Winterbane Report: Diamond Mining = Success!

Heather Winterbane here! I did some major reagent hunting this past evening. Ever since I saw that new crafting recipe for the house I have been really focused on it, and really not caring much about anything else! It's the house I have wanted for such a long time too...and as anyone who watched my video tour of it could see: I loved the place!


It was such an excellent night hunting, I gathered a massive amount of diamonds and ore...more diamonds than what you'd think too; the luck was definitely with me and nothing was going to pull me away from that hot streak! In fact I was able to get all the Carved Stone Towers made, which was probably one of the biggest things on this recipe. In my opinion 80 Diamonds should make something a lot prettier than 4 ugly towers. I can't, for the life of me, understand why anyone would actually WANT to build those towers on their own...unless you had to have it as some part of a collection...quite possible ;-)


Funny little fact here:
75 Diamonds was what was called for in the original first Dragonspyre Crafting Quest for 5 Rings of Apotheosis. The quest requirement was toned down after much complaining(along with other quests.) The complaining was somewhat understandable at the time as there were NO TRANSMUTE SPELLS. What really should have been done now, in retrospect, was not to change both the requirement for the crafting quest recipes as well as give transmute recipes, but just to add in transmutes. Transmutes made it all a lot more possible without taking away the challenge too much. You would still have to go, at least, find the common reagents and spend plenty of time crafting them to their more rare forms. Where without the transmutes; finding a Diamond among all the Ore with so many others trying to find them, was a lot worse than searching for a needle in a haystack. I mean one could have spent months and months on that 5 Ring quest before getting 75 Diamonds when no transmute was available. Now, all it requires is just a little determination to get the 80 needed for these Carved Stone Towers to make the Watchtower Hall house! And it's totally possible to get those diamonds together in just a couple days or less, depends on how focused you are, how lucky you are, and how you are running your time slots.


I have been doing a LOT of crafting in preparation for the new house and I am pretty close on having all I need crafted and ready. I can hardly wait to actually craft the house and move in! At the moment I am 7 mounds away from having it all finished. I am just waiting on time slots now. Those mounds take some time too, well over 12 hour cool downs. 


That was another recipe that seemed really "out there." I mean why do I want a half-fenced lump of grass...with broken down looking fencing, at that?!?!


Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about it. I actually find it hilarious. Though as I and another MA friend discussed that we could see exactly WHY these items, but there was still a part of me that would have rathered have a list of raw reagents...even when some of those reagents could run up in the 500's...or if you are crafting a lot of Diamonds...1000+ Ore! 


They made this recipe both challenging as well as made it a way to really get and keep their little economy running like Usain Bolt at a track event. They sort of forced those of us with taste enough not to have a giant water tower, ugly carved tower, a mound of grass, and wood planks laying around to go out and buy these recipes, which all required massive amounts of rare reagents...and we are not even talking Blood Moss here! Blood Moss, in fact....is pretty easy to get compared to some of this stuff...especially when you need large quantities. I mean things  required in these recipes; they seem common, but when you need to find a massive amount of them: they are less common than Black Pearls and Blood Moss. 


This sorta shows that it was never originally thought of that anyone would actually WANT to build 4 Carved Stone Towers, or 8 Grassy Mounds, etc. Because a lot of the materials for these are actually a lot harder to find than the ones so many "novice-type" crafters complain about. Really...I mean if you think Diamonds, Black Pearl, and Blood Moss are hard to find: well you might as well stop right where you are cause these are really some of the most easy reagents to get now, especially with having transmutes! All these reagents' common forms can be found in areas where they are somewhat "clumped together" and very easy to run between collecting them all. 


On the other hand; if you think Deep Mushrooms and Nightshade are so common...you are SO wrong! Yes, we see them everywhere, but there is no ONE good place to gather a massive amount of them without having to run all over the place and hope that someone hasn't already taken what "might" have been there.


I am thankful to the creators of our lands, that they have made such a challenge to true Master Artisans. I see a good amount of people really trying for this house and it makes me proud to see others who are as determined as I am to take on this massive challenge! I do hope that there might be an even bigger one to come someday.


One thing you find out when you are reagent hunting is who your real friends are. When it can somewhat silently be agreed upon to have all parties hunting a separate reagent, so as not to step on another's toes....then you know you have a true friend. When you can be on the hunt and have a "magic" conversation with a friend who is far away and shares your same thoughts, and minor success on findings is shared between both parties: well, this is a TRUE friend. They are not demanding anything of you, and you are demanding nothing of them. All that matters is that little bit of conversation to keep both parties awake and motivated.


A true friend in this game is a prize indeed. True friends don't have to be "bought" by offers of money, mounts, special rare prizes from some contest that requires you follow that person and comment their blog, the offer of selling off your rare reagents to them. In turn you are expected nothing to feel obligated to do for them other than be their friend, talk, and share thoughts, good conversations.


No, in fact; a TRUE friend you will want to do things for, and they will want to do them for you...and without even asking!  The best friendships are always those that require no expectations and you can take each other as you are. You don't criticize each other and you truly appreciate the other's company...you actually feel like you can relax around these people because you know they are not judging you. These friends are definitely Diamonds in the rough. 


And since the topic on this post mentions "mining diamonds" I think I have covered that here from the view of two seperate planes, so I will wrap this for now.


Hope everyone here in the States are all having a Happy 4th of July!


See ya in the Spiral!