Chocobo dyeing R&D Thread - Post your results here!

[Nyalia]

So, after reading a lot of what others have done and trying to work it out myself, I'm pretty sure this is how the system works:

Like others have said:
Apples = +R -G -B
Plums = -R +G +B
Berries = -R -G +B
Pineapples = +R +G -B
Pears = -R +G -B
Valfruits = +R -G +B

1. The amount the colors shift with each feeding is random. Supporting Evidence: Some people have fed one food item and received a change, others have fed the same food item and not received a change.
2. The colors do not shift proportionally, meaning, one feeding of an Apple could reduce Green considerably and blue barely at all, and another feeding could reduce Green by a tiny amount and blue considerably. Supporting Evidence: Different people have fed their chocobos Berries until the first New Feathers message and received either Cork Brown or Ul Brown.
3. The "New Feathers" message means the current RGB value matches a different dye color than the previous RGB value so a change will occur. Colors have always changed when the "New Feathers" message has appeared. Colors have never changed when the message did not appear.
4. Once the "New Feathers" message has appeared, future feedings will result in the "New Feathers" message happening every time even if there is not a second dye shift, because the new color is still different from the old one. However, if the new color shifts such that it now matches your current color, you will stop getting the "New Feathers message." Stopping feeding right then will result in no change occurring. Supporting Evidence: Every feeding after a message appears results in another message appearing, except when oscillating between two colors or going backwards with a counteracting snack. No proof found for or against the second point.
5. The color approximation code can bounce back and forth between two adjacent colors when small changes are made, probably because the color balance matters as much as the color values. Supporting Evidence: Feeding a chocobo nothing but Plums until the "New Feathers" message can result in bouncing back and forth between Sylph Green (R:182 G:182 B:131) and Bone White (R:233 G:208 B:154). (The value could have gone something like 216/175/100 (Sylph Green) -> 216/175/120 (Bone White) -> 216/200/120 (Sylph Green) -> 216/200/150 (Bone White))

So, all of this means that exact methods of getting from one color to another are not that helpful. What's more helpful is a chart that says which fruits are likely to get you from your current color to your desired color. Similar to the color wheels that have been posted, but with the dyes plotted on them. Unfortunately, this would take a three dimensional representation, as there are three axes.

If #5 is correct, then the person who is oscillating between Sylph Green and Bone White will eventually reach Snow White with just plums. Their goal would be basically equalizing the three colors at some value like 200/200/200 (Snow White is actually a light grey). Throwing in a few Valfruits will likely help too to get the red up some.

Also, if my theory is correct, please note that Soot Black (37/35/30) is NOT the darkest color in the game. Ink Blue (22/26/34), Deepwood Green (25/36/28), and Kobold Brown (42/28/23) are darker, but less balanced. If you're trying to go from Ink Blue to Soot Black, you can deepen Red and Green, or you can lighten Blue a tiny bit. For Deepwood Green, you'd want to either deepen Red and Blue, or lighten Green a small amount. Same with Kobold Brown - either lighten the Red or darken the Blue and Green. If you darken just one color, or darken all three colors, you're more likely to wind up with another one of these three dark colors (or other dark colors if your balance is different) than with Soot Black.