is there a cost effective way to do 200 plus

[Ivocare]

You are mixing up your facts, making the sentence false.

1. Saltpeter drops at least 1, sometimes 2, on a small handfull of mobs in CC. However, once you kill those mobs, you must wait for respawn. I can solo the entire area, which means only 1 person at a time can farm that spot.

2. PoI on the other hand has room for several people to farm. However, mobs in PoI do NOT drop saltpeter "almost every kill". It's more like 1 in 4 kills. However, you can also get crystallized sulfer there. And of course the tinkerers will love you for farming parts for them.

My post was poorly worded..

In PoI the drop rate is pretty bad. I do not hunt there. In CC the drop rate is good, however, and there are more mobs there than just the reapers. The gnomebots around the merchants and quest NPCs drop the saltpeter just as much as the reepers.

The good gnomebots are also on a very fast respawn timer and there are lots of them.

I have never seen anyone else killing the robots that are on good faction because it means you have to rebuild that faction, but the reapers are good for that. I have farmed several thousand saltpeters in about 2 weeks by killing the good robots until they are just below indifferent, then killing the reapers until I am amiable with the merchants again. I collected about 80 bolts as well during that time.

To clarify, I am not against putting acid on merchants, but I think it would be making the already easy (imo) part of research even easier, without addressing the biggest roadblock, which is 244+.

[kekenewah]

saltpeter costs

On Drinal saltpeter sell for 200pp + each. At that price I have to farm them myself.

[Maevenniia]

NPC price (sell to player)

saltpeter 1.049
crystalized sulfur 0.33
gnomish heat source 1.049
fine salt (*rock salt) 0.209
water flask 0.01
empty vial 0.209
gold bar 10.5
platinum bar 104.999
star ruby 68.25


calculated costs to make acids & aquas yourself:

vial of pure water(5)
-water flask(4) 0.04
-empty vial(5) 1.045
-gnomish heat source 1.049
total 2.134

vial of pure water(1) = 2.134 / 5 = 0.4268

oil of vitriol
-crystalized sulfur 0.33
-saltpeter 1.049
-gnomish heat source 1.049
-vial of pure water 0.4268
total 2.8548

vial of muriatic acid
-fine salt (*rock salt) 0.209
-gnomish heat source 1.049
-oil of vitriol 2.8548
total 4.1128

aqua fortis
-saltpeter 1.049
-oil of vitriol 2.8548
total 3.9038

aqua regia
-vial of muriatic acid 4.1128
-aqua fortis 3.9038
total 8.0166

Runic Parchment Solution
-aqua regia 8.0165
-gnomish heat source 1.049
-gold bar 10.5
-platinum bar 104.999
-star ruby 68.25
-vial of muriatic acid 4.1128
-vial of pure water(2) 0.8536
total 197.7809



SUMMARY:

............................self-made.......10x........100x...
oil of vitriol..............2.8548..........28.548.....28 5.48
vial of muriatic acid..4.1128..........41.128.....411.28
aqua fortis.............3.9038..........39.038.....390. 38
aqua regia..............8.0166..........80.166.....801. 66

using above table, the cost to make Runic parchment solution:

runic parch soln.......197.7809.......306.9446...1398.5816



based on the above, i hope Ngreth goes with a mere 10x cost factor

people making their own solutions would save ~109 plat if they did not buy the acids or the aqua fortis/regia (assuming those also could be vendor bought)...which means people making them for sale in the bazaar could sell them anywhere up to 307 plat and make a profit

[Gaell Stormracer]

I have considered putting acids on the vendor, but this would be save time/combines vs save money. They will be SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive to buy than to make. By a huge amount. on the order of 100X more expensive to buy from a vendor than to make it yourself.

I know Ngreth didn't get the time to do this for TSS, but I just want to make sure it stays on his "To Do (not very hard)" List.

[Eanelder]

A little off topic... but i restacked my sulfur and saltpeter yesterday. I went from a few bags of the stuff to less then a full bag.

Loved geting the bag space back, but almost had a panic attack cause it suddenly didnt feel like it was enough :P

[Maevenniia]

OOOOOO

I forgot to restack mine!

OMG, I will have more inventory spaces!

....although not for long.