[quest] the memory eater (shaper's orbs) - guidelines

WARNING : THE FOLLOWING DATA ISN'T ACCURATE ANYMORE, SINCE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE QUEST IN PATCH 3.3.

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Welcome =]

What follows is a compilation of what i discovered, rode, but includes a few theories aswell.
Anybody is welcome to contribute to the accuracy of the data, just don't accuse me of speaking the truth, i stopped using that word long ago.
Feel free to reply here if there are things you don't understand, or for any help related to the quest.



CONCEPT

We'll assume that you're already familiar with the basics of how the elder's influence works.
Now, you need to make his influence reach specific tier maps on the atlas, for which a purple ring will spawn around them, indicating that a memory fragment will drop from the boss.
Afterwards, those fragments are to be given to zana in exchange for the corresponding shaper's orbs.
The map tiers you're looking for are :

T6 map > T1 orb
T7 map > T2 orb
T8 map > T3 orb
T9 map > T4 orb
T10 map > T5 orb
T11 map > T6 orb
T12 map > T7 orb
T13 map > T8 orb
T14 map > T9 orb
T15 map > T10 orb
T13 map + guardian > T8 orb
T14 map + guardian > T9 orb
T15 map + guardian > T10 orb
T14 map + elder > T9 orb
T15 map + elder > T10 orb

The maps where the fragments spawn don't matter, only their tiers.
I haven't tried on shaped maps, but haven't seen any successful report either.
The order in which you gather the fragments doesn't matter, as they seem to pop automatically once you have both conditions fullfilled (right map tier & influence|occupation).
However, it appears you can only get 1 fragment per map, so in the case you are fullfilling the conditions for multiple fragments at once, you'll get the fragment according to the order specified above.

Though the first 10 just require the elder's influence to be on the map, the last 5 additionally require the elder or one of his guardians to occupy it.
In case you don't know, those automatically spawn on the atlas once your elder's influence has reached 20+ maps (we'll call that a "wave").
The location where they spawn seems to be a combination of multiple factors (it is highly suspected that the initial location of the influence is one of them, and it is a fact that they have better chances to pop on higher tiers).
So, for those, you basically have to extend the influence to T13-15 maps, reach 20+ influenced maps, and pray that elder|guardians pop at the right places.
Whether it's a success or not, you'll have to kill guardians+elder to start a new wave.
As far as probabilities are concerned, the best spot to farm is definitely the north-west quarter of red maps, and ideally the whole west side (4 T13s, 3 T14s, & 3 T15s on the same wave, though a bit more technical).
As an indicator, it took me 16 waves to gather all the guardian & elder fragments, though that number has been smaller or bigger for other people.



QUEST PROGRESS

When you get each fragment, i highly recommend to note somewhere the map tier where it dropped, aswell as the map status (influence only, guardian, or elder).
In case you didn't do that, to know the orbs you're missing, you have to first identify the orbs you already have, which can be :

allocated :
Check your atlas, and for each map you have shaped, substract 5 from its tier to know which orb was used on it.

unallocated :
They can still be in your inventory, or in your crafting benches.
Also, if you haven't recovered some from zana, they should be listed in her dialogue box.

Additionally, your quest status can be one of these :


You haven't recovered all the first 10 fragments (the ones that require influence only).


You're done with the first 10 fragments.
You haven't recovered all 3 guardian fragments.


You're done with the first 10 fragments, and the 3 guardian fragments.
You haven't recovered all 2 elder fragments.



DUPLICATE RINGS

When multiple maps of the same tier and status (influence or occupation) are elligible for a fragment drop, they all have a purple ring on the atlas, allowing you to "decide" where you get the corresponding fragment, after what all rings vanish simultaneously.



PARTIES

It's possible to gather the first 10 fragments in maps opened by someone else, as long as the maps have the proper tiers, and are elder-influenced.
I personally tried to share my T15 elder fragment with a friend that had the exact same progress, and no fragment dropped for him, so i guess it's safe to say that you have to be the map opener for the last 5 fragments.

wave#11 : shot
distribution : T10-T11-T12-T13-T14 - no fragments
progress : 12/15 orbs

the Elder end-game quest is so poorly designed, shame on GGG

wave#12 : shot
distribution : T10-T11-T12-T13-T14 - no fragments
progress : 12/15 orbs

wave#13 : shot
distribution : T12-T13-T14-T14-T15 - 2 fragments
progress : 14/15 orbs

At last =]
Very interesting wave.
I carefully checked my quest log after the T15 map (guardian), and before the T14 map (elder), and to my surprise, it changed.
That means 2 things :
1) One of the T9 orbs is elder-exclusive.
2) Some fragments from both guardians & elder can be generated on the same wave.
I updated some stuff on my first post, according to the new data.
Now, for the last T10 orb, and since i have a friend who has the exact same progress, we gonna try to test partying, who knows...

sorry but this is wrong. i got 4 memory frags in a row from t10 or t11 maps all the way to t14 crimson temple by trying to get elder influence defeated and respawned in yellow or white tiers cause i was interested in low lvl elder farming. but instead i kept pushing his influence higher and higher tier each time revealing a new fragment hold.

