At this point, we don't really know how the Regard system works. What is clear, however, is that it has a MAJOR effect upon your breeding programs.

So, let's start with what we do know:

A) If regard is too low, your nests won't show a trait. The parents may show it and, were it not for regard, some or all of their offspring would show it. But, since regard is too low, while they might still carry it, they won't show it.

B) If regard is too high, your nests won't show a trait. The parents may show it and, were it not for regard, some or all of their offspring would show it. But, since regard is too high, while they might still carry it, they won't show it.

C) If regard is Just Right, your nests can show a trait. The parents may shoe it and, AT THE PRESENT TIME regard is in the correct range, so some or all of their offspring can show it as well.

This means, for a given breeding pair we assume their regard is too low. By rule (A), which is known to be true, the regard system is saying "Work harder and buy more consumables, you'll get there." Eventually you enter the range and begin seeing some effect under rule (C), also known to be true. During this time, Regard is saying "Good! You paid your dues, here's your reward." But you can't stop regard. It *will* eventually grow to large and rule (B) will kick in (assuming the 60-day limit does not kick in first). Regard is now saying, "That's enough, move along, nothing more to see here."

So, what does a change to the Regard system (as we've recently seen) *ACTUALLY* do?

Well, if they "lower" the regard boundaries, they're moving the point at which rule (A) becomes rule (C) .. but they're also moving the point at which rule (C) becomes rule (B).

The assumption in the regard system changes was that it would cause more offspring to move from rule (A) into rule (C).

But that assumes the traits being bred for, or desired, were actually "further along" on the road-map set out for Regard.

If, in fact, those traits were near the beginning of the journey, or somewhere along the path, adjusting Regard's effect upon them moved them further down the road and some passed the "No more, sorry." point where rule (B) took effect.

This explains why "nests are getting worse" .. what was being bred was, most likely, not really all that good in the eyes of the game designers.

Coupled with the fact that if you didn't win it in the starter lottery, you can't get it, it also explains why it's "worse" .. you simply didn't have the "better" on the road. If you can obtain it, you'll find it's in rule (A) or (C) state. But you don't have it so it looks like you went aaallllll... the way back to the beginning.

I'm sure many will now jump in and say, "But what about 'random mutation'?".

My answer: there is no such thing! What 'random mutation' means is you both have the genes, and the proper regard scores, to have changed from Rule (A) to Rule (C), or from Rule (C) to Rule (B). It's "random" because we don't know enough about the rules to predict it. It's a "mutation" because something changed. But, when we know more, we'll find it is neither "random" nor a "mutation".

To me, the real question is will any of us have enough patience, not to mention enough resources, to stick it out and study Meeroos until we can begin to see the patterns of not-so-"random" and highly-predictable-"mutation"?