NMS: Genetically Engineered Pets 1

The Companions update was released in No Man's Sky last week, letting you tame wild fauna as pets that can provide company, be helpful, protect you from hostile creatures, or act as mounts. You can also genetically engineer their eggs to customise their offspring and change how they look or behave. You start off able to have 2 pets, but you can unlock up to 6 pets with the nanites currency.

Original: Wuleytosu

My first pet was Wuleytosu, named after the lush planet he came from. He's like a large feathered teddy bear - he's 1.5m tall, playful and gentle. 

Wuleytosu profile in the Companion Register

After 24 hours of pet ownership, I could obtain an egg, and after another 24 hours the egg was ready to hatch. I took it to the Space Anomaly to the Egg Sequencer for modifications.

Modified colouring and behaviour

Wuleytosu's genetically modified egg

The egg was ready to hatch so I went ahead and hatched it from my inventory. The result? Meet Molochitso.

Making friends with Molochitso, Wuleytosu's offspring

I used Ionised Cobalt to change the colouring and so Molochitso is green and gold instead of green and silver like his Dad. Wuleytosu was 26% independent, while Molochitso is only 6% independent, so Junior should be more likely to stay nearby and follow instructions instead of doing his own thing.

Molochitso's profile in the Companion Register

When Molochitso grows up, I'll be able to get eggs from him and future generations could evolve. I like the green/gold colouring - Wuleytosu's home planet had green grass and golden skies so it preserves the nostalgia, but maybe we could try modifying size or make a more devoted pet, or maybe see if we can develop antlers or more feathers or who knows what other options are possible?

Unfortunately, because of the limited pet spaces, we can't keep every pet we breed. I might have to "abandon" Wuleytosu (I prefer to think of it as releasing him to the wild) to make room for the next generation or another pet.

*Updated 13 March 2021*

Generation 1: Molochitso

Molochitso has grown up and laid an egg, which we modified in the Egg Sequencer. We increased the size of the offspring (oxygen), tried changing their anatomical features (ammonia), changed the colour (pugneum - on another pet this turned them red) and reduced their independence even more by increasing their devotion (radon). The result was Oranginnia. Quite appropriate, that randomly generated name, as the offspring is almost orange.

Generation 2: Oranginnia

Wow! What a change! The head is totally different - more of a snout instead of a beak and instead of the feathers framing the face and chin they're now at the back of the head. The pugneum definitely made them redder too. You can't tell by looking at them, but according to their profile, Oranginnia will be 2m tall instead of 1.5m and is mildly devoted (14% attached) instead of mildly independent (6% aloof) like Molochitso.

I'm afraid I don't really like how Oranginnia looks so when they lay an egg I'll try using ammonia again and see if there are other head possibilities (and we'll see if we can change the colour back to green and gold).