Francis' Journal: At Home in the Reach

I'm back in Divinity's, much longer in the frozen wilds and I'm sure my fingers would have fallen off. Thankfully odd jobs I secured around Hoelbrak (mostly involving me getting into small spaces or babysitting children almost as tall as me) have earned me enough money to rent somewhere to stay in the city. It took me a while to find a good place however, I've live in the Reach my entire life yet scarcely know it. My years were mostly spent confined to places where people of my standing were expected with only the odd bout of travel. So my last few days have been spent fully exploring the city, the good and the bad of it. I even somehow managed to pick up new friends along the way. A chance meeting with a young man named Tyrion was exactly what I needed after a stressful day of turning down too many wrong alleyways and having to walk backwards quickly. His company was refreshing, we sat by a small water feature not far from Rurikton and had a small chat. From what I could tell he's attracted to men but insecure in himself and not sure how to act on his attractions. I tried to be encouraging and I'll continue to be so. It feels odd that I could be a mentor of sorts to him, coaxing him to accept who he is, but also quite exciting. I also met the roguish Julien. I happened to be passing a bakery when hungry so popped in and I'm utterly glad I did. To say I was charmed by the man behind the counter would be putting it mildly, he has a playful smirk that makes me grin no end. We agreed to meet again, though I'm not sure if it's just as friends or if it's a date. It's hard to be certain as I know which I'd prefer it to be and that may be clouding my judgement. Either way it's good to be able to talk to people again, I was beginning to feel disconnected. Even the girl who rents the other room in the place I found to stay isn't around much, I get the feeling she may be involved in something dubious and I'm really glad my door has a lock on it.

OOC: Divinity's Reach fully explored and RP with other people found, this is making Julien more enjoyable to play but also slowing that levelling progress!! Also, new coat, because.. y'know.. Francis has his priorities straight and style comes before food..

Francis and Tyrion

Divng In!

Words & screenshot by me, formatting and other artwork by the talented Fornax. More Krytan Herald articles can be read here.

Magic Snacks

In my review of Almar's Guides I voiced my disappointment in his guide on Magic Find foods. I was going to leave it at just that but then I realised that I should have offered an alternative to his guide. A quick google search later gave me a few pages that would be of some help but I decided I could do better than 'some help' and decided to write my own entry on the subject.

First things first; What is Magic Find?

"Magic find is an attribute that increases a player's chance to receive uncommon loot from dead foes." ~ Guild Wars 2 Wiki.

Because it increases chances of getting uncommon loot Magic Find is very popular with a lot of players, especially those who farm. Magic Find can come from a variety of places equipment, item upgrades, guild buffs and consumables, but for the purposes of this entry I'm just looking at one sort.

Consumables. Or more notably food items. The problem with food items and a guide for them is that everyone will have their own preferences. There is a full list of Magic Find foods right there on the wiki but that won't help you decide.

Magic Find food falls into two categories, those that give you the attribute increase for all of their duration and those that give you the increase while you're under the effects of a boon. I've split my foods up into these two categories below for ease of those who have consistent boons and those who don't and then listed them by required level.

You'll also notice that I've added a 'Price' link, this will take you to the GW2Spidy page that will tell you the current costs to buy and to craft of the item. Cost of your consumables is a very important factor in picking what's best for you.

Some of the foods give an increase in gold from monsters, but generally these are more expensive than other foods that give the same Magic Find. Take note of the things you're usually fighting and how much money they drop and work out if a small increase in this would cover the price difference between a food item with the gold increase and one without.

I realise that I'm not outright telling you what foods are 'best' but the problem is that I can't, it is down to individual playstyle and things will change with the fluctuating market. I just hope that with my list and my advice you'll be able to pick what's right for your needs, getting you the most Magic Find for the smallest amount of money.

Magic Find Foods

Beetletun Omelette.
Req Lev: 0, 4% Magic Find +10 Experience from kills, Duration: 60mins, Price.

Meat Pie.
Req Lev: 0, 4% Magic Find +10 Experience from kills, Duration 30mins, Price

Cinnamon Apple.
Req Lev: 0, 4% Magic Find +10 Experience from kills, Duration 30mins, Price

Bowl of Apple Sauce.
Req Lev: 0, 4% Magic Find +10 Experience from kills, Duration 30mins, Price

Blueberry Tart. 
Req Lev: 5, 4% Magic Find +10 Experience from kills, Duration 30mins, Price

Strawberries and Biscuts.
Req Lev: 15, 10% Magic Find +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Lemon Bar.
Req Lev: 20, 10% Magic Find +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Strawberry Tart. 
Req Lev: 20, 10% Magic Find +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Candy Corn Cake.
Req Lev: 22, 10% Magic Find +10 Experience from Kills, duration 45mins, Price

Clam Cake.
Req Lev: 22, 10% Magic Find +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Yam Fritter.
Req Lev: 30, 18% Magic Find +40 Condition Damage +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Cherry Tart.
Req Lev: 35, 18% Magic Find +40 Power +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Cherry Almond Bar.
Req Lev: 40, 18% Magic Find 10% Gold from Monsters +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Piece of Candy Corn Almond Brittle
Req Lev: 45, 18% Magic Find 10% Gold from Monsters +10 Experience from Kills, duration 45mins, Price

