I started playing this game in February 2010 (1888), and I played for a little over a year before I, for whatever reason, stopped logging in. A few days ago I remembered the Bazaar’s existence thanks to a few friends and decided to start playing again, and I’ve been reaquainting myself with where I was up to in my main stories. (I also first created a secondary account just to familiarize myself with the basics of the game again and "redo" some of the more tutorial-esque aspects.)
For interest’s sake: I’d hit over 100 in Persuasive/Watchful and was getting there with Shadowy/Dangerous. I was grinding Dangerous to threaten a monkey in Ambition: Heart’s Desire (I’m now waiting for the Manager), and I’d just started the "person of some importance" storyline (and have now unlocked the Bazaar side-streets). I’m Mad Bad and Dangerous to know, and I’ve been kicked out of the University. I remember my primary interest was Seeking Mr. Eaten’s Name and being a Scholar of the Correspondance, but I see the first is now locked. I am also now preparing a wedding. There’s plenty for me to do, so I don’t really feel "stuck".
Upon returning I had to make a few snap choices, and I chose a profession of "Tough" because my Dangerous is the only stat still under 70. I don’t remember professions being a thing at all.
My questions are the following:
1 - I am getting no living storylines or living story notifications, and I don’t seem to have anything relating to my profession anywhere. Is this normal? What do professions do (generally, without spoilers)?[/li][li]2 - How do I get "Time the Healer" and days off? The wiki hasn’t been illuminating.[/li][li]3 - I still have Seeking the Name stuff in my lodgings, but I can’t access any of it, is this likely to change?[/li][li]4 - I have unlocked the Labyrinth of Tigers but I don’t have any "coils" (as a lot of item cards refer to) have I missed something obvious?[/li][li]5 - Is there a list of valuable items somewhere? I don’t want to accidentally sell something because I’ve forgotten it was the prize in a lengthy storyline. I can make an inventory of my own possessions if it helps.[/li][li]6 - Are the "surface"-related invitations only applicable to people who are not already playing Fallen London? (It tells me I have too many twitter friends to display so I don’t get a dropdown like regular "Invite a Contact" options.)[/li][li]7 - I used to religiously play Knife and Candle but I don’t know how anymore, help?
But finally and most importantly, does anyone have any tips? Has anyone else done this, or been playing for years, who can give me advice about the changes? I’ve been trying to handle things on my own, and now I’m reading some newbie tips for refreshers, but not knowing what’s a bug and what’s my poor memory and what’s just a change leaves me a bit lost at zee.
Links to previous topics or wiki pages are more than welcome, I’m happy to do my reading.
Living stories - if you are talking about the stat boosting ones you might have out levelled them. Your profession payment comes approximately 7 days after you get one. The starting professions (Tough etc) give a stat boost and 5 echoes worth of items. The other professions are started from the faction cards and give more and different rewards.
Time the Healer comes weekly, it brings your profession payment and five free evenings, halves your making waves, reduces menaces and if you have been to the Cave of the Nadir gives Fleeting Recollections that clears your Irrigo and gives stat boosts.
Seeking is on hiatus, we don’t know when it will return
Given your dangerous you won’t have started the Mr Inch story that opens up the Coils of the Labyrinth. You will get there
Difficult to say - some things are needed, very hard to get or unique.
yes - only for people who aren’t playing. You could link to email if your twitter friend list is too long.
Go to Watchmakers Hill and visit the gamekeepers cottage for a few whispered secrets you get an Iron Token and acces to K&C.
1 & 2 - You should be getting Time the Healer as a Living story every week. If you are not getting a message every week you should submit a bug report here: support@failbettergames.com
Seeking Mr Eaten’s Name is on a temporary hiatus, and I’m not sure how long this will be. Probably after Sunless Sea is released, but I couldn’t guess as to how long after.
When your Dangerous hits 97 Mr. Inch will send you a letter (it’s a storylet and not a living story) to open up the Labyrinth of Tigers to you. There might be a warning that this will close off the Hunting Dangerous Beasts storylets, but this is no longer the case.
Hm, I’m not sure if there’s an actual list. Anything worth over a thousand echoes would be something worth holding on to, along with most 312 echo items. Especially Dreadful Surmises, since as far as I know there isn’t a repeatable action that can grant you one. Intriguer’s Compendiums, Ivory Organza, Starstone Demark, Bazaar’s Tears, Fecund Amber, Elemental Secrets, and Ray-Drenched Cinders are all items you can get more of at any time, but they’re enough work to get that you probably shouldn’t sell them. I might be missing an item or two in there somewhere.
Yes, they’re for inviting people to play. You can also submit an email address instead of hoping to get the Twitter invite to cooperate. I think logging in using your Twitter may help, but no promises. The email option works fine.
The game has been reintroduced and changed by quite a bit. You can find your way in by checking out Watchmaker’s Hill. Iron League is card based (4 card lodging cards, Dusty Bookshop, Little Omen, Soft-Hearted Widow, and Polite Invitation all let you participate), and opens you up to being randomly attacked by other people in the League. It’s quicker than the Moon League, which is a storylet based duel. I personally prefer the Moon League because it’s less distracting, but there’s pros and cons for each. You can switch between the leagues at any time, and you can drop your form if you want to take a break.
