An Introduction to Alchemy [Guide]

[Zzyli]

Welcome! Essentially the goal of this thread is to help co-ordinate useful guides and links, and provide a simple summary for those who don't know a whole lot about Alchemy, and help them make informed decisions. As far as I am aware, there is no other thread serving this purpose in the Alchemy forum, and I feel that it could be a useful thing to have, to help avoid repeat threads/questions or to direct people to who have these questions.

Like my other guides, I consider this to be a community effort for the community. Have a suggestion for this guide? Let me know!

Contents
Alchemy Basics
Levelling Up
Caches and Cases
Other Alchemy Chance Items
Crafting Chances and Failure
Efficient Levelling
Further FAQ
Useful Links
Achievements in Alchemy

[Zzyli]

ALCHEMY BASICS

Alchemy is essentially a way of using a recipe (formula), and some ingredients (components), plus gold to make something new. Some formulae have more than one way of completing them, but all different ways create the same product.

Crafting a Formula (This section pulled from the Alchemy FAQ)
The easiest way to try this out for the first time is to use the Alchemist Starter Kit. You can get one by clicking on this link. Click on the starter kit in your inventory to unpack the components. Every user gets one of these on each account.

Next up you want to go to the Alchemy page on Gaia. This is where most of the action happens in Alchemy. It gives you the means to make your items if you have the components and formula.


If you click on the formula details button, it will show you which parts you have, and what you still need.


For example, here to make the Aspiring Alchemist item, we still need 1 Ocean Summer Top. If we get the top & come back, this formula will have moved to our ready tab.

Now we can click on the complete button


This shows you that you have everything and then you can hit the craft button to confirm that you want to make it.

You'll see a gif of Crescento & Nicolae and then, all being well, you'll have your new item. Crafting will use up the gold amount specified, and also components, and the formula itself. If you want more than one of the same item, you'll need to have multiple formulae and components for each formula.

Getting Components
Components come from a mixture of different places. Some are items which already exist on Gaia (from gold shops/RIGS etc.) Some can be found in the Daily Chance. Some can be bought at the Bifrost- Gaia's special Alchemy gold shop. Most components that you will need as you progress through Alchemy can be found in the Philosopher's Cache (more on this later), although these can alternatively be found in other Alchemy chance items such as the Winged Crafting Chest and Alchemy Fusion Cache. There's also a few Alchemy related chance items which help replenish supplies of existing items which are needed for Alchemy. There is a subforum of the Alchemy forum Item Alchemy Exchange, where you can go to buy or sell things you need related to Alchemy.

Getting Formulae
Formulae also come from a few places. They used to be found in Gaia's various different rare events (Gold Giftboxes, Pink Giftboxes etc.), but are now found in the Alchemist's Case, Dusty Old Scroll, Enki's Catch, Enki's Drop, or the Bifrost. There is also a small chance of getting a backwings quest (Inizio formula) from the Winged Crafting Chest.

The Levelling System
Formulae are on different levels, with the lower levelled formulae mostly being basic items & components for other items, with higher levels often being Alchemy rares and highly desirable items. You need to be at or above the level of a formula to be able to craft it. For example, someone at level 3 can make recipes on levels 1, 2 & 3, but not 4 or higher. The current maximum level you can reach is 10.

Formula Paths
Some formulae have more than one path- several different sets of components that can be used to make it. All paths make the same item, but sometimes one will be easier for you to make than the other. It's worth checking out every path to see if one will suit you better.

[Zzyli]

LEVELLING UP

To reach a higher level, you need to gain experience on your current level. The amount of XP (experience) required for each level is detailed below. You can gain experience by making formulae at your current level or the level directly below you. For instance, a level 5 Alchemist can make formulae at levels 4 & 5 to gain XP. They could make formulae from levels 1, 2 and 3, but these will not help them level up.

I've shown how much XP is needed, and how many of each kind of formula you would need to craft to complete that level.

Level 1: 10 XP (10 level 1 formulae)
Level 2: 20 XP (10 level 2 formulae or 20 level 1 formulae)
Level 3: 40 XP (10 level 3 formulae or 40 level 2 formulae)
Level 4: 80 XP (10 level 4 formulae or 40 level 3 formulae)
Level 5: 160 XP (10 level 5 formulae or 40 level 4 formulae)
Level 6: 320 XP (10 level 6 formulae or 40 level 5 formulae)
Level 7: 640 XP (10 level 7 formulae or 40 level 6 formulae)
Level 8: 1,280 XP (10 level 8 formulae or 40 level 7 formulae)
Level 9: 2,560 XP (10 level 9 formulae or 40 level 8 formulae)
Level 10- There is 5,120 XP on the XP bar, but at present maxing out your XP does not provide any benefit.

You can make any mixture of formulae at your current level or the level directly below you to reach the next level.

[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.

