What is the best way to breed for higher stamina in creatures in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Breeding for higher stamina in creatures in ARK: Survival Evolved involves a combination of understanding the game's breeding mechanics, careful planning, and patience. Stamina is one of the key stats for many creatures, especially those used for travel or combat, as it determines how long they can sprint, fly, or fight before needing to rest. To breed for higher stamina, you need to focus on stat inheritance, mutations, and imprinting.

First, let's break down the mechanics. When two creatures breed, the offspring inherits stats from both parents. Each stat, including stamina, has a 55% chance to be inherited from either parent. This means you need to start with parents that have high stamina stats. If you don't already have creatures with high stamina, you can tame wild creatures and check their stats before taming. Use a tool like a spyglass or the in-game stat calculator to determine which creatures have the best stamina. Once you have a pair with high stamina, you can begin breeding.

The next step is to breed these creatures to produce offspring. Place the two creatures close together and enable mating. Make sure they are well-fed and in a safe environment. Once the mating process begins, you will either get an egg (for egg-laying creatures) or a live baby (for mammals). If it's an egg, you will need to incubate it at the right temperature, which can be achieved using air conditioners, standing torches, or other temperature control methods. For live births, you simply need to wait for the baby to be born.

After the baby is born or hatched, you need to care for it. This involves feeding it the appropriate food, which varies depending on the species. For example, carnivores need meat, while herbivores need berries or crops. Babies have a high food consumption rate, so make sure you have plenty of food on hand. As the baby grows, you will have the opportunity to imprint on it. Imprinting involves interacting with the baby at specific intervals, such as feeding it, walking with it, or cuddling it. Successful imprinting increases the creature's stats, including stamina, and improves its loyalty to you.

Now, let's talk about mutations. Mutations are random events that can occur during breeding, and they can affect a creature's stats or colors. Each mutation increases a stat by two levels and can also change the creature's appearance. However, mutations are rare, with only a 2.5% chance per stat per baby. To maximize your chances of getting a stamina mutation, you need to breed a large number of creatures. This is where breeding lines come into play. You can create a breeding line by continuously breeding creatures with high stamina and keeping the best offspring for further breeding. Over time, you can accumulate multiple stamina mutations, significantly increasing the stat.

One important tip is to keep track of your breeding lines. Use a spreadsheet or a notebook to record the stats of each creature, including their stamina levels and any mutations. This will help you identify which creatures to breed together to achieve the best results. Another tip is to use a breeding pair with identical stats, except for the stamina stat. This makes it easier to track which parent the stamina stat is inherited from and whether a mutation has occurred.

Common mistakes to avoid include not having enough food for the babies, not imprinting properly, and not keeping track of mutations. Babies can starve quickly, so always have a surplus of food. Imprinting is crucial for maximizing stats, so don't neglect it. Finally, without proper tracking, you might lose track of which creatures have the best stats and mutations, making it harder to progress.

Advanced techniques include stacking mutations. Each creature can have up to 20 mutations on the maternal and paternal sides, totaling 40 mutations. However, once a creature has 20 mutations on one side, it can no longer produce new mutations. To continue stacking mutations, you need to breed mutated creatures with non-mutated ones. This allows you to keep adding mutations while avoiding the mutation cap.

Resource requirements for breeding include a steady supply of food, a safe and temperature-controlled environment, and time. Breeding can be time-consuming, especially if you are aiming for multiple mutations. In a tribe, you can divide the workload, with different members responsible for feeding, imprinting, and tracking stats. Solo players will need to manage all these tasks themselves, so proper planning is essential.

In conclusion, breeding for higher stamina in ARK: Survival Evolved involves understanding stat inheritance, utilizing mutations, and proper imprinting. Start with high-stamina parents, breed them to produce offspring, and care for the babies carefully. Track your breeding lines and mutations to maximize your progress. Avoid common mistakes like neglecting food or imprinting, and consider advanced techniques like mutation stacking. With patience and careful planning, you can create creatures with exceptionally high stamina, making them more effective in travel, combat, and other tasks.