by Erik_the_Blue » Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:53 am
@theTrav:
I didn't consider that method. It's certainly valid, but not optimal. Going by my data (which is limited and based only on a character who's neutral on the nature/industry slider), one gets a breeding pair with every five cocoons, and each pair produces about ten eggs. So, leaving five cocoons in a straw basket or fifteen in a chest would produce but not waste eggs (due to container overflow). However, if one wants to maximize the number of eggs they get, they'd clearly have to purposely pair moths and put one pair per basket or three per chest. On the other hand, this means more work on the part of the player. The proper number of cocoons could still be left in each container for safety reasons though (in case the pairing step is not tended to). Of course, this is considering only averages. There is a small risk that five cocoons will produce moths all of the same gender. This would probably be offset slightly by the occasional two pairs per five cocoons, though container overflow would waste eggs. If one moves to a chest and fifteen cocoons, the chance of there being zero eggs is further reduced (and the chance of overflow probably increased, resulting in further (but non-optimal) gain). I hadn't considered doing any of this before. Thank you for teaching me something new.
As far as the productivity loss from not pairing moths, I estimate my production would be cut in half. This would probably be true for others, though I can't say how much the slider affects things.
As far as workload, once the eggs are on the table, the player would have to place the worms in their containers in 8 to 12 or 16 hours, then move and cull cocoons in 12 or 16 to 28 or 32 hours. The need to pair moths within eight hours after their emergence would be eliminated, so the player only has to log on twice as opposed to three times, and the overall cycle (from a work perspective) is from 20 to 44 hours as opposed to 40 to 48.
In conclusion, the player cuts off a small portion of their workload, reduces their risk by about one-third, and can cut their concerned cycle period by up to half, at the cost of losing half of their silk. If a player can afford to log on during all three windows, they should do so. If they can only log on during two, they still can produce about half as much silk.
