News 8 explains a bit more of this.
Zephy
Category: Suggestions and Improvements
Topic: Talk to Simutronics
Author: Zoha (DRAGONREALMS)
Posted: Jun 16, 1998 21:06:32

<I find the new system much better, in almost all ways. Only thing I wish is that after you kills a creature you would automatically be facing one of the critters on you, instead of getting the <slice at what? > message>

This now happens in the following order. If you SLICE/DRAW/etc without specifying a creature the attack will turn you to face the creature closest to you. If you are secondarily engaged (something directly on your flank) it will turn you to face that. Otherwise it will find the first creature engaged to you at melee, pole or ranged (in that order) and finally if there are no creatures engaged to your or you to them, it will pick the first creature it finds and turn you to face it.

ADVANCE without specifying a creature will now automatically advance on the creature you are facing.

FACE NEXT will turn you to face the creature you are secondarily engaged to or pick the next closest creature to face. If you are both facing a creature and secondarily defending (critter on flank) you will toggle back and forth between the two.

FACE NEXT <creature> will try to face you to the first specified creature in the room that you are not also engaged to.

This should make it much simpler engaging creatures in combat. Let me know how this works for you.

Zoha