How many prismatic shards in a single run?

How many


  • Total voters
    20

imnvs

Local Legend
To be honest, I'm slightly more interested in how many people have collected in a single save. Personally, I'm at 116.
You know, I couldn't answer this in any of my saves. I've collected so many... but spent so many as well on MRC.
 

Pangaearocks

Planter
You know, I couldn't answer this in any of my saves. I've collected so many... but spent so many as well on MRC.
I posted a picture above with my count. You can see it on the Collections tab of the Minerals. It doesn't count stuff produced in crystalariums (otherwise I'd have LOT of jade and diamonds), though that doesn't have anything to say for prismatic shards since they can't be copied there anyway.
 

qaija

Sodbuster
I have just begun doing "dives" into skull cavern now that I have enough crystalariums (currently 17) making jade for staircases and have a question about how to optimize these runs. How far down should I go before I start clearing floors with bombs?

Do you wipe out floors that have too many mobs? Or just staircase down another floor?

Do you also bypass floors that don't have many nodes?

Once I get down far enough to start clearing, should I open every crate? Do they sometimes have prismatics or other useful stuff?
 

Lew Zealand

Helper
I'm curious what everyone's answers are going to be but I think that @Pangaearocks has been going down to about Level 1500 using time saving techniques, and then proceeding to carpet bomb the snot out of everything ASAP. Someone recently posted a graph that indicates that the rates of Iridium Nodes increases at a quick pace to Level 100 and then proceeds more slowly after then, so for some practice runs, it seems like banging down 100 Staircases or so is a good start and then start the Bombing.

Going on a high Luck day plus eating and drinking a Luck buff each increases the chances of Shafts once you start Bombing and I think also increase the chance of Treasure Chest floors which can contain very nice things (and also Parsnip seeds...).

As you get better at Staircasing, go for Level 200 or higher before starting the Bombing. I don't know how much day is ideal to spend bombing so I really hope that @FilthyGorilla or @Pangaearocks chime in with the time of day they stop descending and start the real mayhem.

I'll answer for me if only to provide a noob's strategy and hope that the more experienced can suggest better things:

Do you wipe out floors that have too many mobs? Or just staircase down another floor?
I staircase down as monsters are a pain, unless the floor coverage looks nice and dense.

Do you also bypass floors that don't have many nodes?
Yes.

Once I get down far enough to start clearing, should I open every crate? Do they sometimes have prismatics or other useful stuff?
I don't as the times I've been tempted, nothing of value has dropped.
 

FilthyGorilla

Local Legend
Honestly it depends, I used to be better at pause buffering, getting about 60 floors a tick but would never go past a few hundred levels.

Now I just don’t do sc much at all as I am too busy and never have the time to fully immerse and focus myself.

usually though you want to do a 1/3 or 1/4 split, 1 quarter/fifth of your day staircasing and the other 3/4 / 4/5 spent mining.

I can get to levels in the 1700-2000 range very easily in that time with my now very bad 40-45 tick pause buffering.

pangea who is now better at that then I ever was can go nearly twice the speed and therefore had more time.

going past level 1750~ is absolutely redundant as you are already getting all ores and the next point which is all iridium only happens at 5600 floors.
 

imnvs

Local Legend
Going on a high Luck day plus eating and drinking a Luck buff each increases the chances of Shafts once you start Bombing and I think also increase the chance of Treasure Chest floors which can contain very nice things (and also Parsnip seeds...).
Luck does not affect the frequency of treasure levels, sadly. Just staircase/shaft spawns.
 

Hill Myna

Farmer
Luck does not affect the frequency of treasure levels, sadly. Just staircase/shaft spawns.
Luck does increase the frequency of treasure levels - I believe the chance is 1% + daily luck/10 + luck buff * 1%
And my guide said:
There is a 1% base chance of a Treasure Room spawning. For each Luck Buff that is active, there is another 1% added. Daily Luck / 10 is also added to the total. Lucky Rings are worth 1 Luck Buff, and the Special Charm adds 0.025 to the Daily Luck.

Therefore, the highest chance you can give yourself is 1% (base chance) + 1.25% (Very Happy day AND Special Charm) + 4% (Magic Rock Candy OR Gold-star Lucky Lunch) + 2% (Gold-star Ginger Ale) + 2% (two Lucky Rings) = 10.25% per Floor.
From the Floors section of my Skull Cavern Guide. So unless I did my math wrong (very possible) or something's changed between when I wrote the guide and now (also possible), it actually makes a rather big difference.

Daily Luck also affects ore spawning. From BlaDe's post in another thread (click the "BlaDe said:" if you want to see where it came from):
High DailyLuck means you are more likely to find clumps of ore. Though there is only a 2% chance that this is iridium ore.
So keep chugging those Lucky Lunches, Lew! :D
 

Veracious

Sodbuster
I think I've only ever got about 8ish in 1 go, I have found they are a little bit easier to find on good luck days, (Did take me a while to understand to actually check this out).

Just curious what platform are you all playing on that do deep dives?

And is it possible to do it on the switch?

Ive got to about level 240 something (I think) but that was about 8pm or later.

It seem that the time still ticks along just a little slower even when I have a good run of stair placing, (when I dont have to move something out of the way).
Is this normal?
 

FilthyGorilla

Local Legend
I think I've only ever got about 8ish in 1 go, I have found they are a little bit easier to find on good luck days, (Did take me a while to understand to actually check this out).

Just curious what platform are you all playing on that do deep dives?

And is it possible to do it on the switch?

Ive got to about level 240 something (I think) but that was about 8pm or later.

It seem that the time still ticks along just a little slower even when I have a good run of stair placing, (when I dont have to move something out of the way).
Is this normal?
Pc is the only platform which supports really deep dives.
Because of a mechanic called pause buffering which is to pause as you load the level, taking up near to no time.

It’s only really feasible on pc due to hardware and sometimes software problems that mess up other platforms which makes it very hard to do well and near impossible to do perfect, definitely for more than a floor.

Time in sc Runs slower but any task slows that too, even if you place inefficiently you still be placing and losing new levels which pauses the in game timer.
 
Well technically…

You need 2/3 if you want you to complete the game and are ok forgoing enchantments besides vampiric…
Haha! Yep, you're right.

But technically, I need one to get the Galaxy Sword. I feel like I'm fighting with a spoon with the Yeti Tooth. 😏

THEN, I will go on and get more. And no, not with the sword, but with stairs. I just want to feel a tiny bit safer.
 
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