Dragon Caveology

[MisaTange]

Also, another good tip. Use the IRC. It's a good place for trading, getting those extra views, gifting/being a giftee (some people give free goodies such as this and got me my first rares), and just plain talking.

 

Another good tip is checking the trading threads. You have no idea when someone is going to offer a species that you have and give a species that you want.

[Tawanda001]

 

Also, I'm confused by some earlier posts... how did ARK originally come up, in this thread?

 

It was sort of randomly brought up out of the blue, but I do think this is a good thread to mention it in.

It's nice to know there is a special place to acknowledge people that have been especially nice or helpful out of random kindness.

[Erinalia]

Things I've found most successful in Dragcave:

1. Patience. Sign up for the newbie/rare/whatever it is you're looking for threads and wait. There are nice people who are willing to get you an egg- just be patient.

 

2. Think long term. It might take FOREVER to get the low-gen tinsel you want, but after you have patiently waited/traded for it, you can get it a nice mate and use its offspring to trade for MORE dragons you want. On a related note- try not to lock yourself. If you do, stagger your locks. For instance, 7d left egg, 6 day left egg, 4day 3 hour egg. This will let you hunt the AP/work on trades while working on your collection instead of having to say "Can I ask you to hold onto that egg for 5 days? O.O"

 

3. Use PMs! I'm stunned by how rarely I get PMs asking for me to breed my dragons. If people put "ask" in their sigs, they're not going to yell at you if they get a polite request! If you ask for something rare though, remember PATIENCE.

 

4. Stalk the AP/dragon departure threads. I've thrown 2nd gen red eggs off my scroll because I don't NEED another and I got a breeding request in. I've thrown cheeses and papers that were spaz clicks. Just don't get disappointed when you miss one- think of it as one less person competing with you for an egg AND an increase in your chances to get it! (they'll breed a rare, RIGHT? )

 

Edit:

"Also, if you miss an uncommon egg snatched from the AP and then tossed back, don't take it; there's usually a reason why the grabber passed up the chance to own that dragon. "

 

Yes that's usually true. But sometimes the person to grab the egg 1st is very picky and has few egg spots open... or it was a reflex click... So really I think that it's worth trying for the egg again, it never hurts to check. I have gotten some nice ones, even hatchies, this way. ^^ I've clicked on many many nice eggs that I wish I had room for but decided to throw back as they were not a priority for me and I need  to conserve space! If I miss a very low time egg or a species I want I will referesh the "egg not found" page for 20 seconds or so in case they toss it back! 

 

This is true BUT- that doesn't mean you shouldn't pick it up. Sometimes its inbred, yes- I honestly don't care about that, but others do. BUT- sometimes its just got a long lineage. I picked up one of my silver eggs that was tossed out only because its a 10th gen. No inbreeding, just a long lineage. But when I look at my scroll, I still smile. Click it anyhow! You can always toss it back yourself!

 

Just some random thoughts... I went from a scroll full of pebbles to lots of shines with patience and a few geode eggs!

 

Edit: MOST IMPORTANTLY - collect the dragons YOU like, not what other people deem valuable. Lessons on this can be seen from the people who missed the old pinks (because they were "common") and from people who now wish they had gotten more frills!

Edited November 26, 2011 by Erinalia

[baconNeggs_2022]

Speaking of discontinued dragons. One of the DC rules that probably proves useful for many: On DC you hoard CBs of everything that can be hoarded.

 

Try to have proven breeding CB pairs of every possible species, even ultra commons. You never know when some people want 2nd gen PB commons for fresh blood for their lineages and are willing to offer something nice for them.

 

 

 

 

[Dark_Necros]

Actually, "learnt" is a perfectly acceptable variation, particularly common in UK English. :3

 

("Yeah" on the other hand, can not be spelled "yea" - that's a different word, a very old-fashioned/formal synonym for "yes." I.e. "voting yea or nay." Sorry, pet peeve. )

The reason that I do not (generally) say 'yeah' is because I'm too lazy. On the other hand, I'd never seen this spelling, so I thought that, because it's a formal topic, it should be corrected.

[TheGrox]

As for the egg values list, it's definitely of use to a newbie, but there's already at least one "What is my egg worth?" thread. Maybe Grox could include a link to it, though.

I would add a link if I could find one... Maybe I'm just not searching hard enough? If anyone could find a link to one, it would be very helpful.

 

Also, Updated the first post with Kelkelen's advice for people with a slow connection, and also with some of the other advice everyone has been posting. Keep it coming guys!

