[GUIDE] Alchemy - Leveling Tips, Tricks, and Help

[ii-nkwell]

ALCHEMY LEVELING
tips, tricks, and help desk

guides

Alchemy 101 | Lei_Trigar's Formulae | New Components Thread | Vampyrn's Formula Details

Hey there, this is ii-nkwell, and a lot of people have been having trouble figuring out ways to level crunch. Granted, I am only a level 3 myself currently, but for those of you getting a little frustrated with the system early on I'd like to help! Alchemy's really a GREAT system, and an exciting game, and I'd like to share my passion for it with others so everyone can see it's not really as intimidating as it may appear.

If you find this even REMOTELY useful, please feel free to <3 us.

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NEWS//

o9.1o.11 updated both INTERMEDIATE LEVELING & HAZARDS OF LEVELING sections. big thanks to Brain Akazariua for the info!
o9.o9.11 thread set up, be on the lookout for more tips/tricks as more people move up the ranks!

[ii-nkwell]

INTRODUCTION TO LEVELING/ALCHEMY

Alchemy can seem a bit daunting at first. Do I have enough materials, how much does it cost to craft it, how many experience points do I get at any one time?

Lots of questions, not a lot of answers initially.

This page is to help clear that up some.


BASIC HOW TO//

You can't start anywhere without your trusty formulas.
Each formula has a set number of 'ingredients', and a nifty progress bar that tells you how far away you are from completing the formula, depending on the crafting items you currently have in your inventory. At any time you can check the progress of your formulas in your Alchemy landing page tab here. It's icon is conveniently located under the Marketplace in the "Shops" tab.

Some formulas will make ingredients that you'll need for FUTURE formulas, but there are guides already for that, and to be honest, that is very time consuming no matter how well prepared you may be for the higher level formulas.

But just how do you even GET to higher levels? What's the experience difference between each one? There's a very simple formula for that.

EXP NEEDED TO REACH NEXT LEVEL = previous lv. exp x2

For example//

lv.1 - 10 exp to next level
lv.2 - 20 exp to next level
lv.3 - 40 exp to next level
lv.4 - 80 exp to next level
lv.5 - 160 exp to next level
ect.
ect.

HAZARDS OF LEVELING//

AS YOU PROGRESS IN LEVEL, YOUR EXP. OUTPUT CHANGES.

Just like every other leveling-based game, Alchemy is no different. It's like expecting a lv.40 Charizard to still gain 400exp. fighting a lv.4 Pikachu.

As I am only lv.3 and need to research/progress more myself, I will update this section with the differences as I go along. If anyone is on a higher level and can give me any information on this, I'd be much appreciative. :3

LV.3 - Once you reach lv.3, you no longer gain exp for lv.1 formulas.

Getting from level 3 to 4 takes 40 exp.
Level 3 formulas give you 4 exp each at level 3

Getting from level 4 to 5 takes 80 exp.
Level 4 formulas give 8 exp each.

Getting from level 5 to 6 takes 160 exp.
Level 5 formulas give 16 exp each.





MATERIALS//

Materials are a bit trickier to come by, as many items included have inflated due to the low number of alchemy components available at this time. For comprehensive guides, see the first post as to be honest I have little experience with them save for trying different combinations out for alternate paths, trying to find the most streamlined formulas to get me to higher levels.

[ii-nkwell]

TRICKS OF THE TRADE
leveling made easy

Now some people may think "BUT IINKWELL! YOU'RE TAKING THE CHALLENGE OUT OF LEVELING!" as a response to me posting this. I'd like to inform you this is completely untrue.

While these tricks and tips will help STREAMLINE your experience, they are in no way or fashion complete and total shortcuts. There is still footwork involved, there is still quite a bit of research involved if you want to spend the least amount and get the greatest value, and above all else you have to remember that NOTHING IS FOOLPROOF.

Below are some of the most common tips and tricks for early leveling/material buying.

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SHAWDY IN THE CLUB, GIMMIE 20 DOLLARS// how to be a thrifty consumer


Limited Gold Boxes :: the idea with these is that you can easily harvest all the items for free. This is technically true. It is also tediously time consuming and mind-numbingly boring, and you should be on your knees thanking the people on the MP who sell in large quantities.

