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Quick Overview of Basic Mechanics (FAQ)


Metis
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6 hours ago, Metis said:

Incidentally, Honor of Mallen Field 6 gives you the Aranaz and Durand Ability, which is a blanket +2% CoS in return for -1 Pure Luck SL maximum. Maybe not your cup of tea, but if you're looking for CoS stacks, there's one.

It's definitely a good ability since pure luck 10 doesn't give anything, but it's unfortunate that you have to be in Aranaz to unlock the skill unless you get lucky with a random boost. It's worth getting every CoS ability you can (the bonus from Instinct, Malacresta, CC bonuses, Cheer, Mallen Field) since you can get up to a ridiculous +10 CoS.

 

6 hours ago, Metis said:

Match Wits can only be done once per day, as I recall. I couldn't tell you why, there's no cooldown on the ability (at least one that actually lasts that long), but than again there's also an invisible CoF, so who knows? As for Extensively Consult I'm sure the same invisible once per day rule applies, and from what I've been told it's invisible CoF also triggers more frequently. I can't confirm that as I've never used it and, frankly, it's not worth going through the effort to unlock it. +1 random Malice SS extra in return for an unavoidable +1 Stress, having to roll Dialectic instead of Wits and everything that comes with that adventure? Not even remotely worth it. Especially because every Malice skill I care about I can get elsewhere - Dispassion from Judge the Instructor's Tastes, Puzzles from the Academagia's Block Puzzle, and Patience is just one of those subskills that ends up getting a boost at some point or 'nother, which is good enough for me. Gambling isn't my cup of tea.

It's definitely the hardest adventure in the game - I always sacrifice a clique member on the last check because it's ridiculously high - but by the time I can complete it my stress max is usually in the 20s so a point from training isn't a big deal for me. I also don't use any buffs other than Cheer after resting, since I don't find them necessary. The Dialectic check means that I typically don't use it unless I'm in Durand, though. Logic and Sleuthing are useful, but the other two skills not so much.

 

6 hours ago, Metis said:

All that said I've got a few more merchants you might be interested in. First, I'd recommend Garibaldi's House of the Seven Colors as a useful merchant. A number of wands, the Dobbleganger Band and Escape Wand for -CoD%, the Astrologer's Eye for +Chance of Random Event (which is a very powerful modifier if you savescum REs, as I do, otherwise it's probably more of a detriment than anything ;)), and an amulet of Negation and Persuasion. Of lesser, though still mentionable note is Bamboozler (Book of Puns, +1 Wit), Haejar Enthifal Cortath, Pages 5-7 (Ranaldo "The Underbelly's" Diary, +2 Calamities and +1 Insight), Johan's Avian Storefront Service (a number of pets, which have their own inventory slot), Johan's Avian Delivery Service (various items for the Feather slot, although if you end up doing Carnage on the Fields you'll get one that's probably better) and Guild Glit (various items for the Jewel slot).

Garibaldi's is definitely great, I just didn't think to put it since you get informed about it during the tutorial. Haejar's seems ok since it has an attribute boosting item. Most of the other stores don't really seem worthwhile due to the (frankly terrible) way shops work, where you have to dedicate a timeslot to going to one store. For example the bamboozler shop has a +1 wits book, which is pointless when you could spend that time training wits up by 1 yourself and get other skill bonuses too (or if wits is maxed, use improved familiar handling to get a permanent +2 boost from your familiar). Most of the time getting a +1 boost to one or two skills isn't worth the opportunity cost of going to to a shop vs training up the skill yourself or on your familiar, especially when you consider that training gives various bonuses and unlocks, and that you can only have one or two items per item type equipped (excepting rings). Parent skill boosts aren't great either since the majority of skill checks are for subskills.

There are a few ways I wish shops were different. Having the items you can buy have heftier bonuses to make it worthwhile, or letting you browse among all the shops you've unlocked at once with the "shop" action, or not having to spend a timeslot to access them. The current system is just bad.

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Just now, Vesper said:

It's definitely a good ability since pure luck 10 doesn't give anything, but it's unfortunate that you have to be in Aranaz to unlock the skill unless you get lucky with a random boost. It's worth getting every CoS ability you can (the bonus from Instinct, Malacresta, CC bonuses, Cheer, Mallen Field) since you can get up to a ridiculous +10 CoS.

Yeah, just a lore. Pure Luck 11 gives out Seven Favors, though, which...painful to get, but if you get it to pull weight, whoa boy. As for unlocking Honor of Mallen Field you can manipulate it through Parse Broadsheets or Perform Music: Harpsichord, if you're desperate.

6 minutes ago, Vesper said:

It's definitely the hardest adventure in the game - I always sacrifice a clique member on the last check because it's ridiculously high - but by the time I can complete it my stress max is usually in the 20s so a point from training isn't a big deal for me. I also don't use any buffs other than Cheer after resting, since I don't find them necessary. The Dialectic check means that I typically don't use it unless I'm in Durand, though. Logic and Sleuthing are useful, but the other two skills not so much.

I think a few of the main adventures might be harder, but the Sphinx' is definitely up there.

8 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Garibaldi's is definitely great, I just didn't think to put it since you get informed about it during the tutorial. Haejar's seems ok since it has an attribute boosting item. Most of the other stores don't really seem worthwhile due to the (frankly terrible) way shops work, where you have to dedicate a timeslot to going to one store. For example the bamboozler shop has a +1 wits book, which is pointless when you could spend that time training wits up by 1 yourself and get other skill bonuses too (or if wits is maxed, use improved familiar handling to get a permanent +2 boost from your familiar). Most of the time getting a +1 boost to one or two skills isn't worth the opportunity cost of going to to a shop vs training up the skill yourself or on your familiar, especially when you consider that training gives various bonuses and unlocks, and that you can only have one or two items per item type equipped (excepting rings). Parent skill boosts aren't great either since the majority of skill checks are for subskills.

