Breeding (DNA System)

CURRENTLY INACTIVE on all non-hybrid species, please go look at Breeding (Ancestor System) for info on the current breeding system!



When a pet is level 4 or higher, it may breed.

At certain levels pets can pass things on to their young, both parents must be the required level in order to pass things on.


 * Level 15+ they can pass on a small percentage of their trained stats to offspring.


 * Level 80+ they may pass on Wisdom, Courage or Heart to offspring.

Generation is not important here, stats are. Thus pets bred from high level parents are more desirable than freshly created ones. To see your pet's parents, click the names under your pet's name. If it says "unknown x unknown" this is a freshly created pet with no parents (gen 0 or foundation pet).

Babies are generated at the time of breeding, so any current items used, stats, color and Entropy are all taken into account as soon as the parents are bred. So once a critter is bred you don't have to worry about an accidental suff ruining the baby's color/genes. Also, in the case of twins, either natural or with use of the Abundance Trinket, they are fraternal. Meaning each baby is generated individuality, so you can end up with one baby being different than it's twin!

=How Colors are Chosen= Baby colors are determined by the genetics of the parents. Each species has genetics dictated by the color and other physical attributes of the parent. The genes exist in pairs that make up a "sentence" (or sequence). How the sentence reads determines your creature's color. It uses a Punnet Square style sequencer based heavily on Horse Genetics for determining the young, with some randomness added in for variety.

Here's a Punnet Square Calculator that can help!

Here is the list of genes and what they do:


 * Sz (SIZE): This gene is only active in dragons. It is present in all species but only affects dragons. It affects body mass. This gene determines the dragon failsafes.


 * L/ (LIGHT): This gene determines failsafes for all species but dragons. A creature's color is either light (L/l), very light (L/L) or dark (l/l). Example of an L/L based creature is the Honeysuckle Phoenix.


 * Dk/ (DARK): This gene darkens a creatures coat, mane/tail, hooves, finlets- whatever. This is not a color but a modifier.


 * Cr/ (CREAM): this is a dilution gene. It makes colors fade. In some creatures it acts only on the body, or on the mane/tail/finlets, or on both. Its' influence CAN be seen on L/L or Dark-influenced creatures.


 * R/ (RED): This gene adds red tones. Example of this gene in action is the Bleeding Heart Phoenix.


 * Bl/ (BLUE): This gene adds blue tones. Example of these gene in action is the Ice Blue unicorn.


 * Gr/ (GREEN): This gene adds green tones. Example of this gene in action is the Kiwi Phoenix.


 * Y/ (YELLOW): This gene adds green tones. Example of this gene in action is the Ignite Dragon.


 * I/ (INTENSITY): This gene normally results in unnatural vibrant colors and markings, although it can also lend a deep-toned coloration in some situations. This is an unusual gene in most species. Example of Intensity is the Star Unicorn.


 * S/ (SUFFUSION): This gene normally results in swirling manes/tails, flames, smoke, soft "bloom" on coats. Example of this gene in action is the Shadow Unicorn.


 * V/ (VIBRANCE): This gene results in colors have an exceptionally deep tone. It can appear similar to Intensity and in some species is largely interchangeable. Example of Vibrance is the Celestial Kitsune. May act as a restrictor.


 * H/ (HOLIDAY): Only found in Holiday sprites. Required to have holiday colors, although holiday colors have to have all the other parts in place too.

A number of colors have 2-3 possible sequences that might result in that color. Bronze unicorns have 3, for example. More common colors are more likely to have multiple sequences that result in that color.

For example, Blue (Bl/) is largely meaningless in certain Dragon colors, so it being present in any form (Bl/Bl, Bl/bl, bl/bl) doesn't matter. The genes that it "acts" on aren't present so BL/ being present has no influence on the outcome. If you are familiar with horses, Z/ (the silver dilution gene) is a great example: Z/ only acts on black, so a chestnut horse will never outwardly show if it carries Z/ or not. Z/Z, z/z, Z/z, doesn't matter because the horse is red, not black.

There are some colors that can be bred to be homozygous so all you will ever get is that color. For the most part, no, most colors do have at least one hetrozygous pair. Black and White are the two most common, though Red and Blue are also possible. There are no "fatal" genetic sequences in this game so things like the "fatal roan" in horses are impossible.

Foundations aren't pure. They're a genetic lottery. Only their L/l genes are assured. The only foundations that breed "pure" are Failsafes. Failsafe foundation x failsafe foundation = failsafe always. Second gen and higher failsafes may breed non-failsafe colors!

