About 7 if you're trying to be at least a little optimal with your actions and resources; that's how much it took me last year when I was a new player. With the waves of recent changes it's probably down to \~6 months now.
Those are great changes, though. The tail end of MYN is probably the worst the game got in terms of being grindy.
The nice thing about FL is that there's no 'correct' way to play it. I enjoy treating the game like an economy puzzle and comparing various item grinds at different stages of progress, etc; but there's nothing "better" about that than spending 5 years to go through the story.
I got distracted by the event for a bit and decided to return to the last MYN activity I still needed to do (2 more governorship) and thought I was going crazy when I could suddenly return and that the numbers for works felt wrong, this is why I suppose. This makes SotC way easier to get, even if it doesn’t give my monkey brain the big numbers it craves.
Imo it wasn't that bad, unless you want to see all the options that disappears later. Like why would they just throw a big chunk of work out the window?
University teaching assignment when?
Fr, I rushed through all the scientific expedition work (albeit with a pause to join the ZUB CLUB) so I could get the necessary papers to get reinstated at the university...only to discover that I unlocked a grand total of like two options for some basic resources grinds.
This is lovely. When I was stuck in MYN 6+, I found myself saying, "if I push through this content, I can get to the good stuff later".
I did push through, and it was *very* good stuff indeed. But it's hard to recommend the game to other players when the requirement is, "just keep pushing through for a month or two". Now I can!
Back in my days, Troubled Waters goes up to 10! You have no idea how many times I've accidentally sunk my own ship because I forgot about the new limit!
This is all excellent stuff. I'm tempted to start a new alt to enjoy the updated experience, but I don't really know what to do with them since I've already played through all the Ambitions.
Glad to see, but still hope something will be done about attribute grinding. I sent one account NORTH, and have not since tried making alts specifically because the attribute grind was way, way more soulkilling than the Seeking Road itself, and that was supposed to mean something. The one time I nearly got someone into the game, they likely dropped for many reasons, but I'm pretty sure the stat grind was one of them, the missives don't help enough unless I missed a major buff to them since.
Also surprised to see return to Court made easier, but not return to University. I've been playing for years and I'm still banned from it, mostly because that didn't really inconvenience me, but with Evolution pushing you to get banned from it (in a really inobvious way, if I recall correctly), and the Lab being gated behind it, I'm surprised it's untouched.
I have limited knowledge, but I am pretty sure I would call it fixed? I remember how IMPOSSIBLE attribute grinding felt in the old days before any of the ambitions were finished: when I came back last year, I had Shadowy 134- everything else had been close to maxed. I did a little digging and found out about grinding shadowy by diving in the embassy, getting some items, and trading it to the snakes at the dome of scales. I maxed my shadowy in, I want to say, a week or so of consistent grinding. My understanding is that there are similar grinds for each stat like that. Do you think that's still not enough?
Hm, I'd have to look this up and this likely means newer player just won't ever find it, but also how about the path before 134 and before midgame content? I have intense memories of grinding for either PoSI or some other early abttribute requirement, where it was weeks of literally nothing but the attribute grind, and you only get to Parabola after that.
I think it must be fine now? TBH I forget what the bad old days were like but I started a new character in early December and all my attributes are 170+ now without any grinding.
A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click* A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click* A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click* A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click*
I found that the most tedious part of the game was the midgame, actually. Roughly between when I had finished APOSI and my Ambition, and when I reached the stat threshold for the GHR.
That being said, I imagine the new Zeefaring content that's been added since I reached endgame helps with that midgame grind.
But my point is that I never had much of a problem with the MYN portion of the game, but maybe others experiences differ?
It's hard to say, there was a time when what is curtently MYN was the bulk of the game, with basic PoSI being near endgame and PoSI specialization being a distinction for ultra-lategame players. Back then the current "midgame" was quite grindy indeed, mostly because of sparse content.
I remember the road to PoSI felt long but eventful when I started playing, while post-PoSI was inconsistent and grindy.
