After my 10th win on nearly 500 games (i'm getting better for the last 100 games), here is what I can say about what you have NOT to do in this game and what make me (still) loose, again, and again :
- Attacking a "red" monster without a strategy (luring him in a corridor, drinking a potion, invoke allies, using a god), and on top of this, without knowing/thinking about its weaknesses and strength. Ogres can be paralysed by wands, most monsters can be feared, and keep your holy word scrolls in case of curse skulls (for example).
- If you used stairs because you were outnumbered, coming back from where you fled is not a good idea. Come back from elsewhere, and shout to attract them.
- Attacking corroding monsters at point blank when they are several. Corroding monsters are very dangerous. Titanic slime is one of the deadliest mob here. It can one-shot you.
- Trying to rush when you're below 60% hp. As soon as you are under 60% it's an emergency. You can die from ANY non-predictable event. Unless you will die when fleeing or have a single monster with 10% life, flee.
- Having a "-" element resistance after D:10 (and Lair) because it gives you a better weapon/rinf of ice-fire, or things like this. More generally, taking a considerable risk for a small buff. You can win slowly, you can flee, retry, etc...you can only die once, and it's always the end of the story, then.
- A small useful advise. Don't keep so many unidentified scrolls/potions. As soon as you have many of them and can see which one is the identify scroll, use ALL of them to identify potions/scrolls, at least to find the most important one. When the time comes, you will be happy to know which one can save you, and which one is the f****** degeneration potion or scroll of noise.
- Considering you are not so well stuffed, and, well, you'll do better next time. Not caring of your character. THERE IS NO GAME YOU CAN'T WIN (proof : there are streaks). There is only lack of knowledge, lack of patience, lack of care. I lost a lot of lucky heros, with experience potions, very strong artifacts or good spells in the first lvls. You can never know what lies in the next corridor. Being stronger and finding good stuff early is also a trap : because it's easier, you will take more risks. So : be methodical, don't waste your character because the first levels were disapointing. (actually, i never won with a lucky hero)
- Last, but not least. CONSIDERING that the situation doesn't worth using potions/scroll/wands. I mean. You could fill oceans of health potions from the dead heros who thought they weren't useful for this moment and cover the entire earth with scrolls of blinking/teleport unused. Thoughts like "oh, come on, i won't spoil a potion, it's NEARLY DEAD, it's just a small risk..." are one of the most stupidest things i still do.