Most of the guides I’ve seen deal with early game strategies, but I’m looking for ways to make money post-Salt Lions deliveries and which preferably aren’t one-time or limited like Venturer quests and the Principles of Coral. I have a few ideas, but I’d like some feedback as well.
For one there’s dark drop coffee and taking it to the surface. Next is trading sunlight. My theory is that with a large enough hold, you could stock up on tons of coffee at Port Carnelian and take it up to the Cumaean Canal to trade on the Surface. While up there, you fill up some mirrorcatch boxes (can you fill up more than one?) to sell on the Isle of Cats or in London (I’ve fallen out with the Blind Bruiser; will he still buy sunlight?). While on the Isle of Cats, you buy Red Honey which you sell back in London. That would make a somewhat complete path. My only thoughts are that fuel costs could be an issue along with Wounds.
Some ports have a very likely payout if something awaits you. Find those ports and just stay undocked in those ports with your light off. Some of these ports even have Zee beasts worth hunting around if you don’t like to afk.
Maintaining and using your informants network is a profitable pastime as well, as long as you did not support certain groups too much.
Finally, you can be the last tour operator pretty much full time. If you have a secure hold, that is a fairly safe investment.
[quote=RedRockRun]Most of the guides I’ve seen deal with early game strategies, but I’m looking for ways to make money post-Salt Lions deliveries and which preferably aren’t one-time or limited like Venturer quests and the Principles of Coral. I have a few ideas, but I’d like some feedback as well.
For one there’s dark drop coffee and taking it to the surface. Next is trading sunlight. My theory is that with a large enough hold, you could stock up on tons of coffee at Port Carnelian and take it up to the Cumaean Canal to trade on the Surface. While up there, you fill up some mirrorcatch boxes (can you fill up more than one?) to sell on the Isle of Cats or in London (I’ve fallen out with the Blind Bruiser; will he still buy sunlight?). While on the Isle of Cats, you buy Red Honey which you sell back in London. That would make a somewhat complete path. My only thoughts are that fuel costs could be an issue along with Wounds.[/quote]
You can fill up more than one mirrorcatch box. But it’s a little dangerous to fill 25+ on the surface at once. I don’t think the Blind Bruiser will buy sunlight if you’re fallen out, though, no.
I don’t think Isle of Cats is that useful if you can still use the BB. Selling sunlight in Isle of Cats requires a small Veils check and lowers your profits if you fail (it effectively sells the empty box for 100 when you could sell the empty box for 200 in Khan’s Shadow). Also, you can also only buy 1 Red Honey per SAYA in IoC so you can’t ship it in bulk. It also raises your Menaces: Suspicions. It’s only a flat 300-400 for taking Red Honey to London.
Really, the best way to do sunlight is a single trip to the surface with 15-20 boxes, followed by a return to Khan’s Shadow to sell of your extra boxes, saving 1 for various activities if necessary (Nuncio, snakes, etc).
I wish FBG would make Naples an actual shop with supplies for 5 echoes instead of a story interaction. Food from the surface to the Abbey is very profitable with a sufficiently large hold (15 per hold) and infinitely repeatable (unlike filling sunlight). edited by grisamentum on 3/25/2015
Shops are just linked to locations and settings. Look at Iron Republic, for example. I don’t think it should be too hard.
But I digress. Tour Operator. All the time, every time. You can spend a little money to guarantee 1500 + a judgement’s egg, or just take the risks and potentially pick up less. As long as you always have them, you’ll be fine. And really, even if they eat 10 supplies, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll still be in profit. Also pick up passenger delivery from the Mangrove College and Polythreme when it makes sense.
Coffee and Sunlight are limited. You can’t do them indefinitely, but! Sapphires from port carnelian to the chelonate is 13 echoes per. Not massive, but if you ship 50, that’s 650 echoes. Even just shipping 20 per time in the starter ship isn’t a terrible way to make money.
Kill things - Lorn Flukes for secrets and the biggest crabs give lots of fragments
Also some of the stories in ports give fragments. I find Whither to be quite good for a range of stories that do so and hunting lifebergs to resupply and get other treasures is fun.
Then there are rare successes that give a secret - two I know of are examining amber in Port Cecil and visiting the hilltop on Mutton island.
