To keep or not to keep.

Error message

Deprecated function: implode(): Passing glue string after array is deprecated. Swap the parameters in drupal_get_feeds() (line 394 of /var/www/pied-piper.ermarian.net/includes/common.inc).
AuthorTopic: To keep or not to keep.
Apprentice
Member # 6631
Profile #0
While I like the Avernum series, I also realize that they're huge games, and very time consuming.
I don't have that much free-time, so I'll probably only be going through A4 once.
That said, I of course would also like to maximize what to get of the game.
I'm still in the beginning of the game, and I've all ready seen so many things, it's difficult to know, what to sell, and what to keep for later.
I drop iron at the blacksmith, no big deal. How about herbs? Keep'em for later or sell?
By browsing the forums I've picked up, that keeping fine leathers and emeralds is a good idea. But what about all the other stuff?
I've found some gold-bars, other precious stones and focusing crystals.
Going through the game only once, and then finding out in the end that I could have made +5000 gold on selling all meal to a merchant needing it is kinda boring. Stuff like that.
Could any of you please tell me what I'm going to encounter that is of use for later?
Posts: 10 | Registered: Monday, January 2 2006 08:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #1
Gold bars aren't important -- there's one place where you can make some armour with them, but the armour isn't that great anyway. You should keep focusing crystals, and also keep at least a little fine steel (although again, most of the stuff you can make with fine steel isn't great, and can be found elsewhere anyway).

Definitely keep all herbs -- you can eventually find someone who will use them to make Knowledge Brews, which give you skill points. Until you do, hang on to them.

Also, store 20 bags of meal and 20 bottles of wine somewhere that you'll be able to easily access later. You'll need them for a quest, and you really don't want to have to scrounge that many items. (There are a few other quests that you have to find some mundane items for, but most of them are pretty easy so there's no real need to save up items for them in advance.)

[ Wednesday, January 04, 2006 03:34: Message edited by: Thuryl ]

--------------------
The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
Profile #2
I don't believe emeralds or rubies really need to be saved, either. There are a couple of things you can do with them late in the game, but nothing very important, IIRC. If you want to save time later, you might consider picking up one of every mundane non-perishable item you come across, and stacking them up near some pylon. You only need a few of them for quests, of course, so perhaps you'd prefer a spoiler for these. I mean, how badly can a quest for towels and tongs really be 'spoiled'?

--------------------
We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty.
Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 6631
Profile #3
quote:
Originally written by Student of Trinity:

You only need a few of them for quests, of course, so perhaps you'd prefer a spoiler for these. I mean, how badly can a quest for towels and tongs really be 'spoiled'?
Not that bad I think.
Try me.
Posts: 10 | Registered: Monday, January 2 2006 08:00
Shaper
Member # 6292
Profile #4
Some items I can remembere which fulfill quests:

Tongs, Pliers, Hammer, Fine Steel, 3 Fine Leather, 3 Curing Elixirs, Graymold, Shackles, Mortar & Pestle, Towel, two Vahnatai Cloaks, one Fine Waveblade, 20 bags of meal, 20 bottles of wine, 4 bottles of Gremlin wine.

If you want to set aside about 2 each emeralds, rubies, and gold, just in case you want to make one or two items later in the game with them, it would be sufficient.

I start setting this stuff aside from the beginning of a game at this point, especially the meal, which I can have 20 of from the Fort Monastery/Grindstone area alone. If you stick things by the pylon in any city, it will be easy to get to later.

--------------------
A4 ItemsA4 SingletonG4 ItemsG4 ForgingG4 Infiltrator NR Items The Lonely Celt
Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 6631
Profile #5
Ah. That's very useful to know. Thanks.
Posts: 10 | Registered: Monday, January 2 2006 08:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #6
One omission from Synergy's list: two Eyestalks. There are two people who will send you on quests for eyestalks, and both give pretty good rewards. (Fortunately, there are eyebeasts relatively close to both of the people who give you those quests.)

--------------------
The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
Profile #7
Surely Eyebeast eyestalks don't count as mundane items even in Avernum. "Dang, out of toothpicks again. Honey, can you remember on your way home from work ..."

--------------------
We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty.
Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #8
If you want to nitpick, I'm not so sure that graymold counts as mundane either. :P

--------------------
The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 52
Profile Homepage #9
Stuff to keep in bulk:

Fine leather
Fine steel
Gold bars
Focus crystals
Mandrake
Graymold
Emeralds
Wine
Bags of meal
Chitrach claws
Icy geodes
Swamp nodules
Molten lava lumps

I would also horde potions - you really can get by without them for much of the game, but Energy potions become much more useful later on.

