Imagining if Void Stranger's statues had randomised abilities like NetHack potions, and you had to identify them by trying various game actions on them.
Also imagining if Void Stranger had 9 different randomised collectable idols and only one had the locust idols' ability.
I have the opinion that if you want to make a postmodern NetHack successor, then you'd make a game that A) heavily involves item identification, B) heavily incentivises identifying as much of the item pool as possible to win, C) heavily minimises everything else about NetHack.
Thinking about how much of optimal NetHack earlygame play comes down to arcane item identification rituals… dipping daggers in potions, dropping rings down plugholes, scratching words on the floor with wands, kicking small rocks to check for supernatural weight…
"Oh sure, everyone laughed at me in the 2000's, but look at how much a single Cheap Plastic Imitation of the Amulet of Yendor goes for today on Ebay! Almost 20K zorkmids! Jealous?"
*trying to scratch "Elbereth" on a floor tile using the Void Stranger staff* Goddamnit hang on what brand did Tolkien give her again
NetHack deaths operate on the same internal logic as old Sierra adventure games
Imagining how intolerable my tweets would have been in 2005 when I was doing NetHack beat-the-game attempts and shivering with an indescribable cocktail of emotions
NetHack patch that changes "Elbereth" to "Minors DNI"
