Does a loose magical catalyst imply that there is an alchemy pot on that level?
(Evan can't answer)
I've noticed in a couple games that I'll find a magical catalyst outside of the room with the alchemy pot, and sometimes I'll also discover a hidden secret room with an extra alchemy pot and usually two bonus energy crystals in it.
Is it implied that when you find a loose catalyst there is probably also an alchemy pot room in that level?
An alchemist pot will ALWAYS spawn between the third and fourth floor of every chapter. It might appear in every other floor, excluding multiples of five, 26 and 1.
A magical catalyst will ALWAYS spawn in the first few floors, guessing 1-4.
That's it, there's no more correlation. So, no, finding a magical catalyst does not guarantee a pot to spawn on the same floor.
So there may have been an alch pot on level 2, if I could have found it? But you are also suggesting there is no correlation between a seemingly very early magical catalyst and an alch pot?
There may have been an alchemist pot on level 2, yes, but levels 3,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17,18,19,21,22,23 or 24 might as well have had one (if we don't take in account the guaranteed ones) with the same chance 2 had of generating one.
There is also ONE other correlation between magical catalysts and alchemist pots. Evan added the guaranteed pots, one for each chapter between the last 2 floors of the chapter for the catalyst, as dropping the catalyst (is always guaranteed) but then not being able of using it because of not spawning a pot, or being able to use it at floor 24 seemed like a bad idea. Their positions are independent from each other (well, they might both call the seed, advancing it, having in theory an influence on where the other spawns, but that's still seed's job, if I am right on how I think the seed works)
Did you know that the catalyst has been reworked so that you can change it into a special game changing item? You now always find it (there is only one) in the first levels.
So although you need a pot to use it it isn't tied to one, as you'll also find one in the first few levels. I guess the chance is just high that you'll find them on the same level.