An Introduction to Alchemy [Guide]

[Zzyli]

Eiar

Great thread!! I really want to get into alchemy, and zOMG is frustratingly addicting..... haha this was really helpful, I didn't even notice there were other/cheaper ways to craft things until I came here. D'oh! sweatdrop

It's certainly not the most transparent system, which is why it's good that there's lots of resources for people to refer to when getting started. Good luck in your Alchemy endeavours! 3nodding

[LittleCutieDolll]

that was realy helpful thx heart

[Enchanmentgirl]

I'm not sure if this was asked before or not, but I checked your little index thing and didn't find it there so I'm going to go ahead and ask. I'm pretty new to gaia so don't laugh, but how do you get items for crafting? You mentioned that they can be obtained from games and Towns and Zomg (or whatever it is) and I've gotten items from Zomg and Fishing, but how do you get items from Towns? And besides fishing are there any other games that you get items from? Sorry thats more than 1 question isnt it sweatdrop

[Platonix]

Enchanmentgirl

I'm not sure if this was asked before or not, but I checked your little index thing and didn't find it there so I'm going to go ahead and ask. I'm pretty new to gaia so don't laugh, but how do you get items for crafting? You mentioned that they can be obtained from games and Towns and Zomg (or whatever it is) and I've gotten items from Zomg and Fishing, but how do you get items from Towns?

In the original Towns system, you can find flowers and crumpled-up paper just laying around, and bugs crawling/hopping/flying here and there. Get close to them and click on them to put them in your inventory. In Towns 2, these things are only available in the Neighborhoods, which you can reach from the taxi boat at a dock on the southeast corner of the Isle.

Enchanmentgirl

And besides fishing are there any other games that you get items from? Sorry thats more than 1 question isnt it sweatdrop

The Word Bump game grants items on every Bonus Level; every level that's a multiple of 5 is a Bonus Level. Most Bonus Levels grant School Credits; the most basic kind, Bachelor's Credits, are used in the formulas for crafting the Philosopher's Cache and Alchemist's Case. Word Bump levels that are multiples of 30 grant other items.

The gambling games Slots and Cards grant Tickets, and so does the Tiles game. You can use Tickets to buy items from the shop Prize & Joy, and they're also used in the Cache and Case formulas.

Pinball and Electric Love Faktori each have a series of game items you can earn that serve as in-game powerups. You don't need those for Alchemy, as far as I'm aware.

[Enchanmentgirl]

Okay thank you!

[Zzyli]

[night of the crumpet]

I've started getting into alchemy, and I've been trying to read all the guides before I get too far into it, and there's one question I have that I don't think I've seen specifically addressed. I know when a formula calls for an EI that generation doesn't matter. But can you use the alchemized version the same way, or does it have to be a non-alchemized EI?

[Platonix]

night of the crumpet

I've started getting into alchemy, and I've been trying to read all the guides before I get too far into it, and there's one question I have that I don't think I've seen specifically addressed. I know when a formula calls for an EI that generation doesn't matter. But can you use the alchemized version the same way, or does it have to be a non-alchemized EI?

Annoyingly enough, it depends on the formula.

Once you have the formula, examine it from the Alchemy Page. A formula that uses an EI will usually have multiple component paths, with the only difference between them being that each path uses a different generation of the EI. These paths are put in so that you can use any generation. Just check all of the paths to see whether or not the Alchemized EI is among them; also annoyingly, they won't necessarily be sorted by EI generation.

[night of the crumpet]

Platonix

night of the crumpet

I've started getting into alchemy, and I've been trying to read all the guides before I get too far into it, and there's one question I have that I don't think I've seen specifically addressed. I know when a formula calls for an EI that generation doesn't matter. But can you use the alchemized version the same way, or does it have to be a non-alchemized EI?

Annoyingly enough, it depends on the formula.

Once you have the formula, examine it from the Alchemy Page. A formula that uses an EI will usually have multiple component paths, with the only difference between them being that each path uses a different generation of the EI. These paths are put in so that you can use any generation. Just check all of the paths to see whether or not the Alchemized EI is among them; also annoyingly, they won't necessarily be sorted by EI generation.

Ahh, I see. That does seem annoying. Thanks for the answer.