I just bought a dreadnaught, and sweet Salt, this is a pox upon all frugality. Going from 10 hands to 40 drains my larder faster a pack of rattus faber after drinking red honey instilled with the memories of hungry red priests.
The best way of making money for a late game character that I’ve found is visiting the Wisp-Ways in Mangrove College in the Melting Isles.
SPOILERS
Make sure that you’re Veils, Mirrors, Pages and Iron are high.[/li][li]Try to arrive with the maximum amount of crew members.[/li][li]Take just enough fuel with you to make it back to a place where you can buy more fuel, supplies and foxfire candles.[/li][li]Lastly: try to take as many foxfire candles with you as you can. Try to have a good ratio of supplies (for initiating the Wisp-Ways storylet) to foxfire candles for navigating the Wisp-Ways. Around 1 supplies to 5-6 foxfire candles seems like a good ratio.
The Wisp-Ways story will use up one supply each time you initiate it. Progressing through it requires foxfire candles. If you fail a challenge, you will lose crew. Going through the Wisp-Ways will increase your terror, but at the end there are some amazing treasures that are well worth the investment. edited by lord1box on 3/30/2015
You can reduce terror and get supplies for free at the College as well. (And on very rare occasions, using an option that does neither of those things, get fuel.) edited by Olorin on 3/30/2015
You can make 39 profit per cargo spot bringing wine to the Empire of Hands and exchanging for coffee, then bringing the coffee to Irem and exchanging it for Bales of Parabola-Linen. Since this is a long trip you’ll definitely want to use the Merchant ship, it’s pretty easy to make room for 60 (you can just bring supplies for a half-trip since the Empire sells supplies at 20). That’s 2340 profit. The drawback is having to click twice for each wine -> coffee exchange, but it’s not that big a deal, considering the money you’re making. You can also stock up on coffee in Khan’s heart at 40 a piece, so 20 profit for each coffee you bring to Irem. edited by Levgre on 3/30/2015
You can farm supplies near-infinitely by idling outside aestival. Once your terror gets too high from doing that, visit the chelonate briefly, and visit the khanate to replace crewmembers
hunting lifebergs and mount nomads. Just tank them with a strong enough ship, hull repairs are hella cheap.
the wisp ways are pretty good for converting candles into searing enigmas.
taking coffee to the surface is very profitable, but it ends at some point
Sapphires from port carnelian to the chelonate
but most importantly of all, above all else. Mirrorcatch boxes, visit the surface, fill them all at once for zero cost, and then go sell them on isle of cats, or to the blind bruiser.
[quote=Nanako]cruise around picking up vital intelligence…
but most importantly of all, above all else. Mirrorcatch boxes, visit the surface, fill them all at once for zero cost, and then go sell them on isle of cats, or to the blind bruiser.[/quote]
Don’t listen to this. It is BAD ADVICE. Be very wary when doing this. Filling Mirrorcatch boxes increases your Yearning, Burning, which means that you will start wounding yourself by opening those precious sunfilled mirrorcatch boxes. Filling 20 mirrorcatch boxes can give you 140 yearning burning which is enough to make the event (The Sun, The Sun, The Sun!) happen. Once you start opening mirrorcatch boxes, you will increase your yearning, burning even more, which makes you open those mirrorcatch boxes even quicker.
If you really want to smuggle sunlight keep it to ~15 boxes max and make sure that your yearning, burning is 0 when going to the Cumean Canal.
Make sure you sell them to the Blind Bruiser since he is closest by, gives more money and will give you empty mirrorcatch boxes in return.
But really, it’s not worth it. Filling 10 sunfilled mirrorcatch boxes gives you 40 yearning, burning at the very least, which takes 20 rests in your mansion to get rid of.
EDIT: So I will note that selling the boxes at the Isle of Cats is not such a bad idea. Especially, since yearning burning will take some time to get rid of. Having a chance of losing the box for 500 echoes is not so bad, because it frees up hold space. Just be careful of the yearning, burning menace. edited by lord1box on 4/2/2015
EDIT2: Also, if you upgrade your house to a mansion you can remove more yearning, burning per rest. edited by lord1box on 4/2/2015