I believe I saw a profile with 78, right before they went north.
Drat, I take a break from the game shortly before the summer as projects and finals stack up and now that I’m back I’m very, very behind. So, I have the first four candles from the old Seeking. Do I just need to get UP for the cards to appear?
Yep- though you should start seeking in the forgotten quarter to begin with instead- or get a betrayal. that way, you can use the free level from the seeking start, then UP to hit lv. 4, which is [mechanical spoilers and advice inside] [spoiler]where you can use appalling secrets to lv. up. Watchful challenge and (77*Current SMEN level) appaling secrets, and rewards you with one level SMEN level per success, and 0 per failure- and it consumes the secrets either way.
after that, your next big milestone is 27- once you hit it, you get a free lv. up from acquiring the third candle- which if you can, you should light for the supplies to light a taper [+2 levels seeking, may return the dreadful surmise] and get again- and then you get a cheap lv. up for uncanny incubatula. then you can buy a [passport to winking isle], which will be far more practical for the last 48 levels. [you can also get levels by sacrificing candles while there, i believe, which will mean you need to get them back.]
Alternatively, you can try to convince someone into giving you the item, since it is transferable, and use that to level up from 21 onwards.
unlike before, there are very few- or even no- ways seeking hunts you down to make you suffer. it’s just as nasty, but every consequence you make knowing the choice you’re making- you can always back down, and always walk away to come back later. [/spoiler]
If you have any questions, feel free to ask- I haven’t, and won’t, get too far in seeking (since i’m unwilling to pay the winking price, much less the final price), but i’ve been listening to the news for a while
edited by Grenem on 7/20/2016
edited by Grenem on 7/20/2016
I do need to betray more people, if you’re interested.
Well my SMEN started at 8 from the old Seeking since I haven’t reset. What’s the easiest way to get Appalling Secrets? It’s been a long time since I’ve needed them.
EDIT: Also, will levels of SMEN go away as I get the last 3 candles?
edited by Malgorath on 7/20/2016
Easiest or cheapest? the easiest method is to sell your stuff and buy cryptic clues, in that if you want them fast, it gets them fast- memories of light, in particular, are a good choice, since that doesn’t take a fee of half your echoes. if you want to get a few levels and get them soon, this is the way to do it.
the cheapest option is probably eavesdropping in spite, at 60 clues per action on average.
either way, there aren’t any actions that provide pure appalling secrets, so upcraft from clues. Watch out for the lecture at the university and the a visit- the university offers a random 1-[watchful with gear] clues, and the visit offers [shadowy without gear] clues, if you go to the forger.
Since you’re already so far in, you should probably learn the rule of thumb- each UP card will level you up from lv [required UP level] * 3, and will take you no further. since the highest card is at 9, this means the cards cap at 28, i believe.
[also worth noting- each level is worth more than the last. as such, you should level up the day before TTH if you plan on leveling through appalling secrets during the week.]
To answer your edit, Not AFAIK. quite the opposite- you gain 1 lv. SMEN per candle. but since the most effective option is a +7 that caps at 70, you don’t want to accidentally screw yourself over by miscalculating.
edited by Grenem on 7/20/2016
Easiest or cheapest? the easiest method is to sell your stuff and buy cryptic clues, in that if you want them fast, it gets them fast- memories of light, in particular, are a good choice, since that doesn’t take a fee of half your echoes. if you want to get a few levels and get them soon, this is the way to do it.
the cheapest option is probably eavesdropping in spite, at 60 clues per action on average.
either way, there aren’t any actions that provide pure appalling secrets, so upcraft from clues. Watch out for the lecture at the university and the a visit- the university offers a random 1-[watchful with gear] clues, and the visit offers [shadowy without gear] clues, if you go to the forger.
Since you’re already so far in, you should probably learn the rule of thumb- each UP card will level you up from lv [required UP level] * 3, and will take you no further. since the highest card is at 9, this means the cards cap at 28, i believe.
[also worth noting- each level is worth more than the last. as such, you should level up the day before TTH if you plan on leveling through appalling secrets during the week.]
To answer your edit, Not AFAIK. quite the opposite- you gain 1 lv. SMEN per candle. but since the most effective option is a +7 that caps at 70, you don’t want to accidentally screw yourself over by miscalculating.
edited by Grenem on 7/20/2016[/quote]
Remember, you also get Cryptic clues from the Wry Functionary, just as well as the Forger ,assuming you didn’t evaporate your Watchful.
edited by Morucant on 7/20/2016
I would definitely NOT recommend getting to Seeking 77 before getting candles, as you’ll be wasting multiple levels that come with candles; if you go over 70 Seeking the +1 option at Winking Isle isn’t that much worse than the +7 option, I was mostly mad at myself because I’d gone to the trouble of the +7 option and wasted all that time!
