BALANCING VERMILLION

Maybe its just me, but it seems extremely difficult to obtain enough vermillion to research in excess of 1 pet per week.  I don't have a state portal (and suspect many others don't either) so searching extra islands to find even more, hopefully, is not an option.

I know it should be rare, and get that, but it seems it could be toned down a bit as far as how much is needed for gene research?  Perhaps a fixed amount in both coins and vermillion for a full genome search per pet.  Gene search I think would help curb the pound giving as well since breeding would also produce better offspring and the offset balance should make it more difficult to breed GP offspring than it is now.  It seems too easy to obtain that heritage code.

(see extending the gene search below)

PROJECT NOTES

It would be nice if we had the ability to make private project notes somewhere in the tabs or elsewhere, access these notes by seeing them onscreen by default but have these project notes visible only to the current owner and erased once the pet is no longer in their stable.

EXTENDING THE GENE SEARCH

It would be nice to have the ability to see prior generation genes in a tree format rather than have to click each parent or grandparent separately which is sometimes frustrating, confusing or just downright time consuming.

GRYPHONS

Gryphons seem underserviced in both coats and genes.  The other pets have their obvious coat columns that are difficult to obtain, but the gryphons don't seem to have their own "column" with the exception of what seems like the more desireable scattered coats here and there, but there is no set 'column" for them. 

GENE AND COAT MORPHS FOR ALL PETS (even those with extensive degenerations)

I love how the thromadas have a morphing feature.   I would really enjoy seeing this on the other pets.  If new gene traits could be incorporated in this manner I think doing so would really extend game play choices and abilities in every function of the game from squad builds, to regular arena play and new gene building (or specific old genes would need to stack in one particular area to produce a new one).

Even utilize degenerations into a different creature morph...reducing the number of undesireable pets or degenerates.

Example,  a dragon with 3degrees of degenerations maybe at level 4 would morph into a land restricted creature....losing its wing usage similar to the gigantic but now extinct dodo birds....additionally they've found bones of a two tailed bird so that may serve as an option for one of the other flying pets.  Pumas could degenerate into smaller cat versions even?

1) Vermillion isn't intended to give excesses if you're not focusing on it. Materials in explore are balanced in that way that you need to focus on gathering specific resource if you want to get more of it. Use only high level pets and set Astrologist for the missing material, and output will increase significantly. And for Vermillion specifically use only pets with Agile Paws to get more Vermillion from treasure chests.

2) What do you mean by "Project"? Groups? Pet profiles? Something else? Or just some kind of notepad that isn't bound to existing architecture?

3) Gene search is limited to 2 per query with a reason (mostly to significantly decrease server load because these queries are extremely resource-demanding as they are searching through all of the pets on server). As for building pet's pedigree as the full genetic charts of it's ancestors, it would be quite impossible to make it readable when there's at least 3 generations included. Also I'm not sure why this feature is needed except degeneration breeding because pet passes only it's own genes to the children and can't pass something that is missing in it's genotype but existed in the genotypes of it's ancestors.

4) Color genetics extension is planned for all basic species. Please check this news post: http://beastkeeper.com/thread/4453

5) Visual changes are planned as random mutations, including growth disorders, missing/additional limbs etc. Morphs are inapplicable for pets that aren't living in Hive, please check how they are formed here: http://beastkeeper.com/alien-species#q2

4 and 5 are long-term goals. We're working on explore expansion along with some new gameplay features right now.

Thanks for the comments Angel,

#1 - Thanks for the tips. I guess I'll have to rearrange my builds and see which ones have higher agility, I thought it was based on the pets research potential or intelligence level.  

#2 - Yes exactly, something breeders could place notes on for whatever they're working on, helps when working on more than 1 project at a time but have that notepad of sorts placed someplace where we can view our notes and the pets at the same time. But the notes would stay with the breeder and not the pet.

#3 - I see.  I was hoping genes could go to at least grandparents as genes do tend to skip a generation at times but the server load is understandable.

#4 - Great! Thanks! Cant wait to see what comes up :)

(I think I misread how the poll would be effected, I assumed you guys would be working on the highest rated poll return and when that was done effect a new poll....thanks for clarifying)

#5 - Ok thanks, distorded mutation growths....interesting in a curiously weird way but will definitely be looking forward to seeing the new changes.

