I am new to the university laboratory research. I have only done the initial two training research projects and the antique rifle. I have upgraded the chemicals and equipment one level in my lab. I fired the Numismatrix and hired the Struggling Artist and the Grubby Urchin. My laboratory prestige is 3. I then started a new research project and I believe the only one available to me was to research the formula for perfumed gunpowder (I think this is project 910).
I have gotten up to the 150 research needed but then discover that I also need 25 Parabolan research. Can anyone tell me how I can get this Parabolan research? I do not have access to Parabola. The only other research assistant I could hire would be Lettice the Mercy but the description for her does not say anything about Parabolan Research.
If you are willing to use the wiki there is an article on there titled Railway beginning (guide) which explains the order of certain steps towards your first station.
In short, you can get perfumed gunpowder by failing at the end of the disambiguate an eolith experiment but that is unreliable and hardly worthwhile action-wise. Your best bet is to postpone the actual perfumed gunpowder formula (cancel it and sacrifice research acquired so far on it) and invest in access to Parabola. It’s a medium-short grind to Parabola but it’s the most straightforward way. Possibly the only straightforward way.
Good luck on your journey! I remember I myself was frustrated with all the loops one has to jump through to get the first station. edited by Anthony on 11/28/2021
When you fail the “disambiguate an eolith” experiment, you get a sample of perfumed gunpowder. The university laboratory experiment yield you the formula for perfumed gunpowder and, presumably, allows you to make more of it.
I am not even thinking about a railroad yet. Instead, I was just planning on working on some university research. I could be wrong but I thought the only experiment available to me was to work on the formula for perfumed gunpowder. Since a small amount 25 pts) of parabolan research is necessary for this, I suspect that the option to research my way into Parabola access was also available and I did not notice it. Are there any other ways I can progress other than sacrificing 150 pts of lab research?
When you picked that research project you should have seen game instructions saying that you would need either a Base Camp or an assistant who could generate Parabolan Research on their own in order to finish. That wasn’t a lie.
It you’re a Silverer you can open Parabola through Veilgarden. Heart’s Desire can open it at a certain point in the ambition without the laboratory. Otherwise, you have to cancel this experiment and come back to it once you have your Parabolan Base-Camp.
Someone has meticulously documented the most efficient way to get Memories of Light under every combination of circumstances. You’ll need a lot of them to open up Parabola and upgrade your lab fully.
Oh , if you are simply looking to explore laboratory content and do a variety of experiments you might be able to do a few without access to railroad. I do think that you will have to sacrifice the 150 pts of lab research on your current project though :( . Also a lot of late game content added over the last year and a half is interlocking so that without access to Parabola and the Railway you might find it impossible to start and finish some projects in the Lab.
Also , if you don’t get a list of at least a few possible experiments in the Begin a scientific investigation storylet then you might need to check if there is more work from the Dean that is part of the Lab "tutorial". I’m a bit stumped as to why other projects wouldn’t show up for you.
If you do start something unrelated to Parabola or Railway just to explore, remember to check completion conditions immediately upon starting your next project to make sure you have access to any resources required for finishing it (like Parabolan research or upper river items). edited by Anthony on 11/28/2021
The experiment to unlock Parabola requires 1001 Memories of Light, so I completely understand how your brain could edit that to read "not possible at this point in the game". That’s a pretty big number. There’s no alternate unlock for you to find later, though. If Silverer isn’t your profession, unlocking Parabola will cost 1001 MoL. Even Silverers have to pay 300. edited by PJ on 11/28/2021
Thanks, folks. I am not a Silverer nor do I have the Heart’s desire ambition (mine is light fingers). I will sacrifice the 150 pts of research and start working on Parabola access. Thanks.
