Paint or Lab?: Odds of a Maraquan Scorchio.

[Duskit]

After coming back from a long trip, my friend Rebecca has been craving a few Maraquan pets. Seeing how expensive they are though, she's come to the conclusion it would be easier to lab instead of purchase the paintbrushes one by one. Although that much money these days isn't too expensive, it does take some time when she's interested in atleast 3 of them.
She's had an obsession since they day they came out, what can I say?.

Regardless we've come up with a plan. Since she doesn't own the labray herself at the moment, and I myself have an extra posistion in my labrat slots, I could start labbing the pet for her.
She allows me to adopt a scorchio, and I begin the process.

Now, we all know that the lab can change species and much as anything.. So. Everytime it did she'd send a gift; a Scorchio Transmogrification Potion which is roughly 90k these days. Another one of her options, if she doesn't want a scorchio, is a shoyru. About 95-99k per species change as well.

How fast do you think the pet would turn Maraquan, or would she be better just saving for the brush itself?. 3 mara pets would be 5.1m -- atleast a couple of months regardless. The average price is about the same as a Royal PB now, give or take a few 10k.

What to do?.

Edit: We both decided this plot wasn't illegal, as it's basicly me fostering for her. The sending of the potions is like anything, a gift from neofriend to neofriend. If you can convince her otherwise though, she's lurking this very topic quite often. (:

[Officer 1BDI]

It might take an eternity to get one maraquan pet out of the lab ray, let alone three. I've only had the lab ray for a few months, and though I've had a species change and a few color changes, they were so sporadic that I'm beginning to wish that I'd kept the 400k NP. I say save up for the paint brushes.

[endeavourl]

Are scorchio's limited edition? If not, everytime it changes species, you could just adopt another scorchio. (unless you want its stats to go up). Of course, this is then abandoning all the pets that are changed into different species, and might not be what you want to do.

[Duskit]

Scorchios aren't limited edition, she just wants a specific name.
She's not as worried about the other pets, just the Scorchio.
It's either 17 trans. potions, and all those times inbetween to get maraquan
or just dish out 1.7m.

[Sarah]

If she really wants a Maraquan Scorchio, I'd just save for the paintbrush. Pity there isn't a Maraquan Scorchio Morphing Potion, that would have been good for this situation.

But yeah, I wouldn't rely completely on the lab. You can keep trying "just in case" while she's saving, but I wouldn't put all my hopes on the lab to bring the goods. The odds are just too small, and it's so much NP being wasted on Scorchio Transmogrification Potions every time...

Although a paintbrush seems more long-term, I think it's the way to go.

Good luck!

[Hydro]

If you have the lab. You should defintely use it. The reason that MSP Poogles are so rare is because theyre limited edition and can only be obtained by the lab not the Fountain Faerie.

However Scorchios arent limited edition, so I'd go for it. It may take time, but it'll save you a ton of money. Maraquan Paint Brushes are way over the top in prices in my opinion.

Since the species-change zapping avatar has been released, the chances of species changes have been reduced. That really helps when your zapping for a color. Not to mention that you can just disown the Scorchio and make another one. I'd make a list of names for them that aren't taken and go down the list until you get one.

Good luck saving or zapping whatever your choice is!

Hydro

Hydro edit: Edited because I missspelt zapping. I should use a spellchecker. Heh. :3

[chris19894]

the odds of getting a maraqun Scorchio out of the lab is 1 to a millon

but

if you get the paintbrush you will save tons of mony and you get what you want

[bgryph]

I actually once sat and made up an entire Excel spreadsheet to calculate this. :-) I don't have it in this computer but in a nutshell: your odds of getting a Maraquan pet in the first 6 months of zapping are actually not bad (maybe 60%?). I think you have well over a 95% chance of getting one in a year. That's assuming every zap is totally random, of course.

However, you can expect to get a LOT of species changes in 6 months, and every change requires a transmog or a mophing potion to change it back.

My feeling is that, as a general rule, if it's very important to you that a PARTICULAR pet be painted (that includes wanting a specific name), your best bet is to save for a PB. If you're willing to create or adopt a new pet every time and abandon it when it changes species, then zapping is quite a reasonable way to go.

Personally, if your friend wants three Maraquan pets I suggest she either abandon the idea of them having specific names and target-zap or try to adopt one, or get saving.

Now, partially contradicting that advice, I have to admit I have only twice created pets to target-zap for a color (as opposed to adopting well-named pets from the pound) and both times I obtained the target color before the pets changed species. I consider this EXTREMEMLY lucky and suggest you do not rely on it. (Note that both times I was prepared to abandon the pet if it had changed species.) On the other hand, I've been target-zapping for a Grey Wocky since November with no luck so far.

[Duke of Earl]

On one hand, I got my maraquan elephante less than a month after getting the lab ray. On the other hand, I've bought 4 or 5 Kiko Trans potions in my efforts to get a Garlic Kiko... It's all luck... (I do have my doubts that color change is as high as is indicated on a survey that IDB took a couple years ago...)

[Alex]

Personally, I'd just go straight for painting it.. it'll be quicker, and you're guaranteed the result you want.

[Pardona]

Just to make it very clear, your prayers have been answered, check the Adoption thread!

[Moonlight Flower]

Maraquan isn't that hard a color to get from the lab, it seems. I've gotten at least two in the 4 months I've had the lab...

but the brush might be cheaper.. ^^" you never know with the lab

[DarkAngel]

One of my Scorchios is Maraquan from the lab.

I had adopted him as a foster and to my amazement he turned Maraquan. Needless to say, I kept him! His name isn't that great, but I adore him anyways .

I've been labbing for a long time (5 lab rays), and have had a couple other fosters turn Maraquan besides my scorchio.

[Mongrel]

On the flip side, I've been labbing for longer than the Maraquan PB has been around and have NEVER had my lab pet turn Maraquan.