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Rise of Kunark pets prove productive
Lets face it, there are lots of pets in MMOs that serve as little more than trophies for players who have happened upon some lucky achievement or who were willing to dish out some extra cash to get the prize in the proverbial cereal box. Lassie, these pets are not. At first glance the Burynai Digger house pet in EQ2 Rise of Kunark appeared to be more of the same - just an interactive trinket for people who preordered the expansion. According to elquinjena at the Legion of Kithicor website, that assumption is quite misguided.Evidently, you can feed your Burynai Digger various food items and he'll occasionally spit back collection items. From her description, there didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the goodies that came out of his mouth -- he just procured what he felt like. According to the official website, the little buggers go to bury the trash you give them and discover shinies within your home and bring them back to you. How nice of them! They're still ugly little buggers though, if you ask me.
The DS Life: God Bless You, Mr. Crabs
The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handhelds and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com. Mr. Crabs was an extraordinary creature, brilliant but brash. Always dreaming up new adventures, he promised us all that he was destined for big things. We pleaded with Mr. Crabs, "Don't go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to." But he shrugged off our pleas, setting out one day without notice to explore the world. It was that devil-may-care attitude of his that we all loved, and, ultimately, it was also what lead to his demise. We gather here today to celebrate Mr. Crab's death by remembering not only how he lived, but also how his skeleton lived during the months long after his crustacean soul's passing. Scuttle sideways past the break and read on for the story of how a young crab in Santa Cruz became an international superstar with his debut on DS Fanboy's front page.
Hunter pet experience progress
Mania is probably the leading expert on hunter pets -- she runs Petopia, as well as a blog devoted mostly to hunter issues with a specialty in pets. We've reported some other great research from Mania's Arcania in the past, including how long it takes pets to gain loyalty. Now, in response to the leveling speed increases coming in Patch 2.3, she's laid out pretty clearly how pet experience works. Based on some PTR research, she says: Pets still require 25% of the experience that a player would at the same level. Players now require less experience to level between levels 20 and 60, and so our pets also require less experience during those levels. Pets still do not get any share of the experience when their owner completes a quest. (I didn't expect they would, but it was worth checking.) As on live, pets do not get experience when they kill something that is grey to the hunter. The experience that pets get per kill does not appear to have changed. Generally there are no big changes to pet experience in patch 2.3, except that players will be gaining more experience from quests between levels 20 and 60, and of course pets won't be getting any of that. It's too soon to say if this means hunters will start outleveling their pets during those levels or not, but it could be an issue in the future.Mania has also discovered some interesting details about the relationship between the pet's level and your own level when it is gaining experience. If you're a hunter leveling a lower-level pet, head on over to her post and check it out.
Preparing for 2.3: Post-patch item farming, part 2
Yesterday, we took a look at some of the new items in patch 2.3 that will be in the crosshairs of farmers across the servers. Today we'll finish off that list. First, blacksmiths will want to keep their eyes out for the new craftable weapon chain being added to the game. While the source of the Adamantite Weapon Chain is currently unknown, it is speculated to be an Outland-wide world drop. If this is true, then the plans will have a low chance to drop from any creature in Outland. Hopefully this will prove not to be the case and it will be discovered on a specific creature's loot table, since the only other weapon chain is a world drop thus and notoriously difficult to obtain.
The $2,000 Innobitz pet MP3 player
The biggest problem with dogs is that most aren't robotic enough. Thus we thank the good lorf for Aibo and her wisdom to send us this, the JooZoo pet MP3 player. The $2,000 diamond and gold player from Innobitz is for Japanese Korean consumers convinced that Champ prefers "stimulating and relaxing" music to the taste of its own sack. Surely this will just result in an obnoxious pet with the huffy sense of entitlement of a faux-celeb -- a robot of another sort. Before and after video after the break.[Via Pocket-lint]
PTR Notes: Pet in position
Mania's Arcania is at it again with the Hunter testing. This time, she heard in the 2.3 patch notes that pets will apparently always try to fight from behind their target (thus supposedly removing Parry and Block from the hit table for those attacks, but apparently that's not always 100% either), and she decided to test it out.When her pet was tanking, she didn't see a change. That seems obvious-- if the pet holds the highest aggro, it would be pointless for them to run around in circles to try and get behind a mob. Unless the target was somehow stunned (Rogues use that tactic all the time, of course), but she didn't say that she was able to test that case at all.But when she or someone else was tanking, sure enough, the pet slowly circled around to the side of the enemy (which, I believe counts as "the back" in terms of theorycrafting), and attacked there. The problem was that the pet did move slowly, and during the whole time spent positioning, wasn't attacking at all.It sounds like Blizzard is trying to get some complicated code down here, and I wonder if the result is really worth the effort. But then again, for Hunters who raid, a buff to their pet's attack like this is probably very welcome. And the real reason for this change probably has nothing to do with attacking from behind anyway-- despite the short loss of DPS, keeping pets out of frontal AoE and cleave attacks is definitely a terrific benefit.