Failsafe Colors
Failsafe colors are exactly that: failsafes. If the game can't find a sequence that matches your unborn baby's sequence, it reverts to a failsafe based off the Size (Sz) gene in dragons and the Light (L) gene in all other species.

Don't presume that a failsafe color is "boring" or "worthless" for more rare breeding. Your baby might have very rare and valuable genes but because it doesn't have an exact match, it displays as a boring color. This is especially common in species with less colors as there will be a lot of "no match found" gene strings and more failsafes than normal because of it.

Failsafes produced from breeding might have any combination of genes provided by their parents. Failsafes produced from Suffusions or being created will have a random combination of genes. These genes just don't match any known strand.

For more information, see the Breeding Trials page. Each section has a failsafe list!

Entropy and Suffused Tailsmans
Critters have a stat called "Entropy". Entropy is basically genetic chaos. Entropy is how random your critter is for color breeding. Each time your critter mates it will have to roll save vs Entropy. If it fails the saving throw the game will pick some random color sequence for it instead of using that parent's sequence.

Creatures who have never had a Suffused Talisman used on them have 0% entropy. Creatures with 100% entropy will NEVER behave normally.

Using Suffused Tailsman or Burning Blood Tailsman will raise the entropy level. Entropy will last for the rest of the creature's life. It can be lowered on parent creatures with an expensive Freezing Blood Tailsman. Breeding two creatures with entropy may result in lower entropy offspring.

Entropy is also passed down. You can't just get rid of Entropy in one mating. It will diminish over time, based on the average Entropy of the two parents. This will allow players who WANT to maintain a high chance of anything happening to do so without having to continually resort to Suffusion Talismans, and allow players who do NOT want Entropy to breed it out in fairly short order.

For example, Let's say you have a Twilight Dragon with 75% Entropy. You mate it to another Twilight Dragon with 0% Entropy.

The 0% Entropy Dragon will pass on its Twilight genes normally.

The 75% dragon rolls its saving throw and gets a 65- they have failed their saving throw. Now the game code goes to the database and asks the database to give it some random dragon color and the associated genetic code. Let's say the database hands the game code the sequence for a Harvest dragon. So as far as COLOR goes and deciding your baby's color, you have NOT mated 2 Twilights together, you have mated a Harvest x Twilight together. This might be perfect for you, because it might give you a chance at some rare genes without out-crossing, or it might be a nightmare.

Suffused Tailsmans changes a critter's appearance at random, and they get a matching gene strand to go with it. As a counter balance: every time you Suffuse a critter you will increase its genetic Entropy by 5% - 15%. This can only be lowered with an expensive Freezing Blood Talisman. Or if you really like Entropy you can pull it up to 100% instantly withe the Burning Blood Talisman

=Creature Genetics= We are still working out what genetics are what colors. Here is a page where you can breed creatures and tell us what you got in order to help us figure out what the genes are.

When we find out what colors are what strings, we will post them under the correct creature. :) For now, here are the known genetic parts used in each sequence.

Dragon

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)
 * Cream (Cr/) - This lightens colors. (ex: pink instead of red) Dilution gene.
 * Vibrancy (V/) - This darkens colors (ex: black instead of grey) Modifier.
 * Intensity (I/-) - This has to do with color brightness (ex: neon or not) Modifier.
 * Suffusion (S/-) - Special effects like stars and flames (ex: twilight) Modifier.
 * Blue (Bl/) - Color modifier, recessive. Only shows in "blue" dragons.
 * Size (Sz/) - Determines line art type/subspecies.

Basilisk
Basilisks have no color DNA. All Basilisk babies are random.

Caprinicorn

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)

Gryphon

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)
 * ? possibly others, unconfirmed.

Pegasus

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)
 * Cream (Cr/) - This lightens colors. (ex: pink instead of red) Dilution gene.
 * Vibrancy (V/) - This darkens colors (ex: black instead of grey) Modifier.

Peryton
Perytons have no color DNA. All Peryton babies are random.

Phoenix

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)
 * Red (R/) - rare gene, recessive.

Kitsune

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)
 * Color (C/-) - Chooses color. (ex: red or blue) Recessive?
 * Vibrancy (V/) - This darkens colors (ex: black instead of grey) Modifier.
 * Intensity (I/-) - This has to do with color brightness (ex: neon or not) Modifier.
 * Suffusion (S/-) -Special effects like stars and flames (ex: twilight) Modifier.

