TomeNet — online rogue-like game discussion

I propose to discuss there my favorite rogue-like game - TomeNet (http://www.tomenet.eu/)

I've made new suggestion about ladders at official TomeNet forum. There it is:

Idea:
As there are more than 2000 characters @ TomeNet, it would be interesting to add "Ladder" — scoreboard that keeps track of experience. It could be demonstrated at the website and its big honor to be there at first places.

"Ladder" - list of alive charecters sorted by experience amount (TomeNet already have "highscores" http://www.tomenet.eu/scores.php with list of dead heroes).

While you character in Ladder you could compete with another players constantly in-real time (in contrast to "highscores" where your character showed only when he is dead).

Why ladder is fun?
1) its a competition ---> new emotions: venturous hazard, gambler's high, excitement
2) its a new goal for players - stay alive as long as possible (you don't need to die, so everyone would know about you)
3) its good for casual and new players (like me) who didn't beat Morgoth and don't have their names @ "highscores" (may be it would never happen ) but want to have some credit and participate in competition
4) it give possibility to watch over another players progress (betting gold who would survive )
5) and finally its perfect motivation to achieve something

For example:
It would be great to see that my 32 lvl character at 919 place.. After I play one day more he would become 896. Its good stimul to continue playing, to have some competition with other players.

Types of ladder could be similar to game mode:
1) Normal (3 lifes)
2) Unworldly (no ghost)
3) Everlasting (ressurection possible)
4) Hellish
5) PvP
6) IDDC
7) IDDC Hellish
8) IDDC PvP
9) Overall (all modes mixed)

It gives another feature of ladder - to give people motivation to try another game modes - if there are not much players even new player could compete to be in top 10, for example.

Other characteristics:
1) Ladder size. There could be minimal exp quality to get to ladder (so fresh lvl 10 characters woudn't be there).
2) Ladder refresh its state every day (or more often - its depends at server resources and volume of data).

Optional stuff:
1) Make existing "highscore" rating bigger
2) clans ladder. if there would be possibility to create a clan, it could be interesting to have a competition between them (criteria: exp summ of members)
3) add possibility to look at character inventory or add comments (as there http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-browse.php?v=TomeNET )
4) Another variations of ladders:
- classes and races filter (for example, who is the best Maia in TomeNet? Or paladin? Ladder give you such answer).
- who killed most amount of monsters? Who is the Great Orchunter?

Please, discuss!

True artifacts revamp

True artifacts - very special feature of TomeNet. I didn't seen anything like this in another online games.

Some information for a new players first:
True artifacts are temporary items - if you find it, it would exist only 30 days; after a month it would expire and another player would be able to find this item. If you find several items with from "set" (has the same name) - you would have completed "set" and get luck parameter (so you would have higher chance to find powerful items).

Problem:
True artifacts has to be very powerful magic items cause of it temporary existence. But the most of them (which I found.. and I got 5 of them in last few weeks) not powerful at all. They commonly have:

1) _one_ !basic! resist which doesn't mean any sense (cause a lot of items provide ALL 4-5 base res at once)
2) one normal resist (paralize, for example). useful, but only one
3) somekind of magic for activation (for example, fire bolt). To activate it you have to spend _two_ turns. Damage from it very low. For example for "Paurnen" gloves: 5..25d8.. It means from 8-40 to 25-200. Even if I would get 200 damage - for 2 turns its _nothing_. I don't think there is any players lvl 20, who deal 100 damage per turn. Its nonsence. Restoration of this useless thingy 2..5+d2 turns.
4) property which add some damage from element (poison, lighting, cold). Dont give any viable influence at dps or survivability
5) another properties, like life regen.. Yep, its nice thingy, but certaintly not worth to wear this item.

Conclusion:
1) There are a lot of _common_ magic items with two useful resists, which is way better then true artifacts. True artifact has to be unique and useful. Most of them right now only useful to sell it to the shop immediately after you find them
2) Damage from any activated items is too low. No point to use this items or to make macros for using them in any situations. It would be awesome to have character with a lot of deadly activated items - like techno-mage. Right now there is no point to use items, cause normal attacks way better.