Quote Originally Posted by Genius Lynx View Post
I was so stoked when I saw the room from the hall, and then disappointment set in when the shopkeep clarified it was his store.
You should still be stoked! All of those potions will be yours eventually. Like everything else in NetHack, there are many, many ways to deal with/benefit from shops/shopkeepers.

Quote Originally Posted by Del Murder View Post
I don't think I'm hardcore enough for this game. There's something about moving an @ sign around a black space that doesn't feel fulfilling.
That's an extremely common first reaction and I promise you will get over that feeling quickly but you basically just have to believe until that point. The thing about NetHack is that it has a steep learning curve and it slowly reveals its depth to you as you play which makes for a rather difficult entry. The more you play the more you will forget about the ASCII. Eventually you will be able to assess your situation at a glance, and you'll be comfortable navigating the menus. You'll have all of your commonly used items #adjusted to the same hotkeys as your previous games, and you'll be able to blow through things that took a lot of thought and painstaking key presses before. Don't think about it as being "hardcore." I think anyone can enjoy and excel in NetHack, it is just a matter of climbing that first hill. It is worth it. It will give you an experience that no other game can. It's kind of like learning to snowboard.