Quilin

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)
 * Color (C/-) - Chooses color. (ex: red or blue)
 * Vibrancy (V/) - This darkens colors (ex: black instead of grey) Modifier.
 * Intensity (I/-) - This has to do with color brightness (ex: neon or not) Modifier.
 * Suffusion (S/-) - Special effects like stars and flames (ex: twilight) Modifier.

Unicorn

 * Light (L/)
 * Dark (Dk/)
 * Color (C/-) - Chooses color. (ex: red or blue)
 * Vibrancy (V/) - This darkens colors (ex: black instead of grey) Color Modifier.
 * Intensity (I/-) - This has to do with color brightness (ex: neon or not) Color Modifier.
 * Suffusion (S/-) - Special effects like stars and flames (ex: twilight) Modifier.

=Pregnancy=

Gestation/Brooding Time
Different species have different times before young can be born.
 * Unicorn: 7 days (1 young, 100% chance of live birth)
 * Gryphon: 6 days (1 young, 100% chance of live birth)
 * Pegasus: 8 days (1 young, 100% chance of live birth)
 * Capirnicorn: 5 days (1 young, 100% chance of live birth)
 * Phoenix: 10 days (1 young, 100% chance of viable egg)
 * Dragon: 7 days (1 young, 100% chance of viable egg)
 * Fenrir: 7 days (1 young, 100% chance of live birth)
 * Kitsune: 6 days (25% chance of twins, 50% chance of lost pregnancy)
 * Qilin: 10 days (25% chance of twins, 50% chance of unviable eggs)
 * Basilisk: 8 days (65% chance of unviable eggs)
 * Peryton: 11 days (65% chance of unviable eggs)
 * Hippocampus: 7 days (1 young, 100% chance of live birth. Hippocampi baby rate depends on the player's rank with the faction, "failed" breedings end in dragon or unicorn babies)

Female recovery times
Different species have different times before they can try to breed again.
 * Unicorn: 7 days
 * Gryphon: 8 days
 * Pegasus: 8 days
 * Capirnicorn: 4 days
 * Phoenix: 7 days
 * Dragon: 7 days
 * Fenrir: 7 days
 * Kitsune: 10 days
 * Qilin: 12 days
 * Basilisk: 20 days
 * Peryton: 5 days
 * Hippocampus: 7 days

=Individual Gene Theories= Some players are making their own gene charts as a starting point to figure out what colors have what genes. These are GUESSES, not facts, but they might be useful if you need a starting point!
 * riffraffie's Gene Chart

Q&A (AKA Why are there so many failsafes?!?)
Many breeders quickly find out that their pets spit out a lot of failsafes. Species with few colors have this happen the most while Dragons seem to have this happen the least.

The solution to the failsafe plague is more colors and sprites for the pets. Actually, more colors and sprites are on order, but they take time for the artists to do so please be paitent!

Here are more common questions about failsafes and genetics.

Why can't kristen use all the DNA strands NOW, then just repurpose them later

People ask why can't Kristen just use all the possible DNA strands now, then as she needs them, "take them back". This is a bad idea because then you'll have critters running around with colors that don't match their DNA.

Also, there is some logic to the DNA system. 4 of those genes (red, yellow, green, blue) have to do with colors. If she were just to use all possible DNA strands she would end up using DNA strands that make ZERO sense, just because it was all she had left.

Why she can't trim the # of genes used for species with low color counts

All species share the exact same genome. This is to allow hybrid breeding, and to maintain some logical consistency (eg, Gr/ where green is logical)

For example, let's say Kristen releases a Phoenix (low color count) x Dragon (high color count) hybrid. If the Phoenix does not have matching genes for the Dragon, the system WILL break. The Phoenix parent string has to match up exactly with the Dragons.

Why not just trim them for the short-term?

Suggesting that Kristen trim the genes until a hyrbid arrives makes no sense- all existing phoenixes, Caprinicorn and other low color species would have to be retrofitted, then fitted AGAIN with updated DNA. Not to mention the somewhat high risk involved in making mistakes and broken genes.

Why not make failsafes result in some random roll to prevent a failsafe result?

Kristen considered this idea but discarded it because players would not know if their breeding was the result of DNA or a failsafe-save. Knowing if it was a failsafe or not helps players find out what genes their creatures have.

Why not turn DNA off (like Perytons) for low color count species?

Kristen is still considering this idea but the Holiday colors present a problem. Also, writing custom code to support Holiday colors is out of the question which makes this solution just as tricky as the problem.