How Do YOU catch a rare egg

[Soliae]

I quit playing a long time ago...6 months, maybe as long as a year. Just came back, renamed everything courtesy of a random name generator (boy, was that a chore), and am starting to pick up all the new dragons.

 

I have noticed that the success rate for gold/silver eggs has dropped WAY down since I left. I have a lot of both, and was always able to get at least one egg per cycle, often multiple eggs would go to Abandoned area. Now that just doesn't happen. Two weeks and zero metallic eggs. Not that I needed more, it was just my focus. I enjoyed being able to provide those random surprises of spare gold/silver eggs as well as growing my own herd.

 

I do the same as anyone else, I stalk the cave with the mouse over the third egg, I stalk the Abandoned area. Lots of the new dragons seem pretty hard to find, so it's been a challenge so far. Know the color, know the wording of what you want, and have lightning reflexes and a bit of internet luck.

[Syphoneira]

How do I catch rares?

 

...I don't.

 

Somehow they seem rarer than before, maybe I'm just playing differently or something. I dunno. I haven't gotten a rare (or an uncommon...) in a looooong time now.

 

 

 

 

You're speaking for a lot of us, lol.

 

Normally, I just don't see metallics - or Blacks, come to that - in the Cave.

 

But I've most amazingly seen 3 Silvers now within about a week, so I'm hoping that there will be more available in the end.

 

This is an excellent thread and one which indicates the alteration of the requirements and drives behind the demand for metallics and other such difficult-to-obtain sprites - and of DC itself.

 

 

Wall of text alert.

 

 

The total lack of hope for many of catching 'endangered' CB metallics and CB Blacks that those of us on slower systems nonetheless need for breeding various important lines and, indeed, for general breeding purposes, is further accentuated now that we can no longer identify Stripes and Pinks to hunt for, in what appears to be a trend toward the elimination of selective hunting having specific, personally controllable results, in the randomization of potential results and the loss of any such specific individual selection and control.

 

In this respect, our actions no longer determine our results, and the player is effectively taken out of play and replaced by chance.

 

 

Therefore, the previous system in that area consisting of reward for directed effort toward specific goals - and the general ability of the overall player population (apart from those stuck on dial-up) to reach any of these particular, more difficult goals through such effort - not only appears to be in the process of being phased out in favour of a lottery system but one where trading becomes paramount over hunting, and trade value over personal need/desire for specific breeding stock/sprites.

 

This is indicated as those with the fastest systems and those willing to lock themselves repeatedly in what I'll term randomized description grabs can obtain rare/randomized in-demand sprites which some need for collection and breeding and now must obtain through trade, if at all, and as other players now increasingly desire rare sprites not for any perceived intrinsic value inherent to the sprites themselves in relation to the player's feelings about them, but as status symbols and trading markers, as those having success in DC now often depend on entirely different criteria.

 

 

The aims and attitudes of DC in general are being affected by this as well, through the alteration in appeal to different incoming groups with different goals, from a family site and community engaged in collecting/breeding dragons for fun to a more competitive, trading/status-oriented site where trading/status value rather than personal taste more frequently determines dragon choice.

 

 

Previously, it was possible to eventually obtain any sprite through concerted effort, with a great deal of time put in and, typically, sleep missed - but it could, generally, be done by those with slower puters/reflexes, apart from those on dial-up, who nonetheless could at least once hope for obtaining CB Metallics and other such sprites as gifts or trades, when it was possible to catch them more easily and by a far wider section of the player population.

 

If we do not have hyperfast puters and reflexes, we typically can no longer catch metallics (or various other difficult-to-find sprites) and as, predictably, rather than the original personal needs/desires, a competitive market now obtains, driven by rarities of late drastically increased.

 

The overall emphasis has been altering through this increased rarity from "I want to collect this sprite because I like it/need it for breeding" to 'I want this sprite because it's valuable for trade/a status symbol/something few people have and if I have mine, the rarity should remain/increase so mine retains its value" - which further increases the concentration of these sprites among those having the fastest systems and reactions, and which also makes it worthwhile for bot-catchers to be brought in by the unscrupulous, even where perks restricted to trading values/status on DC alone are considered.