each time the elder influence was only about 2 maps, when crimson temple was defeated he moved his influence to t15 map after it but since i didnt have the map i didnt bother to try to get the t15 map fragment because yes, that one also held the orb. i dont evwen have any plan to cash those frags in as i play standard so i am savign them for when the league ends.


now i actually do not have many of my low or mid tier fragments yet, but i have most of my top end memory fragments already

"

sendantes wrote:

sorry but this is wrong. i got 4 memory frags in a row from t10 or t11 maps all the way to t14 crimson temple by trying to get elder influence defeated and respawned in yellow or white tiers cause i was interested in low lvl elder farming. but instead i kept pushing his influence higher and higher tier each time revealing a new fragment hold.

each time the elder influence was only about 2 maps, when crimson temple was defeated he moved his influence to t15 map after it but since i didnt have the map i didnt bother to try to get the t15 map fragment because yes, that one also held the orb. i dont evwen have any plan to cash those frags in as i play standard so i am savign them for when the league ends.


now i actually do not have many of my low or mid tier fragments yet, but i have most of my top end memory fragments already

Thanks for the feedback, but i believe what you are describing is the easy part, where you collect fragments in T6-T15 maps (T1-T10 orbs), without any guardians|elder occupation actually required.
The hard part comes after that.
Feel free to re-read my post, slower.
Cheers =]

wave#14 : shot
distribution : T9-T10-T11-T12-T13 - no fragments
progress : 14/15 orbs

A proper fail, T10 elder.

wave#15 : shot
distribution : T13-T14-T14-T15-T15 - no fragments
progress : 14/15 orbs

Most unlucky wave, ever.

"

xhul wrote:

Welcome =]

What follows is a compilation of what i discovered, rode, but includes a few theories aswell.
Anybody is welcome to contribute to the accuracy of the data, GGG included.
Just don't accuse me of speaking the truth, i stopped using that word long ago.



PART 1 - 10 orbs

Easy, assuming you're already familiar with how the elder's influence works.
All you need to do is make the influence reach specific tier maps on the atlas, for which you should see a blue ring around them, meaning that a memory fragment will drop from the boss.
Afterwards, give the fragments to zana in exchange for the corresponding shaper's orbs.
The map tiers you're looking for are :

T6 map > T1 orb
T7 map > T2 orb
T8 map > T3 orb
...and so on until...
T15 map > T10 orb

The maps where the fragments spawn don't matter, only their tiers.
Haven't tried on shaped maps, but haven't seen any successful report either.
I personally gathered the fragments in order, but maybe that could be done otherwise.



PART 2 - 5 orbs

Significantly more difficult, expensive, and time-consuming.
The procedure is identical to part 1, but additionally, the maps have to be occupied by the elder and his guardians.
In case you don't know, those automatically spawn on the atlas once your elder's influence has reached 20+ maps (let's call that a "wave").
Though their locations appear to be random, the elder and his guardians are always allocated contiguously.
The map tiers you're looking for are :

T13 map + guardian > T8 orb
T14 map + guardian > T9 orb
T15 map + guardian > T10 orb
T14 map + elder > T9 orb
T15 map + elder > T10 orb

So, basically, you have to extend your influence to T13-15 maps, reach 20+ influenced maps, and pray that elder|guardians pop at the right places.
Whether it's a success or not, you'll have to kill guardians+elder to start a new wave.
The guardians occupying the maps don't matter, any is fine.
The order in which you gather the fragments doesn't matter, as they seem to pop automatically once you have both conditions fullfilled (right map tier & occupation).
Multiple fragments can spawn on the same wave, including combinations of elder & guardians occupations.
As far as probabilities are concerned, the best spot to farm is definitely the north-west quarter of red maps, and ideally the whole west side (4 T13s, 3 T14s, & 3 T15s on the same wave, though a bit more technical).
It's currently unknown whether all map tiers have an equal chance to become occupied or not, but as an indicator, i saw my first guardian on a T15 on my 13th wave, though it has been way quicker for some friends of mine.



QUEST LOGS

Depending on your progress, you can have one of these :

QUEST LOG A (part 1)

You haven't recovered all the first 10 fragments.
You currently have 0-9 orbs.

QUEST LOG B (part 2)

You're done with part 1, and haven't recovered all the fragments that drop from guardians.
You currently have 10-14 orbs.

QUEST LOG C (part 2)

You're done with part 1 and guardians, and haven't recovered all the fragments that drop from the elder.
You currently have 13-14 orbs.



HOW TO KNOW EXACTLY WHICH ORBS I'M MISSING ?

The only reliable way i can think of, is by identifying the orbs you already have, which can be :

allocated :
Check your atlas, and for each map you have shaped, substract 5 from its tier to know which orb was used on it.

unallocated :
They can still be in your inventory, or in your crafting benches.
Also, if you haven't recovered some from zana, they should be listed in her dialogue box.



DUPLICATE RINGS

I haven't experienced that myself, but from what i understood, when multiple maps of the same tier have the same type of occupation (influence for part 1, and guardian for part 2), they all have a blue ring, allowing you to "decide" where you get the corresponding fragment, after what all rings vanish simultaneously.



PARTYING

The idea here, is to have a fragment spawn on another player's atlas, allowing you to "leech" the drop.
Some have said it only works for part 1.
Being on the same part of the quest might make a difference here.
Further testing required, i guess.

Good guide! We are fighting for the last one. :(