Chickpea Fritter

Req Lev: 50, 22% Magic Find +50 Condition Damage +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Orange Coconut Bar

Req Lev: 50, 22% Magic Find 20% Gold from Monsters, duration 30mins, Price

Ginger Pear Tart

Req Lev: 50, 22% Magic Find +50 Power +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Glazed Pear Tart
Req Lev: 55, 22% Magic Find +50 Power +15 Experience from Kills, duration 45mins, Price

Eggplant Fritter
Req Lev: 60, 26% Magic Find +60 Condition Damage, duration 30mins, Price

Peach Tart
Req Lev: 70, 26% Magic Find +60 Power, duration 30mins, Price

Raspberry Peach Bar
Req Lev: 70, 26% Magic Find 30% Gold from Monsters, duration 30mins, Price

Glazed Peach Tart
Req Lev: 75, 26% Magic Find +60 Power, duration 45mins, Price

Cup of Lotus Fries
Req Lev: 80, 30% Magic Find +70 Condition Damage +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Omnomberry Bar
Req Lev: 80, 30% Magic Find 40% Gold from Monsters, duration 30mins, Price

Omnomberry Tart
Req Lev: 80, 30% Magic Find +70 Power +10 Experience from Kills, duration 30mins, Price

Spicy Pumpkin Cookie
Req Lev: 80, 30% Magic Find +70 Condition Damage +15 Experience from Kills, duration 45mins, Price

Style Guide: Dress to Match

Words & screenshots by me, formatting and other artwork by the talented Fornax. More Krytan Herald articles can be read here.

Dailies make me a bunnyslayer

What dailies do to me.


I'm loving the new categories of dailies, having more of a selection of things to do makes me more keen to get them done. However they do have a drastic impact on my play style.

Ambient Killer is an evil daily achievement that has me making note of where I see clusters of adorable woodland creatures minding their own business just so I can come back and slaughter them on ambient killer days. I can't help but feel a little wrong about it.. but still I do it without even meaning to; "Oh look! Lots of fuzzy bunnies!" *Stabbity*

Dailies make me a terrible person!

 

Jade Wind: Fashion Show

Words & screenshot by me, formatting and other artwork by the talented Fornax. More Krytan Herald articles can be read here.

Francis' Journal: A Spiritual Journey

Despite the cold and the dangers I'm still in the Shiverpeaks. The people here have been kind and have shared their food and drink, and they all have stories to tell. It's been quite a nice escape to be honest, if it weren't for the weather and the fact I'd be expected to learn to fight were I to stay I could see myself being quite content out here. A few of the norn at the lodges I visited suggested that I could solve a lot of my problems by becoming more spiritually aware. I don't entirely believe it myself but as they arranged to take me to shrines in the foothills it became increasingly difficult to object. At least I could take comfort in the fact I would be kept quite safe in the lower hills. There are four spirits revered by the norn of Hoelbrak; Wolf, Bear, Snow Leopard and Raven. I was taken to a shaman of each and given a task that would help me better understand the spirits. I'm actually rather proud to say I completed all of the trials set before me. First was Wolf. I had to 'hunt with the pack', the notion terrified me. My family went hunting once but Amber was the only one who actually hit anything, the rest of us just enjoyed the pleasant walk and the boar the staff prepared for us later that evening. But at least in this instance my 'pack' didn't seem to need me. I followed at a safe distance as the two snowy white wolves tore their way through the landscape, stopping anything potentially violent in their paths. It made it a rather pleasant walk, I could get used to having canine bodyguards. As the shaman wasn't watching he seemed pleased enough with the fact I returned unscathed. Bear was another worrisome one. I'd already heard tales of the bear spirit and how it represents strength above all else. I was asked to commune with the bears around the shrine for a while. I have no idea how to 'commune' so instead I took small fish from nearby traps and fed them to nearby bear cubs who would bounce a little in the most adorable fashion whenever they smelled the food. Snow Leopard was equally endearing, I was asked to spend time amongst the leopards and soon found myself in amongst the sweet-tempered cubs who were happy for me to pet them. I really must return some time to play with them again. Finally was Raven, spirit of knowledge and trickery. Finally those awful parlour games mother insisted on at parties came in useful for something. The riddles posed by Raven's shrine were just like being back home and fathoming through the ridiculous clues her game demanded. The shaman there seemed especially pleased, claiming that I was blessed by Raven. I wouldn't call my ability to suffer through riddles and get to the answer a blessing but I thanked her nonetheless.

OOC: I haven't been playing Francis as much as I should, progress is very slow but there is a little progress! The Wayfarer Foothills had a lot for him to do and I found it all very characterful.

But I don't have much time.. (Part Two)

More of my guides can be found here.

But I don't have much time.. Part Two: Reliable Markets.

