Someone please explain ascended goods and hiring merchants.

[Darielle]

So, I just hired my first merchant today and was stunned to discover that I could only trade 2000 goods at a time (unless I wanted to trade an unbelievable amount of gold for a second merchant ... and what would I get with him? Five thousand? Is this insane or what?

I have those brass looking bars (you can tell how much I'm into this) ... you know, the ones that are the worst possible boost you can have (as usual.) I need 68K sprouts. How am I going to get them without going bankrupt? Everyone is selling what I have (there are only 5 ascended trades anyway). It's worse than the coin badges in the FA! Is this going to be a permanent hell fellowship adventure? Did I miss something big that allows me to progress, like a button where I could raise the number of goods I can buy at a time? WHY ARE THE MERCHANTS SO EXPENSIVE FOR SO LITTLE GOODS?

Thanks for any help, guys. I've just started to try to progress again in 18 after the ridiculous 17. Someone please hold my hand, tell me that everything will be okay, and give me a cookie. I need it.

 

[Lelanya]

Here's what I know. It is possible to have up to 5 trades, although I think that like extra levels in the MA, they may need diamonds. There is  no possibility for unfair trades. And they do get automatically filled after 5 hours.

 

[Darielle]

Here's what I know. It is possible to have up to 5 trades, although I think that like extra levels in the MA, they may need diamonds. There is  no possibility for unfair trades. And they do get automatically filled after 5 hours.

Thanks, Lelanya; I appreciate the info. I'm just so disheartened. Yes, the next one in the same slot requires diamonds, and I'll be danged if all my diamonds go to trading goods in 18. The second merchant, in the next slot, costs fifty million coins and I don't even know how much he'd allow me to trade. Another 2000? 5000? Either way, it's too little. If I could only trade 2K every 5 hours, then whatever I buy will decay before I can gather together 68K goods, so what is the point?

Is Chapter 18 supposed to be a diamond sink? I'm beginning to think so but I'm hoping someone will come along and say, "Don't worry; the second merchant may cost 50 million, but you can trade all you want with that one." At least that would be worth it, even though still ridiculously expensive.

 

[Lelanya]

Is it only this chapter, though, or could the merchants benefit you for all Ascended goods going forward? In which case, this is an investment into future progress really.

 

[Darielle]

Is it only this chapter, though, or could the merchants benefit you for all Ascended goods going forward? In which case, this is an investment into future progress really.

I honestly don't know. I need to figure out this chapter and the merchant system. But the merchants don't seem to help with future chapters. I may be wrong though. Hopefully someone in 19 or 20 will be able to tell me.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Each Merchant allows you the exact same amount in trade, no matter what they cost to activate. Each one lasts for 20 days once paid for, even the diamond ones. You either have to wait 6 hours for the Merchant to come back or spend time boosters to get them back sooner, but you get them back right away if someone takes the trade. So you really need a trading buddy that needs your ascended good and you each can keep accepting each other's trades when you send the Merchants out. Also, each time you level up your Main Hall from now on, the amount you can trade slowly goes up. At the end of chapter 20, with all upgrades, the Merchant trade is 9000.

 

[Darielle]

Each Merchant allows you the exact same amount in trade, no matter what they cost to activate. Each one lasts for 20 days once paid for, even the diamond ones. You either have to wait 6 hours for the Merchant to come back or spend time boosters to get them back sooner, but you get them back right away if someone takes the trade. So you really need a trading buddy that needs your ascended good and you each can keep accepting each other's trades when you send the Merchants out. Also, each time you level up your Main Hall from now on, the amount you can trade slowly goes up. At the end of chapter 20, with all upgrades, the Merchant trade is 9000.

Thanks for letting me know, Enevhar. Sadly, there isn't a trading buddy anywhere near me. I'm in the highest chapter in my fellowship at 18, and very few neighbors have ascended goods (the two I know of have my boost).

So, that means that even the more expensive merchant will still give me 2K goods until I can upgrade my MH. (It's currently at level 40.) Sigh ... this is going to be a whole lot harder than I expected ... I thought everyone said that 18 was easier. Sigh sigh sigh.

Thanks again.

 

[Yogi Dave]

I see you are in Sinya Arda, which I'm not. If we were in the same world, I'd be glad to take as many trades as you could afford. They don't have to be neighbors. It's like the S goods. Maybe someone in the forum who is in Sinya Arda will contact you to do trades. (Hint, hint people).

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

@Darielle chapter 18 is also super annoying because the badges you make in the portal are not boosted by anything in the game, so you have to make them one at a time, and when you have research that requires 150 or 210 or 300 of them, it can take forever, though each one does not take much time to make, once the portal is level 4. All five slots will take a total of 2 hours to complete, after filling them, so that leaves the next potential problem of not keeping them going as much as possible, if you can't check into the game every two hours. That leaves the next best option at being just accumulating as much as possible of the goods that make the badges and then burn a bunch of 2-hour time boosters and make a bunch all at once.

 

[Darielle]

I see you are in Sinya Arda, which I'm not. If we were in the same world, I'd be glad to take as many trades as you could afford. They don't have to be neighbors. It's like the S goods. Maybe someone in the forum who is in Sinya Arda will contact you to do trades. (Hint, hint people).

Thank you, Yogi; I appreciate the sentiment.

