm masses and mice will keep replicating themselves until they're a swarm filling a huge chunk of the level, and allowing you to grind.

* MassiveRaceSelection: 30 in total: [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber Amberite]], Barbarian, Beastman, Cyclops, Dark-Elf, Draconian, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Golem, Half-Elf, Half-Giant, Half-Orc, Half-Ogre, Half-Titan, Half-Troll, High-Elf, Hobbit, Human, Imp, Klackon, Kobold, Mindflayer, [[Creator/RichardWagner Nibelung]], Skeleton, Spectre, Sprite, Vampire, Yeek, Zombie.

ZAngband is short for ''Zelazny Angband'', and is a variant of the roguelike ''VideoGame/{{Angband}}'', pulling inspiration from the fantasy novels of Creator/RogerZelazny (especially his ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber'' series), in addition to ''Angband'''s ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'' theme.

Unlike most roguelikes, ''ZAngband'' (and most of the other *bands) does little to reduce LevelGrinding. There is nothing to stop you sitting around on the first dungeon level and whacking at a self-replicating worm mass until you reach experience level 50, except that it'd take you about a million years. It admits in the documentation that maxing your stats is pretty much the objective of the game (although it does have a real objective; to slay the Serpent). In other words, ZAngband is a game ''for'' the player who likes to level grind.

!Tropes associated with ''ZAngband''

Unlike most roguelikes, ''ZAngband'' (and most of the other *bands) does little to reduce LevelGrinding. There is nothing to stop you sitting around on the first dungeon level and whacking at a self-replicating worm mass until you reach experience level 50, except that it'd take you about a million years. It admits in the documentation that maxing your stats is pretty much the objective of the game (although it does have a real objective; to slay a dragon). In other words, ZAngband is a game ''for'' the player who likes to level grind.

* MassiveRaceSelection: Over 30 in total: [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber Amberite]], Barbarian, Beastman, Cyclops, Dark-Elf, Draconian, Dwarf, Elf, Ghoul, Gnome, Golem, Half-Elf, Half-Giant, Half-Orc, Half-Ogre, Half-Titan, Half-Troll, High-Elf, Hobbit, Human, Imp, Klackon, Kobold, Mindflayer, [[Creator/RichardWagner Nibelung]], Skeleton, Specter, Sprite, Vampire, Yeek, Zombie.

* MassiveRaceSelection: 30 in total: [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber Amberite]], Barbarian, Beastman, Cyclops, Dark-Elf, Draconian, Dwarf, Elf, Ghoul, Gnome, Golem, Half-Elf, Half-Giant, Half-Orc, Half-Ogre, Half-Titan, Half-Troll, High-Elf, Hobbit, Human, Imp, Klackon, Kobold, Mindflayer, [[Creator/RichardWagner Nibelung]], Skeleton, Specter, Sprite, Vampire, Yeek, Zombie.

Also unlike other roguelikes, levels are NOT persistent; once you leave a dungeon level, you will never find that same dungeon level again (and anything you left there is gone forever).

* DungeonBypass: not only can you bypass dungeons by simply going to the nearest staircase (if you can find it), you can keep going up and down the stairs until you find a dungeon you like. Each dungeon is completely randomly generated, so going up and down the stairs is the same as generating a new level. This also means that you can escape any enemy instantly, just by going up or down some stairs. They'll be gone when you return.

* MassiveRaceSelection: 30 in total: [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber Amberite]], Barbarian, Beastman, Cyclops, Dark-Elf, Draconian, Dwarf, Elf, Ghoul, Gnome, Golem, Half-Elf, Half-Giant, Half-Orc, Half-Ogre, Half-Titan, Half-Troll, High-Elf, Hobbit, Human, Imp, Klackon, Kobold, Mindflayer, [[Creator/RichardWagner Nibelung]], Skeleton, Sprite, Vampire, Yeek, Zombie.