Case in point:
You can check out this thread for hints and tips
http://community.failbettergames.com/topic22442-first-steps-on-the-seeking-road.aspx
I am tying to make a long term plan. I’ve been surfing around on the wiki, but am a bit confused about what happens after you get to the Chapel It looks like there are storylets for St. Gwain in both the Chapel, and in the Seeing Path in one’s lodgings. As far as I can tell, the one in your lodgings gives a hollow heart, takes you South, then sends you back to the chapel. The one in the Chapel gives the candle directly. Do I need the hollow heart? Do I need to take the journey south? Also, there are options to raise the “well” quality in both places. What does this quality do? Finally, when I am done in the winking isle, will I need Mr. Eaten’s calling card for anything, or can I pass it on? Thanks!
[quote=Grenem][quote=LouBlue]Follow-up question: Drowning my Secrets from the Seeking Road can bring my SMEN quality to 35, right? The wiki says there’s no limit. I don’t have great odds there but I’d rather grind out St Destin’s before heading to Winking Isle.
Also, how many trips did you folks who’ve been to the Island take? It it possible to do everything in a single go? Or do you need to collect Proscribed to get the Calling Card again?[/quote]
There’s no limit, but it’s worth noting that using drowning secrets, with best-possible watchful, apparently costs more in sell price than at least one cider to get to 77. I strongly suggest you just bite the bullets and go to WI.[/quote]
I think, besides the basic guide on Spacemarine’s blog, there was recommendation for a level at which to start using WI. It wasn’t maybe as early as possible level-wise, but it was pretty early. I think I recall it taking into account a few easy ways to get a few more levels of Seeking. Or maybe it’s in the guide, I’ll look around and update if I can find it.
My point, as Grenem and Catherine and others have said, is that it’s a pretty good idea to go fairly early. You keep the Calling Card always and forever, barring the end of Seeking. You are fighting a war of attrition with the Seeking road options. Eventually, it’s like trying to sand down a mountain range with some grit stuck to a strip of packing tape.
However, do keep in mind that you need to prepare to meditate. These Preparations have a price in that you can’t have certain items in your inventory. If you want spoilers, I think it’s on the blog. I know someone also had a spreadsheet "cheatsheet" for what needs to go. You can mark the Preparations as plans the first time through and just renew them each time before you go. The requirements will show up as greyed out for each thing you need to get rid of or sacrifice.
You have two options to achieve WI progress - one at 10,000 meditation and one at 60,000 meditation. The 60k option nets 7 progress, so it’s what you should aim for barring certain progression options at higher levels. Using only the high-success options, you need north of 200 actions to hit 60k meditation, I think. I played the odds a little, and used the 500, 1000, and 2500(?) gain options at a frequency weighted towards the success rate of each. I think I went under the "fair" estimate in action points a number of times.You can definitely grind up as far as you want - however, there a few Seeking bits that will give you multiple levels for "free" if you head back every now and then to do bits of content. I can’t remember which parts though. You’d have to look at a guide. Important: You can’t use the 7 gain, 60k meditation option above 70 Seeking. If you overshoot, you’ll have to slog through the remaining bit with the 10k option. There is a sequence of actions that will put you right at the right levels at each "tier" (candle) in order to avoid this.
Just my 2 cents.
edited by Stygota on 3/18/2017
My process was to get my making waves to DOUBLE the requirement of time. As I was trying to maintain 12, I got myself to 24.
Then I’d go to WI, and grind to 60k.
Then I’d return and repair my MW.
The wiki is a little confusing around Winking Isle because the person who made those articles wasn’t experienced in wiki-ing, and as far as I know, nobody’s gotten around to fixing it up yet. (If it’s not cleaned up by the time I visit WI I’ll definitely take care of it.)
- There are indeed options for St Gawain from both the Chapel of Lights and The Seeking Road. As you saw, this is because the option in The Seeking Road gives the Hollow Heart, needed to go South, which then redirects you to the Chapel. The option for Gawain in the Chapel only opens after you’ve gone South.[/li][li]The "Well" quality tracks where you are in the final stretch of Seeking. It’s used to track how far you’ve progressed while going South, when you’ve done the necessary bits in the Chapel afterwards, and at the end it records whether you’ve knocked and gone NORTH.
Not sure if you mean Winking Isle or the Chapel of Lights.
I’ve done a bit of cleanup in that content when my first Seeker alt went NORTH a few months back. If there’s any confusion still please help by highlighting it so we can improve.
[quote=Stygota]
However, do keep in mind that you need to prepare to meditate. These Preparations have a price in that you can’t have certain items in your inventory. If you want spoilers, I think it’s on the blog. I know someone also had a spreadsheet "cheatsheet" for what needs to go. You can mark the Preparations as plans the first time through and just renew them each time before you go. The requirements will show up as greyed out for each thing you need to get rid of or sacrifice.
edited by Stygota on 3/18/2017[/quote]
Gotcha. The entire reason I’m putting of WI, followed by a drive to the end of SMEN (and playing this game) is that I’m about 1/3 of the way to Hesperidean Cider; maybe 1/2 because I’m right in the middle of a large Fidgeting Writer push. So I’m looking for ways to make what Seeking progress I can (Destin’s) while still keeping the vast amount of stuff I have. So in theory, I could see myself trying to grab 3 levels of SMEN with Seeking Road options (but I tried the Appalling Secrets option yesterday: >2K Secrets gone, nothing to show. Sigh), and grinding up notability which Fidgeting Writer can help with, before grabbing the Firkin in a year or two, selling just about everything else and then going Island hopping, . But I may just have to wait until my return anyway.
