On the topic of FQ Expeditions...

Fallen London
1

I have not yet started my first, and I am QUITE concerned about it…

I was led into the Quarter by a devil some time ago. Not surprisingly, he took me somewhere I was unprepared for, and ever since I have had much anxiety about the place. But an expedition or two are a requirement I suppose, so in I must go.

But I have been digging around, and I have ZERO idea how many supplies I will realistically need for the first trip. They seem VERY expensive still, and with a cap of 100 I don’t want to go in with 15 and find out that gets me 3 steps in just to turn around and start all over again…

So… what is a likely number, so I can go start grinding for the things I need?

Thanks all!!
edited by John Savage on 12/12/2015

2

[quote=John Savage]I have not yet started my first, and I am QUITE concerned about it…

I was led into the Quarter by a devil some time ago. Not surprisingly, he took me somewhere I was unprepared for, and ever since I have had much anxiety about the place. But an expedition or two are a requirement I suppose, so in I must go.

But I have been digging around, and I have ZERO idea how many supplies I will realistically need for the first trip. They seem VERY expensive still, and with a cap of 100 I don’t want to go in with 15 and find out that gets me 3 steps in just to turn around and start all over again…

So… what is a likely number, so I can go start grinding for the things I need?

Thanks all!!
edited by John Savage on 12/12/2015[/quote]
Theives’ cache is 9 consumed under ideal, failure-free circumstances- though, that is &quotideal&quot, and may not be viable for you. if you didn’t wind up failing, that’s all you’d need. (unfortunately, theive’s cache needs 10 to enter)

There’s a rare event on all expeditions, &quotA sign?&quot that gives you 4 progress, saving you 4 supplies, right there.

if you can only safely manage a cautious approach, a shrine of deep blue heaven is going to be trouble, because you have competition. if they beat you there… that’s it, game over, you lose. You’ll need to pay through the nose- an additional 10 supplies and other fees to continue- and new competition will spring up, even if they are easier to beat- a new counter, starting from 0 again. as such, you should probably pack 40+ when doing that expedition.

if you use second chances to stack the deck in your favor, a shrine of deep blue heaven can be done with 20 supplies- the entry requirements. Or if you have absurdly good watchful for where you are story-wise.

Any failure will cost the supplies but not return progress.

The supplies are expensive, but the payouts of expeditions can range from 2 echoes to 125 echoes for the free ones. the theive’s cache will reward either 400 glim or 500 souls as well as the other stuff, i believe. the best reward is a searing enigma 62.5 echoes, and the worst is a horsehead amulet (sets wounds 7 pre-death, prevents death. sells for 2 echoes. one theives expedition in 40) or, if you actually consider that useful, 14.5 echoes- a storm threnody and 200 whispered secrets.
edited by Grenem on 12/12/2015

3

What’s your watchful stat value? The important thing about expeditions is you don’t want to fail the watchful challenges. Failing challenges uses up supplies but more importantly it increases Rival’s Progress which can end your journey early. If your stats are good enough to 100% the challenge and never fail, then I recommend bringing a minimum of 10 supplies more than what the expedition requires for it to unlock. So for a 30 supply expedition, bring at least 40. If you are nervous or if your stats aren’t so good, maybe bring 20 extra instead of 10.
edited by NiteBrite on 12/12/2015

4

[quote=Grenem][quote=John Savage]I have not yet started my first, and I am QUITE concerned about it…

I was led into the Quarter by a devil some time ago. Not surprisingly, he took me somewhere I was unprepared for, and ever since I have had much anxiety about the place. But an expedition or two are a requirement I suppose, so in I must go.

But I have been digging around, and I have ZERO idea how many supplies I will realistically need for the first trip. They seem VERY expensive still, and with a cap of 100 I don’t want to go in with 15 and find out that gets me 3 steps in just to turn around and start all over again…

So… what is a likely number, so I can go start grinding for the things I need?

Thanks all!!
edited by John Savage on 12/12/2015[/quote]
Theives’ cache is 9 consumed under ideal, failure-free circumstances- though, that is &quotideal&quot, and may not be viable for you. if you didn’t wind up failing, that’s all you’d need. There’s a rare event, &quotA sign?&quot that gives you 4 progress, saving you 4 supplies, right there. (unfortunately, theive’s cache needs 10 to enter)

if you can only safely manage a cautious approach, a shrine of deep blue heaven is going to be trouble, because you have competition. if they beat you there… that’s it, game over, you lose.unfortnately, if they beat you there, you’ll need to pay through the nose- an additional 10 supplies and other fees- and new competition will spring up, even if they are easier to beat- a new counter, starting from 0 again. as such, you should probably pack 40+ when doing that expedition.

if you use second chances to stack the deck in your favor, a shrine of deep blue heaven can be done with 20 supplies- the entry requirements.