The handy dandy guide on how to do this is located at the top. BUT.

The problem with this is, if you are an impatient b*****d like I am, you don't want to do that for HOURS AND HOURS at a time. That means Alchemy can become a very expensive hobby for you, very quickly.

Here's how to get the most for your gold when looking for large-quantity items.

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o1. DONT BE AFRAID TO BUY IN BULK. Just because your formula says you need x amount of said item, doesn't mean you should limit yourself. Sometimes the most profitable and overall cheapest formulas are the ones you buy in bulk for and are prepared ahead of time to make in a 'string'*.

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o2. CHECK THE FIRST PAGE FOR THE LOWEST INDIVIDUAL UNIT PRICE. Before Alchemy I had no need for daisies, or bugs, or what have you. I certainly was not on the up and up for regular unit prices. LOOK FOR SOMEONE SELLING A SINGLE ITEM, FOR THE LOWEST PRICE. Use that as a guide for yourself on a ball park of how much you want to spend for each unit. Try not to go outside an additional 50-150g higher for low-cost items, and no more than over 500g for high-cost items.

For example.

Sunflower x1 = 100g
You should not spend more than 150g PER INDIVIDUAL UNIT

BUT you research, and find a good listing.

Sunflower x183 95.63g = 17.5k

In this case, buying in bulk actually costs you LESS than your ballpark, and keeps you within a manageable range.

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o3. ALWAYS LOOK AT UNIT PRICE, THEN QUANTITY, THEN FINALLY THE GOLD TOTAL TO DETERMINE A PURCHASE. It's like buying groceries at Sams. In the example above, which I literally took from the mp RIGHT NOW and would consider a good material purchase, I looked at the UNIT PRICE FIRST. Granted, this only works with items you can buy in bulk, but it still helps lower your overall cost because of the inflation of materials.

I looked at QUANTITY SECOND. But why not look at the overall gold price? Because you're going to see 100g for a BUY NOW single flower and go "OMG BBQ LETS BUY ALL THESE UP BECAUSE THEY SEEM CHEAPER", as opposed to looking at 17.5k first and thinking "HUH. I AM TOTES FINE PAYING THIS MUCH FOR SOMETHING I DO NOT KNOW THE OVERALL VALUE OF". Now I don't mean to talk down to anyone, but that's the main difference between a thrifty consumer, and an impulse buyer. Which is why even easy-leveling Alchemy is not REALLY a shortcut.

You always want to check your Quantity after your unit price, to see if it's a high enough number to be worth it for you. Example::

100g Sunflower x2 Unit Price= 50g ea.

While the Unit Price IS lower, the Quantity is also incredibly low, far too low to actually be USEFUL as a purchase. You end up spending more in micro-transactions than in a larger, but more INFORMED macro-transaction.






*a 'string' is just a term I call making a bulk of formulas at one time. For example, I gathered and crafted 10 Valfour Academies at one time. This is a 'formula string'.

[ii-nkwell]

TRICKS OF THE TRADE
leveling made easy

EARLY LEVELING//
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o1. STARTER PACKS//
At lv.1 your best friend will be looking to buy Starter Kits, or making at least 10 mules to blow through the first level. They do not cost you a dime (unless you buy them from other users, but even then its minimal for an all-included package), and have a very high success rate.

o2. RIG FORMULAS//
In the beginning, before sellers caught on, this WAS a good way to storm through levels AND potentially make gold back in spades by either selling or playing the RIG you created. This isn't NECESSARILY true anymore. I still stand by this trick though, because while some of the more recent rigs like Valfore Academy, Neverland, and Double Rainbow's fail items have now become inflated, some of the older ones HAVE NOT. It's a huge gamble, but things like Screen King, where the fail is still only 10k you still have the chance of recouping on. Granted, I'm a bit of a gambler with RIGs ANYWAYS, so this might not be the option for you because it can get really pricey if you're looking to make a huge return on a recent RIG.

o3. AVOID BIFROST FORMULAS LIKE THE PLAGUE. (but DO buy the crafting materials in bulk, you will probably need them down the line and we do not know yet if the materials rotate out like Dernier Cri and Backyard Bargains do).
I hate to say this, because I did initially buy Bifrost formulas, and don't want to dissuade anyone from using them completely, but for early levelers who DONT want to spend an arm and a leg, until more ingredients/components pop out, I would advise against it or it'll get expensive FAST.

