Chocobo Colour Calculator
The ultimate tool for planning your companion’s next look in Final Fantasy XIV.
Plan Your Feeding
What is a Chocobo Colour Calculator?
A chocobo colour calculator is an essential tool for any Final Fantasy XIV player looking to customize their avian companion. In FFXIV, changing your chocobo’s color is not as simple as applying a dye; it’s a complex process involving feeding your chocobo specific fruits to alter its underlying feather color, which is represented by a hidden RGB (Red, Green, Blue) value. This calculator removes the guesswork by determining the most efficient sequence of fruits to feed your chocobo to transition it from its current color to your desired one. Whether you’re aiming for a classic Snow White or a menacing Soot Black, this tool will provide a clear, step-by-step feeding plan.
Chocobo Dyeing Formula and Explanation
The core of chocobo dyeing revolves around six special fruits. Each fruit adjusts the chocobo’s hidden RGB values, which are capped between 0 and 255 for each channel. Feeding a fruit might increase the value of one color channel while decreasing the others. The goal is to incrementally move the current RGB values towards the target color’s values. For instance, feeding a Xelphatol Apple increases the red value while decreasing green and blue.
This chocobo colour calculator works by comparing the RGB values of your starting color and your target color. It then simulates feeding various fruits to find the shortest path, providing you with a precise list and order of fruits to achieve the result. The process must be completed within a single six-hour window after the first fruit is fed for the color change to occur.
| Snack | Effect | Red | Green | Blue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xelphatol Apple | Deepens Red | +5 | -5 | -5 |
| Doman Plum | Lightens Red | -5 | +5 | +5 |
| Mamook Pear | Deepens Green | -5 | +5 | -5 |
| Valfruit | Lightens Green | +5 | -5 | +5 |
| O’Ghomoro Berries | Deepens Blue | -5 | -5 | +5 |
| Cieldalaes Pineapple | Lightens Blue | +5 | +5 | -5 |
Practical Examples
Example 1: Desert Yellow to Soot Black
A very common goal is achieving the coveted Soot Black color. Starting from the default Desert Yellow, the calculator needs to drastically lower all RGB values.
- Inputs: Current Color: Desert Yellow, Target Color: Soot Black.
- Process: The calculator will generate a plan that likely involves feeding a combination of Doman Plums, Mamook Pears, and O’Ghomoro Berries to darken all three color channels.
- Results: A feeding list such as “21 Doman Plums, 21 Mamook Pears, 21 O’Ghomoro Berries,” with a specific alternating order to prevent any single RGB value from bottoming out too early.
Example 2: Gloom Purple to Snow White
This example involves lightening the chocobo’s feathers significantly.
- Inputs: Current Color: Gloom Purple, Target Color: Snow White.
- Process: The calculator will focus on fruits that increase RGB values across the board.
- Results: The plan will likely consist of a mix of Valfruits, Cieldalaes Pineapples, and Xelphatol Apples to raise the RGB values towards the bright, high values of Snow White. Check out our FFXIV Companion App Guide for more tips on managing your chocobo.
How to Use This Chocobo Colour Calculator
- Select Current Color: Choose your chocobo’s starting color from the first dropdown. If you’ve never dyed your chocobo, this will be ‘Desert Yellow’. If you made a mistake, you can reset to Desert Yellow in-game by feeding your chocobo a Han Lemon.
- Select Desired Color: Pick the color you wish to achieve from the second dropdown.
- Calculate Plan: Click the “Calculate Feeding Plan” button. The tool will process the RGB data and generate a step-by-step feeding list.
- Follow the Plan: The results will show you exactly how many of each fruit to feed your chocobo. It is critical to feed them in the recommended alternating order to prevent capping out an RGB value at 0 or 255, which can ruin the process.
- Copy and Share: Use the “Copy Results” button to save your feeding plan for easy reference in-game.
Key Factors That Affect Chocobo Colour
- Feeding Order: This is the most critical factor. Feeding all of one fruit at once can max out an RGB value, causing subsequent feedings to have unintended effects. Our chocobo colour calculator provides a safe, alternating order.
- The 6-Hour Window: All fruits for a single color change must be fed within six real-world hours of the first fruit. After this window, the calculation is finalized, and the color change occurs.
- Stable Access: Your chocobo must be stabled at a Free Company house, personal house, or apartment to be fed.
- Starting Color Accuracy: The calculation is only as good as the starting data. Ensure you select the correct current color. If you are unsure, resetting with a Han Lemon provides a known starting point.
- RNG (“Random Number Generation”): While the system is mostly deterministic, the community widely believes a slight RNG factor is involved. Sometimes, you may get a very similar, but not identical, color. The calculator gets you as close as mathematically possible.
- “New Feathers” Message: As you feed your chocobo, you should see the message “Your chocobo is beginning to grow new feathers.” This confirms a change is in progress. If you don’t see this after a few fruits, you may need to feed one or two extra to trigger the change. For more information on chocobo raising, see our Advanced Chocobo Breeding guide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I get the wrong color?
This can happen for a few reasons: feeding in the wrong order, starting from a slightly different color than you selected, or the small element of in-game RNG. Try resetting with a Han Lemon and starting again from Desert Yellow for best results.
Do I have to feed them all at once?
You can feed them one by one, but they must all be fed within the same 6-hour session. It’s recommended to feed them all in one go to avoid mistakes.
What does “capping” a color mean?
RGB values cannot go above 255 or below 0. If a fruit’s effect would push a value outside this range, the value simply stays at the limit (e.g., 255). This can throw off the entire calculation, which is why alternating fruits is so important.
Where do I get the fruits?
These fruits can be grown via gardening or purchased from the player Market Board. For tips on making gil, our Market Board Speculation guide can be a useful resource.
Does the quality of the stable matter?
No, any chocobo stable works the same, whether it’s at an apartment or a large FC estate.
How accurate is this chocobo colour calculator?
It uses the community-verified RGB values and fruit effects, making it highly accurate. It generates a plan to get the final RGB values as close as possible to the target, which results in the correct color in the vast majority of cases.
What is a Han Lemon?
A Han Lemon is a special fruit that, when fed to your chocobo, will instantly reset its color back to the default Desert Yellow. It’s a great tool for starting fresh.
Can I go from any color to any other color?
Yes. This calculator can generate a path between any two existing chocobo colors.