Any failure will cost the supplies but not return progress.[/quote]

OK! Great… now I have some hope when I go in… I was afraid of spending everything I have to get 80 supplies, only to find out that it wasn’t enough…

Knowing that I can start with a reasonable amount to begin the first expeditions is heartening!

5

Everything is dependent on your Watchful. I’d advise around 70 for your first expedition, although you could do it lower. For the first couple of Expeditions, up to the Thief’s Cache, you don’t need much surplus. For the Blue Heaven and after (including the Fate-Locked expeditions), you’ll pick up rivals, whom you can slow down with extra Supplies. I’m a believer in overkill, so I took about 60 on the Tomb of the Seven – didn’t use many extra at all, though. I’d definitely suggest buying the silver tankard from the Bazaar, though, as with that and some Glim you can keep Connected: Docks above 10 and get the supplies for cheap (as discussed in the Young Turks). The higher you can push your Watchful, the easier are the expeditions, which will take a lot of actions (about as many as supplies required), but will return a nice little profit at the end. The FQ is great for Mysteries items, and you’ll get the odd Eyeless Skull as well, so keep your relations with the Revolutionaries high so you can sell them for a nice 62.50 each (that will advance the Liberation of Night a little, should you care).

Dip your toe in the first expedition and see if your geared Watchful gives you a good chance to pass the Cautious checks. You don’t want to fail these, especially when you have rivals.

You have to do the Tomb of Seven to advance Making Your Name and moving on to the University, so resign yourself to spending some quality time in the Quarter. But it’s fun and profitable.

– Mal
edited by malthaussen on 12/12/2015

6

I’ve loved doing expeditions, but they’re tricker for players with lower stats.

Supplies do carry over from one mission to another, so it’s definitely comfortable to store up a ton first before going.

It depends a lot on what your watchful is. An expedition’s minimal number of supplies required is equal to its length: so 10 for the thieves’ cache. There are three progress options which cost 1 action each, but the actions differ in how much you use in supplies and gain progress in a 1:1 ratio. So, you’ll always use a minimum of 1 supply for every progress, even if you succeed on every check.

Note that if you don’t care how many actions you use even the Cautious approach (1 progress for 1 supply and an action) isn’t too bad for a pre-POSI: it’s a Watchful 50 difficulty. The expedition doesn’t need to be done all at once, so if you really are having a tricky time, you can go grind your watchful up elsewhere and come back later.
Here’s the math for that method:
fallenlondon.wikia.com/wiki/A_cautious_approach

In short, for that very first one, don’t bother being risky with the other options, just plan on using more actions. If you aren’t yet at straightforward difficulty (84), build in a reasonable buffer in relation to your expected fail rate: I think I remember going in with 30 supplies for the first which is quite a good number, enough t give you plenty of buffer and some to carry over for the next!
edited by Parelle on 12/12/2015

7

In terms of purchasing supplies, Whispered Hints and Connected: Docks are the most efficient ways to do so. For 200 Hints there are two possible outcomes, with a 50% each: gaining two Supplies or gaining one Supplies and one Map Scrap. If you have a bunch of secrets on hand this is definitely a good way to go. Otherwise, you can purchase the Engraved Pewter Tankard at Nikolas Pawnbrokers in the Bazaar for 50 echoes. If your Connected: Docks is at least 10 and below 20, you can spend three actions and 150 glim for +75 CP* of connected, which does not use up the Tankard. Then you can spend 50 Rostygold and 60 CP of connected for three Supplies. If your connected ever drops below 10, you can raise it back up in the Carnival with a few actions and tickets. Overall this is less action-efficient than using Hints but the materials needed are easier to grind, especially at higher levels.

*CP stands for Change Points. Most qualities use CP as experience towards the next level, though some exist that increase and decrease in levels rather than CP. Raising a quality to the next level requires that many CP, so for example raising Watchful from 49 to 50 requires 50 CP while raising Watchful from 0 to 50 takes 1,275 CP in total. For most qualities, the CP needed per level stops increasing at 50 so all levels in that quality after 50 will each need 50 CP. For the four main stats the CP-per-level cap is at 70 instead.

8

Lots of great advice here!! Thanks a ton!!

Second question… I guess I have to do thieves’ twice to get Arch to 2… will it take a few goes at the Blue to get Archaeologist to 3 so I can FINALLY tackle the Seven?

9

[quote=John Savage]Lots of great advice here!! Thanks a ton!!

Second question… I guess I have to do thieves’ twice to get Arch to 2… will it take a few goes at the Blue to get Archaeologist to 3 so I can FINALLY tackle the Seven?[/quote]
The blue will take 2 goes to get to three, but a more effective route- assuming you don’t care about epa right now- is to do theives once and blue once, when you hit two. That’d get you to three. Be careful, and stock up thoroughly for this one.

10

[quote=Grenem][quote=John Savage]Lots of great advice here!! Thanks a ton!!

