Breeding Mechanics (or why Tower Giants are bad for your health)

After some talk in the shoutbox I decided to make some tests to figure out how gene strength is distributed among different stats.

First Test setup:

  • have lots of Wicked Carver, Tower Giants and Nature Shapeshifter
  • level all of them to 50+ (results in this creature contributing +1 to gene strength)
  • have Smart Eggs > 0 because at level 1 gene strength contribution gets rounded down

Performed breeds:
WC + WC -> +2 Speed
NS + NS -> +2 Speed
NS + TG -> +1 Speed, +1 Defense
TG + TG -> +2 Defense
L1 NS + TG -> +1 Defense
NS + Granite Golem -> +1 Speed, +1 Health
L1 NS + Granite Golem -> +1 Health

Second Test setup:

  • have lots of Wicked Carver, Tower Giants and Nature Shapeshifter
  • level all of them to 80+ (results in this creature contributing +2 to gene strength)

WC + WC -> +2 Attack, +2 Speed
Granite Golem + Granite Golem -> +2 Health, +2 Defense
TG + TG -> +2 Defense, +2 Attack


Stats from gene strengh are added in the following order
Nature Shapeshifter: Speed > Attack > ?
Granite Golem: Health > Defense > ?
Tower Giang: Defense > Attack > ? (probably health)
Wicked Carver: Speed > Attack > ?

From these tests and some other observations I have formed the following theories (which may or may not be true):

  1. Each creature has a fixed order of stats it will contribute to gene strength. It will add its primary stat for gene strength +1, its secondary stat for gene strength +2 and so on
  2. Each creature has three stats it will contribute to gene strength. If the creature contributes more to gene strength it will increase stats in the order given in 1.
  3. The gene strength bonus from creature level depends on character level (needs further testing, but in the beginning I could breed +2 gene strength from level 1 creatures). Another possibility is highest visited/completed realm.
  4. Innate creature stat distribution does not indicate what a creature will contribute towards gene strength (see Tower Giant)

Even though those are just theories yet, empirical testing shows that it is possible to breed purely for a specific stat by following these steps

  1. Have a level 1 creature (we do not want this creature to contribute to gene strength)
  2. Have a creature with your favored primary stat (Granite Golem for health, Tower Giant for Defense …). The level of this creature should be in a range that if it were bred with itself would result in a +2 creature
  3. Use the Level 1 creature as pedigree and the other creature as mate. Attention: if you use smart eggs make sure the resulting creature is below the threshold for adding gene strength.
  4. Start from 1. with the offspring

[size=14pt]Need more data[/size]
To improve our understanding of breeding I would like your help. If you breed creatures take note of the following data:
Mage Level
Highest realm visited
Pedigree creature name/level
Mate creature name/level
Offspring gene strength
Offspring gene strength distribution Health/Attack/Int/Defense/Speed
The benefit from gene strength can be seen in the detailed stats screen. When writing down the gene strength distribution please mention if you have deity points assigned to creature perks.

Here is an example template:
Mage Level: 126
Highest Realm: 58
Pedigree: Wicked Carver/101
Mate: Wicked Carver/101
Offspring: Wicked Carver/80 +4 0/32/0/0/32 (Health/Attack/Int/Defense/Speed)

If the parents already have gene strength use the same notation for the parents. I will update this information if any new insights pop up.

Nice theory, only at first ~10 breedings on a creature u can try change stats, after u can breed pedigree with any mate, 90% of gene will go to highest pedigree stats.

You are right that the primary stat of the pedigree seem to rise given the creature’s gene strength is high enough. Though it appears it is still optimal if you want to add as much of a stat as possible to use creatures that are in a level range that add +1 gene strength.

For example for a high health Flailing Manticore which has gene strength in attack, defense and speed you would use low level Granite Golems to contribute health.

Do you think the gene strength is based on the creature or the stats? For example we have a giant who has been leveled to level 200. It has low base stat in speed and high in hp and def but we have the creature perk for a 1000% bonus in speed. (hypothetical, we have millions of deity points) From it’s actual current stats it’s speed stat is its largest by far because of the creature perk. We now breed said creature with another creature, will it pass on the hp/def stats or will it pass speed since speed is the current highest stat?

I haven’t tested this but I think it passes based on it’s current stats and not the base stats. I have +30% bonus in speed and my creatures are high 200s in my stable and it doesn’t matter what the creatures base stats are their speed stat is by far the highest of their current stats as long as the base stats are within 10 of each other. A good example is the Narklin Orphan. It has 21 int/21 def/21 speed. It’s speed stat is 3k it’s def and int are 2k flat. This is causing me problems when I breed the only thing being passed for the large majority of the time is speed.

I think you are right. I did the following test:
All Nature Shapeshifters are the same level and will contribute +2 to gene strength
Without points in creature perks:
Offspring: +2 Speed, +2 Int
With 63% increased attack in creature perks:
Offspring: +2 Attack, +2 Int

Well back to the drawing board then :slight_smile: