User:Dr ishmael/Treasure Hunting

May 15-17, 2007
{|border="1" width="1100" !colspan = 11; align="center"|
 * width="100"|
 * width="200"| Takashi
 * width="200"| Suzume
 * width="200"| Kookaburra
 * width="200"| Pedro
 * width="200"| Scion

Istan
15:31, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Cyclopian Wand 23:14, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Adamantine Falchion 21:17, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Cyclopian Wand 16:37, 16 May 2007 (CDT) 14:35, 17 May 2007 (CDT) 15:31, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Bladed Recurve Bow 23:10, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Eagle Defender 21:17, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Suntouched Scythe 16:28, 16 May 2007 (CDT) 14:35, 17 May 2007 (CDT) !colspan = 11; align="center"|
 * Issnur Isles
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * 347
 * q11Death, Mem(16), SeizeDay(13), 78
 * 408
 * q11, Barb, Ward, Meas4Meas, 144
 * 408
 * q11Death, Meas4Meas, 160
 * Previously opened
 * Mehtani Keys
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * 344
 * q10, TMI(13), 98
 * 433
 * q11M, Fort(29), MasterDomain(19), 184
 * 408
 * q10, Ench(18), ShowMoney, 185
 * Previously opened

Kourna
15:24, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Wooden Boar Scepter 23:05, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Suntouched Shield 21:09, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Kournan Tunic 16:24, 16 May 2007 (CDT) 14:31, 17 May 2007 (CDT) 15:24, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Corsair Raiment 23:01, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Conjuring Staff 21:09, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Suntouched Shield 16:22, 16 May 2007 (CDT) 14:31, 17 May 2007 (CDT) Scrying Glass Staff 15:16, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Soul Spire 22:55, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Corsair Pauldron 20:43, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Suntouched Shield 16:19, 16 May 2007 (CDT) Kournan Spaulder 14:19, 17 May 2007 (CDT) !colspan = 11; align="center"|
 * Arkjok Ward
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * 772
 * q10ES, Quick(9), VengMine(15), 118
 * 893
 * q11C, Dev(44), SheltFaith, 276
 * 865
 * Rest, 110
 * Previously opened
 * Jahai Bluffs
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * 815
 * Ghost Forge, MajScythe, 152
 * 958
 * q11SP, Adept(19), ShowMoney, 444
 * 902
 * q12M, Dev, Meas4Meas, 228
 * Previously opened
 * Bahdok Caverns
 * 753
 * 753
 * q9In, Ins, Ward, AptnotAtt, 220
 * 847
 * q10SR, ins(4), Mast(17), Meas4Meas, 168
 * 936
 * Maj DF, 196
 * 953
 * q9M, Valor(59), OnlyStrong, 212
 * 1085
 * SupCurses, 296

Vabbi
Bleached Skull 14:57, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Azure Shortbow 22:55, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Bronzehead Spear 20:43, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Diamond 16:07, 16 May 2007 (CDT) Azure Shortbow 14:04, 17 May 2007 (CDT) 14:45, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Diamond Aegis 22:33, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Conjuring Staff 20:22, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Ruby 15:58, 16 May 2007 (CDT) 13:54, 17 May 2007 (CDT) 14:40, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Soul Spire 22:23, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Diamond 20:14, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Scrying Glass Staff 15:52, 16 May 2007 (CDT) 12:58, 17 May 2007 (CDT) !colspan = 11; align="center"|
 * Forum Highlands
 * 1495
 * 1495
 * Aptitude(19), Cast ot Unclean, 320
 * 1838
 * q12, Pois, IhavePwr, 284
 * 2044
 * q10, Pois, Def, ShowMoney, 326
 * 2017
 * 2198
 * q10, Def, Brawn^Brain, 424
 * The Mirror of Lyss
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * 1760
 * q11T, Fort(28), SwiftWind, 400
 * 2093
 * Adept(19), Valor(59), SeizeDay(14), 284
 * 2068
 * Previously opened
 * The Hidden City of Ahdashim
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * 1943
 * (somehow didn't pick it up)
 * 2085
 * 2154
 * q9Ins, Str&Hon, 288
 * Previously opened