Sooo, would 2 tails be considered distorded growth? XD

"#3 - I see.  I was hoping genes could go to at least grandparents as genes do tend to skip a generation at times but the server load is understandable."

Huh? Genes don't skip generations. The only way this can happen is if you don't research your pets genes.. They can give either their dominant or their recessive gene to the baby, which means if they arent researched you will sometimes end up with a gene on the offspring that you only saw in the grandparents.But that doesn't mean that the parent didn't have that gene! You just didn't see it.

If a pet's genetics is fully researched, you will always know which genes your baby can get, no matter what the grandparents have. A pet can only give its own genes to the baby. 

The only exception is Degeneration as Angel mentioned. But that has nothing to do with grandparents either. 

Hmm no. The traits of any kind, D or r, technically never disappear from a creatures DNA.  The unseen tratis are just that, unseen, it becomes a repressed.  When it becomes visible, then the control feature which normally maintains it disppears or becomes effected, allowing said repressed trait to become expressed... or rather visible.  

This occurs in both the animal kingom and in mankind, documented in various medical journals but I'm not going to give examples as far as people are concerned because I don't want to offend anyone and besides its not my intent to do so in this thread.

The reason I asked about the grandparents (technically great grandparents would be preferred) is because of mutation.  In any case I did not ask specifically because of a pet or pets.

A mutation has to exist in all the prior generations of genes in the given creature's or person's DNA basket but sudden unexplained mutations are usually environmentally triggered when it is chemically effected so that said control or controls no longer exist.  

Further, traits just simply do not need be homologous. An example of this which would not be so offensive is the different pairing of eye colors, one green and one blue for example.  This would not be an example of ativism.  It could possibly be a mutation but most likely how the genes are paired or combined and to whom (X or Y) the genes are linked to.

So yes, a pet can inherit traits from great or just grandparents that didn't exist in the parents. (And personally would be a nice jack-in-the-box sort of surprise).

But the load capacity on the server and readability issues for 3 generations, as Angel mentioned, is quite understandable and seems to me to be what really matters, not ativism, or recombinant DNA, or mutations....

 EDITTED POSTNOTE AFTER NIGHTINGALES' COMMENTS:

yes, exactly why I did ask, every game calculate the gene transferrence differently, but it does become unweildy if going past the grandparents, and post great grandparents the game turns into an extensive load both on game side and player side.

I wasn't sure what could or couldn't be expanded here which is part of why I asked initially, but in al honesty this is one of the most manageable and satisfying breeding games that I've encountered.  Not too difficult, doesn't require loads and loads of pets for gene expression, not too easy that it becomes boring....just right.

Ohh ^^ I understand what you are saying, I think. Some sites do calculate the offspring's genes in that way, and indeed past generations are important in calculating genes in real life. However, in this game it has been simplified- probably to make it less confusing to the general populace and to reduce the amont of information needed to generate each pet (?).

The only genes that affect the offspring are directly expressed in the parents geonomics chart. Dominant genes are  in green, and recessive in grey. The genes on the right of the column are from the father, and the ones on the left are from the mother (this is a visual distiction). One gene is always expressed from each parent at equal rates (I believe). Genetic power can affect the gene dominance, but that is another topic.  

There was a suggestion that was voted on in the news about the possibility of random non-inheirtable genes. Personally, I think this could be a fantastic edition to the site. It would be nice to have some that were passed on- but making them limited adds to rarity and value- while also ensuring that anyone could acheive these genes. I'm not sure how these genes would occur (environment, random, or perhaps some sort of scientific accident).

Atavism could also be another very  interesting and realistic addition to the site. Perhaps going back a set number of generations, or back to the pet's wild roots. Of course this is a lot of data to consider and I'm not sure on the feasibility. 

Aaand.... I started to lose my train of thought and confuse myself. I'll probably update with more thoughts later ^^

Regarding the vermillion problem, instead of reducing the research price or increasing vermilion availability, how about adding a third research option to a pet's genetic's tab, Research dominant genes. That way you have all the nessessary information for quests, battle and exploration and later you can research the resessives if you want to breed the pet.