Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest)

[X] Plan Focus on Fundamentals
[X] [Name] Zhengui

On a somewhat different note, how many dice do you all think green spirit stones will give us? I'm thinking 25/50/50, given that yellow stones was 5/10/10 and they're worth 10 red stones each, while green stones are 50 yellow stones each (technically, I suppose it could be 250/500/500 going by that metric, but that seems a bit overpowered).
 
Inserted Tally
Adhoc vote count started by Codex on Jul 24, 2017 at 8:28 PM, finished with 26325 posts and 38 votes.

  • [X] [name] Zhengui
    [X] Plan Focus on Fundamentals
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir + Flowing Rivers Pill + Gushing Spring Pill + Clear Wind Pill + Bright Sky Pill + Soaring Spirits Pill (26 RSS)
    -[X] Direct overflow to Qi
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    ----[X] Continue getting to know Xuan Shi, he was a helpful and reasonable sort
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] FSA
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] Plan Back to the Basics
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir (8) + Flowing Rivers Pill (6) + Gushing Spring Pill (2) (16 RSS)
    -[X] Direct overflow to Qi
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] FVM
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] SCS
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    -[X] Continue swinging by the medicine hall to have lunch with Li Suyin, you'd like to make sure she's still doing well
    [X] Plan All-Encompassing Shadows
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir + Flowing Rivers Pill + Gushing Spring Pill (16 RSS)
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] SCS
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    -[X] Speak with Gan Guangli, it can't hurt to get to know him better, and you can see how things are going for Cai's group
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] [Name] Xìnlài
    [X] Plan Adoratortoise needs hugs badly
    -[X] Use 2 Red Spirit stones, 1 Yellow Spirit Stone
    -[X] Buy and use Gushing Spring Pill (2 Red Spirit Stones), Soul Concentrating Elixir (8 Red Spirit Stones), Flowing Rivers Pill (6 Red Spirit Stones)
    -[X] Major Actions
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    ----[X] Continue getting to know Xuan Shi, he was a helpful and reasonable sort
    ---[X] Search for a technique
    ----[X] Ideally fire-(Moon/Heaven/Sun) or wood-(Moon/Heaven/Sun). Just fire or wood is fine though.
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    -[X] Minor Actions
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X][Name] Ling Wu
    [X] [Name] Reliance
    [X] [Name] Ling Ling
    [X] Babytortoise Must Grow Larger!
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    -[X] Take a job
    --[X] Acquire Reagents:
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    -[X] Speak with Gan Guangli, it can't hurt to get to know him better, and you can see how things are going for Cai's group
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] [name] Potato
    [X] [name] Méitàngūi
    [X] [Name] A'Tuin
 
[X] [Name] Xìnlài

Still thinking on actions, but I feel like the spiderweb mission is nigh-mandatory for my vote. It'll give Ling Qi enough sect points to look for Zephyr's Breath successors next week, and that's a fairly high priority for me.
 
So I remembering reading somewhere in the thread that at green level we are able to do a flying sword tech. This is the animation of an inanimate object. Do you think creating a one person symphony would be practically? We have seen enchantments that allow music to keep playing. It would be very qi intensive to set up but once we set up the music would just keep playing without additional qi costs.
 
Still thinking on actions, but I feel like the spiderweb mission is nigh-mandatory for my vote. It'll give Ling Qi enough sect points to look for Zephyr's Breath successors next week, and that's a fairly high priority for me.
Can you please explain why we would want ZB+ right now instead of leaving it for later as we cultivate our current arts? What actions do you intend to delay to make room for ZB+, and why do you think ZB+ is more valuable to advance than those other actions?
 
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So I remembering reading somewhere in the thread that at green level we are able to do a flying sword tech. This is the animation of an inanimate object. Do you think creating a one person symphony would be practically? We have seen enchantments that allow music to keep playing. It would be very qi intensive to set up but once we set up the music would just keep playing without additional qi costs.

Clearly Ling Qi should be looking up music-themed formations. As an alternative to calligraphy, music, as the 'purest' of Spiritual arts, should suffice just fine :p

Can you please explain why we would want ZB+ right now instead of leaving it for later as we cultivate our current arts? What actions do you intend to delay to make tonight for ZB+, and went do you think ZB+ is more valuable to advance than those other actions?

Right now? You mean next week-ish? Also, you've got some odd words in there - "make tonight"? "went do you think"?

Well, because I rate improving Zephyr's Breath as more important (and interesting) than improving Sable Crescent Steps - and edging out Falling Stars Art in priority. Argent Mirror and Forgotten Vale Melody are higher priority.

