Tiberium skull question

[beardeux]

Hi,  I just recently learned about the transfiguation of gems and the tiberium skull cut.  I enjoy the gems very much and decided to give this a go.  I bought the display case and I got the supernovium & compendium right off the bat.  Great!   I then used the 'recipe' for the tiberium skull given in the Sims's guide as follows:

How to Get the Skull Cut
With 5 different cuts on the table, for example, using the following combination I could reliably produce a skull cut Tiberium:
4x heart shaped tiberium
1x Spire Cut Tiberium
1x Emerald Cut Ruby
1x Oval Cut Sapphire
1x Plumbbob cut Blue Topaz

I then spent about about 1 week (sim time) with my character breaking space rocks to collect enough tiberium for the skull.  Then he collected the other gems, had them cut and for all the time & money spent (a spire cut @ 6500, x4 heart cut @ 1000 ea (not to mention the cut value of the spire & heart gems...$ lost) and the small gems, I was completely dismayed when I ended up with a ruby skull worth 730.   Oh my goodness...Ouchhhh.

I'd like to try again, but the money involved is scary if the end product is this poor.  I've since read about just using the heart cut to get a spire-still a lot of money.  I saw this happen for the first time when I sent my first raw gem to be cut as a heart shape.  When it changed to a spire, it caught me by surprise.  So, then I waited and collected all 4 before getting them cut, so they wouldn't change on me.

This was the first use of the case and transfiguration for a skull.  Is there a learning curve for the sims.  Might he have to try several times before he produces the tiberium skull or is it just luck (in this case, lousy)?  Would I be correct in assuming the ruby skull won't gain any value above the 730?  I was really disappointed.
Bear

[Pam]

The result of using transfigurification is based on percentages that can get fairly complicated quickly.  It's not quite as random as luck, but it's not 100% certain that you'll get what you want, either.  There's no learning curve, either.  The Sim doesn't get better the more he does it.  And that ruby skull will not gain value.  Successfully producing a skull cut Tiberium is probably the most difficult of all the transfigurifications.  I think you just need to keep trying. 

[beardeux]

Ok, thanks...I hope he can recoup his money.  I was shocked.  I will use the heart cut though.  That will save me half anyway.  Thanks for responding so quickly.  I will let you know if I get one.
Bear

[Pam]

Good luck!  Also, be aware that the Tiberium skull probably won't be worth as much as you hope.  I don't remember their values, but I was never impressed.  It's more about having the very rare gem in a collection.

[beardeux]

Good to know.  Thanks.  I just got a topaz skull for 560, less than the ruby.  I too am not impressed.  I'll give it a couple more tries.  Too much money wasted.
Bear

[Pam]

Are you using the exact formula you listed in the first post every time you try?

[beardeux]

yes, I've used this exact formula.  I'm wondering if I tried x4 spires and one heart cut tib. plus the other three lower quality gems.

[Pam]

You might end up with a spire shaped gem if you do that, but it's really hard to say for sure.  I know Carl wouldn't have listed that formula if he didn't have the success he claimed, but it's all still a gamble every time you push that button on the display case.  You're trying to give it enough different cuts to produce a skull cut gem, give it enough Tiberium to make that what the skull is made of, and not give it enough of anything else to make the skull come out as another gem.  I also know that formula was written right after World Adventures came out and that the formula for some things changed as other metals and such were introduced into the game, but I really don't think this particular formula would have changed.

[beardeux]

Ok.  I'm still working on it...at the moment my space rock breaking is yielding everything but tib.  Maybe the board breaker needs a break.  At least he's recouped his money.  It's a challenge for sure but that's what it's all about. I half expect my next one to be saphire.  ;-)
I want him to have one though so I'll keep at it.  It's kind of fun to wait and see just what's going to appear.  A tantalizing moment even in defeat.
side note - I expected the compendium to be worth more than the supernovium, but not the case here.  About 2000 difference.  Maybe because of the metals used, although I tried to use more valuable ones.  Neat though.  I'm always collecting so there's plenty of time to get higher quality ores.

[Pam]

The thing about Compendium is that you can keep working with it and you'll get increasingly more valuable ingots.  Supernovium won't do that.  If I remember correctly, you need to make two Compendium ingots, then put them back on the display table with the other correct amounts of different metals.  The resulting ingot takes the value of the two original ingots and multiplies them by some amount that I can't recall (bad memory ).  Do it enough times and you'll have a very valuable Compendium ingot.

[beardeux]

ah, wonderful.  I'll be doing just that.  What a great game.  Thanks for everything and I will post when I finally get my tiberium skull.  It will be a proud moment.   

[Anushka]

Pam already noted that it is really a matter of chance and no exact formula. In my experience, you need 5 different cuts and same gem type to get the skull cut of that gem for shore. Since with tiberium you can't get them cut in more than 2, you need to rely on different and uncertain formula - 5 different cuts (2 tiberium and 3 from other gems) and you still have chance to have one of those gems in final result. Technically you can place 5 tiberiums - one spire other heart cut, and 3 emeralds in 3 cheapest cuts and hope for the tiberium skull, not the emerald skull (since it is still 5:3 chances on tiberium skull to appear).
To make the process faster with less loss, you can save the game after placing gems but before transfigurating them, and exit without save back to main menu if you don't like the result. I used the small not developed world for that project as it saved me the saving and loading time. If you want to do it in regular game then it there is a reasonable chance that you'll lose a lot of tiberiums to get that skull. Spire cuts of gems are giving the highest value of the gem, but only few gems are valuable enough to be worth the investment of several tiberiums involved in transfiguration. Others are just nice to have in the collection.
Also, to save money on spire cut, you can sent and cut all tiberiums in heart shape, then place one or two on the ground and keep the others in inventory, those heart shape should turn into spire and you'll get spire cut tiberium for 5.500$ less per gem.
If you have Pets,  get a dog and let him find gems too, it can speed up the process. With board breaker, I find that Lapis Lazuli and Fluorite are rarest gems that spawns in my game and that there are few tiberiums in each session at the board breaker, but I just might be lucky there.
Good luck in getting that skull

[beardeux]

thanks Anuska,  I will save my game.  That will save oodles of dollars.  He's currently in Egypt collecting tib.  That's a great idea.  I am now having all tib. cut as heart cut.  Which world is the undeveloped one? 

- later today - Upon return from Egypt I lost several quest items from his Shared family inventory, Eyes of Horus, Pangu ax & other specialty items .  So thankfully I had a backed up game of his completed adventures and put that into play.  So he had to go back to Egypt.  I got the gems needed and I saved when I had them cut and on the display.  It took a couple tries, but I got the tiberium skull.  Yeahhhh.  Worth 5000.  I then got a supernovium ingot (worth 6000) and now must get the compendium again.  These two metals will be easier though and now I can concentrate on them. 

I appreciate all the help.

[folcon]

Congrats beardeux.  I look forward myself to getting my sims' hands on a tibrium skull too.  Though I'm planning to try and get a full set of them.

[beardeux]

thanks and good luck to you too.  How many constitutes a full set?  Sounds like quite a job.