Research Bottleneck

[Nolrog]

How about something like this?

Rumor has it the new expansion will introduce further advancements into the Spell Research tradeskill. Can we have someone confirm that the DoD-type parchments will also drop in TSS? In order for those parchments to be available in large enough quantities, spell researchers must rely on the entire population of the server to help hunt mobs that drop those parchments (and sell them in bazaar). If people move away from DoD/PoR, the supply (which is already a bit low) will become an insurmountable bottleneck.

Another question would be --"Will there be an alternate path to 300 that does not include the DoD parchments as a necessary ingredient?"

This is not a current issue. It's a future issue to keep an eye on.

I think I have enough here to forumalte (aka plagerize) a question. Thanks.

[Elfdruidess]

While I certainly don't know for sure, the existance of the 10 hide solutions that accidently went live makes me think there will be alternate combines for 61-65 spells, along with the 66-70 spells. Of course it could be 66-75 spells, but either way it will add more things to make on the way to 300.

IIRC, those hide solutions are mostly less than 10 pp each. To me, it signals a revamp of a path from skill 16 - 200 more than a path for 60+ spells.

[Bobaten]

True, that is a possibility I hadn't considered. And I could see how hide would be considered lower quality than parchment.

[Maevenniia]

As an interim suggestion to help ease things, maybe the Researcher npc on the ground floor of the PoK library (when you enter and go left) could exchange parchments...ie: 2 used for 1 Grubby, 2 Grubby for 1 Shabby Vellum, 2 Shabby for 1 Grimy Fine Vellum, 2 Grimy for 1 Smudged Runic...

[Ysall]

On my server, approximately 50 smudged runics enter the bazaar every week. Can't speak for the other parchments, but there are around 10 vellum, and 10 fine vellum for sale in bazaar right now.

Doesn't seem that much of a bottleneck.

[Carlo the Curious]

That's because I haven't been around to buy them up, Ysall

[Ysall]

Where've you been!! As my only competitor I've been making plat hand over fist since you disappeared!! Hurry back soon, I need the competition to keep me honest. Besides, as a fellow Brit, I need the company in a sea of bazaar Yanks.

[Zacatac]

On my server, approximately 50 smudged runics enter the bazaar every week.

Well I buy and sell about 25 spells a week. So that 50 would only cover me and 1 other person on the server.

I'm at 296 now, so there will probably be more parchments available once I hit 300 and take a break.

[Nolrog]

OK, here's the question I asked, and Ngreth's reply.

Nolrog wrote:

Are there any plans on reviewing the drop rate for the research parchments?? Researchers feel that the availibility of the parchments is a bit of a bottle neck in their ability to raise their skill up to 300.

Ngreth said, "I plan on addressing this more by expanding spell research to cover more spells and more level ranges to give more opportunities to gain skill than the currently small level range. I also plan to continue to have the drops available in future expansions, so that the drops continue to be available in “current” content. In the future I also hope to have it drop in “older” content, giving even more opportunity to have the drops available to players. For this last I do not have any particular time estimate as I am anticipating a system from code that will help me implement this, but for which there is currently no time frame attached."

[Ysall]

I'm glad to see a commitment to providing the means by which new players can get their spells without having to go to old content. Its hard enough getting groups as a new player, without having to try persuade folks to hunt in obsolete content noone wants to go to any more.

[Ravanta Suffer]

People on nameless think these are great drops and bazaar farmers buy any cheap ones and mark the price up to 2-3 or even 5k. Very annoying. That's WAY to expensive.

People look at the final result and say "hey, that spell is selling for 5k atm, so that parchment is worth 5k!"

[Qaladar Bragollach]

I buy runic parchments at 5k by the bucketload on nameless.

Almost 10 million pp in spell sales to date. I don't bother making anything sub-65. YMMV.

[Zacatac]

Prices on BB

61-62 parchments-- usually under 1k, nobody bothers with these
63-64 parchments-- 900 - 2000p
65 parchements-- 4k-6k+ each

Finished 65 spells going for 8k

[Apolline7th]

On 7th Hammer server:

Grimy Fine 3-5k
Shabby 700pp-2500pp
Runic 7k- 20k

[tuis]

I buy parchments from 500-5000, and **** what the traders are trying to gouge us for. Spells I sell for no more than double what I pay for parchments.