What is the best way to breed for high oxygen stats in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Breeding for high oxygen stats in ARK: Survival Evolved involves a combination of understanding the game's breeding mechanics, careful planning, and patience. Oxygen is a stat that primarily benefits aquatic creatures, such as the Ichthyosaurus, Megalodon, or Basilosaurus, as it increases their swim speed and reduces the time they need to surface for air. However, breeding for high oxygen stats can also be useful for land creatures if you plan to use them in water-based activities or simply want to maximize their potential.

To begin, you need to understand how stat inheritance works. When two creatures breed, the offspring has a 55% chance to inherit the higher stat from either parent. This means that if one parent has a high oxygen stat and the other has a low one, the baby has a good chance of inheriting the higher stat. However, mutations can also play a role in increasing stats beyond what the parents have. Mutations occur randomly and can increase a stat by 2 points while also potentially changing the creature's color. Each creature can have up to 20 mutations on the maternal and paternal sides, but after 20 mutations, the chance of further mutations decreases significantly.

To breed for high oxygen stats, start by taming multiple creatures of the same species with high oxygen stats. You can check a creature's stats after taming by looking at its inventory screen. Once you have a few high-oxygen creatures, place them in a breeding area. This area should be secure, with walls or gates to prevent wild creatures from interfering. You will also need a steady supply of food, such as meat or berries, to keep the parents fed during the breeding process.

To initiate breeding, set one creature to "Enable Wandering" and the other to "Enable Mating." Make sure they are close enough to each other, and a heart icon will appear above their heads when they are ready to breed. After mating, the female will either lay an egg or become pregnant, depending on the species. For egg-laying creatures, you will need to incubate the egg at the correct temperature. This can be done using air conditioners, standing torches, or other temperature-regulating items. For live-bearing creatures, you simply need to wait for the gestation period to complete.

Once the baby is born or hatched, it will require constant care. Baby creatures need to be fed regularly, and their food consumption rate is much higher than adults. You will need to have a large supply of food on hand, such as raw meat for carnivores or berries for herbivores. As the baby grows, you can interact with it to imprint, which increases its stats and loyalty. Imprinting is done by following the prompts that appear above the baby's head, such as "Cuddle" or "Walk." Each imprint increases the creature's stats by a percentage, so it is important to complete as many imprints as possible.

To maximize oxygen stats, focus on breeding creatures with the highest oxygen stats you can find. Over multiple generations, you can combine the best stats from different parents to create a creature with exceptionally high oxygen. Mutations can also help increase the oxygen stat beyond what the parents have, but they are rare and random. To increase your chances of getting a mutation, breed as many creatures as possible. This will require a large breeding area and a steady supply of food and resources.

One common mistake is neglecting to track the stats of your breeding creatures. It is important to keep a record of each creature's stats so you can make informed decisions about which ones to breed. Another mistake is not preparing enough food for the baby creatures. Baby creatures consume food at a rapid rate, and running out of food can result in the baby starving to death. To avoid this, always have a surplus of food on hand.

Advanced techniques include using a breeding calculator to predict the stats of offspring and planning your breeding lines carefully. Some players also use mods or external tools to track mutations and stats more efficiently. If you are playing in a tribe, coordinate with your tribe members to share the workload of breeding and raising creatures. This can make the process much more manageable, especially if you are breeding multiple creatures at once.

In terms of resource requirements, breeding for high oxygen stats will require a significant investment of time and resources. You will need a secure breeding area, a steady supply of food, and temperature-regulating items for egg incubation. If you are playing solo, it may take longer to achieve your goals, but with careful planning and resource management, it is still possible.

For example, if you are breeding Megalodons for high oxygen stats, start by taming several Megalodons with high oxygen. Place them in a secure underwater pen and begin breeding. Over multiple generations, combine the best oxygen stats and look for mutations that increase oxygen. With patience and careful planning, you can create a Megalodon with exceptionally high oxygen, making it a powerful aquatic mount.

In conclusion, breeding for high oxygen stats in ARK: Survival Evolved requires a deep understanding of the game's breeding mechanics, careful planning, and a significant investment of time and resources. By following the steps outlined above and avoiding common mistakes, you can create creatures with exceptionally high oxygen stats that are well-suited for aquatic activities or other specialized tasks.