I'm going to attempt to write a mini-guide for this.
Potion Making Like a Pro
Step 1: Identify the Problem
The key to this is keeping everything seperate and orgainzed. Each composite is completely seperate and does not interfere with the others. Also, each one must follow different conditions. For example, if you have one that says
Composite #2:
Quantity: 12 grams
Relevant property: Conjuring
Target value: +80 +/- 3
Relevant property: Enchantment
Target value: +83 +/- 3
Composite 2 cannot contain more than 3 grams of any one basic ingredient.
That means the total weight of the composite MUST be exactly 12 grams, and your conjuring value must be within 3 of 80 (so anywhere from 77-83). Enchantment must be from 80-86. Also, since you need 12 and you can't have more than 3 of any ingredient, you need 4 different ingredients of 3 grams each.
IMPORTANT: If you try to add more than 4 seperated ingredients (even if they are the same basic ingredient), it won't let you add any more, and you'll have to start over. Keep that in mind.
Step 2: Pick your Ingredients
This is easy. No ingredient is superior to the others, so pick the required amount of each. You cannot pick more than 4, but always pick 4 (you'll see why later), even if they are the same ingredient. Try to pick easy to work with numbers like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10. Be sure they add to the right amount.
Step 3: Identify your Functions
For each of the four actions you can perform on a substance, it will have a certain effect on the ingredient. REMEMBER: THIS IS INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS, NOT COMPOSITES. Before doing anything else, figure out what each one does to each ingredient. Test for 60 seconds (this is the least common multiple of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) and see what that does to each property. Remember, the only ones that matter are the ones in the condition. For really low amounts, or on the third round, that might be too long, so pick 10 or 12 seconds (depending on whether you are using multiples of 2 or 3). Write it all down, so you know exactly what each action does.
Step 4: Act
You now know what each action does, so do them for a long enough time to get the desired values. After a certain amount, an action will no longer be usable (this will be accompanied by a message saying "This ingredient cannot be burned any more" or "This ingredient is too saturated"). It's okay if it's not perfect, as long as the weighted average of the properties that matter fall within the desired range.
To calculate the weighted average, multiply the value of the property by the number of grams, and do that for each ingrediet. Add them all together, then divide by the total number of grams. If this is in range, good. If not, figure out how far off you are, then divide by the number of grams in the ingrredient you are planning to change. Example:
I have the following ingredients:
A (3 grams): Enchantment: 20
B (2 grams): Enchantment: 45
C (4 grams): Enchantment: 30
D (6 grams): Enchantment: 10
I need 15 grams of substance of 50 enchantment +/- 5.
For ingredient A, you would go
3 * 20 = 60
Same for B, C, and D:
2 * 45 = 90
4 * 30 = 120
6 * 10 = 60
All added together, they are 330. The average is 22, clearly out of range. To fix it, you would need to increase the average by 28 points. To do this in substance A, you would go
28 * 15 / 3 = 140 more Enchantment
For B, C, and D you would need
28 * 15 / 2 = 210 more
28 * 15 / 4 = 105 more
28 * 15 / 6 = 70 more
Obviously, you should concentrate on increasing the Enchantment value of D by 70 to 80. Use your info on what each action does to get there. Remember, the other properties don't matter (unless there are two conditions dealing with property, which gets complex).
Step 5: Combine
Once you have your averages sorted out, click the Start to Combine button on one of your ingredients. Make the triangle appear under it in the Composites section, and add the other ingredients. After you have added all of them, make double sure your composite fits EVERY condition, including weight, properties, and ingredients. Once you have EVERY composite listed at the bottom, you can combine and see if your potion works. After the first round, the Meowclops will catch fire, and after the second, it will grow a Bearog head. Nobody knows what happens after the third, at least not yet.
IDB Rater, Pink Inker
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