Bio Engineer Archive
Thread: specials how reliable?
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GTOfire
Tue May 25, 2004 2:56 pm
#1
hey, Im as you might imagine quite new to BEing. I read in the FAQ about what slot determines which special, and proceeded to test it out.
My first try, agression determined special 2 (using cripple-mid poison for the four others, dizzy-cripple for agro, I got cripple-cripple). My second try, agression determined both special 1 and the absense of special 2 (using cripple-mid poison for the four others, stun and none for the agression, I got stun-none)
I then proceeded to grab four DNA samples from the same type of animals, and one with two different specials.
I tested it with the single sample in one slot and the four others filling up the template to determine which slot would take one of the single specials. I had samples to do four, and ALL four different experiments (with the single sample in physique, prowess, mental and psych) rendered the same two specials, the ones from the four samples. I got no specials from the single sample.
Didn't get a chance to try out agression yet, but so far the results are a little unnerving, because I know it's gotta be possible to take one special from one sample and one from another, and so far there's only one possibility remaining where there should be two.
To anyone who can still follow my ramble: what am I doing wrong? Is it that 4 the same samples will render those specials no matter what slots they're in, simply because they're so large in number? Or is it luck and next time I use psych and agression it'll work fine?
at least I don't have to do the grind, heh, I'm using a good friend's character who is already a Master BE. She however doesn't really understand it yet either, she hasn't had a chance to experiment even as little as I have just now.
Kevm
Tue May 25, 2004 3:47 pm
#2
GTOfire wrote:
hey, Im as you might imagine quite new to BEing. I read in the FAQ about what slot determines which special, and proceeded to test it out.
My first try, agression determined special 2 (using cripple-mid poison for the four others, dizzy-cripple for agro, I got cripple-cripple). My second try, agression determined both special 1 and the absense of special 2 (using cripple-mid poison for the four others, stun and none for the agression, I got stun-none)
I then proceeded to grab four DNA samples from the same type of animals, and one with two different specials.
I tested it with the single sample in one slot and the four others filling up the template to determine which slot would take one of the single specials. I had samples to do four, and ALL four different experiments (with the single sample in physique, prowess, mental and psych) rendered the same two specials, the ones from the four samples. I got no specials from the single sample.
Didn't get a chance to try out agression yet, but so far the results are a little unnerving, because I know it's gotta be possible to take one special from one sample and one from another, and so far there's only one possibility remaining where there should be two.
To anyone who can still follow my ramble: what am I doing wrong? Is it that 4 the same samples will render those specials no matter what slots they're in, simply because they're so large in number? Or is it luck and next time I use psych and agression it'll work fine?
at least I don't have to do the grind, heh, I'm using a good friend's character who is already a Master BE. She however doesn't really understand it yet either, she hasn't had a chance to experiment even as little as I have just now.
Its been determined through a lot of experimentation that slots 4 and 5 provide the specials in the clone. Slot 5is special 1 and slot 4 is special 2. Now there are some things to be aware of. You won't always get both specials to stick. The best way to get both specials isto use VHQ DNA in slots 4 and 5. That usually gives both specials. HQ DNA in both slots sometimes works too. Anything lower and its a crap shoot.
Something else to understand is even with VHQ DNA in slots 4 and 5 you still may not get both specials. There seems to be a random 'failure' in that matter.
i'm pretty sure that the best information we know so far.
ArthurDentOnBria
Tue May 25, 2004 4:15 pm
#3
Agreed. When I go dna sampling for "specials" dna, I throw out everything but VHQ now. This may seem wasteful, but it's less wasteful then burning 5 dna samples and having to throw the whole result away because it didn't have the specials you need.
Talthazar
Tue May 25, 2004 4:50 pm
#4
ArthurDentOnBria wrote:
Agreed. When I go dna sampling for "specials" dna, I throw out everything but VHQ now. This may seem wasteful, but it's less wasteful then burning 5 dna samples and having to throw the whole result away because it didn't have the specials you need.
To me that actually reduces your chance of getting the specials you want. I've always had better luck getting the specials I want if the dna in slots 4 and 5 is higher than the samples in any other slot. Usually when I get specials overridden it's because I didn't have enough variety in dna quality to keep 4 and 5 higher.
