Quest for the Unicorn - Silver Anniversary Edition Released

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25 years after the initial release in 1990 Mike Riley has released version 6.0 of the rogue-like Quest for the Unicorn:

I cannot believe it but it has been 25 years since Quest for the Unicorn was first released. Without a doubt this has been my longest active project. I originally wrote Quest on a Tandy-1000 with two floppy drives using Turbo Pascal 3. Over the years it has gone through a few major rewrites, converting the code from Pascal to c, another to convert it to the hardcore version and now another to be able to add in extra flexibility to continue to expand in the future.

I give many thanks to those who have supported Quest through the years, either with bug reports, comments on the game, or any other suggestions which helped to keep me working on this game and keep it alive. As a special thanks to all those who supported me over the years I am releasing a special Silver Anniversary Edition. This special compilation will be available for a time here on this site. All characters created in this version, as well as those loaded from 5.7 compatible versions, will receive a special trinket geared towards their class.​

Congratulations!

Outstandingly rare feat of game development, this hobbyist rogue-like has actually reached this milestone with a substantial update aimed at welcoming new players and further enticing those seemingly secret ones up to now.
The new features of version 6.0.0:

• The duration of summoned creatures is now based upon level and magic skill.
• Added typed damage to monsters as well as typed resistance/immunity.
• Added new elemental spells.
• Added elemental gems.
• Some monsters now do damage over time.
• Added several new trap types.
• Changed level 1 poisonous monsters to level 2.
• Increased the potency of poison.
• Added rooting effect. A rooted player can still fight but cannot move.
• Players can no longer move if they exceed their weight limit.
• Changed water color to be a lighter blue so that it is easier to see.
• Changed school courses to account for skill changes.
• It is now possible to ask an npc to join your party after talking with them.
• Added Heroic mode. Monsters are 2 times stronger.
• Added Epic mode. Monsters are 4 times stronger.
• Added casual mode. Disables permadeath and score tracking.
• Added rebirth.
• Added racials.
• Dual weapon wielding.
• Changed Right and Left hand in inventory to Main hand and Off hand.
• Redid fear mechanic. Now fear will cause the person feared to run from the nearest threat.
• Changed force field mechanics. Now neither the player nor monsters can walk through them. Attacking them in melee combat can weaken/destroy them. Force fields will stop all ranged combat without weakening.
• Changed ranged targeting. Now it is possible to target something that is not on any of the 8 base directions. Beware, monsters also use the new ranged targeting.
• Fixed bug where healing would use the base max health instead of the adjusted max health.
• Schools now change the price of courses depending on the level of skill.
• Added confirmation when using the <Q>uit command to prevent accidently ending a game.
• Added random spell scrolls. Any class may use these as a single cast spell.
• When <S>aving, the filename will be pre-loaded with the file used to load the game.
• Lowered price of status effect clearing potions.
• Using a weapon that you do not have at least 5 in its controlling skill will decrease chance to hit and damage done.
• Cursed items can no longer be auto identified.
• Mobs defeated in upland combat can now leave drops.
• Fixed bug where using 'x' command on inventory could cause a crash when the 'In Air' item was selected.
• Added gear restrictions. No longer can all classes equip all gear.
• Changed how Attack Power increases weapon damage.
• Added Spell Power stat to increase magical damage/healing.
• Added Spell Power gems and enchants. Mutables can also be found with Spell Power on them.
• Polymorph spells added to druid that allows the druid to polymorph himself into various animals. The druid gains attack, defense, and health based upon the animal changed into.
• Added some additional stats to the character record screen.
• Revamped and improved Wizard Mode.
• Changed how new spells are acquired and learned. No longer will casters gain a new spell on level up. Instead spell scrolls must be found or purchased and then transcribed into the caster's spellbook. Casters start with all level 1 spells already known.
• Added ability to learn spells from other classes, but chances are quite low at succeeding. Chances can be improved by increased Magic and Lore skills.
• + or - on a weapon no longer affects damage, only chance to hit.
• Further differentiation of weapon skills.
• Mutables are now set when the item is spawned rather than when the item is identified. This allows for a mutable's effects to take effect even before the item is known.
• Shield type spells now provide armor bonuses based upon caster level.
• Added back the missing mount shop.
• You can now attempt the oin command on pacified monsters.
• Two handed weapons (swords, polearms) may never be held in the off hand.
• If a two handed weapon is in your main hand then nothing can be held in the off hand.
• Shields will no longer contribute to armor rating if using a 2-handed weapon (polearms, bows, 2 handed swords) or dual wielding.
• Added flares as a way to see further away.
• Fixed bug where mana cost reduction from increased magic skill was not computed correctly.
• Casters in your party will no longer move towards monsters, they stay put and cast from a distance.
• Fixed bug where secret doors could be found in cities.
• Changed damage reduction calculation for armor.
• Fixed bug where you could step on a party member in multi-party combat mode.
• The magic compass can now be set to any destination that you know of. Locations are known if you have entered them or if you have heard about them from an npc or scroll. To set the compass target, 'u'se it.
• Bosses have been added to the bottom level of most dungeons. They are typically a couple levels above the monsters you find on the bottom level.
• Map generator has been replaced. Generated maps are now cleaner and easier to navigate. No more strange intersections, no more doors next to doors next to doors. No more long lines of secret doors between parallel passageways.
• Reported amount of experience on a level no longer includes friendlies that are on the level.
• Dungeons no longer scale to the player.
• Legacy items will no longer spawn duplicate enchants.
• Mutable items will no longer spawn duplicate enchants.
• Fixed bug where crafting with no craft item caused a crash.
• Altering the game using Wizard mode will force the game into casual mode.
• Damage from Sticks to Snakes snakes is now based upon magic skill rather than player level.
• Number of snakes summoned by Sticks to Snakes has been changed from 5 to magic skill divided by 10 plus 2.
• Fixed bug where ring of identification was not identifying items in multi-party combat mode.
• Fixed bug with energy weapons not hitting targets.
• <I>nfo command can now be used with house inventories.
• You can now unpack into an occupied inventory slot, the item there will exchanged with the pack item.
• Fixed bug where search did not work inside the gateway.
• Modified topography of final realm to give more cover.
• Added new playable class: Shaman

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