 

Issues such as bot-catchers arose when the rarities of CB metallics and CB Blacks increased and, one would think, would not have appeared had not such incentives developed.

 

Once automatic puter-speed bot-catching programs are introduced into a system, human reaction times cannot hope to compete even where the connections/computers are equal.

 

 

The permutations of both the rarity situation and that of the shared descriptions extend far beyond the limited areas they seem often assumed to be restricted to...

 

Soon, perhaps, a more accurate title for such a thread as this might be 'How on EARTH Do You ever Catch a Rare Egg?!'

[Outer Space]

Well, I never had any problems with catching the eggs I want. It's a very cool (the best, may be) part of the game for me. It's challenge. That's what I always liked here. What I don't like is all this whining and speculations about "omfg, how can I catch rare", or "guyz are using bots, they're stealing our eggs", and I hate the guts out of "those hoarders, they already have so much, give others a chance" folks.

 

First, I spent a lot of time hunting for rare eggs. Having and spending more time really helps, that's obvious

 

I have some personal tips that might work only for me, like I never refresh the page via F5, but just click the logo and put the mouse back immediately; I'm not sure whether it's convinient for other players.

 

What else? Learn the descriptions by heart, and focus on certain words without reading the entire description. Change browser for faster ones (you, happy Linux users! You have all the cards!). Try hunting in unusual times (like early in the morning or late at night). Practice clicking. Read ancient egyptian spells. Do some alchemy. Try asking local demon spirits for help.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Outer Space

[Gryphon8]

Pure, dumb luck.

[elderberrysyrup]

Enjoy DC. I've started to grow a collection of dragons of specific breeds, mainly pygmies, fellfire, and sunsong- I just find them so pretty. I don't worry much about the rares. I see, I catch a few, but I don't have a need for them and prefer to trade them off for the three up there. I've always found a massive collection of one pretty sprite is worth more then 1 cb gold/silver.

Edited September 18, 2010 by soullesshuman

[Count_23]

Pure, dumb luck.

excatly.

[law-lee]

Spaz clicking while looking for uncommon eggs. I've gotten 2 chickens, three dinos, and a few cheese dragons this way. I also caught my cb gold by mistake while looking for a cb silver. :x The only cb silver I have I got through a trade, and he has not given me a single silver decedent since. Though my gold has given me many gold eggs over the past year.

 

How funny, I actually don't like the gold sprites very much, but I was able to breed them like nuts up until 2 months ago. :/ None of my silvers have produced a single silver egg since the metallic ratio glitch last summer, and I love silvers. :<

 

 

I used to hunt for hours though. Now, I've sort of given up. The ratios are still too out of wack, and people keep breeding metallics that are inbred, which lowers the chance of seeing a cb in the cave. I really don't want to sit at the front of the cave for three hours, finally see a silver, not catch it, and repeat this cycle for a full week or longer. I was frustrated enough when I saw 1 metallic an hour, now it isn't really even worth it to try. It depends too much on luck for my taste, I like my chances being more evened out and having the chance to catch something with lots of patience, without having to spend weeks glued to the computer. I'm on the computer too much as it is. XP

[Verilidaine]

Spending time in the AP, focusing intently on whatever spot your mouse is on. I think every rare I have, save two, have been AP catches. I've only seen one CB silver, to my knowledge, and of course I didn't get it. But I did catch one on the AP, which I realized was CB after the lineage-viewing tool came out and I started paying attention to that.

 

Yeah, pretty much, lots of time and patience.

[Ulquiorra+Cuatro+Espada]

What I hate...

 

Getting too trigger-happy on the refresh button and when you see that rare egg you've already hit refresh and have no chance to snag it...

 

You watch as the page refreshes and curse yourself.

 

I do this too often...

[CoraxG]

Yeah, I've done that too. By the time I realize I really did just see a CB black, my left hand has already hit reload and it's too late.