[quote=PJ]The experiment to unlock Parabola requires 1001 Memories of Light, so I completely understand how your brain could edit that to read "not possible at this point in the game". That’s a pretty big number. There’s no alternate unlock for you to find later, though. If Silverer isn’t your profession, unlocking Parabola will cost 1001 MoL. Even Silverers have to pay 300. edited by PJ on 11/28/2021[/quote]
Monster hunters or Vake hunters can do it with 500, but I forget exactly which/how. It was still a grind to get. But necessary.
Late to the party, sorry. But switching profession to gain access and then switching back is not unheard of. I tried being an author before I found my true calling, for example. Of course, you may not want to do this for role-playing reasons. But working out what occupation suits you best is not unheard of in RL… ;) And the weekly payments may contain goods you have a particular need or wish for at one stage or another.
You will eventually travel to Parabola on a unique Light Finger journey. I would suggest stockpiling necessary resources and put the advance project on hold.
[quote=KenShi]You will eventually travel to Parabola on a unique Light Finger journey. I would suggest stockpiling necessary resources and put the advance project on hold.[/quote]Kenshi, Sorry for my confusion. You point out that I will have to travel to Parabola as part of the Light Fingers ambition at a later time. Does this mean:
Accessing Parabola now using the university research will be a waste of time and resources as I will have to generate all the same resources AGAIN as part of the light fingers ambition in order to access Parabola or
Accessing Parabola now using the university research will allow me access Parabola for "free" when it comes time to do so a part of the light fingers ambition or
[quote=Vinish][quote=KenShi]You will eventually travel to Parabola on a unique Light Finger journey. I would suggest stockpiling necessary resources and put the advance project on hold.[/quote]Kenshi, Sorry for my confusion. You point out that I will have to travel to Parabola as part of the Light Fingers ambition at a later time. Does this mean:
Accessing Parabola now using the university research will be a waste of time and resources as I will have to generate all the same resources AGAIN as part of the light fingers ambition in order to access Parabola or
Accessing Parabola now using the university research will allow me access Parabola for "free" when it comes time to do so a part of the light fingers ambition or
Something else?
Thanks.[/quote]
When you reach the relevant part of Light Fingers, if you do not already have a base-camp you will be offered an alternative way of establishing one that doesn’t require a laboratory. If you already have a base-camp, you can simply use it.
The alternative method not cheaper than the laboratory research. In fact I think it’s more expensive for materials, but on the other hand it doesn’t require the action investment of a research project.
Since I want to do some university research projects and since it appears that further projects will require some Parabolan research, I will gain the access to Parabola now. Thanks, all.
You need to get into Parabola through a mirror in Veilgarden. You need honey to get in. My profession is Silverer, I get a discount on the amount of honey needed. I have not yet chosen an Ambition, fyi.
Inside Parabola, you can hunt beasts and unlock new areas e.g. Waswood. You can also go to the ‘Reflection of your Laboratory’. If you need 25 Parabolan Research, make sure you get 25 Parabolan Research there, then exit Parabola and back to your University Lab to finish your research.
Slightly off-topic:
Disambiguate the Eolith - Bloodstained Eolith
Getting a rare failure is the only non-Fate way to obtain a Bloodstained Eolith. If your Kataleptic Toxicology is too high, it’ll be hard to get a failure, and even harder to get a rare failure. My Kataleptic Toxicology is level 3, Disambiguate the Eolith has a 70% success rate. And I just found out about this. Newbies who just unlocked the Laboratory please take note.
Only a Silverer can get to Parabola through Veilgarden. If you’re not a Silverer, there’s a laboratory experiment by which you can find your way there, and a couple of the ambitions offer you a chance to work with an NPC Silverer to open the way. On your own or with an NPC, it will cost you 3x as much as a Silverer would have paid to go through the honey den in Veilgarden.
I forgot to mention, for the best parabolan research effect, you need your ambition companion. I think that’s Hephaesta for you? My alt hasn’t got that far yet. Students will produce less. FF Gebrandt HATES parabola.
I don’t know about other ambitions, but I am nowhere NEAR catching the Vake, and have had April for quite some time now. She turns up part way in, Around level 150-200.