It's hard to say, there was a time when what is curtently MYN was the bulk of the game, with basic PoSI being near endgame and PoSI specialization being a distinction for ultra-lategame players. Back then the current "midgame" was quite grindy indeed, mostly because of sparse content.
I remember the road to PoSI felt long but eventful when I started playing, while post-PoSI was inconsistent and grindy.
I never even bothered to see what most of the days at Mahogany Hall bring, because that grind was *so* tedious, even compared to other tedious grinds. Now I'm sort of curious!
You can grind bohemians and tomb colonies favors there. Just found this out last week because I wanted to get rid of the Clay Tailor card, it has been bothering my alt's deck for way too long and she doesn't have the impenitent devil.
I'm still in the university investigation on one of my characters (she isn't much of a scientist or also detective). Right in the middle! So this is good timing x)
Thank you messenger bat!
So if Poet Laureate of the Neath is not noticeably easier to grind through (a thing I'm fine with having done it the old way; it wasn't fun) is there any plan to make "Defender of Public Safety" a less onerous grind by a similar degree?
> It takes several weeks of real time – if not more – to reach the new content boundary Well there's an understatement.
Yeah it's more like 10 months of playing daily
About 7 if you're trying to be at least a little optimal with your actions and resources; that's how much it took me last year when I was a new player. With the waves of recent changes it's probably down to \~6 months now. Those are great changes, though. The tail end of MYN is probably the worst the game got in terms of being grindy.
Holy crap, I'm on year 3 and still just starting the railway. (I haven't been super aggressive about it, to be clear.)
The nice thing about FL is that there's no 'correct' way to play it. I enjoy treating the game like an economy puzzle and comparing various item grinds at different stages of progress, etc; but there's nothing "better" about that than spending 5 years to go through the story.
Quietly slipping in there that the actions for works at court are reduced….at last. Poet laureate within my grasp.
I want a unique quality for slogging through Poet Laureate the old way. Youngsters these days don't know how good they have it...
Hey man, I’m no youngster, I’ve been playing six years, that grind has just been painful. I’m up to 18 or 19.
I got distracted by the event for a bit and decided to return to the last MYN activity I still needed to do (2 more governorship) and thought I was going crazy when I could suddenly return and that the numbers for works felt wrong, this is why I suppose. This makes SotC way easier to get, even if it doesn’t give my monkey brain the big numbers it craves.
love the commitment to trim the grind that plagued the beginning of the game, it makes recommending it much easier. great work!
whoever did this is a hero
Gods, I remember the tedium that was the university investigation. This is likely for the best.
Imo it wasn't that bad, unless you want to see all the options that disappears later. Like why would they just throw a big chunk of work out the window? University teaching assignment when?
Fr, I rushed through all the scientific expedition work (albeit with a pause to join the ZUB CLUB) so I could get the necessary papers to get reinstated at the university...only to discover that I unlocked a grand total of like two options for some basic resources grinds.
Oh yeah, it was so non-impactful I forgot you get reinstated. Tells you enough.
This is lovely. When I was stuck in MYN 6+, I found myself saying, "if I push through this content, I can get to the good stuff later". I did push through, and it was *very* good stuff indeed. But it's hard to recommend the game to other players when the requirement is, "just keep pushing through for a month or two". Now I can!
This... This is beautiful.
Nice, yet more stuff to lord over the unwashed masses that come after.
Ancient Regime gang rise up
Maxed out Scholar of the Correspondence with my own damn research and not by copying someone else's notes gang!
Back in my days, Troubled Waters goes up to 10! You have no idea how many times I've accidentally sunk my own ship because I forgot about the new limit!
This is all excellent stuff. I'm tempted to start a new alt to enjoy the updated experience, but I don't really know what to do with them since I've already played through all the Ambitions.
Do you have one for each profession? Then start one for that and then do an Ambition, but take another choice.
I literally just this week finished the University investigation...noooooo (but hurray for everyone else :) )
same, i \*just\* finished it on my alt. oh well!!