 

[Darielle]

@Darielle chapter 18 is also super annoying because the badges you make in the portal are not boosted by anything in the game, so you have to make them one at a time, and when you have research that requires 150 or 210 or 300 of them, it can take forever, though each one does not take much time to make, once the portal is level 4. All five slots will take a total of 2 hours to complete, after filling them, so that leaves the next potential problem of not keeping them going as much as possible, if you can't check into the game every two hours. That leaves the next best option at being just accumulating as much as possible of the goods that make the badges and then burn a bunch of 2-hour time boosters and make a bunch all at once.

Argh ... does Inno really think that killing off longtime players with stress and tedium is a good business model?

I'm beginning to think they only want early chapter players, since those are the ones who tend to spend the most $$, according to research. Or did they just try to stretch the chapters out at the end as long as possible so that people won't complain too quickly about "when is the next chapter coming out?" Idk.

 

[Darielle]

Does anyone have a good idea on how many welcome centers, water hubs, fire hubs, etc, that I should aim for? Is there a good guide for Chapter 18? (It's times like this I miss the old Elvengems.)

I tried searching for Chapter 18, and the search box said they were leaving off "18" because it was too short. Then I tried searching for Chapter Eighteen and they gave me a whole lot of unrelated stuff. Sorry if my question has been asked before, but I don't have time to hunt for the Chapter 18 thread. Thanks.

 

[Pheryll]

Here is the layout I am looking at.

Followed this exactly. It worked well.

 

[Glandeh]

Followed this exactly. It worked well.

That layout will get you through the chapter, however, it's also possible to use 4 Wind, Earth and Fire hubs, and just add one level 1 Water when the quests ask for it (twice in the questline). Then make even amounts of Pilots, Campers, and Conductors medals. Turn them into Fire Tornado Trials in the Gate of Dimensions. The quests ask for 6 Welcome Squares, but you can get by using 4 or 5 plus an occasional PP.

My experience with the merchant on Winyandor is not so bad, it usually does not take very long for someone to grab a trade (and thus returning the merchant for the next use). Remember, you get the goods immediately, you just have to wait for the merchant to return.

 

[Darielle]

Followed this exactly. It worked well.

Thank you, Pheryll! Although I'm not sure I understand it, lol.

Edit: DUH .... I was clicking on the text adventure, lol. Coffee .... I need coffee.

That layout will get you through the chapter, however, it's also possible to use 4 Wind, Earth and Fire hubs, and just add one level 1 Water when the quests ask for it (twice in the questline). Then make even amounts of Pilots, Campers, and Conductors medals. Turn them into Fire Tornado Trials in the Gate of Dimensions. The quests ask for 6 Welcome Squares, but you can get by using 4 or 5 plus an occasional PP.

My experience with the merchant on Winyandor is not so bad, it usually does not take very long for someone to grab a trade (and thus returning the merchant for the next use). Remember, you get the goods immediately, you just have to wait for the merchant to return.

Thank you, Glandeh. This is exactly what I wanted. <3

I'm finding that people take trades more often than I thought they would. So this may possibly work out after all.

 

[Darielle]

Well, at least I know now that I cleared enough space... I was afraid I hadn't. This may work out.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

@Darielle one thing to be aware of with this chapter is that the research to get the portal and hubs to max level is split up, so you cannot power level the portal to level 4 right away. This definitely slows down the chapter.

 

[Darielle]

@Darielle one thing to be aware of with this chapter is that the research to get the portal and hubs to max level is split up, so you cannot power level the portal to level 4 right away. This definitely slows down the chapter.

Thanks for the tip, Enevhar. I'm working toward getting it to level 3 at the moment, but I will keep that in mind and just work on building up goods.

 

[XLWizard]

So, I just hired my first merchant today and was stunned to discover that I could only trade 2000 goods at a time (unless I wanted to trade an unbelievable amount of gold for a second merchant ... and what would I get with him? Five thousand? Is this insane or what?

I have those brass looking bars (you can tell how much I'm into this) ... you know, the ones that are the worst possible boost you can have (as usual.) I need 68K sprouts. How am I going to get them without going bankrupt? Everyone is selling what I have (there are only 5 ascended trades anyway). It's worse than the coin badges in the FA! Is this going to be a permanent hell fellowship adventure? Did I miss something big that allows me to progress, like a button where I could raise the number of goods I can buy at a time? WHY ARE THE MERCHANTS SO EXPENSIVE FOR SO LITTLE GOODS?

Thanks for any help, guys. I've just started to try to progress again in 18 after the ridiculous 17. Someone please hold my hand, tell me that everything will be okay, and give me a cookie. I need it.

Hi Darielle: I just entered chapter 18 not to long ago. If you go in to your Superior Trader, then click on "Accept Offers" you now have a 4th category (the new little square box on the right) called "Ascended Goods." This is were you can trade for ascended goods at a decent volume. Trying to trade using your merchants is pretty lame, but I still use 3 or 4 of them from time to time just for kicks. I'm boosted in "Scholarly Sprouts" and it didn't take me that long to get up to speed using two level 32 Planks Mfg's and a lot of Magical Mfg spells. You need Unurium to make them so you will need to leave the Trader Selection on Unurium for a pretty good while. May hurt your seeds production but there are other ways around that. All the best XLW

 

[Silly Bubbles]

I wanted to get through the chapter really quick so here's my layout. You don't have to use that much space, I just thought you might find it useful in case you're that inclined. And yes, I like to grow huge settlements.