Wartales: Min/Max by Batching

Explaining how you get extra XP by batching production in bulk quantities and by planning out your daily activities.

1. Introduction

This article was written under Wartales v.1.0.39316.

I am happy to make any corrections if more accurate information is discovered. If you have any comments, you can either post here or post on my HIVE blog version of this guide.

All of the screenshots in this post were taken by me.


In many computer games, min/maxing allows you to squeeze out additional gains or resources, which often snowball over time. For example, in several of the Civilization games you can use production overflow or carefully manage your yields right when a city grows, in order to eek out some extra hammers.

In Wartales, there are many ways you can min/max. This guide is going to highlight how batching can increase your rewards. Batching bulk quantities when crafting lets you generate extra profession XP and even combat XP. Batching profession activities lets you minimize the downtime when you are switching between different professions. And by planning and batching your activities for a given day (i.e. travel, exploration, crafting, trading, combat, stealing) you can maximize the benefit of banner resolutions, food, and drink that give you bonuses.

2. Profession XP Rounding

The key to understanding why you get extra XP from batching is because the crafting XP has a fractional/decimal value. The amount that you actually get is rounded down to a whole number. But when you craft in large quantities, the fractional component can yield extra XP.

The simplest example can be seen from the lockpick or fish hook, which normally generates 1 XP:


Since 1 lockpick generates 1 XP, you would think that crafting 2 lockpicks would generate 2 XP, right? However:


You actually get 3 XP, not 2 XP. Now that doesn't mean you always get a +50% XP bonus by batching. It's just that the actual XP value of a lockpick is closer to 1.5 XP than 1 XP.

Here is a similar case with Masters & Apprentices, which doubles the profession XP if there is another character present who has a higher level of the same profession:


So if 2 lockpicks yield 3 XP, then you might think that 38 lockpicks would yield: 3 * 19 = 57 XP. But instead:


You actually get 64 XP. What that really means is that the XP value of a single lockpick is closer to 64 / 38 = 1.684 XP than it is to 1.5 XP or 1 XP.

If you crafted 38 lockpicks individually one at a time you would only get 38 XP but by crafting them together, you harvest a portion of the 0.684 XP from each of the lockpicks and you end up with 26 more XP.

For reference, here is 38 lockpicks crafted together under Masters & Apprentices:


128 XP for 38 lockpicks. If you crafted them individually with Masters & Apprentices you would get 38 x 3 = 114 XP. So you get an extra 14 XP by crafting in bulk.

This principle applies to other types of crafting as well:



Crafting medicine under Masters & Apprentices (or crafting 2 medicines at a time) yields an extra XP.




Crafting one set of 4 Throwing Knives gives you 5 XP.

Crafting one set with Masters & Apprentices (or two sets without Masters & Apprentices) gives you 12 XP.

Crafting 23 sets of 4 Throwing Knives without Masters & Apprentices gives you 125 XP. If you crafted each set of 4 separately it would be 23 x 5 = 115 XP, so you get an extra 10 XP by crafting in bulk.

This fractional component applies to other forms of profession XP beyond crafting:




Here is an example of stealing. Normally it yields 22 XP but with Masters & Disciples it yields 45 XP (one extra XP than if it was simply doubled).



Fishing that generates 13 XP, but 27 XP with Masters & Apprentices (1 extra XP).

3. Combat XP Rounding

Due to rounding, you also benefit when crafting in bulk when it comes to normal (combat) XP.

Once you sufficiently advance along the Trade and Craftsmanship path, you eventually get a title that changes each level and eventually tops out as Almighty Brokers:

Every time a Companion gains Profession experience, 4%/8%/12%/16%/20% of the points are also added to their Combat experience.



When you craft basic items and get a small amount of profession XP, you get a little (or possibly even no) combat XP. But by crafting in bulk and increasing the total profession XP gained, this can also lead to larger combat XP gains with Almighty Brokers.

Here is an example crafting the Reinforced Layer of the Stag. The first time you craft it, you get extra profession XP (and a one time knowledge bonus along with access to a new set of blueprints you can learn).



Using Masters & Apprentices and 8% Reputable Artisans, you get 45 profession XP for the first time and 32 profession XP for subsequent crafts. If you craft three of them one-at-a-time:



You get 109 profession XP and 7 combat XP.

