Purchasable Elixirs
Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 3:36 am
After the Brotherhood of Alchemists quest ends, the player has no more real use for his alchemy ingredients. That's fine...but maybe we can find some.
The alchemist which entered the brotherhood has no more business with the player, but the others still need to make a living.
After returning from the east, the remaining three alchemists offer to sell the elixirs you haven't made yet, assuming you can provide the ingredients.
Because they aren't in the Brotherhood and this offer is probably illegal, they'd cost a fortune; enough to provide the player with a meaningful choice...acquire Elixirs, or gamble on merchant randarts?
This would give players some choice on how to use their endgame gold, rather than simply dumping it onto the merchant. Players which Stone Alchemy get more tangible reward out of their funds, and those who side with the Assassin Lord have something to buy in that run. Dwarves may find themselves with just enough cash for a smaller purchase that won't hurt their saves.
On a side note, this helps incentivizes players to help out one alchemist during the quest for the otherwise unobtainable unique reward they offer on completion, instead of jumping around like a weird unloyal jerk. The tradeoff is that they may be forced to put off a favored Elixir until their return from the East. Perhaps in this case, the alchemists offer the completion reward only if the player dutifully assists him alone?
As far as the exact cost goes...based on my three winners, I had roughly 10,000~11,000 spendable gold by endgame, clearing all areas and doing two or fewer farportal runs. Two or three merchant randarts, thereabouts, for a fairly normal run. If a player finishes the Elixir quest, he completed three, and has nine more to choose from, but chances are only three or four will be of any real use, at best. If the player goes all in and buys four Elixirs using his whole funds, they should cost roughly 2,500 each; enough to be cheaper than randarts, but pricey enough to give pause.
Thoughts?
The alchemist which entered the brotherhood has no more business with the player, but the others still need to make a living.
After returning from the east, the remaining three alchemists offer to sell the elixirs you haven't made yet, assuming you can provide the ingredients.
Because they aren't in the Brotherhood and this offer is probably illegal, they'd cost a fortune; enough to provide the player with a meaningful choice...acquire Elixirs, or gamble on merchant randarts?
This would give players some choice on how to use their endgame gold, rather than simply dumping it onto the merchant. Players which Stone Alchemy get more tangible reward out of their funds, and those who side with the Assassin Lord have something to buy in that run. Dwarves may find themselves with just enough cash for a smaller purchase that won't hurt their saves.
On a side note, this helps incentivizes players to help out one alchemist during the quest for the otherwise unobtainable unique reward they offer on completion, instead of jumping around like a weird unloyal jerk. The tradeoff is that they may be forced to put off a favored Elixir until their return from the East. Perhaps in this case, the alchemists offer the completion reward only if the player dutifully assists him alone?
As far as the exact cost goes...based on my three winners, I had roughly 10,000~11,000 spendable gold by endgame, clearing all areas and doing two or fewer farportal runs. Two or three merchant randarts, thereabouts, for a fairly normal run. If a player finishes the Elixir quest, he completed three, and has nine more to choose from, but chances are only three or four will be of any real use, at best. If the player goes all in and buys four Elixirs using his whole funds, they should cost roughly 2,500 each; enough to be cheaper than randarts, but pricey enough to give pause.
Thoughts?