I’m afraid I don’t have any specific hints, but if you’re unsure if something is a bug you can always ask here. We’re friendly. :) edited by Sara Hysaro on 3/30/2014
Okay, I was in the same boat as you, but just started over, and am actually in your stat range, it sounds like. The stickied Newbie Help thread over in the Bazaar helps a bunch, too, if you’ve got the time to read. I’m not sure what’s new or not, since I completely forgot EVERYTHING and it was all new to me.
First off , when you start a living story, in the Rewards section after completing the action, it’ll tell you if one is going to start soon. We don’t get timers or further indicators unfortunately. Most I’ve seen take a week unless otherwise stated, but that could just be my rotten luck.
Your Profession automatically gives a reward once a week, when Time the Healer comes. It arrives at a set time, set day every week. I think it’s the day you started playing, but don’t quote me. If you don’t get it after a week, you’ll want to contact support. The reward varies by profession, but you always collect a Professional Perk. That can be exchanged for some menace help, saved up for a stat boosting item, or something else.
That stuff should be locked. It’ll be locked indefinitely, but will be back… sometime. I’m not sure why it’s still displayed for you, since I wasn’t able to join before the content was suspended. Maybe it’s there because of the step you ended on?
You access the coils as you go through the story. Until you reach Dangerous 97 and get a Letter From Mr. Inch, you can’t go any further than the entrance. The path presents itself clearly after that.
I’m pretty new, playing-wise, but I know Airag, a certain bottle of blood, and bottles of Bazaar tears are valuable for sure. I think a rule of thumb is unless it’s over 300 echoes, unique, or you need it for a conversion, you’re probably safe to sell, but it’s best to keep a little in reserve. If you’re getting a lot of one item, keeping it around would be smart, since stories will use them around then, but that’s pretty relative. I haven’t been able to find a full list of DO NOT SELL items, but I’ll keep digging.
They are only for people not playing. They don’t require the person to accept, according to people who have used them, funnily enough.
There’s an FAQ on the blog, right over here! I don’t actually play it, so you’ll find me short on answers, but Knife-and-Candle stats rise after losses, lower after victories, and are entirely independent from your main ones. As long as you have some tokens left, you can keep going, and you can exchange them for prizes of one sort or another. You’ll get cards that allow you to change your form (though reset your stat gains), attack, and defend. Certain items and actions raise your stats. You can lose certain items depending on the attack if you lose, and gain them the same way, but all of those items warn you first in the description. Someone else here will be able to answer any more in-depth ones.
As for personal tips? I keep a text copy of story entries I think are important around, in case I forget what I’m doing. It happens a lot, especially with long waits between relevant cards, and is faster than digging through the journal wondering which day you did that one thing. I’ve never seen an actual use for Nevercold Brass, so that’s pretty much free money. Stock up on Bizarre, Dreaded, and Respectable items when you hit Person of Some Importance (thought it doesn’t hurt to stock up early!). And be really, really careful if you go to a place called the Nadir, and get ready for a lot of grinding afterwards. That’s about all I can think of. Anything in particular you’re confused about that’s new?
Edit: Oh whoops, you beat me to it!
[li] edited by Lucky Cinnamon on 3/29/2014[/li][li] edited by Lucky Cinnamon on 3/29/2014
As for new things
Archaeological Expeditions and the Cave of the Nadir in the Forgotten Quarter
Writing Short Stories and Honey dreams in Veilgarden
Being able to raise Scholar of the Correspondence through Shadowy Dealings at the University.
The Pickpocket’s Promenade in the Alleys of Spite
Heists in the Flit
Notability
Five card lodgings (upgrade of the four card lodgings) and some new three card lodgings that, so far, are only available at certain times of year.
Probably certain items at the Bazaar.
I’m not sure but possibly access to the Iron Republic when you go Zailing.
Basically advice I would give is to visit every area, have a look and try everything.
And excellent advice it is! That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing, visiting all the areas I’ve unlocked and clicking through everything available to see where I’m up to. Thanks for this list of new stuff! And thanks for the advice re: Time the Healer, the fact that I haven’t "missed" the Labyrinth, etc.
Yes, I’ve been clicking around the Bazaar and reading newbie questions now that I’ve found the forums (which are a really good resource.)
It’s good to know I’m not alone, man. Keeping a copy of story text is good advice and I think I’m gonna start! Also writing down what storylets what want. A lot of my issues came from feeling like I had been saving up items for specific goals or challenges that I knew I would face in future, or cards I was hoping to appear again, and having no idea why upon my return. e.g. I had 10k of Primordeal Shrieks. Why? I don’t know, so I just converted or sold them.
Thanks so much also for your thorough write-up to the questions, even if you weren’t quite fast enough. The link to the K&C FAQ is very useful. the Seeking Mr. Eaten’s Name options require "Impossibility" for me to do, so I imagine they’re just present but I’m not gonna ever be able to click them until it’s unhiatused.
What a thorough and excellent answer. Thank you so much!
I’m not sure if I’ve been "back" for a week, so I’ll give it another few days before emailing about a possible bug.