I need to farm 165 OP, ideally today. What are the options?
The criteria are simple: fast, cheap, functional. No unnecessary frills or lengthy preparations—just things that actually earn points and don't rely on rare materials.
My brain, overclocked by the Intellect Potion and working at 110% of its capacity, immediately started throwing out ideas—from unexplored areas of crafting like clay sculpting and advanced woodworking, to creating more complex electronics and mechanisms, for which there are plenty of detailed guides online. However, I immediately dismissed most of the options: some lacked funding, some required expensive equipment or rare consumables, and some involved lengthy debugging, for which I have neither the time nor the energy right now. Plus, I consciously focused on practical and functional items: my limited experience has already confirmed that the system awards noticeably more OP for clear utility than for "beautiful but useless."
Naturally, while brainstorming ideas, I was scouring the internet: DIY forums (Do It Yourself), communities of homemade weapons and upgrades enthusiasts, mechanics, electricians, and even chemists in their respective threads. I was looking for inspiration and technological solutions everywhere; all I needed was one, maybe two items that I could assemble quickly and cheaply, and that the system would value "oh so dearly," meaning at least 50+ OP, like that Bulbamet. It, by the way, perfectly met all my current criteria, except for one frustrating fact: it had already been crafted, and the system wouldn't be impressed by a repeat of 50+ OP.
I even considered more complex versions of the Bulbamet: a pneumatic version with a compressor, a multi-barreled modification, and even a Gauss-Bulbamet (yes, I found detailed instructions for that monster online too—I'm shocked myself). But everything came down to the same problem. I'm not sure how the system would evaluate this—not cheating, of course, but rather a clever repetition. Formally, the Bulbamet, even of legendary rarity and complexity, conceptually remains a Bulbamet, which means there's a risk of getting a reduced multiplier. Plus, there's the issue of buying and finding materials, especially for the Gauss version: some components are both rare and expensive. In short, we're discarding the Bulbamet option for now. Especially since I found what I was looking for, and it's once again PVC pipes, which turned out to be a much more versatile and interesting tool for crafting than I previously thought.
On one of the DIY forum threads, I came across an enthusiast who was methodically describing and showing the process of creating all sorts of "weapons"—if it's even appropriate to call these essentially harmless shooting crafts that. Considering that I have five Bulbamets at my disposal, which I can disassemble for fittings and fasteners if necessary, and I'll buy the missing pipes—two hundred dollars will be more than enough; they're inexpensive—I was immediately interested in several of his designs. For each of them, I think, the system will generously shower OP: simple mechanics, clear functionality, neat result.
The first option is a PVC Crossbow. A lightweight crossbow where a PVC pipe serves as the basis for both the bow and the body, and the shot is powered by an elastic cord. The materials are simple: pipes (I already have some on the shelf), elastic cord, a wooden or plastic handle, a couple of metal brackets, screws, washers, and other small items for rigidly fixing the joints. I'll make bolts or arrows from ordinary wooden dowels: slightly adjust the geometry, glue on light tips, or simply sharpen them—and it's ready. The whole process takes a few hours, and the result is quite functional. In short, the crossbow is a go.
The second option—it would be logical to say PVC Bow, but it's too easy to assemble: there's a high probability that the system will evaluate it at a symbolic 10 OP. And I'm saving materials now and don't want to burn them on a deliberately "thin" result. Therefore, ignoring the bow, I'm settling on a PVC Water Gun. In essence, a water pump-action gun, only more powerful than a typical pistol. For crafting, you need a pipe (naturally), a pump—manual or bicycle—a check valve, a nozzle (one from a garden hose will do), and PVC sealant or glue to keep everything pressure-tight. The whole set costs little, assembles quickly, and the system loves that: a clear mechanism with obvious functionality. I'm marking it in my mind as the second required item.
Initially, I also wanted a third, final, and most complex option, but after looking at the guide, I discarded it almost immediately. Screw it—making a PVC Pneumatic Turret. Servos, a microcontroller for automation, solenoid valves, compressed-air compressors, wiring, debugging—a beautiful project, but not my level in terms of time and risk right now. After watching a half-hour video where the guy made it all look so smooth and beautiful, I soberly realized: it can be repeated, but the cost of error and resource consumption is high. Theoretically, if you really want to, like with that Intellect Potion, for which I assembled a damn Marx Generator, you can do it, but it will take God knows how much time and effort. At this stage, I'll make do with the Crossbow and the Water Gun; if necessary, I'll assemble two or three copies of each and get the missing points. 165 OP today—achievable.
Okay, we've sorted out the crafting. What's next on the agenda? The budget to get out of Hell's Kitchen (if only to understand where exactly), and a scheme to convert the ores from the "cheating" box into real money. With the first one, it's more or less clear: I need a private house with a garage extension and a large backyard, ideally not visible to neighbors. In terms of neighborhoods, the obvious priorities are Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island: that's where houses that fit my criteria are most often found. After studying the city map and estimating prices, I eventually settled on Brooklyn and Queens. Yes, the monthly rent there is slightly higher than on Staten Island, but the proximity to Manhattan is tempting, and the areas themselves feel more noble, so to speak. And the logistics are simpler.
What about prices? Here I was pleasantly surprised. Renting this studio in Hell's Kitchen for 500 bucks, I expected a private house with a garage and a yard in a decent neighborhood to be a couple of times more expensive, but not six to eight times. A two-story townhouse in Brooklyn for 4,500 bucks a month… fucking hell, and that's putting it mildly. On top of that, a broker's fee of 10–15% of the annual rent, which is another few thousand gone; utilities, which are often not included in the price; insurance; and a deposit—from several thousand up to ten. It turns out that I'll need a minimum of $20,000 on hand to painlessly rent a house for some quiet crafting for at least three months, and ideally for six. I'm fixing the lower limit: twenty thousand.