So your play time is limited and you want to make some money; an approach you may want to try is exploiting reliable markets. Finding stable markets that are always profit-worthy can be a little time consuming at first, but once you have you can continue making a reliable profit off of them.

My absolute favorite market for this is fine and masterwork dyes. This isn't because it's a high-profit market but because it's fairly dependable. I also have a soft spot as fine dyes are one of the first items I ever started flipping. I'd been buying dyes using buy orders for personal use when I spotted the profit-worthy gap and didn't look back.

Dyes are my fallback market for small but reliable profits, the only time I've not seen dyes be profitable in recent months is when things are very busy, usually at times of seasonal events etc. Not all dyes will be able to be flipped for a profit at all times so buy and sell sensibly.

Your first step in flipping dyes is to check prices. See what the majority of dyes are selling for. You'll find that the majority of dyes of the same rarity often cluster in price (excluding the odd one that has much higher demand)

At the time of writing this article the majority of fine dyes are selling for between 77c and 99c. If I were planning to flip dyes today I'd make note that my lowest selling price for these dyes should be 76c. To work out what to buy the dyes for I'd multiply my amount by 0.85 to account for the 15% that would be lost in trading post fees:

76 x 0.85 = 64.6

So to break even I'd need to buy at 64c. To ensure profit I'd go through and place buy orders at or below 60c. This ensures a profit of at least 4c per dye but often you'll see profits of 30+ copper per dye on fine dyes (with larger profits on masterwork dyes) Of course a few copper may not seem like much but buying stacks of dyes in as many colours as you can get hold of really adds up. 

Placing the orders and listing your sales shouldn't put too much of a dent into your time and the sales can just be left for a steady trickling income. This won't get you rich quick but a profit is a profit. 

Of course dyes aren't the only steady market to be exploited but I'll leave finding a favored steady market that you're comfortable with down to you. There may be a little trial and error involved to begin with but once you've found your niche it won't take much time investment to keep money rolling in.

To Dye For: Pretty in Pinks & Reds

Words & screenshot by me, formatting and other artwork by the talented Fornax. More Krytan Herald articles can be read here.

 

Francis' Journal: Good Intentions, Bad Weather

Today I ventured back into the Reach. I knew my old 'friends' wouldn't want to see me but I craved the safety of the high, protective walls again. Besides, I finally have enough money saved up to stay in an inn where I won't wake up with my throat slit and my meager possessions gone.  As I walked through the gates however I was greeted by the sound of a Queen's herald. I didn't take in the details, I really should have, but she was spreading news of some disaster or another in the Shiverpeak Mountains. She asked for help on behalf of the refugees dislodged from their homes and my heart went out to those poor Norn. I know all too well what it's like to be dislodged from your home by a force of nature (those who would disagree that my father is a force of nature have clearly never met the man). Of course I also saw it as a way to get back into my family's good graces, they would often talk about 'playing nice' with the other races and this sort of thing would surely look good; a noble reaching out to the unfortunate of another species. So off I went. I'd never used the Asuran portals before so that was a new experience but it beat wandering for days, potentially getting lost and mugged by bandits for my efforts.  Hoelbrak is cold, really, really cold. I know they're called the Shiverpeaks but I'd not expected how utterly freezing it was, especially considering how little I've seen several Norn wear! My coat is comfortable but far too thin for such cold weather. I almost turned around and went home there and then but I'd come this far so I soldiered onwards hopeful that my body would adjust with time and exposure. I helped all i could in the city but I was soon coaxed out into the wilds of the foothills. One Norn asked me to walked back along the refugees path, fixing signs so they'd know the route back to the city. It seemed simple enough so I agreed and set to work. It was simple enough to begin with, but it soon seemed that heading towards the mountains made my time in Queensdale look like a walk in the palace gardens! At one point a huge Norn dressed in blues dropped from a tree and tried to assault me. I have never run so fast in my entire life! I didn't stop until I reached a small refugee camp. Thankfully one especially broad axe-wielding mountain of a male Norn was in good shape and protecting the camp and didn't seem to mind terribly that I hid behind him. I stopped at the camp to catch my breath and planned my trip back to the safer part of the foothills, helping the refugees was a task for those far more adventuresome than me it seemed. Something odd did happen while I was there however. I was helping start a fire which was being really very uncooperative and getting increasingly irate. I glared angrily at the kindling we had, demanding it spark to life, and it did. I'm sure it was just eerie coincidental timing but it did make me jump nonetheless. Tonight I am back in Hoelbrak, I'm staying in one of the animal lodge affairs and one of the workers here, a shaman I think she said she was, suggested that tomorrow I stay in the safe parts of the foothills and visit the shrines. I'm not sure what she thinks I'll gain from Norn shrines but I am willing to visit, afterall she mentioned a key word 'safe'. It will be more than welcome after today.

OOC: Long overdue mention of the Flame & Frost prelude. Francis didn't get all the way along the refugees route but he made a good stab at it!

Are the nobility truly noble?

Words & screenshot by me, formatting and other artwork by the talented Fornax. More Krytan Herald articles can be read here.