45 * 8% + 32 * 8% + 32 + 8%
= 3.6 + 2.56 + 2.56
= 3 + 2 + 2
= 7

But if you craft the 3 of them together at once:



You instead get 116 profession XP and 116 * 8% = 9.289, which yields 9 combat XP.

Thus crafting the 3 armor layers in bulk nets you 7 extra profession XP and 2 extra combat XP.

Sure it might be just a few XP but if you regularly produce in bulk, the XP will add up over time!

4. Profession Switching

In Wartales, each of your characters can only have one profession at a time. They can still level up all 11 of the professions and you can freely switch professions. While you retain the level of the professions you have reached, any profession XP you have accumulated towards the next level of the current profession is lost. As a result, the best time to change professions is shortly after you have reached a new profession level because it minimizes the amount of profession XP that is lost.

What this means is that if you plan to switch professions a lot then it is optimal to batch profession tasks (whether it be crafting or other activities like cutting wood, fishing, mining, singing, or picking locks) so you advance a level quickly and it reduces the amount of time when you are stuck/frozen in a profession because you don't want to lose the profession XP if you switch.

Some players prefer to have large parties that have most professions. Other players tend to focus on just a few key professions. I have gone through the game mainly with my starting party of 4 and rotated them through all the various professions. In the future, I plan to write an article detailing that strategy.

5. Planning Your Day

In Wartales, there are various banner, food, and drink benefits that last until your next rest. Since you can choose what banner resolutions to activate and you can select what to eat and drink the night before, if you properly plan out your focus for the next day, you can maximize the benefits.

Think of it as focusing on one specific type of activity for the day (or a workout focusing on one particular part of the body). Instead of taking a generalist approach and doing a variety of different things on the same day, due to how the bonuses work, it is better to specialize.

For example, you might think of categorizing the specialties as:

Travel Day where you spend most of the time walking and running, to travel from one distant location to another.

Exploration Day where you discover new locations, which generates knowledge, or you craft new items for the first time.

Crafting Day where you craft and produce items to hone your profession XP.

Trading Day where you buy and sell items.

Fighting Day to prepare for one or more battles.

Shoplifting Day to get some five-fingered discounts.

6. Banner

The banner is unlocked when you appoint your first Lieutenant. It is a camp tool that needs to be crafted and then used in camp. Only a lieutenant (not a captain) can be assigned to the banner. The lieutenant needs to be assigned to the banner the night before you plan to use it. The following day, your party visual should show a character carrying the banner:


While the character needs to be assigned to the banner the night before, you can choose to activate any resolutions during the day and they last until you rest. If you have enough influence, you can activate multiple resolutions - there is no added cost to using multiple ones at a time. However, each time you use a specific resolution, the cost to use that resolution in the future is increased. The cost gets reduced when you go through a day without using it. Essentially it means that if you use the same resolution multiple days in a row, the cost increases each time and it will take longer for the cost to go back down to the default value. The optimal thing to do is to only use a specific resolution every other day, which gives it enough time to go back down to 100 influence.

Initially, you start with access to four resolutions:

Expected Profits: Carrying Capacity increased by 50

Swift Progress: Experienced gained in combat increased by 30%

Coordinated Gathering: When the troop collects a resource in the world, they gain a 50% chance to collect another

Thirst for Knowledge: Knowledge XP gains increased by 50%
(Although the description says +50% it's actually only +25%. It's still worth it but either the description or the implementation is incorrect.)

There are four additional resolutions that get unlocked when you make sufficient progress in each of the paths:

Respect for the Enemy: The troop earns more loot after a battle
Requires Level 4 Power and Glory

Trade Fair: Sale price of crafted items increased by 50%
Requires Level 4 Trade and Craftsmanship

Faking Innocence: Your troop is not wanted currently. If they commit a crime, this bonus will be canceled
Requires Level 4 Crime and Chaos

Overflowing Motivation: Reduces the speed at which the Troop's fatigue stacks by 25%
Requires Level 4 Mysteries and Wisdom

There is one final resolution, Vow of Valour, which is obtained by completing every pit fight on both Normal and Brutal difficulty:


Vow of Valour: The first skill costing Valour to be used this round requires -1 Valour Points
Requires 50 Fame

7. Food & Drink

Just like how the banner needs to be assigned the night before, the food and drink you have chosen to eat also gets consumed while you rest. Food and drink can provide a wide variety of potential benefits. Thus planning ahead what you want to do the next day and carefully choosing what to eat and drink allows you maximize the benefits.