Get your candles as you unlock them, or reasonably close to that, unless you have a particularly good reason not to.
Also, reminder, here’s a spreadsheet to help you figure out how many Cryptic Clues you can buy with the stuff you’ll need to sell before going to Winking Isle.
edited by an_ocelot on 7/20/2016
[quote=an_ocelot]I would definitely NOT recommend getting to Seeking 77 before getting candles, as you’ll be wasting multiple levels that come with candles; if you go over 70 Seeking the +1 option at Winking Isle isn’t that much worse than the +7 option, I was mostly mad at myself because I’d gone to the trouble of the +7 option and wasted all that time!
Get your candles as you unlock them, or reasonably close to that, unless you have a particularly good reason not to.
Also, reminder, here’s a spreadsheet to help you figure out how many Cryptic Clues you can buy with the stuff you’ll need to sell before going to Winking Isle.
edited by an_ocelot on 7/20/2016[/quote]
Oh, I heard, or mis-remembered, that the +1 option is locked before the +7. seeing as this either is not the case now, or never was the case, I stand corrected.
What happens if I light Cerise’s candle? Couldn’t you get and light Cerise’s over and over again (assuming you lose it when you light it) if you got close to 77 but got stuck?
You can’t get stuck - the 10k option in Winking Isle will work all the way to 77.
Also, I think the option to burn Cerise locks at some point before you are able to get Cerise in the new SMEN so you can’t continuously acquire and burn Cerise for SMEN points. Not that you would really need to - Lighting a Taper (unlocks at SMEN 18, spends an Antique Mystery, a Master Blood, Veils-Velvet, and an Impossible Theorem) gets you 2 levels of SMEN, and I’m sure it would also let you get to 77.
You get all the materials to light a taper, unlocked at 18, less an antique mystery, [i.e. impossible theorem, veils velvet, master’s blood.], to either do with as you please or to actually use to light a taper. unfortunately, you can’t use it once it’s possible to get it, it’s a bonus for previous seekers, if i understand correctly. [also, note that these items should be used before level 27, as they will lock you out of mutton island content. look up a guide, or at the wiki.]
[to get your replacement candle, you must sacrifice… something valuable, something exorbitant, something precious, something seasonal, or something fated.]
So after reaching 28, you have to use the Isle?
You don’t have to, but it’s cheaper and faster than continuing to gamble Appalling Secrets or lighting tapers. So once you get to 27 you can get Cerise (which will put you at 28 or 29 depending on your choice), use the lesser mysteries option if you’re at 28 to get to 29, and then get the Calling Card at 29 (25:42 and 7 Searing Enigmas).
Is Foreign Office still a good way to grind Proscribed Material? I’ll need a pile of it sooner or later (much, much later), I know.
In cheery news, I am now equipped with a Starveling Cat and access to the Labyrinth. Let the slow path commence!
(I had to lower UP in order to get rid of unplayable black cards before increasing it again for the one I wanted. At least I’m increasing Dangerous with the jade I’m spending. Tip for anyone starting seeking from zero as I’m doing - save all the jade you can along with those trade secrets, you’ll need it.)
Foreign Office and Unfinished Business in Watchmaker’s Hill are both decent sources for Proscribed Material. The best way I know of is card dependent - keep drawing in the Flit and you’ll be able to trade Revolutionary connections for a ton of the stuff.
[quote=Teaspoon]Is Foreign Office still a good way to grind Proscribed Material? I’ll need a pile of it sooner or later (much, much later), I know.
In cheery news, I am now equipped with a Starveling Cat and access to the Labyrinth. Let the slow path commence!
(I had to lower UP in order to get rid of unplayable black cards before increasing it again for the one I wanted. At least I’m increasing Dangerous with the jade I’m spending. Tip for anyone starting seeking from zero as I’m doing - save all the jade you can along with those trade secrets, you’ll need it.)[/quote]
The answer is you get 450 for 15 actions, or ~30 an action. [not counting the action to enter. or the 1.5 echoes in compromising documentation]. This is superior to a literary sort of first fight, which is (5-45) an action, or 25 an action on average. on the other hand, it’s probably not worth doing another loop with over, say, 200 overflow, so use literary sort of fist fight for that.
This also means if you’re expecting a long wait, you should use the option on the editors itself, as it offers a bonus 4 proscribed material in comparison, and doesn’t cost 1.5 echoes and an action to enter.
edited by Grenem on 7/20/2016
Thanks for the tips.
The +1 Seeking option at Winking Isle does not lock at 77, but you’ll pardon me for not testing it.
I’m sure there’s someone out there who will try to get to 777.
EDIT: Well, what do you know? 1000 posts…
edited by dov on 7/21/2016