[RoseRoyal]

Quote:

Wing Mastery

Awarded to ambitious alchemists who craft every type and color of wings. (100 Points)
This is a leaked achievement. No-one at present has it so we are uncertain as to what titles (if any) are attached to it.

so not only did the brilliant minds behind alchemy slap most of the Gaia userbase that had been asking for backwings forever with making them almost impossible for the non-ubber, sickenly, rich to obtain, but decided to add a kick to the face for the achievement obsessed with this achievement...
to make it worse, you only get 100 points for completing this ridiculous achievement... the same as for getting to the next level in alchemy. Really? after all the gold and time sank into completing all those wings it wasn't worth more than a measly 100 points?!? rolleyes

I am so glad Alchemy Achievements do not appear on your Achievements page! The Conventioneer achievement there already drives me crazy enough that I don't need any other impossible ones sitting there staring at me neutral

[Zzyli]

RoseRoyal

Quote:

Wing Mastery

Awarded to ambitious alchemists who craft every type and color of wings. (100 Points)
This is a leaked achievement. No-one at present has it so we are uncertain as to what titles (if any) are attached to it.

so not only did the brilliant minds behind alchemy slap most of the Gaia userbase that had been asking for backwings forever with making them almost impossible for the non-ubber, sickenly, rich to obtain, but decided to add a kick to the face for the achievement obsessed with this achievement...
to make it worse, you only get 100 points for completing this ridiculous achievement... the same as for getting to the next level in alchemy. Really? after all the gold and time sank into completing all those wings it wasn't worth more than a measly 100 points?!? rolleyes

I am so glad Alchemy Achievements do not appear on your Achievements page! The Conventioneer achievement there already drives me crazy enough that I don't need any other impossible ones sitting there staring at me neutral

You would think as for instance, just turning up on the day of Gaia's 10th anniversary gave you 500 points, that they could have spared a few more for Wing mastery, but I don't feel as though the Alchemy system was perhaps the best thought through Gaia feature. sweatdrop

[Zzyli]

~Legal bump~

[brolykurisaki]

Zzyli

CACHES AND CASES

Philosopher's Caches & Alchemist's Cases are the building blocks of most of the alchemy system. You could think of a Philsopher's Cache as a place to get ingredients, and an Alchemist's Case as a place to get recipes.

They are both level 1 formulae, which can be made from components readily found in towns/games/ZOMG.




There are four routes for each of them, with the first 3 being the same except that they require either bugs or paper or flowers, and the 4th being made from 5 or 10 Gold Giftboxes respectively. A Case requires 4 times as much towns' material as a Cache.

Inside the Cache
When you successfully craft a Cache you have a few options. You can sell it as-is, or you can open it. If you open a Cache, you will get one of 10 different 'grab bags' named after different gemstones- Amethyst, Aquamarine, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Gold, Platinum, Ruby, Sapphire, or Topaz.

Each of these contain a different set of components which are used in some formulae.

You can look here for a list of which components are available in which caches, and here to find out your likelihood of getting a particular bag when opening your Cache.

When you have got your gemstone cache, you can select the component that you would like from it simply by clicking on the desired component, or alternatively you can sell the cache untouched.


Here I am about to get a Tasty Ham out of a Sapphire Cache.

My suggestion if you don't want the Cache that you get, is to sell it unopened. In general, the Caches are more desirable & valuable than any of the components within them. Most of the loose components otherwise found in caches on the Marketplace are remnants from the previous Cache system.

Inside the Case
If you open an Alchemist's Case, it will give you one formula. The formulae in here are all Alchemy exclusive, and not found in Enki's Catch, Enki's Drop, or in the Bifrost (the other main home of formulae). Obviously like a lot of other things on Gaia, there is an element of chance, with super desirable formulae (e.g. Erebus Moon, Nice Suit For Work, Backwings Quests) being more rare than others.

i see no way of using the things i find in towns

[Zzyli]

brolykurisaki

i see no way of using the things i find in towns

The formulae have more than one path. You can only see the giftbox path if you look at the formula in the Bifrost, but if you purchase one and look at it on your Alchemy page, you can see that there's more than one path, including the bugs, flowers, and paper paths for Cases/Caches.

[brolykurisaki]

i just found that out.when i bought one redface

Zzyli

brolykurisaki

i see no way of using the things i find in towns

The formulae have more than one path. You can only see the giftbox path if you look at the formula in the Bifrost, but if you purchase one and look at it on your Alchemy page, you can see that there's more than one path, including the bugs, flowers, and paper paths for Cases/Caches.