Here is a broad overview (doesn't include all food and drinks yet) of some categories of benefits. Also keep in mind that Delicious food have an increased effect:

Fatigue: (Reduces the speed at which the Troop's fatigue stacks by X%)

• Apple Pancake: 30%
  
• Culture Shock: 35%
  
• Hill Delights: 35%

Movement (World movement, not combat movement)

• Trapper's Fondue: Movement speed +10%
  
• Kirsch: Movement speed +3%
  
• Absinthe: Movement speed +3%
  
• Mutton au Gratin: Movement speed in snow +20%; If the troop is wanted, movement speed in snow +20%
  
• Mead Pike: Run speed +10%
  
• The Broker's Table: Run speed +15%
  
• Cabbage Perch: Run duration +10%
  
• Prawn Curry: Ship speed increased by 2 knots if wind is negative or by 1 knot if wind is neutral
  
• Souvenirs from Akhed: Ship speed increased by 2 knots if wind is negative or by 1 knot if wind is neutral
  
• Roasted Chicken in Blue Sauce: Animals have reduced aggression range and give up the chase faster

Combat:

• Mutton Stew: Strength +15%
  
• Culture Shock: Strength +20%
  
• Sparkling Wine: Strength +5%; Dexterity +5%
  
• Clafouti: Strength +15%; Dexterity +15%; Constitution -10%
  
• Eel Soup: Dexterity +15%
  
• Hill Delights: Dexterity +20%
  
• Hippocras: Constitution +5%
  
• Surf and Turf on a Stick: Constitution +15%
  
• Jam: Willpower +1
  
• Breaded Sausage: Movement +2
  
  
• Stuffed Cabbage: Critical hit +10%
  
• Wolf and Mushroom Gratin: Critical hit +5%; Critical damage +10%
  
• Beer-infused Wolf Ribs: Critical damage +20%
  
• The Tale of Wolf and the Hop: Critical damage +25%
  
• North Country Ratatoille: +5% critical damage (fit of rage) each time unit lands a critical hit
  
  
• Alchemist's Creme Brulee: +5% damage for each bonus and debuff applied to target
  
• Lake Fish Bouillabaise: +5% damage (rage) each time unit performs an attack
  
• Swamp Bourguignon: +15% damage if this unit is adjacent to an animal
  
• Cheesy Macaron: +1% damage to attacks of opportunity each time unit performs an attack of opportunity
  
• Mushroom Sardine: +10% damage against animals
  
• Stuffed Fangs: +10% damage if fighting at night or in darkness
  
• Gladiator's Stew: +10% damage if target is affected by poison, burning, or bleeding
  
• Ray Fin Flambe: Damage inflicted by boarding and the ballista in combat is doubled
  
  
• Pork Stew: Max Valour points +1
  
• Feast of Five Kingdoms: Max Valour points +2; Valour points +10
  
• Creature Comforts: Max Valour points +2; Movement +1
  
• Whisky: Valour points +2
  
  
• Bream Tajine: Start battle with Alertness
  
• Vineyard Cutlets: Start battle with Alertness
  
• Shark Touffe: Start battle with Offensive Elation
  
• Two-Fish Tartare: Start battle with Offensive Elation
  
• Captain's Booty: Start battle with Alertness and Offensive Elation
  
• Rat Stew: If the battlefield is indoors, enemies start battle with Surprise on the first round
  
  
• Cherry Fritters: Chance of earning resources from combat +10%
  
• Bear Stew: Chance of earning equipment from combat +10%
  
  
• Traveller's Soup: Influence gain after an ambush +20%; XP gain after an ambush +20%
  
• Mountaineer's Hotpot: Krowns gained after a battle in the snow +5%; Influence gain after a battle in the snow +5%
  
  
• Chef's Platter (relevant if taking prisoners): Security +20%

Trading:

• The Broker's Table: Purchase price of trade goods -20%
  
• Seed Sausage: Sale price of trade goods +10%

Influence:

• Seed Biscuits: Influence gains +15%

Profession XP:

• Lavender Syrup Biscuits: Profession XP gains +20%

Knowledge XP:

• Lake Fish Terrine: Knowledge XP gains +20%

Reputation:

• Tuna with Olives: Reputation gains +50%
  
• Souvenirs from Akhed: Reputation gains +50%

Suspicion:

• Crocswine Pie: Suspicion meter depletes 20% faster
  
• Souvenirs from Akhed: At sea, suspicion depletes 20% faster

Foraging:

• Sea Bass Marinated in Hemp Oil: When the troop collects a resource in the world, they gain a 25% chance to collect another

8. Sample Itineraries

Travel Day

Focus on fatigue reduction and movement speed:

• Banner resolution (Overflowing Motivation) for fatigue reduction
  
• Eating Apple Pancakes (or Culture Shock / Hill Delights) for fatigue reduction
  
• Eating Trapper's Fondue or drinking Kirsch or Absinthe for movement speed

Optionally:

• Banner resolution (Expected Profits) for extra carrying capacity if you want to bring extra trade goods
  
• Banner resolution (Coordinated Gathering) if you want to collect resources along the way

Exploration Day

Since knowledge can be hard to acquire in the early game, this is the one that got me to really focus on batching my daily activities. It does involve knowing the map beforehand and intentionally leaving certain areas to explore only on particular days.

Focus on fatigue reduction and movement speed:

• Banner resolution (Overflowing Motivation) for fatigue reduction
  
• Eating Apple Pancakes (or Culture Shock / Hill Delights) for fatigue reduction
  
• Eating Trapper's Fondue or drinking Kirsch or Absinthe for movement speed

Knowledge XP bonuses:

• Banner resolution (Thirst for Knowledge) is the key one here
  
• In the mid to late game, you can also get access to Lake Fish Terrine which provides an added knowledge bonus but that is the second to last recipe to steal from rival taverns

Besides exploring, you also get knowledge XP from crafting items for the first time. This is often indicated by an icon:


However, crafting some items for the first time will reveal a new blueprint or recipe that can be learned by spending knowledge points:


What is not obvious is that crafting these items for the first time not only unlocks a new blueprint or recipe but it ALSO grants knowledge XP as well.

Thus you may want to batch together first crafts for an exploration day to get extra knowledge XP.

Crafting Day

Utilize profession XP bonuses such as by eating Lavender Syrup Biscuits.

Can often be combined with Exploration Days and/or Trading Days.

Trading Day

• Use banner resolution (Trade Fair) to sell crafted items
  
• Eat Seed Sausage to sell trade goods

Fighting Day

Depending on your party composition and the battles you plan, you have a lot of potential options:

• Banner resolutions can increase your combat XP (Swift Progress) or earn you more loot (Respect for the Enemy)
  
• Food and drink can increase your stats, increase your critical hit or damage, increase your damage, give you Valour points, let you start combat with various statuses, help you earn more loot, or improve camp security if you plan to take prisoners and send them to jail

Shoplifting Day

• Use the banner motivation (Faking Innocence) so that the Guard isn't chasing you around
  
• Alternatively, you can try to boost movement speed and reduce fatigue if you want to outrun the Guard
  
• Eat Crocswine Pie to reduce your suspicion

[coyo7e]

Ironically during Early Access and until fairly recently, batch-crafting would literally give you LESS experience the larger the batches got.. So 1 lockpick would give 1 exp, but 5 would give like 3 xp, and 10 would give 5 xp, etc etc.. This hit every crafting item you could batch-craft, and it literally took the devs YEARS to look into it and address it.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ was it annoying to make 25 bread loaves one at a time because if I made all 25 I'd get less than half of the exp I would by doing them one at a time.. LOL!

Some code really ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up the ratio math on that one and it took them a shockingly-long time to address what was literally almost certainly just a simple math error where they divided instead of multiplied or moved a decimal one spot to the wrong direction in some equation.

I'm very, very glad they fixed it though and you get bonuses for batch-crafting now.