Thread:5sides/@comment-69.235.192.208-20170406082322/@comment-28829111-20170408022940

You are Kim, correct? First off you might want to register here so as your IP address is not posting if that matters to you at all.

So on your fixer list there are some items that if you gift them "appear" to come out of inventory only...such as the Dragonflies, the Cotton, the fangs, the red and white string, and pins - I think both blue and pink ones. If you gift them from the Gifts>Friends Wishes Tab these items will come out of your inventory. If you gift them from the Friends>Friends>Vist window (in essence your friends' maps) then these items will NOT be removed from your inventory and you will be able to gift them as "free" fixers. I have not yet updated and assume this to be true in the newest release as well.

In the past, prior to the Treasury Update, a few of these items could be gifted as well including the flower, the flask and the rune.

With regards to your reserved Talismen you have saved they can, of course, be used whenever you want. I am not sure when you started playing SN. Some of these past talismen simply do not do as they are purported to do or do as they once did before the May? Treasury update. For example, the Great Captain, Ghostbuster, Christmas Wonder, and Gargoyle likely do NOT help with CIs. If they do it is NOT as much as the description reads....it might be more like 10% help. The Merchant, however, does still issue the additional XP as does the Christmas Wonder?. I don't know if the Camera Obscura works any more - I only have one and have saved it just to have a nice set LOL. Maybe Cosmos tried this one since the Treasury Update. So, in short, your "saved" talismen are diminishing in value sad to say except for the Merchant.

If you started later than the Treasury Update you're good with your talismen. The SS is best and really does produce a CI almost every room play, the Gold Eye next followed by the Blue Eye. The Shot of Vigor is helpful to anyone whether they TT (time travel) or not. Some use the SOV to level up rooms. I am not convinced leveling up any room (beyond the prizes for Virtuoso in the challenges) is actually worth it. You do not get any more CIs as you increase the room level from what i can tell and what support has told me. Even an increase in XP may be useless beyond a certain level but I don't know where that line is drawn. I myself and now waiting for XP growth to be rewarding in some way so it makes it worth me using a Folio.

Last - you mention your collections. They are your most valuable asset. The ones that award a higher number of tools (5 versus the 1-3 current challenges have been providing). It is also both rewarding and a different part of the game to gift and share and help someone else along. My own thoughts are that it is best, though, not to gift beyond the player's current level. I only say that becuase it can ruin their game and hunt for the items if the game goes on auto-pilot because they already have the CIs from someone who gifted them a set too early. So, if a collection set is shown in the scrolll window for a room in the fourth position it is not a set they would get if they were below Level 30 for example. And if a room is still locked on their map I personally would try to remember not to gift them a set from that room (I do mess up though at times and need to pay more attention). Beginners tend to quit around Level 40-45 from my own notes. My fun in the game is if I can get them to stick around beyond that.

In this way I grow my more loyal friend list. But real life happens and players come and go. So don't gift anything away that you won't put a metaphorical string on it. A gift is a gift. Once you give it you have to let go and not have expectations. Many on this site get super focused on "good friends" and define that as those whom are reciprocal. I argue that not all friends will be completely reciprocal and some will grow to be. I have many on my FL now that if I need a piece to fill a hole in a set they will step up and do so even if it means a gap for them. They know in turn I will gift as much as I can as they need. I have a good feel for the game now and it really does reward those who gift. It is not always "tit for tat", though. When you Visit you will receive some CIs. Some will be "good" for your game some dups, some refilling what you gifted, and some will be gifts on your friends' wishlists.

Many here on the Wikia recommend you not have more friends than you can gift. The limit is 100 free gifts (one per each friend) so realistically there may be no need to have 150 friends. I decline any friend request suggested where the number of friends is astronomical. How can they be a friend to me if they cannnot possibly take the time to see if I have any need for help? So ask yourself what your own goals are and make your decisions. If you want to just keep building up sets for yourself go for it. If it gives you satisfaction to see the sets growing (either combined or not) do that. Each player assesses what bits they like. The Friending aspect is the most enjoyable to me but I'll be honest it is also the most difficult to refine and be patient with. How long do I gift another player something on their WL without ever getting something in return? No one wants to be "used". Is a Visit by them of any benefit to you or are they only collecting CIs? If the friend only has fixers on their list continually is this one of their second, third, or fouth accounts ? If so, does it matter to me to feed them fixers if that is how I can help them best? Again, it is up to you to figure out what is most comfortable and what balance is acceptable. i cannot tell you how many new players I have nurtured only to have them quit after about 3 weeks. It's disheartening but like Charlie Brown I still go for the punt.

Don't underestimate your collections or think they are low priority. Often my needs at Level 200+ are for an item from a "less popular" collection set. And all players appreciate access keys. I currently have a friend who Visits most days but gifts me a green leaf every day. I am not sure why. I am weighing whether this friend is one worth keeping. Does he/she take the time to think about what might help me? Is Visiting me what this person thinks is most valuable and believes it to be helping me? Answer is I do not know. But if I can help someone else better than gifting this person fixers constantly then I may delete this friend and add one. Those are the types of trade-offs you face with your friend list. So my advice here is that gifting is rewarding, cultivating a friend list where players are genuine and in some way reciprocal or kind is difficult. Some of my friends keep logs about the gifting but I only do this when I have to troubleshoot an inventory issue. You might wish to weedyour friend list out of those players who seem to be "takers" or quit and then gradually add a few in and test the waters. Keep in mind that some people can only play on the weekend or once or twice a week (like a new mom who is busy with a baby or a working person who is looking to unwind). Daily players are NOT the end all best players nor the only players. REAL players are the ones you want as your friends. They will have needs at times and they will appreciate any efforts on your behalf.

Hope this helps you out and maybe Cos can add some points that helped her. She once was ready to throw in the towel but gave SN a second chance. I am glad she did.