[Sorrowgrave]

I ask for one, or stay up till midnight refreashing the page on the AP *points at blacks on scroll* as for asking *points at gold* see my point?

[Ulquiorra+Cuatro+Espada]

Just missed an AP Gold egg with "rapid-fire refresh"

 

*sadface*

[Kaoto_Susanao235]

Pure, dumb luck.

Agreed. It is almost impossible otherwise.

 

Though when I see a rare egg on the Cave I spaz click and hope I get it.

[Lizzyluna]

Announcement board gave me my Yulebuck.

Then F5, images and Javascript disabled and a little faith. Click it, there's a possibility you'll get it. (and that's how I got my Snow Angels)

That being said...what's a CB metallic?

 

[Draco Knight]

Patience, patience, patience! With a dash of pure luck.

[littleangelamy22]

Never got a rare, but when I was browsing the AP, I saw a Vampire and I was like 'Squee' and clicked like mad.. and got it. This happened twice.

I have a yellow dino as well, but I have no idea how I got that. That was ages ago. I often go 'Squee' and just miss ones, but I've only ever seen a Mettalic once in the AP, and twice in the main cave. I got none of them.

[chickenhound]

Ha! like I would share my secret to being one of the first to get event dragon eggs....

 

 

but I will share how I got my non-event rares

 

Slivers: got uber lucky and snagged one off the ap!

Gold : was a trade for something else (I think it was a vamp back when vamps were rare)

Chickens: were a 2 for 1 for a trio egg

Trio : used my event egg secret to snag some during the first release

Paper: snagged the old fashioned way

dinos: snagged the old fashioned way/ traded trios/slivers for

cheese: see trios

Edited September 23, 2010 by chickenhound

[Soundwave95]

I hardly to get this rare often when I get lucky.. oh well that tough to get in cave..

 

Slivers: I got one that tough to get..

Gold : nothing to get that I tried and tried no luck.. I hope get gift from them.

Chickens: I got 2 as well..

Trio : I got that for summon as need. I have that magma, 2 thunders, 2 ices

Paper: I have 1 tough to get..

dinos: I got 4 dinos now. but one yellow dino is very tough to get often in cave..

Cheese: I got 1 and I will tried to get 2nd one but not seen much in cave by now..

black: tough to get by tried..

Rock: no yet to get one maybe later at time

vampire: not sure maybe to get later

 

 

that how hard to get those rare eggs in abandon cave as well as I not seen lot in cave right now like that not same as before when I join in so I luck had those rare eggs now in my scoll.

 

thanks

Edited September 23, 2010 by Soundwave95

[tehjohnli]

Silvers: Trades.

Golds: Trades.

Trios: I got 3 from trades, 1 from the AP and 3 CB thunders. one of which I traded for a CB ice and one which is going to my sister for a birthday gift.

Vines: I snag CBs like there's no tomorrow. O_O

Blacks: I get nice lineaged ones from the AP.

Unbreedables: I'm amazing at catching unbreedables. Dinos, chickens, cheeses, etc. I can get them all.

I'm up to 6 cheeses, I gifted my sister like 5 papers, I've gifted and traded around 20 dinos in 3 weeks, etc. I gift them all the time.

 

But most of the time it's refreshing in the cave for half an hour, seeing a CB metallic/black/trio, refreshing again, and going oh and furiously clicking and missing.

[Evangeline]

sit there and wait like a mindless fool DX

exactly! Plus hover over the eggs before they load.

[Kaini]

And spaz click, don't forget that

[Salamance]

I have an epic secret I dont know if I should share that I used 5 minuets ago to catch a paper egg. Should I tell you?

[chris123]

I just stalk the ap and cave and have quick reflexes.

[Sylette]

I do the f5 3rd egg thing...except sometimes (very rarely) multiple eggs get nabbed simultaneously. It FREAKED ME OUT once when I saw a chicken egg in the 2nd slot D:

[Psykotika]

I don't catch rare eggs. I breed em. Coz it's freaking next to impossible to catch em nowadays >_<