EDIT: Assuming that combat arts are "wanted" at present (and they are for me) - Zephyr's Breath has a reasonable versatility. I would expect its successors (it might branch into different possible directions) to continue to offer versatility and air control techniques and passives.

The basic form of a martial art that brings out the power of wind in the user in all it's uncontainable glory. The offensive portion of this art relies on the manipulation of projectiles, from pebbles, to throwing knives, and even bows. The primary use of this art is the manipulation of air currents to aid one's allies and hinder one's foes.

I would assume the non-basic form would continue to "bring out the power of wind... in all its uncontainable glory". Given that the 'peak' technique of Zephyr's Breath was a burst-of-wind shield, I would anticipate a successor to have defensive applications as well - and I know people have been concerned about Ling Qi's defenses.

Incidentally, I would count "ZB+" as just as much 'continuing a current art' as 'picking up a new one', so that part of your objection doesn't really register for me.
 
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Right now? You mean next week-ish?
By "right now", I mean anytime in the next couple of weeks.
you've got some odd words in there - "make tonight"? "went do you think"?
My bad; mobile is making things tricky. I've fixed the errors.

Well, because I rate improving Zephyr's Breath as more important (and interesting) than improving Sable Crescent Steps - and edging out Falling Stars Art in priority. Argent Mirror and Forgotten Vale Melody are higher priority.
But even with just AM and FVM, coupled with Spiritual and EPC, take up all but one major action. And that action is likely taken up by a Mission/Turtle-bonding/Theft/etc. action - so at least for the moment, we are full up on things you rate as higher priority than ZB+ (unless you don't care for the points I added?).

So why the rush for ZB+?
 
Incidentally, I would count "ZB+" as just as much 'continuing a current art' as 'picking up a new one', so that part of your objection doesn't really register for me.
Hmm. Yes, that is indeed a reasonable point. Upon further retrospection, I've decided that my feelings towards ZB+ are merely that of mild distaste, whereas I object to picking up actually new arts with the rage of one-thousand suns.

ZB+ really just spends 20 sect points to unlock further progress for ZB, commit to us wanting to continue ZB, and if your speculation about multiple paths is correct, choose a path for ZB. Losing a handful of sect points is unpleasant, but we probably wouldn't have used it anyway. Committing to ZB+ is something we would likely have done anyway. Having to choose a path forward for ZB is something I'd rather have done later to maximize how much information we have when we choose, but I don't know how likely it is that there is actually a choice to make, and as long as we have done Elder Ying tutoring by then (and seen what type of art if any she gives us) I think that we wouldn't be due much new info for a while anyways. So really, I think ZB+ can be counted as just continuing ZB, though it does come at enough of a penalty that I'd prefer to push it back relative some.

In contrast, getting a new art? That means making a major decision and then either not meaningfully cultivating the art (in which case the decision could have and should have been made later), or replacing one or more of the things we would otherwise deem most critical - and given taht we are spoiled for choice, that is exceedingly painful.
 
[X] [Name] Xìnlài

Still thinking on actions, but I feel like the spiderweb mission is nigh-mandatory for my vote. It'll give Ling Qi enough sect points to look for Zephyr's Breath successors next week, and that's a fairly high priority for me.

Adoratortoise Needs Hugs Badly had Regents, which was worth 15 sect points, but I didn't have enough actions for everything so I had to drop it.
 
Ah, there *is* a plan that still has a sect mission. Not the one I'd prefer, but so be it.

[X] Babytortoise Must Grow Larger!
[X] [Name] Xìnlài
 
Hmm. Yes, that is indeed a reasonable point. Upon further retrospection, I've decided that my feelings towards ZB+ are merely that of mild distaste, whereas I object to picking up actually new arts with the rage of one-thousand suns.

ZB+ really just spends 20 sect points to unlock further progress for ZB, commit to us wanting to continue ZB, and if your speculation about multiple paths is correct, choose a path for ZB. Losing a handful of sect points is unpleasant, but we probably wouldn't have used it anyway. Committing to ZB+ is something we would likely have done anyway. Having to choose a path forward for ZB is something I'd rather have done later to maximize how much information we have when we choose, but I don't know how likely it is that there is actually a choice to make, and as long as we have done Elder Ying tutoring by then (and seen what type of art if any she gives us) I think that we wouldn't be due much new info for a while anyways. So really, I think ZB+ can be counted as just continuing ZB, though it does come at enough of a penalty that I'd prefer to push it back relative some.