INSTEAD, find the formulas you CANNOT GET THROUGH EITHER BIFROST OR CASH SHOP. Some of them are low-cost, low-brow materials. If you can't use a hoarde of Starter Kits to get through lvs. 1&2, and simply don't care to play ZOMG to get Charge Orbs for ORB AGGREGATEs, then these are the best options for you. It will take a LOT of research, and again, there are multiple guides at the top on how to do so.

o4. ORB AGGREGATES ARE YOUR NEW BEST BUDDY. (and apparently so is ZOMG)
You WILL need to play ZOMG! for this option, and farm them yourself, but to be honest, the Orb Aggregate formula is not only a lv.1 formula and available for anyone to use, but it's a component that is HEAVILY UTILIZED IN LATER LEVELS. Also, in ZOMG! there's a good chance that WHILE you're harvesting Charge Orbs, you'll probably get some other components that are ZOMG! exclusive as well. A guide on these is at the top in the first post.


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INTERMEDIATE LEVELING//
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from level 3 to 4:

• Formula 3: Fausto's Bottle
  
• Formula 3: Sundae's Treat
  
• Formula 3: Fondue the Chocolate Bunny
  

From level 4 to 5:

• Formula 4: Sibyl's Incantation
  
• Formula 4: A la Fondue
  
• Formula 4: Cupcake Confection
  

CHEAPER, BUT LONGER OPTION:: Formula 4: Black Neko Cosplay

The ones possible from level 5 to 6 all require the same materials which are:

• Fabric Swatches
  
• Chiffon
  

Brain Akazariua

Currently Fabric Swatches are insanely rare though so the easiest way to level would be to continue on the level 4 formulas which on their turn will prove to be expensive to level since you'd need 30 to reach the next level.

lv. 4 formulas give 4exp @ lv. 5. (50% of their original)
lv. 3 formula =1exp @lv.5 (25% of its original)

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ADVANCED LEVELING//
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Coming soon! Any information is appreciated!

[ii-nkwell]

HELP DESK
for all your customer service needs

Any questions you have that aren't covered, please feel free to ask them in the thread or via PM titled "ALCHEMY QUESTION", and I will anonymously post both the question and answer up here when I have researched your issue and can answer you to the best of my abilities.

[ii-nkwell]

HELP DESK
for all your customer service needs

Extra space for questions/answers, also any additional information that just doesn't fit anywhere else will be updated here under a different heading. :3

[ii-nkwell]

ALRIGHTY THEN OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. :3 I hope everybody finds this useful, and as this IS a growing informational thread, I will be updating it as I myself level up, and as users who are at a currently higher level than me send in information to help everybody out!

[ii-nkwell]

//

[Moonlight_kunoichi]

Not to sound noob or anything, but i'm a level 1 (?) And I don't know if it's the same thing or not, but I got some items from zOMG such as Fan Wood, cotton, mushroom heads, copper, ect. and i recieved recipies and i don't know what to do with them. Are they tied to the alchemy stuff or should i be looking else where for the items? I had plenty of flowers, but threw them away...:My sister told me they were tash and taking up my inventory. sweat: (She's been on here longer than me so i'm lost)

[Brain Akazariua]

Allow me to provide you with some more information:

Getting from level 3 to 4 takes 40 exp.
Level 3 formulas give you 4 exp each at level 3

Getting from level 4 to 5 takes 80 exp.
Level 4 formulas give 8 exp each.

Getting from level 5 to 6 takes 160 exp.
Level 5 formulas give 16 exp each.

Going by this I think it is safe to say that the exp needed and gained at each level doubles with each level.

