Coming back to the original question - I'm assuming that the reason for the 18-hour cycle instead of a 24 is in part because they don't actually want players to be able to log in once a day at the same time, collect their BOD and log off.
I'm basing this off several comments around the BOD Books where they've indicated that they don't want to support BOD hoarding. A 24-hour once-a-day cycle would make the level of effort needed to make sure that you get every single BOD you're "owed" almost zero.
No BOD hoarding but jewelry hoarding is okay, even though jewelry hoarding serves hardly any purpose compared to BODs. You need to save BODs to finish them. You don’t need to save 500 pieces of jewelry for really anything. You can have numerous jewelry boxes saving 1500 pieces of jewelry to sit around for eternity.. that’s ok. But BODs, which actually need to be collected over time and eventually used and removed from the game... can’t have those be saved the same way.... why?
Popps, doing it that way will make it hard to get larges or ever fill a large. You need to fill the smaller ones, turn them in, and after EVERY turn in - get a new Bod in order to have a better chance at larges. I personally aim to keep a set of 10 of every type of bod that fits a large. I fill them and set them aside for when I get that large. All the extras, I turn in in hopes of getting either a large or a small that I need to finish off a large.
Again, the bod distribution by skill level means at lower levels you will only get bods that you can make or are very close to making. At .1 tailor skill you will only get cloth and I believe leather caps. The bods will 'improve' as your skill improves. You will also still get those lower level ones. I remember reading that you do not start getting a chance for large bods til you reach 70 skill level.
Do as Chrille said above also. Collect easy to fill ones on low skill toons then fill and turn in with your max skill crafter. You can use any toon - one with skill points left or a maxed out toon if they all maxed. [If you toon is maxed but you are really wanting more BODS - put an easy to raise skill (ie focus or mediation) to drop and give it .1 in the crafting skill.] Pay an NPC Bod giver 1 gold to give that toon .1 in the skill. Collect the 3 bods, give them to your good crafter and have them fill the bods.
In order to get more large bods, it best to be max skill and turn in unneeded small bods in for a chance to get a large. Remember, after every Bod turned in to get another!
Question, what are those small BODs, for each of the 8 skills which can collect BODs, that are considered "useless"... that is, that they are not worth storing them for Larges since the Rewards that those Larges give are either not usefull or not desirable as they have no market ?
Bottom line is, what smalls to look for to be turned in so as to then claim right away another one in the hope to then get a Large.... but I would hate to turn in smalls which could then be usefull to fill in good Larges, later on, when they might become available......
I keep a book of normal quality, simple material BODs for all crafting styles that aren’t worth bribing up - things that don’t need to be made but can be bought via an NPC. Weapons, clothes, bolts & arrows, lower level scrolls, nightsight deeds, etc. Take the book to a quiet NPC shop, claim my three BODs with a skilled character, then fill one (or multiple if I have the same items) by buying out the NPC. Claim after you turn one in and you’ll get what you need eventually. Trade off might be a few thousand gold but the low level rewards (don’t bank the points) still can either be used or sold.
If you’re after the BODs for a large, much better chance this way than it ever was - especially when you use bribery as well. The days of logging on every six hours to get your BOD just in case it’s that elusive one are thankfully long gone!
@popps If you look at the BOD pages on either UOGuide or the UO wiki you will see it lists what BODs are included in large BODs. You will notice some things are not included. Those smalls not on the lists are typically used to fill and return for another BOD. There are no lists of what is not in an LBOD so you need to get familiar with that on your own.
@popps Each person will have their own personal 'useless' list. It all depends on what your goal with bods are. If you are like me and working to max out the artisan trees in December, very few are truly useless. If you are only looking for certain rewards, then all the bods that do not get you that reward are useless.
Like dvvid said above - look at the UO wiki pages to see what larges are available for each skill and the rewards they give. Decide which ones you want to do and make your own list. (Some people do computer spreadsheets; I have a notebook next to me with list.) You can do a page per skill. Write down each large you want to do. You can also make a note on the page of bods to toss for that skill. (I seem to remember inscription having that list was handy.)
There a few bods I'm pretty sure most people toss: alchemy's gold dust and nexus cores come to mind. But once you have your list of ones that you want to keep, deciding which smalls you want to refill and turn in for more is another personal consideration. Look at each one and decide if its worth filling in an attempt to get another. (An example for me personally, small shield valorite bods are not worth filling just to turn in - I leave those at the smith shop in case anyone does want them.) Take the time to make a list for each skill and it will make it easier in the long run.
This is the link to each page of the uo wiki for BODs and their rewards - Bookmark the main page or each one - but they are very handy.
For full details of bulk order deed values, available rewards and their costs follow the links below:
Comments
I'm basing this off several comments around the BOD Books where they've indicated that they don't want to support BOD hoarding. A 24-hour once-a-day cycle would make the level of effort needed to make sure that you get every single BOD you're "owed" almost zero.
Question, what are those small BODs, for each of the 8 skills which can collect BODs, that are considered "useless"... that is, that they are not worth storing them for Larges since the Rewards that those Larges give are either not usefull or not desirable as they have no market ?
Bottom line is, what smalls to look for to be turned in so as to then claim right away another one in the hope to then get a Large.... but I would hate to turn in smalls which could then be usefull to fill in good Larges, later on, when they might become available......
Thanks.
Take the book to a quiet NPC shop, claim my three BODs with a skilled character, then fill one (or multiple if I have the same items) by buying out the NPC. Claim after you turn one in and you’ll get what you need eventually. Trade off might be a few thousand gold but the low level rewards (don’t bank the points) still can either be used or sold.
For full details of bulk order deed values, available rewards and their costs follow the links below:
Alchemy Blacksmith Bowcraft Carpentry
CookingInscriptionTailorTinker
He wants the easy button.