Chef Archive
Thread: How do you keep on top of your Resoures?
I just used 100k each in a handful of resources tonight. Lots and lots of factories runs going on...I harvested ALL the time while working through chef. I had full stacks (100k) of severalresources by the time I hit master...its all gone and has been replaced 4-5 times over by now. Be prepared...or is that afraid. 
As an established master, it is definitely best to get the largest quantities you can of whatever you're going to use. But I know I was glad I got a little bit of everything along the way. It allowed me to experiment with almost every type of food and drink once I was a master. It's also nice because you may get an oddball request sometimes, so you may use something that you don't normally.
Once you know the ropes, you can get really focused on what you need. But really, if you can stand it, just finish the grind asquick as you can, then you can focus on specific resources 100%. That's certainly a viable option, and depending on how fast you go you may only miss out on a shift or two, which isn't a big deal in the whole scheme of things.
This runs a bit counter to your advice Marrok but I'd recommend *not* grinding, but rather working Chef normally. That doesn't mean you don't do any grinding etc. I just feel it's important to make it fun, to experiment and to accrue your customer base early! hehe The point of going a bit slowly is, in reality it's not that slow really - I know others say Chef took a long time and I'm sorry, coming from someone who GM'd Carpentry before UO:R I have to disagree (translation for those who never played UO: a really really really long time hehee). Anyway, by going a bit slower, as I said you will start getting customers which can help your sales down the road. There are not so many Chefs that you have to be paranoid about the competition either and I've found that people who understand how good Chef foods *can* be, will be very loyal to their chosen Chef.
It can be a bit frustrating at times because you'd like to be able to help them with Master items/experimented items *now* but I think it pays off in the long run. Also, as Marrok says you may get some oddball request and frankly I pity the Chefs who haven't been able to make at least on thing of the unbugged/not needing milk items. At least you'll have time to play with things and really get to know what's what before you're a slave to your factory hehe. And I just think it really helps to keep cases of burnout down. *shrugs*
Re: resources (*coughs* to get back on point, sorry for the rambling):
I tend to make use of friends who're doctors - we watch out for floras together, sometimes service each other's harvesters. Exchange floras sometimes. Just basically look out for each other and keep an eye on the current resources. You *must* track resources (unfortunately) pretty much constantly in order to keep up. I find it really hard to get good flora otherwise =/ some flora I simply haven't got good enough piles of 
Corn and Oats seem to be *very* lacking lately, or just in general!
OQ is the only "real" stat I'm personally sure of that Chef's must have - PE and FL also - if you can get all three it rules! I've yet to see any flora with those all high - it's always two high and one low *grumbles*
I borrow friends' lots sometimes, though I try not to (I don't like imposing and it's difficult to move them quickly). Atm I've one friend who put down two harvesters for me and I've put down one for another friend (it was near an imp base we found out and she's covert Reb, it was pretty funny when we ran out there and she got one shotted hehe).
On the subject of lots - I broke down and did some crossserver lot trades with a close friend. My lots on his server for his on mine, basically. Not a good arrangement for harvesters but it works for a storage house and my factories (even though I loose my merchant discount, getting my 5 lots back is worth it!)
Otherwise, the only thing I can say besides being vigilant and quick to move when resources pop, is to inquire with your PA members, if you're lucky enough to be in a good one, and possibly you can get some hunters who can bring you back meats/hides/bones in exchange for food/drink or just at a lower price than the 'market value'.
Anyway, good luck! I hope this helps some
I have an emerging upkeep system with a bit of setup (Not for grinding, for master only):
-First I check SWGcraft.com for anything that comes up with good stats.... (Fl + Pe + Oq) / 3 > 850
-I contract out those resources at a good enough price to get 400-500k worth.
-After delivery, I store in a backback with it's type. I have a backpack for: Meat, Vegetable, Fruit, Misc.(metal, radioactive, lubricating oil, reactive gas).
-I record the name and quantity on my /notes under my "Reserves" header.
-I run an excel macro against my notes.txt and my mail (I use /mailsave to collect my vendor sales messages)
-From that I'm working on a sales analysis showing my needed resources, and comparing them against my resource reserves.
-No matter what, I'll always collect and average > 950 resource, but depending on my reserves, I'll collect > 850 ones as well.
I'm trying to integrate my crate inventories with this somehow (I'll probably use /notes), and after some robust testing, it will all be together.
I didn't mean to give the impression that grinding is the only way to go or the best way to go. Personally I wanted to get through the grind so I wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. It gave me a piece of mind that I could make whatever someone wanted (minus the milk and broken items obviously). There's really no single best way to do things. It's all up to the individual.
And what kind of resources are they putting on Ahazi. PE+OQ+FL/3 = 950+? Jeez, I'm excited about 800+, and I get light-headed if it's cereal. Maybe it's just me...
About 1 organic resource per week is in the 800-900 average range, and about 3 total organics have spawned with 950ish numbers. Last month there was fruit with Pe=1000, Oq=993 (Ako), and in the first month there was a vegetable green (Vivo) that had 950-1000ish stats across the board (and it didn't show up on SWGcraft!). Some people have put up some silly numbers on other servers as well, you just have to be patient, and a little lucky
I was just saying that I like my resources to be in that range, and if I'm really hard up for a domestic oat because of a shortage, I'll go as low as a 600 on it. But if anything shows up with a 900+ score, then I consider it "uber" and I strip mine it out of existence, regardless if I have 1 million units of the same type in storage.
Ok, to grind get4 heavies (if they are affordable) and put them on the ingerdients for Ithorians (2 on wheat of course). Then if you have any lots left get more heavies (or what you can afford) and place them on the best resource you can find on swgcraft.comso you can start gathering good resources for when you are Master.
This way you are able to grind as you want to but are still gathering decent resources while you get up there. I also check the bazaar to see what people are selling and pickup the random item with good stats. This has allowed me to experiment with different recipes when I get curious or a customer has a special request.