Bonus XP Weekend!

From the Jagex Website:

"When you initially log in on the weekend, you will gain approx 2.7x XP for all "normal training" activities (see the question below for a list). While you are logged in, a timer will be running over the time you are logged into the game. Over time, the bonus will decrease to a minimum of 1.1x your usual rate."

HOLY CRAP!

Something of this magnitude needs careful and meticulous planning.  Priorities need to be set and materials need to be gathered.  Because when that timer starts, Wrthlss Noob is going to explode.  I have Friday and Saturday off, so I fully intend to spend every waking moment possible training something.  Apologies in advance to Dylan and Zack.

Expensive skills are currently a priority, followed immedately by hard to train skills and skills which require special, untradable materials (Summoning).

Herblore immedately rises to the top of that list, as does Construction.  Both skills are skills that I really want to train up.  Smithing makes the list from the "hard to train" category, and while Summoning would normally be high on this priority list, I'm happy with my current level.  Fletching makes the cut as a wildcard, from the "skills I hate to train" category.

Current Priority List (as of 3/8/10):

#1)  Herblore
#2)  Smithing
#3)  Construction/Magic
#4)  Summoning
#5)  Fletching

My weekend rounders will be Fishing, with possibly a little bit of Slayer and Runecrafting thrown in for good measure.

Preps:

Herblore:  I have bought about 3m gp worth of herb seeds, and I plan to continue to farm and possibly do more Herblore throughout the weekend.  *NEW*  I realized that I would save a lot of time by making unfinished potions, and so this is done.  I currently have over 2.6k various unfinished potions stockpiled.

Smithing:  I have made plans for trips to GWD to obtain Adamant bars, and I'm saving the bars made from ores obtained from star bonuses.  While my goal is 2.5k bars, I will continue to add to this total as time permits.  I need at least 89 Smithing for the Ardy Achievement Diary.  2.5k bars will insure at least 80 Smithing.

Construction/Magic:  I have a signifigant number of mahogany logs, which I intend to use Plank Make during the bonus weekend.  I have not yet made sure that I have enough runes/money for this, but calculations are forthcoming.  I have no particular goal for either skill, other than "higher than they are now."  *NEW*  Plank Make kills a lot of time, so I decided to make the planks beforehand.  While Magic is not necessarily off the table, making planks is.

Summoning:  I do not intend to persue charms (outside of daily Bork battles), but I will be gathering the necessary secondaries to use the charms I have.  *NEW*  I've changed my mind, and decided to do a little Slayer in order to boost my charms.  This is not a signifigant focus, however.

Fletching:  This is an extremely small priority, and really I just want to save myself some time in the future by boosing it a level or two in a short time.  Bank space will quickly become an issue, so I don't want to have a lot of logs hanging out in my bank.  So, I need 431 Yew logs to train my Fletching to 85 (Mage Longbow).  I intend to have 1k Magic logs that I will fletch and string.  These will either be sold or alched.

Fishing:  I have a goal of 90 Fishing, so that I can fish Rocktail.  I'll be switching back and forth between Monkfish (to sell) and Sharks (for food).

Slayer:  Not a terribly large concern, but I can't pass up the chance of some bonus Slayer xp.  Iron Dragons is up currently, and I'll stick with that for starters to save a few charges on my Gloves of Dragonslaying.  This is just to break up the monotny of Fishing.

I will not repost, but instead, will make relative changes here.

Chapter 2-Episode 7: 1 to 20 Construction on 1,013 gp

Caution: this will only work if you have a Smithing level of 4 or higher.

This is a simple and easy procedure that anyone can follow...as long as you have a bit over 1k gp.

First thing you do is head to Barbarian Outpost (or anywhere esle that planks respawn), and fill your inventory with planks. Just once...that's all you'll need for now. Next, mine enough copper and tin to make 10-20 bronze bars, and smith them into nails. Head to any real estate agent (there's one in Varrock and Falador, among numerous other places), and shell out 1k gp for your "starter house". Then, head to the sawmill and buy a saw for 13 gp. Now head to the bank and make sure you have all this in your inventory: pickaxe (equipped), hammer, saw, lots of nails, 1 bucket, and as many planks as you can carry. Now you're ready to go to Rimmington and see your new house! Yeah, it ain't much...but after all we're noobs here.

Switch over to building mode, and start building chairs (there are 3 spots for them). Once they're built, remove one and rebuild it. Keep doing that until your Construction level is 4, then build a bookcase (bookcases are good, and I'll tell you why at the end). Then use up your planks rebuilding chairs until you run out of planks.

Now, head over to the mine and fill your inventory with clay. Stop by the well, fill your buckets and make soft clay. All you have to do is rebuild the clay fireplace, restocking yourself at the mine when the clay's all gone.

I will not lie to you, this is a long and monotonous process. In fact it's faster to build a workshop at Construction level 15, and start making oak chairs at 19 (of course, you'll need oak planks). But it isn't much more effort to go all the way to 20.

Tips for cost effective Construction:

Keep it simple. I've trained Construction on numerous characters, and it's always cheaper to wait until your Construction reaches 60 before building most rooms. To start with I usually only build a workshop and a quest hall (quest hall for a mounted Amulet of Glory. I'll add a study as well if I plan to make teletabs. On my last character, I had to build a Costume Room as soon as I could to empty bank space (storing armor, robes and other valuables).

Make your workshop close to the portal. This saves you huge amounts of running time. You also want to make sure that it's as up to date as you can make it. The workshop will possibly be the most useful room in your house at higher levels.

Design a building plan. Architects make floorplans, you should too. This will save you a fortune in creating rooms that you're going to have to move later.

Never use gold leaf or marble blocks untill you're building the best possible piece of furniture. High end building materials are way expensive, so don't build something with expensive materials if you're just going to have to tear down again in a few levels.

Make sure you have access to a bookcase. Many books you pick up in the game can be found in the bookcase in your house. This lets you access those books later, even after you drop them. Some helpful examples include the prayer book (the one that cures poison, not the wieldable one), the Elemental Workshop books (with the key if you've lost it) and Tarn's Diary.

This time I have my house all planned out up to level 70, so I know where I want to build all my rooms. This way I can have a functional house that reflects my Construction level that I won't have to rebuild in the future.

(My house...yes, that's all there is.)