In contrast, getting a new art? That means making a major decision and then either not meaningfully cultivating the art (in which case the decision could have and should have been made later), or replacing one or more of the things we would otherwise deem most critical - and given taht we are spoiled for choice, that is exceedingly painful.

Much of the value of an art is at the initial investment and second level. For FVM that got us dark vision and +2 to all perception rolls. At the third level that's only improved to +3 to perception.

The first level of Zephyr's Breath got us +1 on all ranged attacks and defenses. The third level raised that to two.

And so on. Due to the action economy, new arts give us more choices, but that ony sometimes translates into more power. Sometimes into a lot more power, but sometimes not. Passive bonuses on the other hand are constant, free, and always awesome, and on average are more appealing at low levels.

The first level of Zephyr's breath was 5 successes. The third level took another fifty.

Learning lots of arts at a low level can be worth a lot more then learning one to a high level. For instance, I bet you another archery art would add more bonus dice to either archery or all ranged combat, add more distance to all our ranged attacks. The arts are almost secondary.


So yeah, I'm hard opposite to you here. Outside of FVM, I think picking up news arts is inherently much more valuable then improving our current ones.
 
Tally for my benefit
Adhoc vote count started by Yeangst on Jul 24, 2017 at 10:36 PM, finished with 26338 posts and 42 votes.

  • [X] Plan Adoratortoise needs hugs badly
    -[X] Use 2 Red Spirit stones, 1 Yellow Spirit Stone
    -[X] Buy and use Gushing Spring Pill (2 Red Spirit Stones), Soul Concentrating Elixir (8 Red Spirit Stones), Flowing Rivers Pill (6 Red Spirit Stones)
    -[X] Major Actions
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    ----[X] Continue getting to know Xuan Shi, he was a helpful and reasonable sort
    ---[X] Search for a technique
    ----[X] Ideally fire-(Moon/Heaven/Sun) or wood-(Moon/Heaven/Sun). Just fire or wood is fine though.
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    -[X] Minor Actions
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] [name] Zhengui
    [X] Plan Focus on Fundamentals
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir + Flowing Rivers Pill + Gushing Spring Pill + Clear Wind Pill + Bright Sky Pill + Soaring Spirits Pill (26 RSS)
    -[X] Direct overflow to Qi
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    ----[X] Continue getting to know Xuan Shi, he was a helpful and reasonable sort
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] FSA
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] Babytortoise Must Grow Larger!
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    -[X] Take a job
    --[X] Acquire Reagents:
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    -[X] Speak with Gan Guangli, it can't hurt to get to know him better, and you can see how things are going for Cai's group
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] Plan Back to the Basics
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir (8) + Flowing Rivers Pill (6) + Gushing Spring Pill (2) (16 RSS)
    -[X] Direct overflow to Qi
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] FVM
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] SCS
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    -[X] Continue swinging by the medicine hall to have lunch with Li Suyin, you'd like to make sure she's still doing well
    [X] Plan All-Encompassing Shadows
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir + Flowing Rivers Pill + Gushing Spring Pill (16 RSS)
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] SCS
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    -[X] Speak with Gan Guangli, it can't hurt to get to know him better, and you can see how things are going for Cai's group
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] [Name] Xìnlài
    [X][Name] Ling Wu
    [X] [Name] Reliance
    [X] [Name] Ling Ling
    [X] [name] Potato
    [X] [name] Méitàngūi
    [X] [Name] A'Tuin
    [X] Babytortoise Must Grow Larger!

Adhoc vote count started by Yeangst on Jul 24, 2017 at 10:37 PM, finished with 26339 posts and 42 votes.

