the university

My Watchful is now 94 and I’m looking for a way to get to the university. It looks like I need either a scholar of the correspondence or 30 memories of distant shores. How do I get either of these? I’d prefer to do the scholar option since it seems to be needed for several other things as well. [li]

They changed how to start the story since I played it but it will be one of the things in the Forgotten Quarter. I think I heard it was something to do with an expedition.

Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

I did the first two expeditions, the thieves’ cache and the shrine, but didn’t get anything. I tried the third one, the tomb of seven, but failed horribly. I think I need a much higher watchful to do that. But that would be a catch 22. I need a high watchful to get what I need to go to the university, but I need to go to the university to get a high watchful? Or is there an easy way to do the expeditions I’m missing?[li]

I hadn’t heard of the Tomb of the Seven so that must be the one you need!

Yes it is I just had a look at the wiki and it looks like it is a dangerous not watchful challenge.[li]

I still need 30 progress, and my watchful is only high enough to do the 1 supply for 1 progress action. The rivals catch up way before I can even get close to building up enough progress, and I can’t seem to beat the rivals. So, I have no way of completing the expedition until I have qualities so high I don’t even need to beat the expedition any more. I’m thinking something is seriously messed up here, or I’m missing something.[li][/li][li]
edited by Shadowdragon on 9/6/2013

Well hopefully someone who has done this recently will have some useful advice for you. It must be possible, somehow.

Try sending out a bunch of invites for playing Chess. You’ll get Second Chance items which can help you get through it more easily. One neat trick is to use the second chance, and then hit perhaps not if you fail. You’ll use an action, but at least you’re not actually failing.

Yeah, I think that’s the main problem with that change. Most of the people who could help you dealt with this section before the change to the expedition system. However, you can also get Memories of Distant Shores with the item conversion system. Foxfire Candle Stubs turn into Abominable Salts, and then you can convert Abominable Salts into Memories of Distant Shores with a very small hit to Connected: Society for each conversion. Hope that helps!

They changed the expedition system? Let me guess, it used to be a lot easier?[li]

Not so much of a change TO the expedition system, as the expedition system itself is in fact very recent. Gaining the Correspondance Stones was once a series of linked storylets in the Forgotten Quarter, with a few associated qualities, rather than &quotgather supplies and buld progress&quot you’d just do it one storylet at a time, making sure you had everything you need for it. (I’d be a bit more specific but it’s actually been long enough I don’t remember the details).

Also, at some point they did away with the Archaeologist’s Hat, which makes me slightly sad.

[li]

It was very easy - Just simple progress through storylet and you got Correspondence Stones. Now, It’s really hard* for people to get it via ordinary method. http://fallenlondon.wikia.com/wiki/A_Dream_about_a_Boat_and_a_Spire is obviously meant to counter this problem, but it’s uncommon and requires at least 100 Watchful. At least when change got implemented, they had decency to provide whopping 50 Supplies and Archaeolgist levels! http://fallenlondon.wikia.com/wiki/The_quest_for_the_Stones_-_something_has_changed!
[li]

*Fixed, thanks to Sara Hysaro
edited by Tommy Wi on 9/7/2013

It’s hardly impossible. Difficult perhaps, but entirely doable.

http://fallenlondon.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Memory_of_Distant_Shores_Sources gives a list of all the ways to get memories of distant shores.

I did it with the Dream about a Boat and a Spire and I later got the Correspondence Stones through another opportunity card and a lot of Muscaria Brandy, so if you feel you are not making progress try to do it this way :).

[li]

Yes, it was marvellous hat and I miss it as a proper Gentlelady of London. I especially love how it was uninterested in consuming my well-oiled scalp. And it got changed with lousy Archaeologist stat, which is very hard for beginning characters to get.