[dragongrrl]

This is a great thread, and I hope it will get pinned somewhere for both newbie reference and the old hands refresher course. There's so much good info, and it has a lot of the nuts and bolts stuff that FAQs don't necessarily cover.

 

I'll have to review some of my slow connection - spazz reflex techniques, and see if I can add a couple of things because I've dealt with really bad connections, managing to continue the hunt though the lag. Perseverance pays!

 

Good work!

[HollyTheColliegirl]

Another tip to add:

 

Use Wikia

 

The Dragon Cave Wikia is a compilation of practically everything a newbie, or 10 page long scroll member, could ever need. It has egg types, dragon profiles, time lines, and information about new events/releases.

I've noticed that a lot of the rarer eggs in the Cave have 2-3 line discriptions, compared to the Commons with a few words. This isn't always true, which is why I highly suggest that you use this Wikia page to memorize egg discriptions. It will help enormously in the long run, so you won't hesitate over that egg that you're not completely sure about.

 

Clicksites & Fansites

 

Using clicksites and fansites is very helpful. Instead of just barely hatching your egg at 1 day left, you can often get your baby out at the first possible time. But beware, don't put your egg in every single site at one time; it will overload the egg and it can get softshell. If you don't treat this, the egg can die. To save an egg with softshell, use the "fog" feature found on the Actions menu.

Some breeds of dragons (mostly the rares) will need more views and unique views, so you should always adjust to your eggs' needs.

Edited November 28, 2011 by HollyTheColliegirl

[Kelkelen]

Oh! Oh! DISABLE JAVASCRIPT.

[tigerUS]

How-To: New Dragon and Holiday Drops:

 

1) Be the quickest you can. During Holiday drops, the new dragon is the ONLY dragon being dropped. Don't worry about misclicks and worry about reflex speed. Similarly, new dragons in their biomes for the first two days or so.

 

2) Set up. Keep your cursor on the right-most slot, because that's where the newest eggs appear.

 

3) Refresh-click. Refresh, then click the instant your page loads enough for you to do so, even if you can't see all the elements of the page or read anything. This instant is different depending on your browser, but look for the instant that your "loading" animation changes.

 

4) Adjust your browser if necessary. If you've tried that thirty to fifty times or so and still can't manage to catch one, first go to your browser's options menu and turn off "automatically load graphics" and "enable Java." This will make your page load an infinitesimally small amount faster and might just do the trick. Don't forget to turn them back on after you successfully catch.

 

5) Trade! While an initial drop is still going on, it is fairly easy to trade for the new egg from people with fast connections confident that they'll be able to catch a replacement. Most likely, they will be interested in hatchlings and uninterested in eggs since they'd like to keep their egg slots for the new dragon.

 

6a) Look for threads that offer holiday catching assistance. If you still can't catch a new egg, you don't have anything to trade, and it's a holiday drop, look around for a catching assistance thread and you are likely to find someone who will help you. This should be a last resort.

 

6b) Don't panic. If you still can't catch a new egg, you don't have anything to trade, and it's a regular new common dragon drop, don't panic and wait a while. It may be as soon as a few days or a few weeks, but very quickly there will be fewer people vying for the new egg on drops and it will be dramatically easier to trade for one or receive it as a gift.

 

6c) Be patient. If you still can't catch a new egg, you don't have anything to trade, and it's a regular new rare or uncommon dragon drop, it's time to scramble. These are harder to catch, not easier, after the initial drop, so the sooner you trade for, catch, or receive one, the easier it will be. Even if you miss it all completely, don't worry too much. If you stick around long enough, you will eventually get one somehow.

Edited November 28, 2011 by tigerUS

[Imbecamiel]

Oh!  Oh!  DISABLE JAVASCRIPT.

Yep.

 

Another tip for people with slow internet connections:

 

During holidays, turn off images too while you're hunting. In fact, turn off as many "extras" as you can to cut the page display down to bare bones. This tends to be the only way I can actually catch eggs during those insanely busy times - but this trick combined with a bit of patience has helped me so, so much in successful holiday hunting.

 

Edit: Aha, didn't see tigerUS's post till now - those are excellent, excellent tips. Sunstone and Moonstone hatchlings, when they had just come out, helped me to get my first Tinsels. Which is a slightly different tip, actually: If you want something harder to get, sometimes brand-new common hatchlings can help you get it! Many more experienced players want CBs of new dragons, but are working on other things as well, and are willing to trade more valuable eggs for hatchlings that won't use up their egg slots.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Imbecamiel

[Kelkelen]

Yep.

 

Another tip for people with slow internet connections:

 

During holidays, turn off images too while you're hunting. In fact, turn off as many "extras" as you can to cut the page display down to bare bones. This tends to be the only way I can actually catch eggs during those insanely busy times - but this trick combined with a bit of patience has helped me so, so much in successful holiday hunting.

