[chousuke]

I haven't played ADOM since 1.1.1 (almost 2 decades ago) but I always found it more approachable compared to the alternatives I tried.

It starts you off in an overworld and the initial progression is less linear than the traditional dungeon-delving approach of eg. Nethack and DCSS, so in that sense it feels more RPG-like.

I never really got into Nethack much because it's just so punishing, and while ADOM is definitely far from an easy game, it felt better. DCSS is also similar to ADOM in the sense that the development community tries really hard to make it an enjoyable experience.

[adrianN]

I have played ADOM on and off for at least a decade now and have looked at the various guides you find online. Despite that I never even made it to midgame without getting killed by something. It's still a fun game though.