Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is NetHack - Falcon's Eye?
A: Falcon's Eye is a mouse-driven interface for NetHack, a roguelike game of dungeon exploration. The interface enhances the visuals, audio and accessibility of the game, yet retains all the original gameplay and game features. I call the combination of the game and the interface NetHack - Falcon's Eye.

Q: Who is developing NetHack - Falcon's Eye?
A: NetHack - Falcon's Eye is being developed by Jaakko Peltonen.

Q: How far along is it? Is the game fully playable?
A: Yes. Download it and try!

Q: Is there a Linux port?
A: Yes, the source code can be compiled on Linux. The Linux port uses the SDL libraries for the graphics and sound effects, and external players for the music.

Q: Where can I get the source code?
A: Just under the binary distribution here. Note that the source code is liable to change a lot between versions.

Q: Can I trust the source code not to change completely between versions?
A: No. This window port is still in a state of development, so I'll be adding new features and revising old ones as necessary. Sometimes that might mean rewriting a lot of the code. Sorry.

Q: Can I do everything from the keyboard?
A: With the exception of scrolling some windows and selecting some menu items, you should be able to play without using the mouse. And I'll try to remove those few exceptions in the next version. If you know of something else that can't be done with the keyboard, post a message to the message forum or send me email at jaakko (dot) peltonen (at) tkk (dot) fi.

Q: How are the graphics made? Can I add graphics?
A: The tiles are rendered using the POV-Ray renderer. I have a special template file that positions the camera correctly, and I compare the models to the basic walls to keep the scale correct. Sometime in the future, I'll try to make some easy way of adding new tiles to the game (without recompiling). For now, you must change the code to add new graphics. To replace existing graphics, just change the graphics files in the 'graphics' subdirectory.

Q: What graphics format are these files?
A: They are 256-color PCX files. The in-game graphics use a fixed palette, where color 0 is considered transparent. Intro and ending pictures are also 256-color, but they can have their own palettes.

Q: When will NetHack - Falcon's Eye be done?
A: A project like this is never completely 'done': there are always more graphics, sounds, music and features that can be added, just like many games get expansion packs.