Right! You need the images for the AP, but not for the Cave proper. Especially not when it's ONLY a new dragon being dropped, like on a holiday! Turning off images may seem to make only a fraction of a difference with a fast connection, but with a slow one, the change is often quite noticeable.

[dragongrrl]

Right! You need the images for the AP, but not for the Cave proper. Especially not when it's ONLY a new dragon being dropped, like on a holiday! Turning off images may seem to make only a fraction of a difference with a fast connection, but with a slow one, the change is often quite noticeable.

A help for me when hunting the AP, in addition to turning off Javascript, is to disable the page style, which also decrease loading time. In Firefox, click view, go to Page Style and click No Style. it still allows the images necessary for the AP, but stops loading the background images, which sometimes moves very slow.

[Kelkelen]

A help for me when hunting the AP, in addition to turning off Javascript, is to disable the page style, which also decrease loading time.  In Firefox, click view, go to Page Style and click No Style.  it still allows the images necessary for the AP, but stops loading the background images, which sometimes moves very slow.

Oh, that sounds great! I'd been wondering how to do that -- I'd noticed that when my page-load lagged, I could see the 'simple' version for a second before the scroll got its ragged edge, etc. Thanks!

 

 

EDIT: P.S. -- In my current version of Firefox, to disable Javascript, you click the menu in the upper left, click Options, then uncheck the box for "Enable Javascript." Aaaand... I can't find "View," to get to Page Style! Where is it? (I fail at Teh Intarwebz.)

Edited November 28, 2011 by Kelkelen

[TheGrox]

Great advice everyone, I have added some bits to the main post. Keep it coming!

[PolarVortex]

I'm not new to DC, but I am a new Mac user... does anyone have any tips for hunting with a Mac? I used to be very good with F5, but Apple+R just isn't doing it for me. I've found you can't just hold down the apple key and hit R, because if you Apple+Click it thinks you're trying to cheat by opening in another window.

 

Is there a better setting for refreshing with just one key?

 

Also, with a PC when you mouse over the egg it shows you the code in a little message box in the corner. Is there a way to get that same feature with a Mac/Safari? I like checking for interesting codes in the cave too

[TheGrox]

Also, with a PC when you mouse over the egg it shows you the code in a little message box in the corner. Is there a way to get that same feature with a Mac/Safari? I like checking for interesting codes in the cave too

Hmmm... Can't you install Chrome (or another alternative browser) onto your Mac?

 

Would you be interested in using an alternative browser? If not, I would try searching Safari addons to see if there is anything that will show you the url of a link before you click it.

 

EDIT: Just checked, yes, Chrome is available for Mac.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2011 by TheGrox

[Dark_Necros]

On stalking:

If you've got a bogged down computer (not one with low specs) and you know what you're doing, you can always boot up a live CD and use a completely clean OS for clicking.

[Sunrise]

Also, with a PC when you mouse over the egg it shows you the code in a little message box in the corner. Is there a way to get that same feature with a Mac/Safari? I like checking for interesting codes in the cave too

 

Do you have the latest version of Safari? I think the latest one gives you a little message box in the bottom right corner of the browser. Google Chrome does that.

 

I used to be very good with F5, but Apple+R just isn't doing it for me.

Unfortunately I can't help you with that I had a hard time with Apple+R, too. I guess you just have to get used to it.

 

During holidays, turn off images too while you're hunting.

 

I've never done this before and don't get how this works…If you turn off images, would the pictures of the "question mark" eggs in the main cave go away, too? Just wondering

 

 

Anyway, I think the one thing that hasn't really been mentioned here is remember to gift! And don't just do it for the shiny ARK badge, do it because it feels right. These days when I've visited The Giving Tree, I noticed that many of the rare gift lists have been backlogged, and there are also people waiting for commons/uncommons. If you snag Nebulas for your gigantic nebula army, why not spare at least a handful for someone who has none? Gifting may not yield any material value like a trade does, but it does give you that warm fuzzy feeling knowing you've done something good for someone else, and lets you take a step back from all the hoarding and competition.

Edited November 29, 2011 by Sunrise

[klinneah]

When you turn off images in the cave, the pictures of the question mark eggs are replaced by a text link that says "Egg."

