Livid Farm

Livid Farm is an activity in which the player helps Pauline Polaris run and maintain her farm. The farm is located on the northern part of Lunar Isle. The farm is tended to by casting Lunar spells, and experience is gained in Magic, Agility, Construction, Crafting, and Farming. Working on the farm earns Produce points which can be used to unlock new Lunar spells, and, after every spell is learned, wishes that affect training with certain Lunar spells.

On 20 October 2016, Mod Moltare hinted on twitter that the unlock costs for Livid Farm were due to be halved in a future update.

Introduction
Lokar Searunner approached Pauline after a sea adventure to Karamja, where Papa Mambo gave the crew of the Lady Zay some Jade Vine sprouts. Lokar brought these to Pauline and asked her to grow them. He called them L.I.V.I.D. (acronym for Lunar Isle Vine is Dangerous) However, due to the danger of the plant and the nature of Lunar Isle, Pauline cannot tend the plants by herself.

The goal of Livid Farming is to gain Produce Points. There are a set number of activities but they reset every 60 seconds and with practice it is possible to complete all of them during a 60 second round. However, there are no completion bonuses or other reasons to complete every cycle other than maximising your points per minute.

You also earn magic and other experience. The magic XP is the same as you would earn with a normal Lunar spell (with the same cost in runes), however you earn additional XP in other skills as well, depending on the activity.

Players without the required magic level to cast all the spells can still participate in Livid Farming, but doing so earns no magic XP for that activity and half the normal produce points of the activity (fertilising earns 10 points instead of 20, depositing a bundle earns 60 points, and so forth). If you do not have the Magic level to do a particular action, it may be worthwhile to use a Magic Potion or Vecna Skull to boost yourself to the required level.

You may check the possible awards for your levels by right clicking Pauline and selecting rewards, then selecting the tab Tasks. This tab will show if you will gain magic XP or not as well as Produce points earned. Your points can also be revealed using Quick Chat when you say "I've helped Pauline with X produce."

Requirements
No skills can be assisted or boosted
 * Completed Lunar Diplomacy
 * Have the Lunar Spellbook activated
 * 70 Magic
 * 60 Agility
 * 60 Crafting
 * 60 Farming
 * 50 Construction

Requirements to complete all the activities with full points and magic XP:
 * 91 Magic

Requirements to complete all the distractions (does not earn Produce Points):
 * 93 Magic

Main activity

 * Mud battlestaff (or substitutes)
 * Astral runes
 * Nature runes
 * Experience boosting sets
 * [[File:Construction-icon.png]] Constructor's outfit
 * [[File:Crafting-icon.png]] Artisan's outfit
 * [[File:Farming-icon.png]] Farmer's outfit

Distractions
With the exception of Murky Pat's Revenge, all runes are refunded upon successful completions. Essentially, you will never need more than 1 cosmic and mind rune, 2 law runes, and the desired number of death runes to do all diversions. Murky Pat's Revenge costs 3 death runes, but refunds 2.
 * Cosmic runes
 * Mind runes
 * Law runes
 * Death runes

Getting started
Entering the Livid Farm for the first time can be intimidating. The other players will be very busy with no time to chat. However, since there is no completion bonus, there is no reason not to take your time while you are getting to grips with the activity.

Looking around will show you the rows of Livid plants. There will be three empty plots and three sick livids among the healthy ones. Further examination of the farm will always show two fence sections that need fixing (along with a place to get lumber from) and will sometimes show livids in a bin ready for stringing (when there are no livids in the bin, Pauline needs "encouraging" instead). Every 60 seconds Pauline will reset the game and the empty plots and the sick livids will change position, and new sections of fence will need repair.

Almost all activities within the Livid Farm are left-click, and hovering the mouse will always show if a left click activity is possible. The simplest activity is fertilising an empty plot that takes only a single click, however all the activities can be completed in two or three clicks. If you attempt an activity and fail (for instance, encouraging Pauline when she does not require it), you will not waste any runes. It does not matter if you start an activity in one cycle and complete it in the next (except in the case of curing a sick livid, where because they have all changed, you will be unable to cure your chosen and now non-sick livid).

