There is so much wrong with alchemy lab right now. I totally agree on lowering the amount of alkashards required to get a reward. There is no point in grinding for shards at all. At the moment, I think many players wouldn’t even accumulate enough shards in one year to get a reward.
Especially when lvl 9 and 10 are so unattractive to all kinds of players, from f2p to ptw. When AL came out my only motivation to build it was to reach level 10. There were four different 4* mats I needed, so the chances to receive one that would be useful to me were kind of ok. Now that I have almost reached level 10, there are only 2 kinds of items left that would be useful to me. That’s just too much of a gamble. And it doesn’t seem as if I would reach the point soon, where AL 10 gets attractive to me.
And as already mentioned most levels are completely unattractive to players who got that far to build the AL. Even unfarmable 3* asc mats won’t be needed by many people at that point. Level 7+8 are just not worth the gems. The only level I use atm is level 2. And only when I really don’t know what else to do with my ham. Which is not that often the case. So even if it were only 5k shards needed, It would take probaby 2-3 years to get them, if there won’t be any changes.
So right now, lvl 2 has a little use. Lvl 4 might as well, but even less. And all the rest, no use at all.
I think having the options to choose which items you would get out, would be a good change. Or, what I would like even more: Different recipes for each level. Depending on the combination of items you use, you will get a certain item as a result.
Only lvl 9 and 10 should be costing gems. And either they should cost less gems or they should garantuee you the item you want.
Also, as mentioned, a higher chance for a 4* mat in lvl 9 would be great. And if there were the option to choose which item to craft, it would make sense that the chance to get a 4* mat would be only for the same element. For example you can craft a winter coat with the chance of getting a telescope instead.
Alchemy lab needs to be reworked ASAP. @Epigenetic 's Suggestion of turning items into Alkashards which can be used as a currency to “buy” low level items is on point.
What do the people want?
turn junk items into useful ones (turn training manuals into adventurer’s kits, or common herbs into leather strips or crude iron). Make this happen at the low levels and fairly quickly!
turn imbalances of high level (3* unfarmable and 4* ascension materials) into other ones of the same class. I have 4 Damascus Blades but 17 ToTs. That seems like something I should correct with some time and renewable resources but not by spending 3k gems. Not to mention it would take many months just to build advanced storages and building upgrades/research time to get to that point. Lower the gem costs 5-10x and we’ll talk.
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-everything in between (1* to 2* items, etc.) seems silly.
Hi, all. It is no secret that Alchemy Lab is not liked by a great number of players. Perhaps this idea could change that: conversion.
The concept is simple: instead of transmuting to an item of a higher star, we could choose to convert an item to another of the same star.
I am proposing this because I am sure a lot of us have more training manuals than we ever will need. Instead of transmuting them into wooden shields which are just as useless, why not converting them into adventurer’s kits, something we all need? Or converting common herbs into leather strips or large bones so we could make the much-needed mana potions?
Of course, as a trade off, the developers could raise the conversation cost (more food & iron; but not gem); or reduced the number of shards produced.
The point is, we need to make the Alchemy Lab more useful. Right now I am sure it is the most under-utilitized feature of the game.
This is a post I wrote into the active-player-lounge, so I’ll post it under your suggestion to widen the discussion
Now, I think that with this system wouldn’t be possible to abuse the market:
Automatic Trading System - Building required
From the building you would be able to select the desired amount of items (restricted) and your selling item. Only few trades per day and with an increased cost.
What if trading’s limits would be:
Time based
Being able to trade X times every Y time
X would be possible to be increased with a building’s level
Y could be only be decreased with gems
Quality based
Only crafting & TC material’s trade are allowed
Trading a higher level item for a lower one wouldn’t be possible
Trading a lower level item for a higher would be possible only within 1 difference
The n° of tradeable items would change with item’s rarity
x01 4 item per trade
x03 3 items per trade
x05 2 items per trade
x10 1 item per trade
Quantity based
According to market’s law the item’s requirement would change:
If you select to trade Common Herbs for a Backpack on your first day it would cost something like 3:1 (Common Herb : Backpack), selecting up to 10 Backpacks.
