The Everyvamp's Arsenal: Routing

[Liander]

Routing - in its simplest definition, the most efficient method of moving from Point A to Point B. It is that efficiency we discuss tonight and why this knowledge is essential not just in warfare, but in all aspects of our lives. Efficiency is a fine line between AP consumption and resource cost. This is not a black-and-white guide and should not be taken as such; there will always be scenarios where one end of the spectrum takes priority over the other. Adapt and overcome. Before continuing further, please familiarize yourself with the following. Please note prices to be at full discount (Charisma 3 + Discount Shop). If you are not shopping discount, you are wrong.

• AP - Universal term referencing your stamina and energy.
• Stock - Term referencing the items in a vampire's inventory; generally meant to be weapons/scrolls.
• Transit - Interlinked locations across the grid that allow instant transportation between them; 3 AP, 5 coins
  • Calliope – Mongoose and 25th
  • Clio – Zelkova and 25th
  • Erato – Malachite and 25th
  • Euterpe – Mongoose and 50th
  • Melpolmene – Zelkova and 50th
  • Polyhymnia – Malachite and 50th
  • Terpsichore – Mongoose and 75th
  • Thalia – Zelkova and 75th
  • Urania – Malachite and 75th
• Sprint Potion - Allows a vampire to move five blocks in a chosen direction; 1 AP, 94 coins
• Scroll of Teleportation - Instantly teleports a vampire to a chosen intersection. 1 AP, 3150 coins
• N, S, E, W, SE - Navigational abbreviations, respectively - North, South, East, West, Southeast
  • SE is the universally accepted standard when referencing a location (e.g. The Hall of Binding is actually located on the block SE of Vervain/40, not the intersection itself).

To get started, we will examine a simple powering route.

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Your Location: SE Uranium/14
Your Nearest Transit: Erato
Thieves' Guild 1: SE Oppression/92
Guild's Nearest Transit: Terpsichore
Guild's Nearest Bank: Pyrites/90
Stock Available: None

You are 156 AP from the guild. For a vampire with full Celerity, walking to this location will take 39 hours - varying dependant on Stamina level and blood count (which increases the maximum possible AP count). As guilds move every three days (72 hours), there is no reason walking to this location cannot be accomplished if the fledgling is diligent and still have time to withdraw powering funds from the nearby bank.

However, to walk from your current location to Erato Station costs 32 AP. From Erato Station to Terpsichore Station is another 3 AP consumed. From Terpsichore Station to the bank closest to the guild is 30 AP. To withdraw the funds and walk to the guild is 5 AP, including the single AP required to withdraw from the bank. Totaling 90 AP, this route will cost 5 coins and take 22~ hours to complete.

The former route may take longer, but allows less room for error and also detracts from time spent gaining coin/blood. The 5 coins spent on the latter route is vastly more efficient, as it allows the vampire 17~ hours of AP gain to collect resources that would otherwise be lost.

We now move to a standard shopping route.

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Your Location: SE Uranium/14
Your Nearest Transit: Erato
Discount Magic: Sycamore/39
Shop's Nearest Transit: Melpolmene
Shop's Nearest Bank: Tapir/41
Stock Available: None

You are 106 AP from the shop, but when shopping, walking to your locations is not an option. Shops move every 12 hours and you will not make it in time. As you have no other methods of transportation, we examine this route in the simplest form via transits.

Beginning from your location -

• [32 AP to Erato] +
  [3 AP/5 coins to Melpolmene] +
  [22 AP to bank] +
  [5 AP to withdraw/to shop] +
  [varying AP to buy items]

This route consumes 62 AP by the time you have reached the shop, leaving the average vampire enough energy to shop and move. Let us now examine this route while assuming you have some (if subpar) stock.

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Your Location: SE Uranium/14
Your Nearest Transit: Erato
Discount Magic: Sycamore/39
Shop's Nearest Transit: Melpolmene
Shop's Nearest Bank: Tapir/41
Stock Available: Sprint Potions

The essential route remains the same, but with Sprint Potions we may be able to conserve AP for emergencies or other matters. A Sprint Potion, as noted in the beginning of this guide, allows a vampire to travel 5 blocks at the cost of 1 AP and 94 coins.

Beginning from your location -

• [8 AP to Erato (6 SP)] +
  [3 AP/5 coins to Melpolmene] +
  [6 AP to bank (4 SP)] +
  [5 AP to withdraw/to shop] +
  [varying AP to buy items]

This route consumes 22 AP and 10 Sprint Potions for a total of 940 coins. While this route and the former are both possible in a single run by the average fully-powered vampire, this route saves 40 AP, or 10 hours worth of energy to collect resources or otherwise utilize elsewhere. We examine the route again, assuming a fully stocked, fully-powered vampire with more resources on deck.

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Your Location: SE Uranium/14
Your Nearest Transit: Erato
Discount Magic: Sycamore/39
Shop's Nearest Transit: Melpolmene
Shop's Nearest Bank: Tapir/41
Stock Available: Sprint Potions, Scroll of Teleportation

Beginning from your location -

• [2 AP to bank (1 SoT)]
  [5 AP to withdraw/to shop]
  [varying AP to buy items]

This route consumes 7 AP and 1 Scroll of Teleportation for a total of 3,150 coins. From the above route, we have saved 15 AP, or a further 4 hours of energy. Is this route efficient? The short answer - no. In most cases, you will not make up the 3,150 coins of resources spent within four hours (or by another measure, approximately 1/4 of a full day's resource run). Is there any scenario in which this method would be preferable? Discuss in your replies.

As some of you have no doubt noted, the most recent calculation states it is 2 AP from your location to the bank despite a Scroll of Teleportation consuming only 1 AP. That is because a Scroll of Teleportation will transport you to the intersection selected, forcing you to take a step SE into the bank and thus spending another AP.

While this is by no means an exhaustive guide to routing, it should serve as a stepping stone to further knowledge. For those of you who are new and seek to challenge yourselves, I ask you this - what happens when you need to hit two locations in a single run (such as if needing to both shop and necro yourself)? I leave you with the below; formulate and discuss what you believe are the most efficient routes, and why you believe that.

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Your Location: SE Uranium/14
Your Nearest Transit: Erato
Discount Magic: Sycamore/39
Shop's Nearest Transit: Melpolmene
Shop's Nearest Bank: Tapir/41
Potion Distillery: Kraken/9
Necro's Nearest Transit: Calliope
Necro's Nearest Bank: Kraken/7
Stock Available: Sprint Potions, Scroll of Teleportation