These are both level 1 formulae, which can be made from components readily found in towns/games/ZOMG caches. It is also possible to purchase a completed Philosopher's Cache from the Bifrost for 50,000 gold or 250GC, and (very rarely) get a Cache or a Case from Daily Chance.

It's now also possible to purchase bundles with multiple caches from the Bifrost. Whilst there is no cost advantage, there may be a time advantage for some users. The Caches now come in packs of 100, 500 and 1,000.

]Picture of cache crafting screen
Picture of case crafting screen

There are four crafting 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 several different 'grab bags'- Amethyst, Aquamarine, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Gold, Platinum, Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, or ZOMG, or alternatively a Heart Charm which is used in Go Fusion.

Each of these coloured caches 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 coloured 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.

Selecting component from cache
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 than any of the components within them.

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. Backwings Quests) being more rare than others.

OTHER ALCHEMY CHANCE ITEMS

In addition to the main chance building blocks of the Alchemy system the Cache and Case, Gaia has released a variety of different Alchemy-related chance items. Here's a brief overview of what to expect if you open one. For more details, refer to this thread

Alchemy Fusion Cache
Opening this chance item will give you 3 items used in Alchemy formulae. Most of these are equippable items which previously came from monthly CIs, although there is also a chance of receiving a Levelling Bundle.

Dusty Old Scroll
Opening this chance item will give you one formula. The item pool contains a few unique formulae, and also some formulae which exist in previous chance items, including the Inizio formulae. There is also a small chance of receiving Gaia Cash as a grant.

Ivan's Surplus
Opening this chance item will give you an item used in an Alchemy formula. These are all equippable items, and the item pool is fairly small.

Winged Crafting Chest
Opening this chance item will give you one component which is needed in a backwings quest, with a very small chance of containing an Inizio formula.

Ye Olde Trunk of Forgotten Things
Opening this chance item will give you an item which is used in an Alchemy Formula. These are mostly equippable items, but there is a chance of getting an Alchemy only component (including some crafted components).

Ye Olde Trove of Forgotten Things
Opening this chance item will give you five items which are used in Alchemy. These are mostly equippable items, but there is a chance of getting an Alchemy only component (including some crafted components). The item pool is fairly similar to the Trunks.

[Zzyli]

CRAFTING CHANCES AND FAILURE

If you look at your formulae on the Alchemy Page, or in the Bifrost, you will see a chance attached to the formula- Very High, High, Medium, Low, or Very Low. This gives you the chances of a crafting succeeding if you are at the corresponding level of the formula.

Formulae which are Very High or High will rarely fail, for Medium probably about 1/2 crafts will fail, and Low or Very Low may fail several times before you can make the item. This thread contains more detailed information on crafting chances.

If you fail, you lose the gold for that attempt, but you keep all your components and the formula.

If you are a level above the formula, your chances of succeeding are higher, and if you are 2 or more levels above, you will very rarely fail when crafting (but you will not gain any XP).

Sometimes it's possible to hit what is known as a 'chain fail'- where if you craft a lot of things at once, or keep trying after a failure, you will continue to fail on the same formula. If you hit a chain fail, the failure message will come up very quickly & it will not remove the gold for that attempt. The best suggestion if you fail is to go do something else for a few minutes then reload the Alchemy page and try again.

Gaia has updated the Alchemy system with levelling bundles. These will always work first go and can be purchased from the cash shop or the MP.

[Zzyli]

EFFICIENT LEVELLING

People often ask what is the fastest & cheapest route to clear a level. To be honest, these are possibly not the right questions to ask, as fast and cheap are often mutually exclusive in Alchemy.

Presently speaking, as caches are plentiful, crafting components of your level is a viable option, but be aware that the Very Low odds will mean that you may require many attempts to successfully craft an item.

There is no one clear path really. I would suggest looking at what is available, and doing your research. Look at the components- are there lots of components or only a few required? Are the components common/rare? Are they cheap/expensive? How much does the crafted item sell for versus the components?

Owing to changes in supply & demand, what may be good now could be prohibitively expensive in a few months or vice-versa.

The simplest way to level usually involves making formulae which have few components which are readily available. Don't expect to make gold on most of them- the rewards come from levelling itself, or items you can make when you reach higher levels.

Gaia has now released 'Levelling Bundles' in the Bifrost, which have a 100% chance of success on crafting for levels 2-9. These will create a crafted component (different ones for each level). These are a straightforward way of levelling up, though possibly not the cheapest method for gold users. Research is still beneficial!

