~~Journal Entry for - I don’t know the date…~~

~~Journal Entry #1 - No. Journal’s are for girls~~

Log Entry #1 - The point of this

I am writing these logs to record my findings on anything that I am researching.

Ok, so each log entry is going to talk about a specific area and will contain what I know about it.

I have a feeling 8 ponies will find these useful and makes it easier to not repeat myself.

That’s all really.

Log Entry #2 - Alchemiter and Punch Card Alchemy

On the back of each filled Captchalogue Card is a captcha code. This code can be input into the Punch Designix to create a punched captchalogue card. This punched card is then brought to the totem lathe to make a carved cruxite dowel. The dowel is then brought to the Alchemiter to create the item from the original card. So, if there is a pencil in the card, on the back of the card will be a unique code for that pencil. Using that code will make a unique punched pattern on a card, which will make a unique carved totem, which can then be brought to the Alchemiter to create more of that specific pencil.

I know that is a lot of work just for a pencil, but with that dowel you can make hundreds of that pencil for Grist. There is also ways to upgrade the Alchemiter so as to no longer need the Cruxtruder, Designix, or the Lathe.

However the true use of this system is what is called Punch Card Alchemy. Or combining two items to get a new item. This can be done by taking a punched card and overlapping it with another punched card. This will cover up some holes resulting in the Alchemiter creating an item that is different from the two cards that were used, this is a bitwise AND. Another way to do this is with a bitwise OR, where a card is double punched, meaning there is a hole for every hole on either card. This will again create a new item that is different from the original cards and from the bitwise AND.

So this means that using a bitwise AND will result in LESS holes, while the bitwise OR results in MORE holes.

I have also found that this system is a bit finicky. You see, it is possible to use an AND or an OR operator on different items that will result in the same pattern. This means that the item codes that go into a new code can only give you a good idea what you will get as a result. Two items may end up giving an item that is NOTHING like the two items.

Example: I tried a bitwise OR with a suit of decorative armor and a bed. The result was a fruit basket… HOW DOES ARMOR AND A BED MAKE A FRUIT BASKET!?!?!?!?!?

Good news was that I now had a source of renewable food. So I really didn’t complain.

Another weird one was when I tried a bitwise AND with a candle and a pillow. I could not even make it because the cost of it was astronomical. It required 45 different kinds of Grist and each was over 100 Thousand, and it required a BILLION Build Grist. What could POSSIBLY be the result of a candle and a pillow that could have that kind of cost?

Actually I can see what it would make now, you will learn why later in the next log.

It appears to be some kind of doomsday device… Looks like the Sphere-o-boom from Futurama

So yes, the items that are being combined merely give a good idea of what the result could be. Also the captcha codes are made of 8 uppercase, lowercase, 0-9, and two special characters. That means there are 64 possible values for EACH of the 8 spots. That means there are over 281 trillion possible combinations.

Log Entry #3 - The Phernalia Registry and New Machines

Ok I am only going to talk about the devices that Mr. Wizard did not talk about, because I already knew everything he told me. I will underline the name of the machine as to make searching easier.

Ok first new item is the Grist Warehouse. In Homestuck, the kids and trolls got their Grist Cache increased by going up rungs in their Echeladder. I have found that this is not the case for me. In order to increase my limit of Grist, I must deploy and upgrade a Grist Warehouse. Warehouse is actually a bit of a misnomer because the device itself is actually rather small. I started with a limit of 100 Grist at a time, this began to change when I began to upgrade the warehouse. I have found that the non-upgraded warehouse increases my limit by 10 to the power of X+1 with X being the level of the warehouse.

When I first deployed the warehouse it did not increase my limit as 10^(1+1) = 100 or what I already had. Once I upgraded it to level 2 my limit increased to 1000 or 10^(2+1). Currently I have it at level 3, giving me a limit of 10,000. In order to upgrade I must ‘pay’ a certain amount of different kinds of Grist.To upgrade it to level 4 I need a type of Grist that I have not acquired at all yet. Meaning that I have not encountered an underling that dropped it yet.

I should mention that the limit is not how much Grist I can have but rather how much I have access to. All the remaining Grist is there but I can not access it. Meaning that if I try to alchemize an item that costs 10,001 Grist or more I cannot because while I have more than that much, I cannot access more than 10,000 at the time, so I can not alchemize the item until I upgrade the Warehouse. I also do not know how much I truly have but I can see that I have more than I have access to.