Kevm
Tue May 25, 2004 4:54 pm
#5
Talthazar wrote:
ArthurDentOnBria wrote:
Agreed. When I go dna sampling for "specials" dna, I throw out everything but VHQ now. This may seem wasteful, but it's less wasteful then burning 5 dna samples and having to throw the whole result away because it didn't have the specials you need.
To me that actually reduces your chance of getting the specials you want. I've always had better luck getting the specials I want if the dna in slots 4 and 5 is higher than the samples in any other slot. Usually when I get specials overridden it's because I didn't have enough variety in dna quality to keep 4 and 5 higher.
I think what he was saying was that when he's getting DNA to use in slots 4 and 5 he doesn't keep anything but VHQ. Not that he doesn't use anything but VHQ in all the slots.
I'm glad you did mention slots 4 and 5 being of better quality than the rest. I've had that idea myself and it was nice to see someone else had the same idea.
ArthurDentOnBria
Tue May 25, 2004 5:01 pm
#6
Ok, let me clarify. If you find a dna sample where you want both specials on it to come through to the final creature, if you can get a VHQ sample of that and put it into slot 5, you get those 2 specials almost every time. That's been my experience. It's when you put something other than VHQ in slot 5 that you start getting random specials bleeding in from various other places.
Talthazar
Tue May 25, 2004 5:07 pm
#7
ArthurDentOnBria wrote:
Ok, let me clarify. If you find a dna sample where you want both specials on it to come through to the final creature, if you can get a VHQ sample of that and put it into slot 5, you get those 2 specials almost every time. That's been my experience. It's when you put something other than VHQ in slot 5 that you start getting random specials bleeding in from various other places.
I actually have great luck getting the specials I want using just High quality dna... as long as slots 1-3 all have AA quality. It's much more important to have 4 and 5 higher quality than it is to have the highest quality possible in 4 and 5. And yea, it's nice to know someone else has noticed this too
droid327
Wed May 26, 2004 1:33 pm
#8
What you might be doing wrong is using lower quality samples in slot 3. Slot 3 controls special 1, slot 4 controls special 2, and slot 5 has a lower weight on both. I find if you're trying to get specials to stick, its better to use HQsamples in slots 3 and 4 that have the corresponding special you want, and then a VHQ sample in slot 5 with both specials you want. Keep in mind they have to be in the same slot...that is, if you use a HQ dizzy/stun in slot 3, a HQ intim/cripple in slot 4, and a VHQ dizzy/cripple in slot 5, you'll probably get dizzy/cripple to stick.
Kevm
Wed May 26, 2004 1:49 pm
#9
hmmm. I'm not so sure about this. All the experimentation done right after the revamp never came up with this theory.
droid327 wrote:
Slot 3 controls special 1, slot 4 controls special 2, and slot 5 has a lower weight on both..
Talthazar
Wed May 26, 2004 7:13 pm
#10
droid327 wrote:
What you might be doing wrong is using lower quality samples in slot 3. Slot 3 controls special 1, slot 4 controls special 2, and slot 5 has a lower weight on both. I find if you're trying to get specials to stick, its better to use HQsamples in slots 3 and 4 that have the corresponding special you want, and then a VHQ sample in slot 5 with both specials you want. Keep in mind they have to be in the same slot...that is, if you use a HQ dizzy/stun in slot 3, a HQ intim/cripple in slot 4, and a VHQ dizzy/cripple in slot 5, you'll probably get dizzy/cripple to stick.
Certainly having multiple dna's with the specials you want can help, but I can't help notice that your example ends up with special one from slot 5 and special 2 from slot 4. I generally use slot 3 to get a ranged attack on my clones.
droid327
Wed May 26, 2004 10:53 pm
#11
Well I'm just citing what I've found with my experiences multi-genning and distilling DNA for CL10 pets. Actually, in certain cases I've had specials carry over from slots 1 and 2, so nothing is as absolute as anyone has made it seem so far =) To cite a specific case, instead of a hypothetical one, I've made several pets with the same recipe, and in cases where both specials I want didnt stick, I was able torecombine the ones that carried special1 with the ones that carried special2 in slots 3 and 4 respectively to get both specials back on the final product. Maybe its off, but its worked for me so far =)
Also, slots 3 and 4 both have a bearing on ranged...one of my formulae uses Fierce Piket Protector-Voritor Dasher-Piket Longhorn Female for slots 345, and using HQ HQ VHQ I can invariably get dizzy/crippling and ranged, although I think only the Voritor has the ranged flag (am i wrong? i dont have that data right here...)
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