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That's it really. I really hate begging friends for likability potions, because I'm too lazy to go into potion making.
Comments
There are other ways to gain Likeability Potions besides Potion Making, most notably through the rafting and hot-air ballooning in Iria. If you kill enemies during both instances, you gain stars that can be used to purchase the potion. Archery and magic are recommended for rafting, and using a chain-casting firebolt wand can be a great help for hot-air ballooning.
Beyond that, you technically don't necessarily need Likability Potions to open secret shops. It can make things easier for certain NPCs. However for the most part, you can gain intimacy from NPCs by giving them gifts, doing their part-time jobs, and having conversations with them. It can be tricky at time, but I've found that with the Easy - Hard level NPCs, if you keep at it between giving them gifts, gold (when they're irritated), and talking to them, they'll eventually give in.
Ever since then I can feel daggers being pointed at me.
Just a passing thought.
I think there could be alternatives to raising intimacy with NPCs. Either part time jobs if they have any or just give out various quests.
5 of those per NPC shouldn't take too long if you have a way of doing ballooning or rafting.
Crafting is mostly annoying due to the need for Golden Mushrooms which only show up on Wednesdays, but still.
Plus you can just buckle and set up a party ad buying them, or maybe even find someone selling some in their personal shop.
I always choose to do 5 likeability potions over... the truckloads of normal gifts and chatting you'd have to do normally.
I posted a suggestion a while back about expanding the NPC Intimacy system to include Renown bonuses and requirements. I think it's a good solution that allows easier access to secret shops: http://forums.mabinogi.nexon.net/discussion/17110/merge-renown-and-npc-intimacy-into-one-system
The first concept being promoted here is that you can buy friends by giving them gifts that they like. That's not a good life lesson.
The second concept being promoted is that if you can't afford the time to buy them lots of gifts, it is OK to drug them into submission with likeability potions. That game mechanic is rewarding criminal behaviour.
Nora will be your friend if you give her endless supply of bread.
"You must prove that you can overcome your emotions by becoming a friend of Wanst."
So.... you have to hand a guy lots of women's underwear while listening to him complain about not having luck with women. I'd say getting over the embarassment/shame of that action is the REAL trial.
Thats not what I'm saying. Why use an outdated and archaic system that nobody likes. I'm all for having relationships with npcs and having benefits from that, but the thing I find annoying is that they lock important items meant for progression behind these relationships. So every fresh character someone makes, they end up buying 5-8 potions for each npc they need. Its annoying and tedious.
I don't mind mabi locking things behind NPC relationships, but I also wish it wasn't tedious and annoying. The proper way of befriending an NPC through gifts and conversation would be fine if the NPCs didn't forget you over time. If that were the case, then by just playing the game I would be everyone's best friend by now. They would all remember those times I chatted them up for hours (in-game time) and all those part time jobs I did for them. Sadly, that's not the case. By having that threat of being forgotten looming over me, the game forces my hand into abusing the intimacy system. I callously give the NPCs dozens of gifts and then throw single gold coins at them when they get mad. That's not realistic or organic at all. Oh and then the workaround for all of that is even more absurd and skill-less: potions. You just douse them in a couple of Love Potions #9 and skip all of that, no skill or strategy needed. It ends up being like some sort of tax for unlocking skills.
I'm sure the devs' intentions were in the right place. They wanted you to become friends with a great chef in order to improve your cooking skills. The implementation of that idea just wasn't that great. If it were up to you, how would you implement it? Quests, cutscenes, items?
I don't know about you guys, but I literally spent 30 potions one time just to befriend someone.
And this. Was before Rafting was implemented.
Why do I have to go through this?
The title is really just an outrageous statement I made to draw people in and spark conversation. I don't really care how they change it, or if they remove it all together, I just think this system needs a heavy rework.
Ask yourself this; does anyone like it? I don't know anyone who thinks that secret shops are an enjoyable way to get/improve skills. As they are now, I really don't see why they're even in the game. If you'd like to make the case that the game is better off with secret shops (as they are now) I'd love to hear it.