Hobbies And Interests
Haggling and Bribes
Haggling is an effective method of lowering the costs of certain items when visiting shops. Generally, haggling is more effective when the shopkeepers are smiling. An efficient way to help your haggling is to bribe the shopkeepers by giving them a crate of flowers. Ports such as Abidjan sell crates of flowers, so keep crates of flowers at hand to bribe the shopkeepers. You need a crate per bribe and must present it before you begin haggling.
Ingredients
Ingredients are the core of the game because you need to have the ingredients to bake chocolates. Some ingredients are seasonal, and others are available only at certain shops and ports. An efficient way to know where to find ingredients is to keep a list of your own. Write the name of the ports, shops and ingredients on a sheet of paper to know where you can find readily available ingredients. Ingredients such as pecans are generally less pricey when they are in season, so mark down when the ingredients are in season. This way you can stock up while they are in season at a lower cost. Generally, ingredients that are in season will show up in green, while those that are not are in red. Use ingredients as soon as possible so they do not spoil.
Networking
Visit every location available to you when you are visiting ports and explore new shops. This will help you keep track of ingredient locations and uncover quests. Quests allow you to get new recipes and progress in the game. Characters such as Sarah Hoffenpepper, Habib Lalu, Cyrus Rush and Bernard Shintero will appear at random throughout the game with quests and advice. Inns and bars also provide tips and hints throughout the game, so visit inns and bars to speak to the people there.
Planning and Expenses
To ensure success in the game, plan your travel and expenses. Traveling is expensive and may require large amounts of time depending on the location. Plot travel times and have enough supplies on hand to keep your factory running. When you run out of supplies, your factory will stop running. Base your travels on which ingredients you need versus visiting ports at random if you are low on money. Don't spend all your money in one location -- keep money for your trip and the return to your chocolate factory.