If you have only the minimum magic level required to enter the farm, only curing the sick livids will earn you full product points and magic XP. However all activities can be undertaken for reduced benefits.

Earning produce points
There are a number of activities that need to be done around the farm that earn produce points.


 * Fertilise empty plots using Fertile soil - 20 produce points. Click on an empty plot.
 * Cure diseased plants using Cure plant - 20 produce points. See Identifying the diseased Livid
 * Fix fence beams by using fence posts made from Lunar lumber with Plank make - 20 produce points. Click on lumber bin to take lumber, click on lumber in inventory to convert, click on damaged section of fence to fix. Take two lumbers from the bin at once to save time.
 * Deposit a bundle of 5 livid that is wrapped using String jewellery - 120 produce points. Click on livid bin to take 10 livids, click twice in inventory to make two bunches, click on cart to deposit for twice the number of points.
 * If there are no livids showing in the bin, it's time to encourage Pauline by saying some kind words (this does not use any runes) - 100 produce points. Right-click on Pauline and select the correct option, which could be one of the following:
 * Come on, you're doing so well.
 * Keep going! We can do this.
 * Look at all the produce being made.
 * Lokar will really appreciate this.
 * Extraordinary!
 * You're doing a fantastic job.
 * Note: A helpful way to do this would be to look at the first word or the length of the option. For example, if the first word is "Come," then select the first option. If it's "Keep" or "Lokar," then choose the second one. If it's "You're," then pick the third. Otherwise, if the dialogue is short, then select the fourth option, or if it's long, then the third option is correct.

If you do not have the required magic level the Produce Points earned will be halved. The maximum Produce Points that can be harvested is 850,000; going above this will give you a message to spend some points.

The Ibis, Suqah, and Murky Pat distractions provide no Produce Points.

Produce point costs
Counting nature and astral runes, and using a mud staff, the cost of produce points per rune is:


 * Cure plant: 20 points per rune
 * Bundle Livids: 60 points per rune
 * Fertile soil: 4 points per rune
 * Fence repairs: 6.6 points per rune

Earning experience
Each activity also provides experience in magic and one other skill.

Players who do not have the required magic level to cast a spell do not earn any Magic experience, but will earn the full Farming, Construction, Crafting, or Agility component of the activity.

Experience costs
Due to the fact that the only elemental runes used routinely on the Livid Farm are water and earth runes, equipping a Mud battlestaff to provide an infinite supply of both will make spellcasting cheaper overall. A Staff of earth alone may be a sensible compromise if this is not possible, due to water runes only being used in one spell.

The "Loss Per XP" figures in the following table is based on a specific task's total exp - i.e. not just magic or just farming/crafting/construction/agility (depending on the activity). However, the "Loss Per xp without magic level" figures are useful in two cases - if you do not have the magic level to earn magic XP, and if you want to ignore the magic XP gained in order to compare just the cost of gaining the secondary skill XP.


 * {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"

!Icon !Spell !Magic level ! width="125px" |Runes !Cost (with mud staff) !Magic xp !Skill xp !Loss per xp with Magic level (with mud staff) !Loss per xp without Magic level (with mud staff) 
 * [[File:Fertile Soil icon.png]]
 * Fertile Soil
 * 83
 * 0 (0)
 * 87
 * [[File:Farming-icon.png]] 91.8
 * 87
 * [[File:Farming-icon.png]] 91.8
 * [[File:Cure Plant icon.png]]
 * Cure Plant
 * 66
 * 0 (0)
 * 60
 * [[File:Farming-icon.png]] 91.8
 * 60
 * [[File:Farming-icon.png]] 91.8
 * [[File:String Jewellery icon.png]]
 * String Jewellery
 * 80
 * 0 (0)
 * 83
 * [[File:Crafting-icon.png]] 270
 * 83
 * [[File:Crafting-icon.png]] 270
 * [[File:Plank Make icon.png]]
 * Plank make
 * 86
 * 0 (0)
 * 90
 * [[File:Construction-icon.png]] 54.6
 * 90
 * [[File:Construction-icon.png]] 54.6
 * }

Identifying the diseased livid
New players will often waste lots of time at guessing the right shape of a diseased Livid. With some exercise, however, a player can easily identify a diseased Livid. An interface will open over your inventory window, pick the diseased Livid that matches. Picking the wrong option does not consume runes.
 * Top left - One stalk, slightly bent. One large flower.
 * Top right - Three stalks, close together. One large and two small flowers.
 * Bottom left - Three stalks, close together. One small and two large flowers.
 * Bottom right - Three stalks, spread out. One large and two small flowers.

