So, i’ve been playing the game for a long time. about a year and a half ago, i decided i’m gonna grind up for the cider.
Now that’s all well and good, and i’m at the last length of the journey (got 140k out of the 160k needed) and now Failbetter drops all these amazing content at me, which is terribly, mind bogging expensive echo wise.
i was wondering if i should just go with the flow, take a break from the grind and do whatever with the new content, or continue until i finish (it’ll take me like a couple of month more i think) and then rebuild my fortune.
thoughts? ideas?
All this new content, except ambitions, is currently unfinished, and some parts are riddled with bugs. Leaving it for a few months will let some dust settle.
The only catch is that railway is constrained by Time The Healer. On the other hand, after (or even during) initial stage it requires materials from other fresh areas.
On another hand (it’s the Neath, deal with Treachery of Shapes) the lab has some profitable grinds (some say most profitable as of today), but also requires a considerable investment first.
I already have most of my alb pretty much set up (most advanced it can currently get, minus maybe having the best students around). guess i’ll grind some more in order to get the cider and finally finish per una cabeza
Then you can grind making cartographer’s hoards and statistical tables, epa is good.
>>>which is terribly, mind bogging expensive echo wise.
It’s not. Sure, it depends on your ambition, knifegate is kinda pricy. But other than that its not huge sums. I was 109k echos when lab content released. Now (after 1.5 months) i have ~120k, finished my HD ambition, maxed out lab (including visionary students and all experiments), swimming in new resources (from bone market and parabola), up to speed with railway company.
Sure, it will delay your cider for month or two. But if you are grinding for cider you probably do not care about month or two.
I have to admit, when I was in your place almost exactly a year ago, this question was very much easier.
On the other hand, since then, much more efficient options for Echo grinding have also been implemented, particularly once you invest in the Laboratory (especially with the Fate locked Equipment) and Ambition endings. So replenishing your economy afterwards should be a bit faster than if you buy Cider now and do the Laboratory later. The initial investments are steep, however, that’s for sure. But the lure of doing new things as a break from a regular years-long grind is compelling (for me, at least).
Also, a significant part of the Railway content (i.e. the first station, Ealing Gardens) and Palaeontology content (i.e. the Butcher who’s supposed to operate there) should become accessible later this week. Perhaps you can wait and see what is there before committing one way or the other?
In your place, I’d probably continue grinding echoes until I saw what amount & kind of content the Railway stations will provide. At any rate, getting money will definitely be useful, whatever you decide to prioritize.
I have completed my ambition (HD), and Finished upgrading my lab to the max (minus the last student available). The railway seems very expensive, and while the bone market is interesting, i can’t really find my head nor tail (heh, no pun intended) in it yet.
currently i just keep playing the arbor card when it comes up, and grind echos with the silken thread expedition
Heart’s Desire means Cora Bagley as assistant. She’s good for statistical compendia, easy grind.
You may as well enjoy the new content while it’s hot. There will be plenty of time to grind.
I would be afraid that if you wipe yourself out for cider, then once you’re done, you’ll have to wait even longer to make progress on the Railway, on account of the expense. On the other hand, given the time-gating, you probably won’t have to delay yourself much beyond the natural rate of progress.
Aro Saren has a good point that the new content tends to have some bugs when it’s hot off the press. But most of that tends to get ironed out in a few days or a week, I think months is a long time.
Yeah Caroline got the Cider this March, and spent April grinding an Overgoat, and…the end of Ambition and stuff like the Lab was a lot more complicated after how much stuff she has sold off.
I haven’t been grinding Echoes for a long time ever since my characters got the Cider (and the upgraded Goat), so I can’t give many tips.
I can tell you this though: thus far, I mainly use the Cider for wiping Wounds through the Circus of Plenty. I didn’t bother with the sips. There is also the accumulation of Weeping Scars in SMEN; the Cider makes this stage trivial.
If you have more than one character with the Cider, you can have them duel each other to the death to farm Sanguine Ribbons. Death would not be much of an issue to the loser.
That’s it though. If you ask me, you should go for the upgraded goat first. (I know I did. It made Forgotten Quarter expeditions simpler.)
edited by Rostygold on 7/2/2020
As someone with both Cider and the Heptagoat: Don’t rush. The satisfaction of finally obtaining that rare item is nice, but Fallen London’s biggest strength is its stories. Take your time and enjoy the new content—those long-term grinds will still be there afterwards.