[Imbecamiel]

Anyway, I think the one thing that hasn't really been mentioned here is remember to gift! And don't just do it for the shiny ARK badge, do it because it feels right. These days when I've visited The Giving Tree, I noticed that many of the rare gift lists have been backlogged, and there are also people waiting for commons/uncommons. If you snag Nebulas for your gigantic nebula army, why not spare at least a handful for someone who has none? Gifting may not yield any material value like a trade does, but it does give you that warm fuzzy feeling knowing you've done something good for someone else, and lets you take a step back from all the hoarding and competition.

Oh yes, this is so true. Honestly, lately when I'm having a particularly bad day I've taken to looking for people to gift nice things to. Because it is so, so very satisfying to be able to brighten someone else's day by helping them get something they've wanted - and it often does more to make me happy than even managing to trade for something I've been wanting!

 

And along that general note: just generally be nice to people. The community here can be incredibly kind and helpful, but it can only continue that way as long as each of us tries to pass that attitude along in our dealings with others.

 

And when it comes to trading... well, it can be a touchy thing. Because there's nothing at all wrong with wanting to get the most you possibly can for your eggs/hatchlings. But at the same time, even setting aside the general "nice thing to do" aspect of things, it's generally a good policy to do what you can to see that the other person comes away from the trade happy as well.

 

Now, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't ask "such and such" for "so and so" just because most people wouldn't consider that a perfectly even trade - what each person wants and considers fair varies. But rather than pushing to get the most you possibly can out of someone because you can, in the long run it pays to try to be fair. People may reluctantly give exorbitant amounts for something they really want, or need urgently, but in the end more people are going to want to deal with you if they find you're nice (whether accepting or rejecting an offer - I certainly don't mean that you should accept whatever people are offering just because they want something) and reasonable. I know I tend to seek out people who are pleasant to deal with for future trades - and I'm much more likely to accept IOUs from them, as well.

 

And on the subject of IOUs... can't remember if it's been addressed yet in this thread, but: If you make an promise, fulfill it. If for some reason you find that you can't, explain what's going on, and ask if there's some alternative that they would accept. If you accept IOUs, keep in mind that there's a possibility that the other person might not fulfill it - sometimes for reasons beyond their control, sometimes just because they're a jerk. It stinks when that happens, but it's a risk you take. So think it over before accepting their promise and handing over your egg or hatchling! If they don't follow through, there's not much to be done about it. (Thankfully, I myself have yet to run into problems with people refusing to give what they've promised. :3)

Edited November 29, 2011 by Imbecamiel

[HollyTheColliegirl]

Anyway, I think the one thing that hasn't really been mentioned here is remember to gift! And don't just do it for the shiny ARK badge, do it because it feels right. These days when I've visited The Giving Tree, I noticed that many of the rare gift lists have been backlogged, and there are also people waiting for commons/uncommons. If you snag Nebulas for your gigantic nebula army, why not spare at least a handful for someone who has none? Gifting may not yield any material value like a trade does, but it does give you that warm fuzzy feeling knowing you've done something good for someone else, and lets you take a step back from all the hoarding and competition.

The only problem with this is that this topic is advice for newbies. They just won't have an army of Nebulas/other uncommons. I say, worry about getting your bronze trophy, and then you can start relaxing enough to trade/gift.

[Imbecamiel]

The only problem with this is that this topic is advice for newbies. They just won't have an army of Nebulas/other uncommons. I say, worry about getting your bronze trophy, and then you can start relaxing enough to trade/gift.

True enough. :3 But even so, unless it's, like, your very first week there's always someone newer than you are, or just less lucky/skilled at catching. And it's not always real uncommon things that other people desperately want for projects, or just because they love them. You never know who's going to be an absolute ninja at catching those, say, CB Night Glories that always seem to evade another person who needs them. Doesn't hurt to be in the mindset of willingness to give, as well as ask for, help, even if you're relatively new.

 

But yes, that said, it is a bit less likely that newbies are going to have things others are looking for, and not need those same things themselves. (Unless they just plain don't particularly like a breed, and don't feel like collecting them.)

[TheGrox]

The only problem with this is that this topic is advice for newbies. They just won't have an army of Nebulas/other uncommons. I say, worry about getting your bronze trophy, and then you can start relaxing enough to trade/gift.

I caught a messy Gold Dorkface from the AP before I got my Bronze Trophy

 

But, on saying that, I know not all newbies are as lucky as I was, and I see your point.

[Ha-Ki]

Most people find hatchlings much more appealing, because they don't take up eggslots and don't take as long to grow up. Also, ER eggs and hatchlings are much more appealing, because they usually result in an instant hatchling/adult upon trading.

This is SO true. I got my 5th even gen gold tinsel for a cb female flamingo hatchling

 

Thanks for writing this guide, there were a few things in it that I didn't think of yet

Edited November 30, 2011 by Ha-Ki