Note: Livid plants might appear in black and white if the graphic is set to Software or Safe Mode.

Rounds and cycles
The Livid Farm works in rounds, each lasting one minute. Five rounds comprise a cycle.

Each round allows the player to perform 3 plant cures, 3 soil fertilisation, and 2 fence repairs, and either to encourage Pauline or to bundle 10 livid plants into 2 bunches of five. Every cycle follows the same pattern, allowing the player to encourage Pauline on the first, second, and fourth rounds, and to bundle livids on the third and fifth rounds.

General strategy

 * 1) Stand near the farm patches and wait for the start of the cycle to be announced by Pauline.
 * 2) Fertilise the three empty patches and cure the three diseased livid plants.
 * 3) Encourage Pauline with kind words (alternate rounds)
 * 4) If short on lumber, take 5 from the pile (right click)
 * 5) Convert 2 lumber to planks
 * 6) Fix the fence on the north side, west of the produce bin, if needed.
 * 7) Take the produce and bunch it (alternate rounds)
 * 8) Fix any broken fences on the north side, east of the produce bin, and on the east side.
 * 9) Deposit the produce (alternate rounds)
 * 10) Repeat all steps!


 * Note: For the fastest time, encouraging Pauline is best done after the three-patch fertilisation and livid curing with spam-clicking each activity in advance.

This strategy earns a maximum of 18,960 points per hour.

Setting Up:
 * 1) Set up 3 different favourite worlds. As an example, the worlds chosen would be 82, 63 and 26. World 82 will be the "base" world. Note that any 3 worlds work.
 * 2) Setup your tabs so that you can easily access your inventory (for planks) and also see your friend list (to quick hop and/or check which world you are on.)
 * 3) Wait for new livid cycles at the produce pile.
 * 4) In the case you log on and the next cycle has already reset, continue on fertilising, curing, fixing and encouraging. Then wait for the cycle to reset for the produce to respawn.
 * 5) If you forgot which world you are on or messed up somewhere, return to the base world and wait for the livid bunches to spawn. Then continue as normal.

Steps:
 * 1) Starting on world 82, fertilise empty plots, cure plants, fix fences, and encourage Pauline until the produce pile appears.
 * 2) Collect and bunch the produce. Fix fences that are broken between the bin and the cart.
 * 3) Press escape and log out into the lobby and hop to world 63. Quick hopping works as well.
 * 4) Quickly fertilise/cure everything as much as possible before the cycle resets. If you have time fix the fences as well. Collect and make fenceposts if needed and wait back at the empty produce pile. The pile should respawn next cycle.
 * 5) Repeat steps 2 and 3, but this time hop to world 26.
 * 6) Repeat step 4 as much as possible. Although there's a high chance of not able to do everything, continue as normal.
 * 7) Repeat steps 2 and 3, but this time hop back to the base world (in this case 82).
 * 8) The produce pile will not spawn any bunches for several cycles. It's normal and you should not hop worlds yet. Wait for the produce pile to respawn bunches then repeat steps 2 and 3 with world 63 again.

This strategy increases the amount of points earned per hour by 20-40%

Maximum experience point rates
Presuming the maximum activities per cycle, the following is a calculation of experience per hour in each skill:

Complete activity points
Assuming the player starts the Livid Farm with at least 91 Magic (or lower with boosts being used when necessary to gain full experience), by the time they have unlocked the final spell, Borrowed Power, with 850,000 produce points, they can expect to have earned (not including distractions):

Distractions
While helping Pauline out along the farm, a number of distractions may occur. Dealing with these distractions are completely optional and reward only the standard magic XP and no produce points but do reward some additional runes upon completion (plus you get back the runes you cast, with the exception of losing a single death rune). They are therefore useful in slightly reducing the cost of the activity. However, since the additional runes are only earth and water, this is not much use if you use a Mud Staff. Finally, if you chose the wrong options, you lose all the rune rewards.