There are a few ways I wish shops were different. Having the items you can buy have heftier bonuses to make it worthwhile, or letting you browse among all the shops you've unlocked at once with the "shop" action, or not having to spend a timeslot to access them. The current system is just bad.

You get informed about Garibaldi's only if you pass that adventure stage, though. If you fail you'll lose it. As for shops, it's true they're not great, but after playing through about a dozen+ Avila students (since testing and the new adventures and all), meaning no efficiently using the Mantle of Stars for Numerology or Zoology class, I've kinda forgotten that Familiars are a thing that exist. Not to mention in order to get a Familiar's skill to 4 you'd have to first raise it's Bond to 3, and that's a step with a number of requirements that have to be dealt with first that I tend to look at only briefly before going "eh, not going to bother".

The Book of Puns was also a much better deal before I learned about Judge the Instructor's Taste, Test-Taker's Mind and Bon Vivant, which combined will quickly put you at 12 Wits.

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On the subject of (potentially) useful shops:

Q'ralt's Arms sells the Wooden Stick, I.E. The Ancient Grammarian's Wand. The wand itself isn't great, especially since as a Hand item it has a lot of competition, but Research 6 and three turns to produce 698 Pims - 'bout 230 Pims per turn - is a better payout than you'd get in most other places.

Jacques Ulitath, who's inventory is so :blink: I had to actually check it ingame before I believed it. Standout numbers include Draconian Methodology (Inform all Mastery subskills), a replica of Icanyke’s Wand (+3 Gates and Gates Phemes, +2 Incantation and Revision Methods) and a Dragon Bone Wand (+1 Concentration, Incantation and Mastery). Incidentally, you don't have to worry about Draconian Methodology's 3 Concealment - Catalogue items are placed directly into your wardrobe, so you can't find yourself in a situation where you're suddenly exceeding maximum values, getting reprimanded and having everything confiscated.

Igitur 'Bone-finger' Lysither I feel is worth a mention for the Balanced Wand, +1 to Astrology, Enchant, Glamour, Incantation, Negation and Revision.

Ghnak ve' Ferchi sells an Overstuffable Bag (-5 to your total Concealment), Nimble Finger Gloves (+3 Lockpick, which is a skill that does rarely come up), and Opaque Shades/Eyewear (-2 CoD% and +1 Sleight-of-Hand that fit in the Glasses slot).

Vincent "Lucky" Dawson sells a Lightened Pack (-6 to your Encumbrance score) and a Back Brace (+1 Strength).

Paul Buckly's Catalog is worth a minor mention for the Cloak of Shadows (-3 CoD%), although I imagine most will ignore it in favor of the Cloak of Beguiling.

Maxtentius I feel is worth a mention, though not much of one. The Spiked Bracelet (-1 Vitality max, +2 Gates and Gates Methods) and replica of Marcula of the Helm's Wand (+2 Incantation Methods, Phemes and Theory) are the only noteworthy items.

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The Wand and Brush is also a interesting Shop:

Misc Item Pigments of the Airy Void +1 to Revision, Glamour, Incantation, Mastery, Gates, Forge, Enchant and Orthography!

Hand Wand of Wenge Wood +1 Finesse +1 Orthography

(But don't ask me how I got this shop as I don't remember)

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Family: Religious opens up guaranteed, 3× Temple of Iudocia on Juvenalia Cleanse and Remake abuse. See the C/R section for more details.

I personal prefer Dialectic as class for this because at the 1st step of the "Scenes from Dialectic Class" using the “It’s a higher principle.  An ideal.” exit you gain the Temple of Iudcia without any roll and Dialectic get you Insight at study 10.

Voice 2 gives you also a way to learn Religion with Offer Prayers to Arcadius that means 2x success in using Academagic Public Practice Room#4 or taking Music as class.

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  • 5 months later...
On 6/25/2017 at 3:16 AM, Schwarzbart said:

I personal prefer Dialectic as class for this because at the 1st step of the "Scenes from Dialectic Class" using the “It’s a higher principle.  An ideal.” exit you gain the Temple of Iudcia without any roll and Dialectic get you Insight at study 10.

Voice 2 gives you also a way to learn Religion with Offer Prayers to Arcadius that means 2x success in using Academagic Public Practice Room#4 or taking Music as class.

Or you could just pray at the Temple of Rostra twice to get Prayer up enough to inform Durand's Prayer Grove.  Taking an action at Durand's Prayer Grove will inform you of all the Religion subskills, allowing you to just Train up Theology to level 1 to inform the Temple of Iudocia.

I generally do a lot of adventures and Insight is one of the more common stat boosts so I'm a bit meh on Dialectic Study Level 10s reward.

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  • 1 year later...

A 5% chance to have a 1:7 chance of improving any given attribute, or around a ~0.7% chance to increase a specific attribute. I can't, in good conscious, recommend that in a beginner's guide. Running a Light Training Course as a substitute for starting with a reasonable amount of Fitness is soul-crushing enough from what I recall.

That said I might make use of that action at some point.

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If you really want to test your luck, do 3× Run a Moderately Ambitious Training Route on Juvenalia. Only a 7% chance to get +1 Fitness per action, but also only +2 Stress, so if you get +3 Fitness from it you won't have to Rest on the third turn since your +6 Stress Max can handle the +6 Stress load. Probably have to rest the day after because of all the bad Emotions you'll get, but hey, +3 Fitness and cleared Stress in only four turns.

All that for the low, low price of managing to land a 0,0343% chance! Order now :rolleyes:

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