Minmaxing items?

[Troblin]

Hello!

Reading wikis on artifacts I could find a lot of ways to improve them like:

Legacy method
Spiritual refinement
Specter Refinement
Heavenly reforging
Sub Spirits
Making them alive and levelling as a cultivator and getting said cultivator dead

Many different methods mentioned separately but not together. Is there any place where theoretical maximum for artifacts and maybe other items is shown - in what sequence upgrades are to be done and which are mutually exclusive? I'm not sure I'd ever get even the heavenly reforging thing done, but I guess If I did and found that it was done in wrong order with something else and the result is already suboptimal - that would taste bitter, so any hints?

[iguana]

There is no "best in everything" item. With that in mind:

• Legacy "method"? Legacy Artifacts are a special category of Items. They aren't the same as regular artifacts, so you shouldn't consider them for creating the "ideal artifact".
  
• Spiritual Refinement - Artifact Max Qi isn't always useful. In most high-end cases, it's a detriment.
  
• Specter Refinement - Taking the base material to T12. And the Artifact Crafting page tells you why you'd want that. No effect on a crafted artifact, just like the wiki page tells you.
  
• Heavenly Reforging - Done with a crafted artifact. So it should be obviously clear that you do it after the crafting process.
  
• Sub-Spirits - Attaching Epiphanies to items. In this case, an already crafted artifact, so once again, done after the crafting process. Used to boost the Cultivator equipping it, not the item itself.
  
• Sentient Spirits - For the item, the effect is increasing the Tier up to T15. Which is irrelevant for Artifacts, as you're still limited to T12 from the crafting process, and it has no effect after the crafting process, just like Specter Refinement.

So out of the ways you found, only two are relevant for the item in question.
Out of those two, Specter Refinement is only necessary when the item isn't already T12, and Heavenly Reforging needs no further information (it does exactly what is said on the Artifact page).
If you think those methods are all relevant in creating the "ultimate artifact", then there's something you've missed in understanding the method/mechanic.

[Troblin]

Thank you for detailed answer - reason for my asking is exactly in not being sure that I've seen or listed here every possible feature related to artifacts or other items. This game has many not so evident things that are not expressly shown to the user like spirit veins that might in theory be blocked but how many of the first players know of them? Same with me - want to thank you and mark your answer as topic answer, but not sure that all possible upgrade methods are mentioned - you may know it I don't and you only mention "out of ways you found" - if you just add over it that these are all major ways to upgrade stuff I'll happily consider all questions answered and not itch mentally at the possibility of having something missed.

[iguana]

It's not that simple.
The wiki page for artifact crafting lists all the relevant factors related to artifact crafting. Anything that influences those factors can be taken into consideration.
For example, it can be said that Ancient Formations and Ancient Relics can both be utilized in the Artifact Crafting process. But their influence isn't required.
Or even specific Immortal's Mortal Bodies, which is just an alternative to Specter Refinement.
The reason I brought up the ways you found is that there are a lot of mechanics implemented. Before you start exploring new ones, try fully going over the ones you're already dealing with.

[Troblin]

Well, that's exactly the spot, thank you - for hundreds of time I've been on pages related to artifacts and crafting skills and the page on artifact crafting just somehow slipped past the eyes. Question resolved!

https://amazing-cultivation-simulator.fandom.com/wiki/Artifact_Crafting

[Troblin]

Side note - legacy items, despite being a separate category of items are rather unique in that along with talismans they can be raised to tier 13 via illumination and tier 15 via incarnation. Not the finished item - either talisman paper or the legacy item prior to incubation. According to guides stat wise legacy items are even at t15 still only okay among top crafted normal artifacts so this is a note just in case somebody likes their looks or features.