Gassy Moo

Gassy Moo is a flying critter that can survive in any atmosphere, including vacuum. It is a peaceful ranch animal whose usefulness comes from producing Natural Gas and Brackene, but unlike most ranchable critters it does not truly reproduce through normal breeding. Instead, its lifecycle is tied to singing and to being fed on Gas Grass.

A Gassy Moo that eats Gas Grass gains the Welcoming Moo’d buff. While this buff is active, the Moo steadily builds both Accu-moo-lation and Brackene Supply. Once Accu-moo-lation reaches 100% and the critter has a view of space, it will call in another untamed Gassy Moo by Gassy Mooteor, effectively replacing itself at roughly one new Moo every 16 cycles. If it cannot see space, it instead receives the Moo-ted debuff, which simply indicates that it cannot reproduce under those conditions. Once Brackene Supply reaches 100%, the Moo can be milked at a Milking Station for 200 kg of Brackene.

A single Gassy Moo can eat two Gas Grass plants at constant growth, and each Moo produces about 10 kg of Natural Gas per cycle. In practical ranching terms, 11 Moos can sustain two Natural Gas Generators running continuously. Gas Grass is the key feed source, so Moo ranches are usually built to keep the grass lit and the gas collection area managed at the same time.

• Gas Grass requires 10,000 lux to grow, so it can be supported by sunlight, Ceiling Lights, or a Sun Lamp.
• Sunlight works, but nighttime stops growth and can interfere with Solar Panels.
• A Sun Lamp controlled with a Light Sensor is a common way to keep Gas Grass growing continuously while limiting power use.
• Oxygen is preferred around Gas Grass because it absorbs no light and helps push Natural Gas downward, where it can be collected.
• Gassy Moos are affected by happiness differently from most critters: because their reproduction is tied to metabolism rather than normal breeding mechanics, a satisfied Moo is as effective as a happy one.
• As 2x2 flying critters, they cannot reach the rightmost tile of a room, so Husbandry buildings and planted Gas Grass should not be placed there.
• They are attracted by the Airborne Critter Trap, which is useful for sustained ranch setup because their population growth depends on calling in new Moos.
• Gassy Moos can be obtained from space-related sources, including retrieval by a rocket with a Biological Cargo Bay, and on the Moo-focused asteroid where their numbers are replenished by Gassy Moo meteors.

A singing Gassy Moo can also be intercepted: Gassy Moo meteors can be shot down with the Meteor Blaster, yielding Meat.