How do I breed for high oxygen in creatures like the Ichthyosaurus in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Breeding for high oxygen in creatures like the Ichthyosaurus in ARK: Survival Evolved involves a combination of understanding the breeding mechanics, careful planning, and patience. The Ichthyosaurus is a water-dwelling creature, and oxygen is one of its most important stats, as it directly affects how long it can stay underwater. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to breed for high oxygen in Ichthyosaurs.

First, you need to understand the basics of breeding mechanics. Breeding in ARK involves pairing two creatures of the same species to produce an egg or live baby. For Ichthyosaurs, you will need a male and a female. Place them close to each other and enable the "Enable Wandering" option. This will allow them to mate. Once the mating process begins, you will see a progress bar indicating how long until the egg is laid. After the egg is laid, you need to incubate it. Ichthyosaur eggs require a specific temperature range to hatch, so you may need to use air conditioners or campfires to maintain the correct temperature.

Once the egg hatches, you will have a baby Ichthyosaur. At this stage, the baby requires constant care. You need to feed it regularly, and it will have a maturation timer indicating how long it will take to grow into an adult. During this time, you can interact with the baby to imprint on it. Imprinting increases the babyÔÇÖs stats and loyalty, making it more effective in combat or other tasks. To imprint, you will need to fulfill the babyÔÇÖs requests, which can include feeding it specific foods or taking it for a walk.

Now, letÔÇÖs focus on breeding for high oxygen. The key to achieving this is understanding stat inheritance and mutations. Each stat of the offspring is inherited from one of its parents. For example, if the mother has a high oxygen stat and the father has a low oxygen stat, the baby has a 55% chance of inheriting the higher oxygen stat. To maximize the chances of getting a high oxygen stat, you should start with parents that already have high oxygen stats. You can find wild Ichthyosaurs with high oxygen stats by taming multiple individuals and comparing their stats.

Once you have a pair of Ichthyosaurs with high oxygen stats, you can begin breeding them. The goal is to produce offspring that inherit the high oxygen stat from both parents. This may take several generations, as the inheritance of stats is random. However, by selectively breeding only the offspring with the highest oxygen stats, you can gradually increase the oxygen stat in your breeding line.

Mutations can also play a role in increasing the oxygen stat. Mutations are rare and random, but they can provide a significant boost to a stat. Each mutation increases a stat by two levels and can also change the creatureÔÇÖs color. To maximize the chances of getting a mutation, you should breed as many offspring as possible. Keep in mind that each creature can have a maximum of 20 mutations on the maternal and paternal sides combined. Once a creature reaches this limit, it can no longer produce mutations.

Resource management is crucial when breeding for high oxygen. You will need a steady supply of food to keep the parents and babies fed. For Ichthyosaurs, the best food is raw meat or fish meat. You should also have a safe and secure breeding area, preferably in a base near water. This will make it easier to care for the babies and protect them from predators.

If you are playing in a tribe, you can divide the responsibilities among tribe members. One person can focus on taming high-oxygen Ichthyosaurs, while another can handle the breeding and baby care. This will make the process more efficient and less time-consuming. If you are playing solo, you will need to manage all aspects of breeding on your own, so itÔÇÖs important to plan your time carefully.

Common mistakes to avoid include neglecting the babyÔÇÖs needs, not maintaining the correct temperature for the egg, and not keeping track of the breeding lines. ItÔÇÖs easy to lose track of which creatures have the highest stats, so itÔÇÖs a good idea to keep a record of each generationÔÇÖs stats. You should also avoid over-mutating a creature, as this can lead to diminishing returns and make it harder to achieve the desired stat.

Advanced techniques include using cryopods to store and transport creatures, which can save time and resources. You can also use a breeding calculator to predict the stats of the offspring and plan your breeding lines more effectively. Additionally, you can use a kibble farm to produce high-quality food for your creatures, which will speed up the taming and breeding process.

In conclusion, breeding for high oxygen in Ichthyosaurs requires a combination of understanding the breeding mechanics, careful planning, and patience. By selectively breeding creatures with high oxygen stats, managing resources effectively, and avoiding common mistakes, you can create a powerful and efficient Ichthyosaur breeding line. Whether you are playing solo or in a tribe, the key to success is careful planning and attention to detail. With the right strategies and techniques, you can achieve your goal of breeding a high-oxygen Ichthyosaur in ARK: Survival Evolved.