The next machine is the Recycler. This has so far been useless for me as I am maxed out on all of my Grist types. As you may have gathered the recycler allows me to put a captchalogue card into the device and turn it into Grist. This will make it very easy to make Grist later, but for now it’s useless, as I said I am already maxed. Also I do not know if the recycler will give me Grist that I have not collected from an underling first. All of the items I have tried to recycle have only given me Grist that I have already found before.

Now I will talk about devices that are used to upgrade the Alchemiter. These next three devices are downright essential to upgrading the Alchemiter to is most useful form.

First off is the the Jumper Block Extension(JBE) this device must be used with a Punch Card Shunt(PCS). The JBE is a device that is attached to the Alchemiter that allows the Alchemiter to be upgraded. The PCS is useless without the JBE as the JBE is useless without atleast one PCS. Once a PCS is attached to the JBE a punched card can be put in which will alter the Alchemiter’s functionality. The first thing to do is to get the code for the JBE itself, as inserting a punched card into the shunt with this will cause the JBE to become much more compact with 8 slots and remove the need for any additional PCS’.

The third essential upgrade device is called the Holopad. This item can be added to the Alchemiter causing the Alchemiter to display a preview of what the player would create, adding it to the JBE will allow you to remove the need for the Cruxtruder.

However by adding in the codes of the Punch Designix and the Totem Lathe to the JBE it makes the Alchemiter completely self sufficient. Removing the need to have a Punch Designix, and Totem Lathe.

This means that the Alchemiter can punch cards, make a holographic image of the inserted cards' totem, scan it, show a hologram of the item that will be created, and make the item from it. As only 4 of the 8 possible JBE slots are in use more more extensions can be added by just putting a punched card in a slot.

I have already used one of those spots for a magnifier, allowing me to change the size of the item, and it’s cost as well. I used the code from a photo enlarger I had the darklings steal from the village. (I gave it back)

The last item that I have used is called GristTorrent. It allows those with more Grist than they know what to do with and share it with others who have the GristTorrent Client. When I touched the disk it got added to my Client Interface. It also backed up the HorrorTerrors claim that there are in total 9 players. At the time of writing this I am the only one Online.

Log Entry #4 - Minions!

This log will go into some detail on everything I have learned about my minion’s Attributes as well as their possible Mutations.

The first thing I will say is that I currently can only have 50 underlings and a Boss or leader Darkling. I have found that I have three real perks that affect the darklings which I WILL be getting.

‘Do as I do’ will allow the darklings to get experience from my fights, though our link.

‘Minion Madness’ will allow me to summon unlimited darklings but they cost mana to summon. Currently there is a limit of 51 but it does not cost me anything to summon them should any die.

‘Divergent Evolution’ is the last and in my opinion most important perk I can get. It will allow me to make ‘groups’ of underlings and will allow them to have different mutations and attributes. This means I can make a group of darklings that are primarily sneaky reconnaissance thieves, another that is primarily for fighting, etcetera. Currently this is not possible.

Now let’s talk Attributes. There are seven total attributes that make up the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats, and from what I have found an attribute cannot increase past 5 times their level. I have also found that I can respec them whenever I choose.

Strength - How much damage they can do and how much weight they can lift/carry.

Perception - This determines how well they can sense other creatures. They also notice secrets, traps, and other hidden things easier.

Endurance - Health, Healing rate and damage mitigation.

Charisma - I have no idea how this works but higher charisma increases the amount of darklings I can summon at one time. I believe that when I get the Minion Madness perk it will reduce the mana cost to summon them. While testing I maxed this attribute and was able to summon 61 darklings.

Intelligence - Apparently these guys can use every spell that I had learned so long as their intelligence is high enough. This means that this also determines their mana capacity and mana regeneration. Intelligence also determines how many attribute points darklings get each time they level, I am unsure if there is a cap to points gained per level. It is currently unknown if darkings can learn spells specific to themselves. It also affects their level of independence, they remain fiercely loyal but will do helpful things without me ordering it. I personally see this being the most important attribute.

Agility - This mainly determines how fast they are, how well they can stay hidden, how easily they can remain undetected, and how hard it is to hit them. Also seems to increase their damage from sneak attacks. Second most important in my opinion.

Luck - Look I will be honest. I have no idea what Luck seriously does. Makes them lucky?

Moving on…

Mutations!

Through mutations I can make changes to the darklings that allow them to evolve in various ways and some allow them to gain special abilities through that evolution.

Some mutations are simple things like making them harder to spot, making them do more damage, make them faster, develop a ranged acidic spit, mutations that increase attributes… you get the idea

Author's Note

I think I will make any info dump chapters like this from now on.