  • [X] Plan Focus on Fundamentals
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir + Flowing Rivers Pill + Gushing Spring Pill + Clear Wind Pill + Bright Sky Pill + Soaring Spirits Pill (26 RSS)
    -[X] Direct overflow to Qi
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    ----[X] Continue getting to know Xuan Shi, he was a helpful and reasonable sort
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] FSA
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] [name] Zhengui
    [X] Plan Back to the Basics
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir (8) + Flowing Rivers Pill (6) + Gushing Spring Pill (2) (16 RSS)
    -[X] Direct overflow to Qi
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] FVM
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] SCS
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    -[X] Continue swinging by the medicine hall to have lunch with Li Suyin, you'd like to make sure she's still doing well
    [X] Plan All-Encompassing Shadows
    -[X] Use from inventory: 2 RSS, 1 YSS
    -[X] Buy and use: Soul Concentrating Elixir + Flowing Rivers Pill + Gushing Spring Pill (16 RSS)
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    --[X] SCS
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    -[X] Speak with Gan Guangli, it can't hurt to get to know him better, and you can see how things are going for Cai's group
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] [Name] Xìnlài
    [X] Plan Adoratortoise needs hugs badly
    -[X] Use 2 Red Spirit stones, 1 Yellow Spirit Stone
    -[X] Buy and use Gushing Spring Pill (2 Red Spirit Stones), Soul Concentrating Elixir (8 Red Spirit Stones), Flowing Rivers Pill (6 Red Spirit Stones)
    -[X] Major Actions
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    ----[X] Continue getting to know Xuan Shi, he was a helpful and reasonable sort
    ---[X] Search for a technique
    ----[X] Ideally fire-(Moon/Heaven/Sun) or wood-(Moon/Heaven/Sun). Just fire or wood is fine though.
    --[X] Train with Bai Meizhen
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    -[X] Minor Actions
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X][Name] Ling Wu
    [X] [Name] Reliance
    [X] [Name] Ling Ling
    [X] Babytortoise Must Grow Larger!
    --[X] Spend time researching and rearing your new spirit.
    -[X] Train at the vent with Suyin and Su Ling
    ---[X] Spiritual
    --[X] Train by hunting with Han Jian and his group
    ---[X] FVM
    ---[X] Han Jian seems to be planning something, perhaps you can see if you can help?
    --[X] Visit the Archive
    ---[X] Research the moon element and the phase spirits(counts as cultivation of EPC)
    -[X] Take a job
    --[X] Acquire Reagents:
    ---[X] Gu Xiulan seems awfully smug about something, and has dropped hints that she wants to go out together, indulge her.
    -[X] Speak with Gan Guangli, it can't hurt to get to know him better, and you can see how things are going for Cai's group
    ---[X] Cai Renxiang has put out notice for a proper second meeting to discuss the future
    [X] Babytortoise Must Grow Larger!
    [X] [name] Potato
    [X] [name] Méitàngūi
    [X] [Name] A'Tuin
 
Much of the value of an art is at the initial investment and second level. For FVM that got us dark vision and +2 to all perception rolls. At the third level that's only improved to +3 to perception.

The first level of Zephyr's Breath got us +1 on all ranged attacks and defenses. The third level raised that to two.

And so on. Due to the action economy, new arts give us more choices, but that ony sometimes translates into more power. Sometimes into a lot more power, but sometimes not. Passive bonuses on the other hand are constant, free, and always awesome, and on average are more appealing at low levels.

The first level of Zephyr's breath was 5 successes. The third level took another fifty.

Learning lots of arts at a low level can be worth a lot more then learning one to a high level. For instance, I bet you another archery art would add more bonus dice to either archery or all ranged combat, add more distance to all our ranged attacks. The arts are almost secondary.


So yeah, I'm hard opposite to you here. Outside of FVM, I think picking up news arts is inherently much more valuable then improving our current ones.
FVM (which DEFINITELY is useful to continue raising, as you said), Spiritual, and EPM is already 3 actions a week for the next 2-3 weeks. This week, and possibly weeks to come, we also have to spend an action on tortoise raising. That's 4. While to even get the passives out of a new art we have to spend at least 3 actions, maybe 4 (finding the art and raising it a level or two, as well as opening two meridians).

Where are we going to get the time to do that in the next couple to few weeks? And why would we when we can get a new level of FSA in only one action?

I would support doing Elder tutoring in the near future to get a new defensive art, yes. And if we're not doing that next turn I'd also support doing a mission as a prelude to going to level 2 of the archives in the nearish future. But I think FSA makes more sense for this turn.
 
All in all, for the foreseeable future we are going to be extremely tight in actions. It will be amazing once spiritual is up to late yellow which will free up a slot, but having to study EPC, Spiritual, and raise the tortoise is 3/5 of our total action slots. If we want to work with Han Jian and Meizhen that is another 2 which takes up all of our actions. Hopefully, raising the tortoise will become another automatic action after this turn, otherwise, we are going to be very inflexible in the upcoming weeks. Which is bad, and when a crisis comes up we will have to sacrifice one, or more, of the actions to deal with it. Trying to learn new arts in this tight schedule is probably not going to happen, as we would have to sacrifice a Meizhen or a Han Jian hunting action and I don't think that the voter base is going to accept that without a good reason.
 