--------------------
Behind, the sea of time and space roars and follows swiftly
Posts: 280 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 6631
Profile #10
Which herbs are used for the skill potions?
I've got tons of healing and spiritual ones, and don't need making standard potions. Can I just sell them?
Posts: 10 | Registered: Monday, January 2 2006 08:00
Apprentice
Member # 5665
Profile Homepage #11
quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

One omission from Synergy's list: two Eyestalks. There are two people who will send you on quests for eyestalks, and both give pretty good rewards. (Fortunately, there are eyebeasts relatively close to both of the people who give you those quests.)
I got some eyestalks from the gazer under Camp Samuels, but I've met no one asking for them... if I'll likely run into them after Almaria don't worry about it, but If they're before that then a subtle pointer would be appreciated.

--------------------
Signature v2.0
Now with more Retzin!
Posts: 22 | Registered: Sunday, April 3 2005 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
Profile Homepage #12
You get two eyestalk quests in the game, as far as I know:

(SPOILER)

-One from the mage in East Cotra (if you kill the gazer under West Cotra, question it first, then go tell the mayor that it wasn't helpful, then go kill it, and the mayor never gets angry)
-One from the potion-maker in Fort Remote, but only after you do the quests fetching Graymold and Mandrake. All of that person's quests show up on the job board in Fort Remote.

--------------------
Thuryl: "Runescape: for people who are too stupid to save their games."

Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice.
Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 52
Profile Homepage #13
Opalias: some of the more basic herbs are used for complicated potion recipes later on. I'd hang on to them for now.

--------------------
Behind, the sea of time and space roars and follows swiftly
Posts: 280 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5785
Profile #14
quote:
Originally written by Ephesos:

You get two eyestalk quests in the game, as far as I know:

(SPOILER)

-One from the mage in East Cotra (if you kill the gazer under West Cotra, question it first, then go tell the mayor that it wasn't helpful, then go kill it, and the mayor never gets angry)
-One from the potion-maker in Fort Remote, but only after you do the quests fetching Graymold and Mandrake. All of that person's quests show up on the job board in Fort Remote.

- One from the Gazer in the tunnels west of Fort Remote, waiting for you among the final pylons that you encounter before you climb underground.

--------------------
"..The seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."
Posts: 522 | Registered: Wednesday, May 4 2005 07:00
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
Profile Homepage #15
Just for clarification, I meant places where you get quests for finding eyestalks, not places where you can get eyestalks.

--------------------
Thuryl: "Runescape: for people who are too stupid to save their games."

Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice.
Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
Apprentice
Member # 5665
Profile Homepage #16
Gotcha... I am in possession of surplus eyestalks then.
Wonderful.

--------------------
Signature v2.0
Now with more Retzin!
Posts: 22 | Registered: Sunday, April 3 2005 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5785
Profile #17
This is another time I wish Jeff could have added something from Geneforge; The abillity to make your own stuff.

You could make Potions in previouse Avernum games, and in Generforge you can make wands, crystals, artifacts, etc.
He allready added so much from Geneforge, so why not this?
Then we would have something to do wth the ultra-rare items like Eyestalks,

--------------------
"..The seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."
Posts: 522 | Registered: Wednesday, May 4 2005 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 4239
Profile #18
The various armorsmiths and potionmakers in the game serve the same purpose as the anvil in G3, at least from what I know (I didn't buy G3). It's simply a text-based interface instead of a visual one.

--------------------
There are two kinds of game players...those who are newbies, and those who were.
Posts: 322 | Registered: Monday, April 12 2004 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #19
quote:
Originally written by Opalias:

Which herbs are used for the skill potions?
All five: Healing, Energetic, Spiritual, Graymold and Mandrake. One dose of each per skill potion. Energetic Herbs and Mandrake are generally the rarest, so if you have more of the other types than you do of those, you can sell a few extras.

--------------------
The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Councilor
Member # 6600
Profile Homepage #20
So the toadstools went extinct?

Dikiyoba.
Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5785
Profile #21
quote:
Originally written by SNM:

The various armorsmiths and potionmakers in the game serve the same purpose as the anvil in G3, at least from what I know (I didn't buy G3). It's simply a text-based interface instead of a visual one.
Not quite. While you can have smiths make you wands and alchemists make you potions, you can not create artifacts or customise your inventory with enchanted items.

Edit: And where can I buy some Energetic Herbs?

[ Monday, January 09, 2006 02:08: Message edited by: Contra ]

--------------------
"..The seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."
Posts: 522 | Registered: Wednesday, May 4 2005 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #22
There are a few places where you can buy herbs, but not many. You can find them here and there in caves and caches.

--------------------
The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 5785
Profile #23
Yes, I know, but I wanted to know a specific place where I could buy them.

--------------------
"..The seventh wave of Thrall stumbled and climbed over the slippery, piled dead and Mazzarin saw The Watcher with them and at last knew the number of his days."
Posts: 522 | Registered: Wednesday, May 4 2005 07:00