Which reminds me: The only other way to grab Destin’s candle is through the Hollowmass Destiny options, right? Is there any way to replace your current destiny with Torment apart from spending Fate? I do like this game, but think my days of spending for fate are behind me. If that route is fate-locked, then MW and Notability it is.
You do have to spend fate to change your destiny, even to torment
Blerg. Thought so.
Though you might find someone to gift you St Destin’s candle during Hallowmas.
Not sure if you mean Winking Isle or the Chapel of Lights.
I’ve done a bit of cleanup in that content when my first Seeker alt went NORTH a few months back. If there’s any confusion still please help by highlighting it so we can improve.[/quote]
Sorry, I meant the Chapel.
Sorry if this has been answered somewhere, but I can’t seem to find it.
Where is the quality Marsh-Mired? I can’t remember if I’ve achieved my SMEN point for the week yet, and I don’t want to mess around with Peckish if I’ve already got it. Where do I find Marsh Mired?
Thanks!
[quote=Myrto]Sorry if this has been answered somewhere, but I can’t seem to find it.
Where is the quality Marsh-Mired? I can’t remember if I’ve achieved my SMEN point for the week yet, and I don’t want to mess around with Peckish if I’ve already got it. Where do I find Marsh Mired?
Thanks![/quote]
Under "Stories". If it’s not there, you haven’t got your point for the week yet.
Thanks, Phryne! I hadn’t done it yet, so here come the black bordered cards.
A brief question about ideal SMEN candle order (apologies if this is widely known information):
I am currently on Winking Isle with SMEN 33. I have Arthur, Beau, and Cerise. My current plan is to grind up SMEN on Winking Isle to 77 and then deal with the candles I still need to get. The options in the Seeking Road storylet for Erzulie, Forthigan, and Gawain only seem to require Cerise (and not the other candles). There is no storylet for Destin. I am a little confused about the necessary progression from now on. My aim is to get Destin via Torment, so I’ll be waiting quite a while - can I get all the other candles first? Do the options in the Seeking Road storylet not correspond to the actual candles? Can I get Erzulie, Forthigan, and Gawain in any order? Any insight would be much appreciated.
Edit: Nvm! Further perusing of the wiki has been very helpful.
edited by sophianyogu on 3/20/2017
[quote=sophianyogu]A brief question about ideal SMEN candle order (apologies if this is widely known information):
I am currently on Winking Isle with SMEN 33. I have Arthur, Beau, and Cerise. My current plan is to grind up SMEN on Winking Isle to 77 and then deal with the candles I still need to get. The options in the Seeking Road storylet for Erzulie, Forthigan, and Gawain only seem to require Cerise (and not the other candles). There is no storylet for Destin. I am a little confused about the necessary progression from now on. My aim is to get Destin via Torment, so I’ll be waiting quite a while - can I get all the other candles first? Do the options in the Seeking Road storylet not correspond to the actual candles? Can I get Erzulie, Forthigan, and Gawain in any order? Any insight would be much appreciated.
Edit: Nvm! Further perusing of the wiki has been very helpful.
edited by sophianyogu on 3/20/2017[/quote]
However you’d be better off grinding 7 at a time to SMEN 75 as the candles will give you the last two points you need.
Edit: Nevermind, I’ve been corrected about the any order thing.
edited by Optimatum on 3/21/2017
You need Erzulie’s before you can get Forthigan. I learned that the hard way.
Edit: also, Forthigan needs Destin too. I don’t remember what Gawain requires.
edited by Pumpkinhead on 3/20/2017
[quote=Pumpkinhead]You need Erzulie’s before you can get Forthigan. I learned that the hard way.
Edit: also, Forthigan needs Destin too. I don’t remember what Gawain requires.
edited by Pumpkinhead on 3/20/2017[/quote]
And presumably, getting Erzulie nukes the ability to get Destin… if you do give up the ability to get notability/a destiny? It seems odd that it would be possible to just get stuck at that point in the progression, but that’s how I’m reading things.
[quote=Optimatum][quote=sophianyogu]A brief question about ideal SMEN candle order (apologies if this is widely known information):
I am currently on Winking Isle with SMEN 33. I have Arthur, Beau, and Cerise. My current plan is to grind up SMEN on Winking Isle to 77 and then deal with the candles I still need to get. The options in the Seeking Road storylet for Erzulie, Forthigan, and Gawain only seem to require Cerise (and not the other candles). There is no storylet for Destin. I am a little confused about the necessary progression from now on. My aim is to get Destin via Torment, so I’ll be waiting quite a while - can I get all the other candles first? Do the options in the Seeking Road storylet not correspond to the actual candles? Can I get Erzulie, Forthigan, and Gawain in any order? Any insight would be much appreciated.
Edit: Nvm! Further perusing of the wiki has been very helpful.
edited by sophianyogu on 3/20/2017[/quote]
As I’m assuming you’ve already gathered, you can get Erzulie, Forthigan,and Gawain in any order. However you’d be better off grinding 7 at a time to SMEN 75 as the candles will give you the last two points you need.[/quote]
Really? I’ve gone through it twice and while you can start into the process for those without the previous candle, I’m pretty sure the step that actually gives you the candle is locked if you don’t have the previous one. I’m pretty sure you ultimately have to get all the candles in order. Although I’ll admit I never actually attempted to get them out of order. Maybe there are different storylets that unlock if you don’t have the previous candle.