NVMRC Forcefield Trap or Mouse DeathBot?

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Revision as of 21:32, 9 March 2009 by Metal (talk | contribs) (Evaluation: revise in light of Ronza)

Seeing as these two traps are of similar price, many people are torn about which trap to buy. Ultimately both traps will serve you well. However, there are some key differences that are worth noting.

The short answer is that most people prefer the NVMRC Forcefield Trap, but read on to get the facts and draw your own conclusions.

Stats

For the Wooden Base:

Weapon Power Power type Power bonus Attraction bonus Luck Cheese Effect
NVMRC Forcefield Trap 2671 Physical 12% 10% 12 Very Fresh
Mouse DeathBot 2800 Physical 15% 10% 2 Fresh

For the Wooden Base With Target:

Weapon Power Power type Power bonus Attraction bonus Luck Cheese Effect
NVMRC Forcefield Trap 2716 Physical 12% 30% 12 No Effect
Mouse DeathBot 2846 Physical 15% 30% 2 Stale

For the Stone Base:

Weapon Power Power type Power bonus Attraction bonus Luck Cheese Effect
NVMRC Forcefield Trap 3050 Physical 22% 10% 12 Fresh
Mouse DeathBot 3188 Physical 25% 10% 2 No Effect

For the Explosive Base:

Weapon Power Power type Power bonus Attraction bonus Luck Cheese Effect
NVMRC Forcefield Trap 3101 Physical 17% 15% 12 Stale
Mouse DeathBot 3240 Physical 20% 15% 2 Very Stale

For the Dehydration Base:

Weapon Power Power type Power bonus Attraction bonus Luck Cheese Effect
NVMRC Forcefield Trap 2884 Physical 12% 15% 16 Insanely Fresh
Mouse DeathBot 3019 Physical 15% 15% 6 Extremely Fresh

For the Polar Base:

Weapon Power Power type Power bonus Attraction bonus Luck Cheese Effect
NVMRC Forcefield Trap 3111 Physical 22% 10% 16 Insanely Fresh
Mouse DeathBot 3250 Physical 25% 10% 6 Extremely Fresh

Evaluation

The Mouse DeathBot always outdoes the NVMRC Forcefield Trap in power (sometimes by quite a significant amount), but the NVMRC Forcefield Trap has a much higher luck total. So which is better, power or luck?

Luck allows the hunter to capture a mouse, regardless of difficulty. Very strong, physical mice like the Mobster Mouse are really only caught through luck, and without luck, a hunter can't catch them. However, luck is not reliable -- it doesn't always work and doesn't work anywhere near as often as power does. Power is the more faithful way to catch mice, but it cannot catch all mice.

Additionally, the DeathBot can be transformed into the PartyBot if one receives a Party Hat as a Birthday Gift or buys a party hat from Ronza's Traveling Shoppe. The PartyBot has higher luck and power ratings than either the ordinary DeathBot or the NVMRC Forcefield Trap, and the latter cannot be enhanced through crafting at the present time.

Historically speaking, most people picked the NVMRC Forcefield Trap because, given the environment of the Laboratory where it becomes practical for most hunters, the power is sufficient, while the extra luck helps to catch the Monster Mouse (though it becomes significantly easier to catch the Monster later in the Catacombs with more powerful traps such as the ACRONYM) among others. On the other hand, recent developments such as the availability of party hats and the utility of Stale Cheese have changed the calculations.

In the end, it comes down to preference and the likelihood of obtaining a party hat. It is generally not worth buying both traps since many mice beyond the Lab have different power types, making all physical traps "less effective" in the hunter's future.