Second question… I guess I have to do thieves’ twice to get Arch to 2… will it take a few goes at the Blue to get Archaeologist to 3 so I can FINALLY tackle the Seven?[/quote]
The blue will take 2 goes to get to three, but a more effective route- assuming you don’t care about epa right now- is to do theives once and blue once, when you hit two. That’d get you to three. Be careful, and stock up thoroughly for this one.[/quote]

Thieves’ didn’t get me to 2 on the first try… had to run it twice…

EDIT: Or do you mean, now that I am at 2… run thieves’ again and then Blue to get to 3?
edited by John Savage on 12/13/2015

11

A clean run of the Deep Blue should get you to 3. At least, it did me. I think you get less CP if you don’t make it on your first try.

– Mal

12

You will never regret going in with an excessive amount of supplies. Even if you do not use them on the expedition at hand, you will use them on a later expedition. When I had to grid supplies for the Nadir, it was so nice already having about 25 in hand.

13

[quote=John Savage][quote=Grenem][quote=John Savage]Lots of great advice here!! Thanks a ton!!

Second question… I guess I have to do thieves’ twice to get Arch to 2… will it take a few goes at the Blue to get Archaeologist to 3 so I can FINALLY tackle the Seven?[/quote]
The blue will take 2 goes to get to three, but a more effective route- assuming you don’t care about epa right now- is to do theives once and blue once, when you hit two. That’d get you to three. Be careful, and stock up thoroughly for this one.[/quote]

Thieves’ didn’t get me to 2 on the first try… had to run it twice…

EDIT: Or do you mean, now that I am at 2… run thieves’ again and then Blue to get to 3?
edited by John Savage on 12/13/2015[/quote]
Yes, i meant what’s in the edit.

14

To clarify, though Archaeologist doesn’t show the actual change point value you end up with, it works just like other qualities in needing x CP to get to x level. The Thieves’ Cache gives 1 CP of archaeologist on success and all other expeditions, aside from the Tomb of Seven, seem to give 2 CP. Archaeologist can increase up to 5 but after the tomb the only time you’ll need it at a certain level is for the Cave of the Nadir expedition, which occurs much much later. (It suggests 120 watchful and 60 supplies minimum.)

15

[quote=malthaussen]A clean run of the Deep Blue should get you to 3. At least, it did me. I think you get less CP if you don’t make it on your first try.

– Mal[/quote]

Nope… still 2+ after the Blue run

16

[quote=Grenem][quote=John Savage][quote=Grenem][quote=John Savage]Lots of great advice here!! Thanks a ton!!

Second question… I guess I have to do thieves’ twice to get Arch to 2… will it take a few goes at the Blue to get Archaeologist to 3 so I can FINALLY tackle the Seven?[/quote]
The blue will take 2 goes to get to three, but a more effective route- assuming you don’t care about epa right now- is to do theives once and blue once, when you hit two. That’d get you to three. Be careful, and stock up thoroughly for this one.[/quote]

Thieves’ didn’t get me to 2 on the first try… had to run it twice…

EDIT: Or do you mean, now that I am at 2… run thieves’ again and then Blue to get to 3?
edited by John Savage on 12/13/2015[/quote]
Yes, i meant what’s in the edit.[/quote]

OK… finished the Blue run… now a nice easy Thieves’ to 3, for me

17

And now it’s back to trying to raise the items I need to go back in… I need to grind for Whispered Hints… somewhere…

I have no echoes and not a lot left to sell to raise funds…

18

[quote=John Savage]And now it’s back to trying to raise the items I need to go back in… I need to grind for Whispered Hints… somewhere…

I have no echoes and not a lot left to sell to raise funds…[/quote]

I would go Seeking Curios in the FQ - that will give Whispered Hints or other items. There are also options that use/raise different stats, mainly Watchful, which will make future expeditions easier. Of course you have to watch out for Nightmares but as long as you can manage those it should be relatively easy to get what you need … and there are some rare successes on some of the options which makes it potentially profitable as well.

19

[quote=lady ciel ][quote=John Savage]And now it’s back to trying to raise the items I need to go back in… I need to grind for Whispered Hints… somewhere…

I have no echoes and not a lot left to sell to raise funds…[/quote]

I would go Seeking Curios in the FQ - that will give Whispered Hints or other items. There are also options that use/raise different stats, mainly Watchful, which will make future expeditions easier. Of course you have to watch out for Nightmares but as long as you can manage those it should be relatively easy to get what you need … and there are some rare successes on some of the options which makes it potentially profitable as well.[/quote]

I’ll give that a shot… though Nightmares have been an ongoing problem for me

EDIT: Just ran 11 actions Seeking Curios… got some Cryptic Clues… and handful of Appalling Secrets… and ran my Nightmares to the limit…

I am beginning to think I will need to grind for DAYS in order to run an expedition to the Seven… :sigh:
edited by John Savage on 12/14/2015

20

Ouch - sorry about that. Feel free to send me some nightmare reducing social actions if you want.