GC Mag growing ? limits, formulae, and code speculation

[Aular]

Good day!

I've been working on a Mag guide for a bit now, and I was curious if anyone else has explored the formulae that the game's code uses to calculate Mag names/PBs at evolution time.

Checking out other guides here and there, most Mags have requirements that look like this:

POW > DEX > MIND
MIND > DEX > POW

And the like.

The thing I've noticed is that this formula doesn't address what happens when two stats are equal. What happens when POW > (DEX = MIND)? Does the game evaluate the Mag to be a POW > DEX > MIND, a POW > MIND > DEX, or something else entirely?

So, I started an experiment. I wanted a Mag with as much Mind as I could muster to help my HUmar use Tech Disks, and I wanted to ultimately give it to my FOmarl to give her a big brain. So I started a Mag, feeding it a strictly monofluid diet. Since a RAmar made the first evolution at level 10 (Kalki), at level 35 the Mag became a Tapas with 15 defense and 20 mind. (Side note: up to level 35, anything that adds Mind also adds to defense, and there are no items that give negative numbers prior to 35 ? thus the 15 def.) I continued to feed it monofluids (1 monofluid gave 4% to mind ? REALLY slow). Level 49 arrived, and Tapas had 15 defense and 34 mind with photon blasts Estilla and Mylla&Youlla. I saved the game to conduct my experiment.

With all the Mind based equations between class and section ID, three combinations would give me Golla. The others would give me Estilla or Mylla&Youlla, which I already had. Given the choice between 2 PBs and 3 PBs with Golla (which I don't really care for), I wanted Golla.

Here are all the possible things that could have happened:

Hunter
Type A - Kabanda - MIND > POW > DEX - M&Y
Type A - Usashu - MIND > DEX > POW - Golla
Type B - Bana - MIND > POW > DEX - Estilla
Type B - Soma - MIND > DEX > POW - Estilla

Ranger
Type A - Varaha - MIND > POW > DEX - Golla
Type A - Apsaras - MIND > DEX > POW - Estilla
Type B - Kabanda - MIND > POW > DEX - M&Y
Type B - Durga - MIND > DEX > POW - Estilla

Force (assumes def < 45)
Type A - Naga - MIND > POW > DEX - M&Y
Type A - Kabanda - MIND > DEX > POW - M&Y
Type B - Kumara - MIND > POW > DEX - Golla
Type B - Ila - Mind > DEX > POW - M&Y

So, the question became -- if I handed Tapas to a Skyly (Type A) HUmar, which would occur? With MIND > POW > DEX, I'd get a Kabanda (and M&Y); With MIND > DEX > POW, I'd get an Usashu (and Golla).

So I did that. I handed the mag to a Skyly HUmar and fed it another another round of Monofluids. The Tapas became a Kabanda. Gr. Not what I wanted.
I reset the game (not saving), and handed Tapas to a Greennill Hunter (Type B) to see what would happen. It became a Bana. Still not what I wanted, but it started to give me an idea of what might be going on. I reset again.
Third try: I handed the Mag to a Redria Ranger (Type A), and Tapas evolved into a Varaha, giving the new mag the Golla PB. Score! I should have tested more, but I ended up saving the game.

So, I think I know what the game is doing from a code-stand point. I think it's evaluating the stats in the order listed on the Mag screen: DEF, POW, DEX, MIND; in that order. In semi-code speak this is (I do Visual Basic, so apologies to you C/C++ people):

For Tapas:

IF Character = Hunter then

If Type = A (section ID = Skyly, Redria, etc) then
If MIND > POW and MIND > DEX then
If POW >= DEX then Evolve Kabanda (MIND > POW > DEX)
Else Evolve Usashu (MIND > DEX > POW)
End if
Else if Type = B (Greennill, etc) then
If MIND > POW and MIND > DEX then
If POW >= DEX then Evolve Bana (MIND > POW > DEX)
Else Evolve Soma (MIND > DEX > POW)
End if
End if
Else if Character = Ranger then
If Type = A then
If MIND > POW and MIND > DEX then
If POW >= DEX then Evolve Varaha (MIND > POW > DEX)
Else Evolve Apsaras (MIND > DEX > POW)
End if
Else if Type = B then
If MIND > POW and MIND > DEX then
If POW >= DEX then Evolve Kabanda (MIND > POW > DEX)
Else Evolve Durga (MIND > DEX > POW)
End if
End if
Else if Character = Force then
If Type = A (section ID = Skyly, Redria, etc) then
If MIND > POW and MIND > DEX then
If POW >= DEX then Evolve Naga (MIND > POW > DEX)
Else Evolve Kabanda (MIND > DEX > POW)
End if
Else if Type = B (Greennill, etc) then
If MIND > POW and MIND > DEX then
If POW >= DEX then Evolve Kumara (MIND > POW > DEX)
Else Evolve Ila (MIND > DEX > POW)
End if
End if
End if

(Gr. Sorry about the format - no amount of spaces or tabs or characters will make this display nicely. Silly forums.)

So, extrapolating, I think growing a DEX mag where POW and MIND were equal (or zero) would probably yield a DEX > POW > MIND, because I think it evaluates from the top of the Mag screen, down ? DEF, then POW, then DEX, then MIND. So a POW mag where MIND = DEX would evolve a POW > DEX > MIND, and not a POW > MIND > DEX.

That's my working hypothesis, anyway. I'd love to test some more, but I'm limited by time ? and it takes a while to grow baby mags to level 50 just to test a working theory

Anyone here have any more experience to toss at this? I'm curious to see if anyone else has tested Mags with two equal stats. I like to control the evolutions to get specific PBs and feeding preferences (to make feeding easier), and having that unpredictibility when two stats are equivilent makes growing specific mags difficult

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your responses!

*bows*
Aular of the Light

[Hrith]

Check the MAG section : http://www.pso-world.com/sections.php

[Aular]

On 2004-02-02 08:58, Kefka wrote:
Check the MAG section : http://www.pso-world.com/sections.php

I've read through the most of the guides extensively, and skimmed the rest. None of them seem to address this particular issue. At least, I couldn't find one.

Did you have a specific guide or URL that addresses the issue of Mags with two equivilent stats?

Thanks.
Aular