Which one?

[.:Requiem:.]

I'm not sure if this should go here or in polls....many apologies to the mods if it should be in polls.

Alrighty. I've been dbating this with myself for a long time, and I've decided to seek your advice.

I've been saving forever to buy paintbrushes for my pets. I've got enough for one of them, two if I can find a really good deal. So now I'm debating whether it would be better to continue saving for all three pbs, or to just buy the full lab map (which would be about 400-430k).

Obviously the lab map is a better deal, but I'm really happy with my pet's species. I do not, under any circumstances, want their species to change (except MAYBE Saryki, my Jetsam).

So, since I've never used the lab ray before, I shall ask...is it at all realistic to expect to end up with the same species of pets in a color I'd like, or does the lab ray change species a lot? Which one would you do, in my place?

[Trick]

I have three lab rays, my first one I've had for many months and has given me 2 species changes and countless colour changes. My second lab has changed species only once, but colour only 5 or so times. My third lab has changed colour a couple of times but changes species extremely frequently.

Now I've been lucky with my labs, I've got 2 darigan pets from them, another darigan I gave away and loads of colour changes over all of them. But on my main account the lab map has been rather useless as I did not want 3 of my pets species to change. I zapped my wocky until he was electric then decided it was too risky to continue, my yurble and koi were never zapped. My third pet I zapped for stats and in the last 3 months he has changed species once (though I haven't zapped him since the war began). I've since hand painted two of them and have the paint brush waiting for the battle pet.

Labs are really better for stats or for zapping random pets to give away, or pets where you don't care about the species so much. I wouldn't recommend it for accounts with pets you want a certain species - unless the mps/tps are cheap enough. But then again you might get lucky if you chance it Hope that helps a bit anyways =)

[Xerophyte]

I seem to be having a lot more colour changes than species changes, but it is random for everyone, so I wouldn't recommend getting the lab ray if you care about the species of your pets.

[.:Requiem:.]

Hmmm. Thanks a ton for your input.

Oh, yes. Just in case it would affect anyone else's opinion on it, my pets are:

Toryki (Kougra), desired color: Plushie
Saryki (Jetsam), desired color: Island or Ghost
Rykara (Bori), desired color: Faerie

[Kamosh]

Hmmm. Thanks a ton for your input.

Oh, yes. Just in case it would affect anyone else's opinion on it, my pets are:

Toryki (Kougra), desired color: Plushie
Saryki (Jetsam), desired color: Island or Ghost
Rykara (Bori), desired color: Faerie

i hate to burst your bubble, but i'm fairly sure that plushie doesn't come with the lab ray. i also have doubts about ghost, but less so. good luck to you, though!

well, my experience has NOT been fun. I have only ever gotten stat changes but once when my precious lenny changed to hissi.... grrr. i spent all my savings getting him back. hmph.

[.:Requiem:.]

Hmmm. Thanks a ton for your input.

Oh, yes. Just in case it would affect anyone else's opinion on it, my pets are:

Toryki (Kougra), desired color: Plushie
Saryki (Jetsam), desired color: Island or Ghost
Rykara (Bori), desired color: Faerie

i hate to burst your bubble, but i'm fairly sure that plushie doesn't come with the lab ray. i also have doubts about ghost, but less so. good luck to you, though!

well, my experience has NOT been fun. I have only ever gotten stat changes but once when my precious lenny changed to hissi.... grrr. i spent all my savings getting him back. hmph.

Ouch. No plushie?Hmm...

I should prbably just keep saving, then? Glad I asked before I bought the lab set.

[Armi]

Toryki (Kougra), desired color: Plushie

Just right there..lab won't give you that. FF or gotta buy the PB.

From my experince with lab, I didn't get that mmany species changes, compare to color changes and I've NEVER gotten a color that I want for whatever species my pet became. 6 weeks as a Buzz, never got a single good color.
Still lab is random, I've seen people get colors for their pets,b ut I've had no luck myself. *shrugs* Luck isn't my friend.

I would say just save up, your chances of getting a species change is a bit high, unless you're willing to spend NP after NP buying trans to turn your pets back to their species.

Lab is usually favored for the stats, but I guess people do use if for colors, that aren't plushie, pirate, baby, or royal.

Bah...4 years labbing and I never got a rare color from it. -.-

EDIT: I took too long posting. ignore my first sentance.

[Ziggy]

You do get Ghost though, I just got a pet turned into a Ghost Techo.