Also, the easiest formulas at this point to level are:

from level 3 to 4:

• Formula 3: Fausto's Bottle
  
• Formula 3: Sundae's Treat
  
• Formula 3: Fondue the Chocolate Bunny
  

From level 4 to 5:

• Formula 4: Sibyl's Incantation
  
• Formula 4: A la Fondue
  
• Formula 4: Cupcake Confection
  

There would be one cheaper option but it takes a lot of time, this one is: Formula 4: Black Neko Cosplay

The ones possible from level 5 to 6 all require the same materials which are:

• Fabric Swatches
  
• Chiffon
  

Currently Fabric Swatches are insanely rare though so the easiest way to level would be to continue on the level 4 formulas which on their turn will prove to be expensive to level since you'd need 30 to reach the next level. The level 4 formulas give 4exp each at level 5. (50% of their original)
I don't know if a level 3 formula still gives exp at level 5 but I think it might give 1 exp eachh (25% of its original)

[Brain Akazariua]

Moonlight_kunoichi

Not to sound noob or anything, but i'm a level 1 (?) And I don't know if it's the same thing or not, but I got some items from zOMG such as Fan Wood, cotton, mushroom heads, copper, ect. and i recieved recipies and i don't know what to do with them. Are they tied to the alchemy stuff or should i be looking else where for the items? I had plenty of flowers, but threw them away...:My sister told me they were tash and taking up my inventory. sweat: (She's been on here longer than me so i'm lost)

I suggest you check out this topic and those it links to regarding the zOMG stuff.
Some zOMG items are used as components, you can find those in here

[Moonlight_kunoichi]

Brain Akazariua

Moonlight_kunoichi

Not to sound noob or anything, but i'm a level 1 (?) And I don't know if it's the same thing or not, but I got some items from zOMG such as Fan Wood, cotton, mushroom heads, copper, ect. and i recieved recipies and i don't know what to do with them. Are they tied to the alchemy stuff or should i be looking else where for the items? I had plenty of flowers, but threw them away...:My sister told me they were tash and taking up my inventory. sweat: (She's been on here longer than me so i'm lost)

I suggest you check out this topic and those it links to regarding the zOMG stuff.
Some zOMG items are used as components, you can find those in here

Thank you very much! I think i know what i'm doing now, instead of wandering around killing and collecting stuff like an idiot. heart

[ii-nkwell]

Brain Akazariua

Thanks for the info! I'll update right away!

[Brain Akazariua]

ii-nkwell

Brain Akazariua

Thanks for the info! I'll update right away!

You're welcome.
Also, as an advise to you and everyone, prepare formulas for levels higher then your own so you can make a jump once you get there.

I have been doing so myself, getting from level 5 to 6 takes a lot of time due to the rareness of the components needed.

As I'm waiting for those I've been buying level 6 formulas and stuff needed already so I can make a big jump once I finally hit level 6 possibly even skipping it and rushing straight through to level 7.

I'm even stocking up on level 7 ones just to get past it at that time.

This method does require big fundings as you have to buy a lot in advance without any use for it at that time, it might turn into a profit later though.

My suggestions for easy formulas at level 6 are:

• Formula 6: Queen Bee - expensive and you lose a lot of gold on it due to the low value of the Queen Bee itself
  
• Formula 6: Atrum Egg or Formula 6: Albus Egg, you will lose gold on this too, just collect the eggshells whenever possible and get it ready
  

Other possible to do level 6 ones are:

• Formula 6: Geek Chic
  
• Formula 6: Princess the Piglet
  

As for level 7, it gets starting easier here. just collect the materials for the Alchemy Exclusive item Grace Meow which requirs no Alchemy exclusive components
The formula is: Formula 7: Grace Meow.
I currently have 5 of these at the ready for when I hit the level.

I have massive fundings though which allows me to prepare for later, I can imagine not many people have that but it's just an advice since materials get harder to come by once more people level up. Since a lot of people are stuck at level 3 now the fomula for Fausto's Bottle gets sniped as soon as one hits the market.

[Sunny-Sama]

Thanks for the guide!!

I'm one of those people stuck on level 3...
;/
There are not many formulas that don't cost an arm or a leg here, even without the components!
I hope that the ingredients become less rare over time...