Details are as follows
Level 2: Minotaur Horn (200 GC)
Level 3: Twinkle Truffle (300 GC)
Level 4: Ahuizhotl's Tail-hand (400 GC)
Level 5: Phoenix's Feather (500 GC)
Level 6: Ogre Bone (600 GC)
Level 7: Ankou's Strand of White Hair (700 GC)
Level 8: Eldritch Horror Tentacle (800 GC)
Level 9: Leviathan's Venom (900 GC)

[Zzyli]

FAQ

Q. I have this formula for Underland/Valefor Academy/ (insert RIG here), and how on earth do I get 10 of this thing?
A. These probably aren't very efficient formulae to use. The only time that this could be handy is if you have managed to get a lot of fails out of a RIG yourself, and instead of selling them back to the shop/in the MP, you can use them to make another chance at the RIG

Q. I've just failed 5 times at making this formula- when am I going to succeed?
A. There is no fixed rate for success, it's based on probability. Make sure that you haven't hit a Chain Fail by coming back to craft again after a few minutes. Also consider that it took a user 17 attempts at an Aurora Kitten Star on Low. At this point they did not actually succeed, but the admin granted them their item. That doesn't mean that you may not get something first go, or take more goes to craft it however. If you're interested, I'd suggest looking here, for a better idea of your chances of crafting success.

Q. I really only want one thing crafted. Do I really have to level up?
A. You can use Alchemy Services, where there are several high levelled Alchemists who are happy to use their experience to help you for a minimal fee, or sometimes for free. If you want to consider this, take time to browse the forums. Most Alchemists expect you to do the legwork of sourcing your own formula and components, so be aware of that if you contact them.

Q. Should it really cost me more to make the item than buy it?
A. Often to craft an item is more pricey than to purchase the original if there is an existing version (e.g. lots of evolving items). Formulae may have been based on item availability at the time that the formula was created, and the components may have become more rare. Some items are just very challenging and costly to make in general, but aren't that appealing to wear.

Q. How is "Item: Alchemized" different from it's non Alchemized counterpart?
A. Essentially it isn't. They still have all the same poses- the Alchemized tag is just showing that it's been made via Alchemy instead of purchased. The only exception being backwings, where the Alchemised versions of the wings have the multiple-sized wing poses all in the one set.

Q. How much will it cost me to get Backwings?
A. The formula alone are being sold for hundreds of billions, in addition to estimated trillions to get to the final stage (based on buying all components- making them yourself may save gold, but would be significantly more time-consuming).

Gaia has released completed wings as a direct buy for GC item now, and also has the Inizio quests in the Cash Shop for 999 GC. The GC direct buy wings are different from the Alchemised ones in that they only have the set of poses purchased. So, Michael's Wings only has the largest white feathery wings, whereas Michael's Wings: Alchemised has the largest poses, together with the poses from Raphael's Wings (medium) and Gabriel's Wings (small).


If you'd like to know anything else, please ask! Also, I may update the FAQ with other questions as needed.

[Zzyli]

USEFUL LINKS

A few invaluable resources are below. Please look at them for further information on Alchemy. I couldn't have made this guide without them!

Alchemy Guide Anthology- This has a list of useful guides in different categories
Ultimate Alchemy Formula Guide- Gives information on which formulae are available for which level, their sources, and which components you need to craft them
Philosopher's Cache Bag Guide- Details which components are found in different coloured caches
What Makes What?- Shows the uses of different components
Opening the Base Cache- Gives probabilities for obtaining different types of caches based on user submitted data.
Quest Formula Information- Gives information on things you will need to know if you are interested in making Backwings
Alchemy Component Or Not?- Gives a comprehensive list of Alchemy components and their uses

[Zzyli]

ACHIEVEMENTS IN ALCHEMY

There have been some achievement points assigned to different things in Alchemy.

Basic Achievements
You get 100 points for each level that you complete (i.e 100 points for making your first item, then 100 for moving onto levels 2, 3, 4 and so on up to 10.

There are 1,000 points available from doing this.



There are no titles attached to these achievements


Special Achievements

There are also a few special achievements available for making some particular items. Thanks to Lei_Trigar for collating the information on these.

Abomination

Awarded to Gaians who craft The Worst Mistake. (100 Points)
Titles: Unholy, Abomination


Winged

Awarded to Gaians who successfully craft a pair of wings with Item Alchemy. (100 Points)
Titles: Winged, Flying, Demon, Angel


Winged Mastery

Awarded to ambitious alchemists who craft every type and color of wings. (100 Points)
Titles: Godlike, Hero

Quote:

To clarify, "all" the wings refers to all the wings you can craft using Inizio quest chains; Angelic, Celestial, Fallen, Risen, Demonic, and Devilish quests (which yield the alchemised versions of Michael's Wings, Archangel's Wings, Lucifer's Wings, Selaphiel's Wings, Beelzebub's Wings, and Devil's Wings respectively when done). The ones made from caches are far newer and don't count towards the mastery, and neither do other wings such as Sugary Wings. There's also some wings which users have recoloured which have "Alchemized" in their item name but don't come from Alchemy.

[Zzyli]

LINKS IN AND OUT

I've got a basic banner for this thread if you would like to link to it in other locations.

[url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/t.81214113][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/MqWjc0K.png/IMG][/url]

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