The Desolation
14:31, 15 May 2007 (CDT) 22:16, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Ceremonial Cauldron 18:50, 15 May 2007 (CDT) 15:44, 16 May 2007 (CDT) 12:45, 17 May 2007 (CDT) Tribal Shield 14:23, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Ruby 22:07, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Ivory Bow 18:33, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Battered Armor 15:22, 16 May 2007 (CDT) Scepter of the Forgotten 12:28, 17 May 2007 (CDT) !colspan = 11; align="center"|
 * The Sulfurous Wastes
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * 2120
 * q13SP, Dev(43), LikeRollStone, 280
 * Previously opened
 * Previously opened
 * The Ruptured Heart
 * 1631
 * 1631
 * q10M, Valor(58), NotFace, 440
 * 2005
 * 2030
 * q13, Zealous, ShowMoney, 596
 * 2190
 * Nightstalker, SupInsp, 492
 * 2065
 * q11SR, Quick, VengeMine, 252

Realm of Torment
Nightmare Spear 14:04, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Igneous Blade 21:54, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Shadow Scythe 18:17, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Portal Staff 15:08, 16 May 2007 (CDT) Blessed Chalice 12:17, 17 May 2007 (CDT) Margonite Robes 13:52, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Diamond 21:43, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Scrying Glass Staff 18:06, 15 May 2007 (CDT) Scrying Glass Staff 15:00, 16 May 2007 (CDT) Ceremonial Cauldron 11:54, 17 May 2007 (CDT) !colspan = 11; align="center"|
 * Nightfallen Jahai
 * 2979
 * 2979
 * q10, Ebon, Fort(29), Dw/Death, 276
 * 3255
 * q12, Crip, Swdshp(19), Dn'tThnk2(9), 412
 * 3234
 * q10, Barb, Fort(29), Dw/Death, 464
 * 3000
 * q12ES, Hale(28), Mast, IamSorw, 488
 * 3059
 * q13Heal, Fort(29), Hail2King, 552
 * Domain of Pain
 * 2744
 * 2744
 * Vanguard's, SupWater, 580
 * 3269
 * 3088
 * q9In, Adept(19), Def, GuidbyFate(14), 336
 * 3204
 * q11Ins, Def, HaveFaith, 432
 * 3215
 * q13Spwn, OnlyStrong, 316

Totals

 * Cash
 * 9602
 * 17195
 * 20322
 * 18169
 * 11622
 * Item Value
 * 1836
 * 1710
 * 3530
 * 2595
 * 1840
 * Gemstones
 * Diamond, Ruby
 * Diamond
 * Diamond, Ruby
 * }
 * Diamond, Ruby
 * Diamond
 * Diamond, Ruby
 * }
 * }

Gold
On average, a character will receive 19590 &plusmn; 344 in cash by opening all treasure in Elona.

The number of treasures already opened by a character seems to weigh the gold drop towards the low end of the range. In all regions, Takashi's gold drops were the lowest of all my characters, and he had the most treasures previously opened. To test this, I will have Suzume start from Istan instead next time and see if she gets less gold from the higher-end treasures.

Items
Item values vary widely, partly dependent on "Show Me The Money!" inscriptions, but are generally proportional to the amount of gold you can receive in the region. On average, a character will probably receive items worth a total of ~2500.

Rarity
All characters started from the Realm of Torment and worked backwards to Istan.
 * Purples will only drop in Istan and Kourna
 * The high frequency of purple items in these areas may be a result of either:
 * the low level of the areas
 * the number of treasures already opened by a character

Gemstones
Probably too few data to work with, but:
 * gemstones never appear in Istan or Kourna
 * gemstones seem to be most common in Vabbi

Reset
The general speculation is that treasure spots reset for each character 30 days/1 month after the character last opened a treasure spot, whether the spot had previously been opened by that character (in other words, it was empty) or not. Some have mentioned other factors that may affect this, including:
 * how many times the treasures have already reset for a character
 * I doubt this is the case, as Takashi and Kookaburra have both made 3 runs through the treasures previously, and while Takashi got the short stick this time (possibly due to opening too many low-level treasures first), Kookaburra usually got above-average gold drops.
 * the character's /age (maybe as a factor of the account's /age)
 * Possible. 50% of my playtime has been on Takashi (800 hours), while of the rest, only Pedro and Kookaburra have over 100 hours.
 * the character's rank in the Wisdom and/or Treasure Hunter title tracks, or how many keys or gold items the character has found (but not necessarily used/identified by that character)
 * Possible. Takashi has Collector of Wisdom (2), while no one else has anything.  Also, based on playtime alone, it's obvious that he would have found the most golds/keys of all my characters.

To test the main theory, none of my characters except Kookaburra will so much as look at a treasure spot until 1 month + 1 day has passed for them. I will have Kookaburra re-open a treasure on May 20, then have him check again on June 16.

To test the sub-theories, Takashi will check the treasures on June 16. If he can open them, then the theories are bunk, at least regarding resets. If his drops continue to be lower than everyone else's, then at least one of the theories would seem to apply instead to the drop value.