I am always randomly not around apparently. I have only ever done the first and second aetherflare...

I have been awake for one flare exactly. As soon as it started, everyone else in Hallifax left immediately. And yet I almost got off a bombard on Xion on my own.

Goodness gracious. I need to stop mistelling to Malicia >.<

That's so funny, it's MALARIOUS!

Be ashamed.

My stupid internet is being so slow and choppy, I haven't been able to log in since yesterday afternoon.

I'm incredibly disappointed.

I've spent over 60-70k getting all my basic gems for the Institute(around 100 of each type), which I am forced to purchase through the Conclave? What the Nil happened to harvesting the facets from Continuum?

If any guild official in the Institute thinks this is okay, they're insane. Absolutely, and utterly insane.

While I don't know much of anything about the inner workings of the Institute, things are set up the way they are I believe for security reasons. Also, the spheres did all fall recently, so it's not like they're sittin' up there fat with facets? I don't know. Harvesting 100 of each type of gem sounds like it would take a reeeeally long time, too...since you have to do it one at a time. I think you might be overreacting!

You need guild permission to harvest facets and this is there for a reason. Otherwise, people would probably just go up and take all the facets they could get their grubby little hands on. The cost prevents you from just buying a ton and stocking up on them. Do you have a better idea of how to do it?

The Illuminati just ask for you to put in two petals for every two you take. Seems to work fine for them, the fleshpots spend most of their time with a decent amount.

Oh, and I just went and checked prices. If you're only getting 100 of each kind, then you're at about 5 times what your total should have been. Each gem set is 100 gold and they come in groups of ten.

The gems cost basically what it costs to put gems into the spheres for facets, so you're not really losing any money on it.

Stupid lousy internet. Not logging in because I just get dc'ed every few minutes, and I check my messages on the IRE site and a bunch of my stuff decayed. Whoops.

Config exactnames on, never mistell again! Only mistarget instead.

Don't you think that sounds a bit paranoid? Do you know how long it would take to drain an entire sphere of all 3,000+ of it's facets?

Maybe I exaggerated a bit on those numbers, it did cost at least 50k. For a combatant, 100 gems of each type isn't a lot at all. I definitely spend that much if not more.

Also, 1 uncharged gem does not equal 1 charged gem.

1 uncharged gem = 3 facets.

I dunno, the point that the cost stops people from just buying hundreds of them at once and depleting the supply is a pretty strong one. You might say safeguards against over-harvesters and such are paranoia, but it's better to be cautious than it is to assume everyone is trustworthy/not an idiot. I've found that idiots crop up in the strangest of places.

EDIT: It's sort of akin to power laws and restrictions. You say, for every x amount of power you put in, you can take y amount of power. If everyone followed this then there would be no need for powerblocking to exist and in many cases be the default. And even with the power logs being so easy to look over and see who is being naughty, people still insist on not playing by the rules. And then get all indignant and confused when their access gets cut off.

As for prices: I might be wrong, since I can't exactly look at the shop myself, but going from Casilu's numbers it seems that a group of 10 charged gems is 100 gold. That's 10 gold per charged gemstone, and since 1 cut gem = 3 charged gems, and most cut gems are 30-40 gold, I'd say it being the same cost it would be to put in the gems yourself sounds about right.

You forget one thing: People are dicks.

If you bought 100 gems of each kind, it would only be 12k.



Unless somehow my math is really off, that would be 12 gem types in harmonics and 1000 gold per 100 gems.

Also, just checked the aetherplex: gem prices range from 35 gold to 66 gold, so you'd actually be spending at least one more gold each!

I ended up buying more to hover around 250. Maybe my rage is ignited out of seeing that I can no longer harvest.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not frugal. ICly, I'm relatively well-off. But if you think any GR1 or novice can afford these prices, you're whack. They have to worry about greatrobes, enchantments, herbs, vials, and other various expenses.

So we tack on this extra little wallet sink? Just seems so wrong.

Tetra, it would have taken you a couple of hours (at least) to harvest those gems by yourself. Buying them from the Conclave just saved you literally hours of sitting on cosmic doing nothing but harvesting. You can also harvest your own gems when you get to GR5. Also, props to the Illuminati, but I'm not quite smart enough to translate the crystal log into something easily readable. I'm also not patient enough to read through

Arel added 500 facets to the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Arel harvested -1 facets from the Emerald Sphere.
Type MORE to continue reading. (2% shown)

The gems sold by the Conclave are sold almost exact what it would cost for you to buy gem comms and add them yourself to harvest. It also takes about 2 minutes tops to buy what you need instead of the 2 or more hours it takes to harvest. You're getting deal.

An average gr1 will have no need for the higher up gems, save perhaps amethyst, jade, turquoise and diamond to get by... though again some of those are higher up in Harmonics.. especially for those with limited lessons. Novices, need none since they haven't learned Harmonics yet.