[Matterbug]

Yup, this is from Neopets Magazine Issue 4-

Q: Can the Lab Ray change your pet to restricted or limited edition pes? Also, what colours does it NOT change your pet? - Honeybee_girl
A: Yes, the Lab Ray can turn your Neopet into a restricted or limited edition Neopet. There are a few colours that are not available from the Lab Ray, such as Usuki, Plushie, Baby, Pirate, and Royal."

Also, for a in depth FAQ for the lab ray- try this petpage-

http://home.neopets.com/templates/homepage.phtml?pet_name=JustToClearThingsUp

[.:Requiem:.]

Yup, this is from Neopets Magazine Issue 4-

Q: Can the Lab Ray change your pet to restricted or limited edition pes? Also, what colours does it NOT change your pet? - Honeybee_girl
A: Yes, the Lab Ray can turn your Neopet into a restricted or limited edition Neopet. There are a few colours that are not available from the Lab Ray, such as Usuki, Plushie, Baby, Pirate, and Royal."

Also, for a in depth FAQ for the lab ray- try this petpage-

http://home.neopets.com/templates/homepage.phtml?pet_name=JustToClearThingsUp

Thank you ^^

[Marinnai Kasaraki]

In my experience with the Lab Ray, it's been either extremely horrible to me (current lab rat: SolarStar226, Disco Nimmo) or beautiful and wonderful to me (old lab rat: Brezenae, Island Ruki).

I've had numerous species changes (Grundo to Techo, Kacheek, Bruce, Uni; now currently Nimmo; & Green Ruki to Red, Yellow, Shadow, Cloud and finally Island), colour changes (White, Island x 2, Fire, Cloud, Yellow, Christmas, Disco), stat raises (more raises then drops) but the Level has suffered immensely. So if you're going to have a high-level pet by the end of it, if you're a battler, stock up on codestones & dubloons.

My tip would be for you to have at least some kind of backup for your pets, just in case the Lab Ray doesn't want to give you the desired colour for the pets you have - I would suggest saving up for transmog. potions for your Kougra & Jetsam as a precaution, and for the Bori (considering the only potion on trades is 500k minimum), well, I can only say good luck and I hope the Lab Ray is kind to you ^^;

But Level drops aside, the Lab Ray is a good investment. I got mine early weeks of 2003/2004 and it's served me quite well, as those owners who have my old pets, Ten_Cents17 & babatasha, can agree.

Keep saving, set an NP goal every day. You'll get there

[bgryph]

Trying to get a specific color and species combo with the lab is an unlikely proposition unless you either adopt or create numerous pets of the same species and then abandon then when they change species. Trying to get a specific pet a specific color and species combination (ie, you morph it back rather than abandon it when it changes species) is, IMHO, a bad idea unless the paintjob is very expensive and the potions ave very cheap (think Maraquan Uni).

Bottom line: if you can't afford to have your pet change species, dont zap it.

Bori morphs are that expensive? That's almost as much as the Faerie PB. You'd have to abandon your pet when it changed species and get a new Bori to keep zapping... trying to morph it world be insane. If you would be unwilling to abandon your pet just buy the PB.

[Marinnai Kasaraki]

Bori morphs are that expensive? That's almost as much as the Faerie PB.

Yup. I checked up on that when I was hunting for suitable species for my two pets, SolarStar226 + Brezenae. I specifically wanted a Yurble + a Bori...only to discover the cheapest of each potion were:
Blue Yurble: 500k
Blue Bori: 500k (minimum, I believe the owner wants close to 750k for it)
So yeah, wasn't particularly helpful, believe me >>;

*nods* Which is why I suggested setting some daily NP goals and repeating those goals every day. It's difficult when you want a specific pet which doesn't have a slightly cheaper option available for it yet (like a transmog. potion).

[.:Requiem:.]

*nods* Which is why I suggested setting some daily NP goals and repeating those goals every day. It's difficult when you want a specific pet which doesn't have a slightly cheaper option available for it yet (like a transmog. potion).

That's what I've been doing so far. What would you reccomend as a daily goal?

I've been going for 7k-10k every day, and doing it pretty well. I've got about 780k right now.

[Marinnai Kasaraki]

Up the ante a bit. Once you know how to make at least 10k, try to double that amount at least 3 times a week.

http://home.neopets.com/templates/homep ... me=Bizmarc ~ I find this guide exceptionally helpful, even if you're not a Restocker, it's a very worthwhile read.

780k is a very good total *nods*
If I didn't keep spending mine I'd be at 3 million NP by now But yeah, take a look-see at that guide and see if it helps; it's helped a lot of folks here