As long as Common Herbs would be your selling item his value will lower:
4:1 after 40 sold Common Herbs
5:1 after 50 sold Common Herbs …
The rateo will lower after 10 days and have a cap of 10:1
That’s a good idea . I have totally abandoned my Alchemy Lab as I see as pointless, aggravating, expensive, time consuming and completely useless. But I like your idea .
@samantha
I have been playing for approx. 2 months and one 5* hero of mine already started the way to be lvl80, eleven (11!) other 5* and 4* heroes are waiting for more dozens of rare ascending materials to be developed…
I only have Stronghold lvl18, to get to the level I can build an Alchemy Lab (if I do not pay a high amount of gems) will be MORE than I played till today!
I could really tell, at lvl21 and above I may absolutely do not need no Alchemy Lab!
Alchemy Lab ISN’T the answer to my request, as beginner and intermediate player would need a-kind-of self-trade-building starting from 1* ascension/developing materials till 5* ones.
I understand your point of view and your thoughts, you are but interpreting my idea wrongly, I think. A Self Trade building, I described, which shall be available from the beginning, is not the Alchemy Lab exists in a far-far-far reality somewhere in a hard-to-achive-future.
I totally support the often mentioned idea of transmuting items to other items of the sam rarity. As I said before, most levels are entirely useless. Especially 3 and 6 I bet nobody will use. So please start with them and turn them in something useful. And then go on with improving all the other levels and finally give people a reason to build that lab.
I have been playing empires and puzzles for about 3 yrs now. Love the game it’s my favorite game of all the others I play. Only wish when we get to have our free hero pick. I feel it would be such a wonderful thing if we could get the heroes or warriors we wanted. It’s so frustrating to get a 1 or 2 star one most of the time. So disappointed when I get one that’ll take at least 3 or 4 of them to upgrade a hero or warrior. Especially if you have used your hard to get diamonds to pay for them. I don’t have lots of money to spend on the the game and find out I get a player who is in my group. It’s been hard enough to compete in the challenges, raids, and wars. But is more aggravating when other players can slaughter you almost immediately. Because you have to work with * ** *** if your lucky **** and the other is having *** **** ***** heroes. You mostly don’t stand a chance to beat them. Even if we could get the heroes or warriors we wanted by trading our excess in white manuals. Or other items that are not doing us any good that would be such a help. Like I have a bunch of capes for ascending Krull the Wizard with the white beard and the axis. But am having trouble getting the sheilds I need to assend my fire hero Colen I have been trying to force about 6 or 8 wks now I just got my 2nd shield today. But I could have sworn that I had 3 and the one I got today would be the 4th. I was all jacked thinking I could finally assent him. But my list shows that with today’s I only have 2 it’s like where is the other one I know I had. Is someone hacking into my game and taking the items I’ve struggled and fought so hard to get. Can someone please help me fix whatever is wrong with my acct. Sincerely yours, CabinBeaver56
APatok, a self trade building will never happen as Empire is meant to be played slowly. I also don’t think it would be a great idea as just getting all you need is the opposite of what Empire is all about. Empire is about grinding for all players. Your idea would be unfair to all those who did all the hatd work.
They should eliminate the gem cost altogether. I think it’s ridiculous. Even if that means keeping the same odds or even lowering them slightly. If you make it that far into the game they shouldn’t be punishing you by sucking up more gems imo.
If you want some values for how many Alkashards each tier would make and what you could buy with Alkashards for your idea I took a crack at coming up with appropriate values for both in a similar vain in the following post before the release of Alchemy Lab. The tables/numbers are in the drop down menu in point 3 I believe. Took quite a bit of time based on item values to find appropriate numbers for each but I’d need to dig out a spreadsheet from a long time ago for full methodology…
@MysterySpin Aww, nostalgia — I remember sharing your post into Beta feedback last August, back when I still thought there was hope for Alchemy Lab being revamped while in Beta.
I guess this whole thread is sort of deja vu for feedback that was shared during Beta.
Tell me about it! When I was doing the 3 New Year’s Solutions post with how to retroactively fix Alchemy Lab with recipes I went through similar nostalgia for your recipes post that I think was in the same thread.
I think once I’ve got “Screaming into the void,” released I’ll do the same for my pre-beta posts, think I’ll go with the title, “Abandoned hope: All the posts before entering Beta”…
difference
. I have totally abandoned my Alchemy Lab as I see as pointless, aggravating, expensive, time consuming and completely useless. But I like your idea 