Note: You can complete these diversions even if you don't have the required level, but you won't gain any experience for it.

Help, my Ibis is Sick
A sick Ibis appears. Cast Monster Examine on it, and then tell Meteora what is wrong with it.
 * Wing rash
 * Indigestion
 * Bruised ego
 * Cracked beak
 * Crumpled feathers
 * Fishy throat
 * Blistered feet
 * Scratched eyelids
 * Extreme headache
 * Trapped wind


 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"

! Icon !! width="150" | Spell !! Level Required !! width="150" | Runes required !! Magic XP !! width="20" | Reward
 * [[File:Monster Examine icon.png]] || Monster Examine || 66 || || 61 ||
 * }
 * }

When a Suqah attacks...
A Suqah appears and attacks the farm. Help Pauline defeat it by right clicking on her and selecting encourage.


 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"

! Icon !! width="150" | Spell !! Level Required !! width="150" | Runes required !! Magic XP !! width="20" | Reward
 * || None || N/A || || 100 ||
 * }
 * }

Murky Pat's Revenge
Murky Pat is around the farm. Cast Vengeance Other on the character talking to him, and be sure to pick the correct dialogue option.


 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"

! Icon !! width="150" | Spell !! Level Required !! width="150" | Runes required !! Magic XP !! width="20" | Reward
 * [[File:Vengeance Other icon.png]] || Vengeance Other || 93 || || 108 ||
 * }
 * }

Rewards
The Livid Farm offers a variety of new spells for the Lunar spellbook and temporary boosts known as 'wishes'.

Spells
A spell is gained when the player's Produce reaches the required level and the player claims the reward from Pauline. The Produce points are not spent until the final spell, Borrowed Power, is obtained. This means that, for example, the 69,840 points for Teleport to South Falador are not spent when the spell is obtained, so it takes only 69,920 additional points to earn Repair Rune Pouch at 139,760 points. However, to unlock Borrowed Power, a total of 850,000 points are deducted from the player's point total.

Additionally, once players have unlocked Borrowed Power, they can talk to Pauline via the NPC Contact spell.

Each spell takes on average 4 hours play to unlock.

Once players unlock Borrowed Power, their point total is reduced by 850,000 points and they can start spending points on wishes.



Completing all spells
For a player at or above level 91 Magic, unlocking all the Lunar spells requires a total of approximately 2690 rounds or 538 cycles. This means the following runes are required*, which are worth approximately with mud staff,  with lava staff or earth staff or  with no staff. Players below level 91 Magic require more time. Players below level 86 Magic require more runes.


 * 52,186 Astral runes
 * 23,134 Nature runes
 * 287,830 Earth runes
 * 10,760 Water runes

This takes a minimum of 44 hours and 50 minutes.

For tables of the runes and cycles needed and XP gained at different magic levels, see Livid Farm/RunesAndExp.

* This is based on the number of cycles required, so may vary by a small amount of runes for the very final round.

Wishes
Unlike the spells, wishes always cost Produce points. To gain access to wishes, the player must first unlock the final spell Borrowed Power. These boosts will last only for a short time, but have useful effects. Wishes require no runes.

Note: Assuming the maximum activities per cycle, and the use of a mud staff, the cost of runes at GE price is:
 * 0 coins for 5,500 Produce Points.
 * 0 coins for 18,000 Produce Points.
 * 0 coins for 37,000 Produce Points.
 * 0 coins for 55,000 Produce Points.

Also, Farming cost per XP is about 5.5 coins. You get 2.4 XP per produce point and you get about 13K produce points an hour and since about 690,000 coins is 55,000 points, this makes the cost at about 5.5 coins per XP in Farming.

Trivia

 * Having earned all spells is a requirement for the regular completionist cape.
 * While it requires 5 livid plants to make a bundle, the bundles of livids in the deposit cart are in bundles of 6.
 * The cost and hence effort of unlocking the spells were decreased by 20% in an update on 19 April 2011.
 * The maximum amount of produce points you can have at one time after unlocking all the spells is 850,000.
 * Although the game guide states 60 Crafting is required, the prerequisite quest Lunar Diplomacy requires 61 Crafting.