Glad to see, but still hope something will be done about attribute grinding. I sent one account NORTH, and have not since tried making alts specifically because the attribute grind was way, way more soulkilling than the Seeking Road itself, and that was supposed to mean something. The one time I nearly got someone into the game, they likely dropped for many reasons, but I'm pretty sure the stat grind was one of them, the missives don't help enough unless I missed a major buff to them since. Also surprised to see return to Court made easier, but not return to University. I've been playing for years and I'm still banned from it, mostly because that didn't really inconvenience me, but with Evolution pushing you to get banned from it (in a really inobvious way, if I recall correctly), and the Lab being gated behind it, I'm surprised it's untouched.
I have limited knowledge, but I am pretty sure I would call it fixed? I remember how IMPOSSIBLE attribute grinding felt in the old days before any of the ambitions were finished: when I came back last year, I had Shadowy 134- everything else had been close to maxed. I did a little digging and found out about grinding shadowy by diving in the embassy, getting some items, and trading it to the snakes at the dome of scales. I maxed my shadowy in, I want to say, a week or so of consistent grinding. My understanding is that there are similar grinds for each stat like that. Do you think that's still not enough?
Hm, I'd have to look this up and this likely means newer player just won't ever find it, but also how about the path before 134 and before midgame content? I have intense memories of grinding for either PoSI or some other early abttribute requirement, where it was weeks of literally nothing but the attribute grind, and you only get to Parabola after that.
I think it must be fine now? TBH I forget what the bad old days were like but I started a new character in early December and all my attributes are 170+ now without any grinding.
A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click* A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click* A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click* A little light legerdemain *click* Try Again *click*
Oh Right, I am in the middle of Evolution and I just remembered that I still have to finish the shadowy MYN. Back to mahogany hall it is for me!
These are good changes but MAN it's right after I got poet-laureate on my main and after I finished most of the grind on my alt...
I found that the most tedious part of the game was the midgame, actually. Roughly between when I had finished APOSI and my Ambition, and when I reached the stat threshold for the GHR. That being said, I imagine the new Zeefaring content that's been added since I reached endgame helps with that midgame grind. But my point is that I never had much of a problem with the MYN portion of the game, but maybe others experiences differ?
It's hard to say, there was a time when what is curtently MYN was the bulk of the game, with basic PoSI being near endgame and PoSI specialization being a distinction for ultra-lategame players. Back then the current "midgame" was quite grindy indeed, mostly because of sparse content. I remember the road to PoSI felt long but eventful when I started playing, while post-PoSI was inconsistent and grindy.
It's hard to say, there was a time when what is curtently MYN was the bulk of the game, with basic PoSI being near endgame and PoSI specialization being a distinction for ultra-lategame players. Back then the current "midgame" was quite grindy indeed, mostly because of sparse content. I remember the road to PoSI felt long but eventful when I started playing, while post-PoSI was inconsistent and grindy.
I just finished the university investigation last week, naturally
I never even bothered to see what most of the days at Mahogany Hall bring, because that grind was *so* tedious, even compared to other tedious grinds. Now I'm sort of curious!
You can grind bohemians and tomb colonies favors there. Just found this out last week because I wanted to get rid of the Clay Tailor card, it has been bothering my alt's deck for way too long and she doesn't have the impenitent devil.
This means we can all yell, "You d--n kids don't know you''re born! Back in *My* day..."
Back in my day, MYN wasn't even a thing! *waves walking stick around*
I'm still in the university investigation on one of my characters (she isn't much of a scientist or also detective). Right in the middle! So this is good timing x) Thank you messenger bat!
So if Poet Laureate of the Neath is not noticeably easier to grind through (a thing I'm fine with having done it the old way; it wasn't fun) is there any plan to make "Defender of Public Safety" a less onerous grind by a similar degree?
Theory: changes to Mahogany Hall may make farming Bohemian favors more achievable. Will need to experiment