All in all, for the foreseeable future we are going to be extremely tight in actions. It will be amazing once spiritual is up to late yellow which will free up a slot, but having to study EPC, Spiritual, and raise the tortoise is 3/5 of our total action slots. If we want to work with Han Jian and Meizhen that is another 2 which takes up all of our actions. Hopefully, raising the tortoise will become another automatic action after this turn, otherwise, we are going to be very inflexible in the upcoming weeks. Which is bad, and when a crisis comes up we will have to sacrifice one, or more, of the actions to deal with it. Trying to learn new arts in this tight schedule is probably not going to happen, as we would have to sacrifice a Meizhen or a Han Jian hunting action and I don't think that the voter base is going to accept that without a good reason.

Why would we sacrifice a Meizhen action? She's the strongest most flexible companion we have. She give good bonuses to learning anything. That would include any new arts and the Meridians they use.

Likewise Han Jian can be used for any physical art, and his action is Meridian compatible.
 
And yet the result of that is Ling Qi doing what Elder Su warned Ji Rong about and what the dream-Qi whined about - cultivating all the time (I vaguely recall there being a third admonishment against "cultivate all the time", but can't recall where it was).

Look at it differently - "Ling Qi should be out doing something every week", so one action exploring, doing a sect mission, making Kang Zihao's life complicated, whatever. Her new friend eats up a second action, at least for now; I'm wondering if that might not count as Spiritual or Qi cultivation.

That gives her three major actions to cultivate - which is, mind you, a majority... and if you count "tending to your spirit pet" as cultivation, it's even more. Studying the moon counts as Eight Phase Ceremony, thankfully. Spiritual (perhaps at the vent?) is two. Working a combat art (I prefer Forgotten Vale Melody) while hunting with the Golden Fields group is three.

This week there's a reasonable need to use all the minor actions Ling Qi has available - the meeting, there's a couple friends that seem to have fun things planned that Ling Qi might want to get in on, and that doesn't leave two minor actions. Still, I could see next week being able to squeeze in a fourth (or fifth, if the turtle isn't taking a major any more, or counts) cultivation action.

Now, I expect the turtle to not take up a major action fairly soonish - so another combat art can be worked on in its place. Spiritual is coming along at a reasonable clip, so in the foreseeable future a third combat art can join in. At about that time EPC will increase (probable decision point) - I'm not sure if it'll cap there until Green or not, but it just might... which means four slots for combat art advancement.

Moreover, it turns out that 180 successes are needed to get ready for breakthrough, not the 360 that was anticipated by many long-range planners.
 
Why would we sacrifice a Meizhen action? She's the strongest most flexible companion we have. She give good bonuses to learning anything. That would include any new arts and the Meridians they use.
That is exactly the problem! They are amazing and we shouldn't sacrifice them at all. But what will we sacrifice in order to deal with a conflict? Voters won't abandon the turtle for a turn, we need to figure out what the heck is going on with EPC, Spiritual needs to be advanced in order to allow us to keep working on other arts and EPC.

It will be great should the EPC action for the archives only need one turn, as then we can start working on it with the vent or Meizhen, but I have a feeling that it will require more than one turn. If that is the case, and we need to take care of the tortoise, then what do we sacrifice out of the Argent vent group, Meizhen, or Han Jian? Those three are our most flexible and powerful actions, so any unexpected problem will require us to sacrifice at least one of them because the voter base won't give up the tortoise and the changes that EPC might be giving us should be solved as quickly as possible (otherwise we won't know what consequences a "not choice" will give us).
 
That is exactly the problem! They are amazing and we shouldn't sacrifice them at all. But what will we sacrifice in order to deal with a conflict? Voters won't abandon the turtle for a turn, we need to figure out what the heck is going on with EPC, Spiritual needs to be advanced in order to allow us to keep working on other arts and EPC.

It will be great should the EPC action for the archives only need one turn, as then we can start working on it with the vent or Meizhen, but I have a feeling that it will require more than one turn. If that is the case, and we need to take care of the tortoise, then what do we sacrifice out of the Argent vent group, Meizhen, or Han Jian? Those three are our most flexible and powerful actions, so any unexpected problem will require us to sacrifice at least one of them because the voter base won't give up the tortoise and the changes that EPC might be giving us should be solved as quickly as possible (otherwise we won't know what consequences a "not choice" will give us).

Argent Vent Group. We don't need to hook up with them to benefit from the argent vent. Suyin's bonus is small. Unlike Hunting it doesn't come with extra beanies (skills trained up, beast cores and red stones from hunting).

It's mediocre enough that it barely matters nowadays. Three dice on one roll aren't nothing, but they are low level.
 
I want to use the meeting time to suggest attacking the Inner Disciples' area. A hit and run there could net us some serious cultivation resources.
 
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