What is the best way to breed for higher weight in a Basilosaurus in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Breeding for higher weight in a Basilosaurus in ARK: Survival Evolved involves a combination of understanding breeding mechanics, stat inheritance, and mutation systems. The Basilosaurus is a unique aquatic creature known for its high health and weight stats, making it an excellent choice for underwater resource gathering and transportation. To breed for higher weight, you need to focus on selective breeding, stat stacking, and careful management of mutations.

First, you need to understand the mechanics of breeding. When two Basilosaurus are bred, the offspring inherits stats from both parents. Each stat, including weight, has a 55% chance to be inherited from either parent. This means you need to start with a pair of Basilosaurus that have high weight stats. If you donÔÇÖt already have high-weight Basilosaurus, youÔÇÖll need to tame several and compare their stats to find the best candidates. Once you have a male and female with high weight, you can begin breeding them to produce offspring with even higher weight.

The next step is to initiate the breeding process. Place the male and female Basilosaurus close to each other and enable mating. Ensure they are well-fed and in a safe environment, as breeding can take some time. Once the female becomes pregnant, youÔÇÖll need to wait for the gestation period to complete. Basilosaurus give birth to live babies, so you wonÔÇÖt need to worry about egg incubation. After the baby is born, it will require constant care, including feeding and protection, until it reaches adulthood.

To increase the weight stat further, you can introduce mutations. Mutations are random and can affect either a stat or the creatureÔÇÖs color. Each mutation increases a stat by two levels, so if youÔÇÖre lucky, you can get a mutation that boosts weight. However, mutations are rare, and thereÔÇÖs a limit to how many mutations a creature can have. Each parent can contribute up to 20 mutations, so youÔÇÖll need to carefully track which Basilosaurus have mutations to avoid hitting the cap.

One common mistake is not keeping track of stat inheritance and mutations. ItÔÇÖs essential to record the stats of each generation to ensure youÔÇÖre making progress. Use a spreadsheet or notebook to track the weight stats of each Basilosaurus and any mutations they have. This will help you identify which creatures to breed next and avoid breeding ones that donÔÇÖt contribute to your goal.

Advanced techniques involve stacking mutations. To do this, youÔÇÖll need to breed multiple generations of Basilosaurus, each time selecting the offspring with the highest weight and any beneficial mutations. Over time, you can stack multiple mutations to significantly increase the weight stat. However, this process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, so itÔÇÖs important to be patient and persistent.

Resource requirements for breeding Basilosaurus include a steady supply of food, such as raw meat or fish, to keep the parents and babies fed. YouÔÇÖll also need a safe breeding area, preferably in the water, where the Basilosaurus can mate and the babies can grow without being attacked by predators. If youÔÇÖre playing solo, this can be challenging, as youÔÇÖll need to manage all aspects of breeding and baby care on your own. In a tribe, you can divide responsibilities, making the process more manageable.

Specific examples of breeding for higher weight might involve starting with two Basilosaurus, one with a weight stat of 500 and another with 550. After breeding, you might get an offspring with a weight stat of 575 due to a mutation. You would then breed this offspring with another high-weight Basilosaurus to continue increasing the stat. Over several generations, you could potentially have a Basilosaurus with a weight stat exceeding 1000.

In conclusion, breeding for higher weight in a Basilosaurus requires careful planning, patience, and attention to detail. By understanding the mechanics of stat inheritance and mutations, tracking your progress, and managing resources effectively, you can create a Basilosaurus with an exceptionally high weight stat, making it a powerful asset for your underwater adventures in ARK: Survival Evolved.