Breakfast Topic: Multitasking highs
My favorite class of the day is the Hunter, mainly because I get to control both my main character and my pet at the same time. I love the dynamic of how these two entities fit together and do damage together so nicely. I have also played a warlock up to 30, but so far the dynamic of doing multiple things at once with demon master doesn't seem as interactive to me, though I suspect it may get better later on. I love the multitasking involved with controlling two game entities with cooperative abilities at the same time, but some people hate it. One friend of mine wishes that hunters didn't have pets at all -- it feels too much to him. One thing that I can't see myself getting into though, is multiboxing: running multiple WoW accounts on different computers and linking them up so you can control them at the same time. The prohibitive cost is the main reason I'm not interested, but also I like the sense behind the hunter class that the hunter and the pet were designed to work together as a single entity. I feel like multiboxing would only leave me doing less than would be possible if we actually had one real person playing each character.What's your opinion on doing multiple things at once? Do you love such complexity, or do you prefer a simpler playstyle? Which class do you think has the most things going on at the same time?
Today's trottingest video: Horse Life trailer
Horse Life looks like a Nintendogs where you can compete with your animal. (Oh, there was that whole dog agility thing, but we stuck to frisbee games instead. Will a horse chase a frisbee?) We'll leave the sharp critique for the commenters. To our eyes, if you're into horse raising-and-riding games, this looks fun.What do the equestrians in the house say? C'mon, we know you're out there. Or are you waiting in line already for the November DS release?See the trailer after the break.
Low level hunter pets to level faster... someday
So there you are, a proud hunter at level 70, and you suddenly realize that you absolutely must have a low-level pet, such as the famous translucent ghost saber? What do you do? Up till now the conventional answer was: "suffer." Low level pets only gain experience when you kill something around your level range, not theirs, so the only choice is to just bear with it for a very long time while you try to kill high-level monsters with a low-level pet, or else just give up and not do it.Well finally it looks like Blizzard has in mind something to do about it. Drysc tells us: We have plans to adjust how quickly a hunter's pet will level if there's a large gap between it and the hunter's level. However, it's still just a plan and not something we've implemented and thus are not ready to discuss it.Something's going to happen -- we just don't know what it is yet. But really, for hunters anything would be better than what it is now. It's always nice to remove needless tedium don't you think?
Time requirements for Hunter pet loyalty gain
Even more news about pet loyalty from Mania for Hunters everywhere. She's been sitting with a stopwatch and a pen and paper and figuring out exactly how long it takes to become Best Friends with that Ravager you just tamed, and the results (so far) are above.Basically, to gain a loyalty level, your pet needs to, no matter what, gain at least 5% of the XP you, the Hunter, needs for your next level. This is required even if your pet is your level (which means they aren't actually gaining the XP). But there's also a time component on every loyalty level past Unruly. For example, to get to level 4 from level 5, you not only need the experience gain, but an hour must pass. This, as Mania says, is why sometimes your pet will ding loyalty while you're standing around in town-- you've gained the experience, but the time has to pass as well.She's not done yet-- she needs (or someone with some time on their hands could do it as well-- Mania's going through a move lately) to check out if the experience stays the same all the way to 70, or if it increases at the higher levels. She also didn't try this keeping the pet anything other than happy, so the numbers may change if the pet isn't at full happiness. And she didn't explore, at all, what happens when the pet loses loyalty-- if your pet has dropped a level of loyalty, it may be a completely different formula to regain it.But great work so far, and this is more than enough to give any Hunter a clear idea of how loyalty works in most cases.
A case of Murky envy
Wandering Goblin's got Murky envy-- Elvyra was lucky enough to go to BlizzCon 2005 and get the special Murky pet while there, but she redeemed it on the EU servers, and now plays on the US servers, so no Murky pet for her. Despite pleading with ingame GMs and even the higher-ups, she hasn't been able to get the Murky back. And while she did go to BlizzCon 2007 and get a Murloc suit, it's no comparison-- not only does it break on combat, but it just doesn't fit. That doesn't mean it's not fun, though-- if you're waiting to hear about yours from the podcast on Saturday, wait just a little longer-- we'll be contacting the winner tomorrow.Still, Elvyra's problem isn't the biggest one with the Murky suit-- most people have the problem of not getting one at all. Yes, it's special that Blizzard gave it out only at that convention, but people who now want the pet can't currently ever get it again. Blizzard did give it out once more-- they gave Lurky out to folks who had problems with the CE of Burning Crusade-- and so why can't they do that again? Even if we never see Murky given out, what about Gurky? Or Turky (a Thanksgiving item, obviously)? Or Jerky, who's a little meaner than the other Murlocs?Doesn't matter much to me-- as I said before, I'm not a huge fan of Murky. But there are some good ways to let people in on the fun while still keeping the original pet exclusive.
Of collector's editions and unique pets
While we haven't received any confirmation that there will be a Wrath of the Lich King collector's edition, but since there was a collector's edition for both the original game and the first expansion, it's a reasonable guess to think Wrath of the Lich King will have one as well. And when it comes to collector's editions, over at WoW Insider, we ask the important questions: what will the unique, collector's edition pet be? Purchasers of the original collector's edition received their choice of a mini-Diablo, a Panda cub, or a Zergling, while purchasers of the Burning Crusade collectors edition received a Netherwhelp. So what companion will we have to keep us company as we venture through Northrend? If it's a Penguin I feel that alone would be worth the extra cost of a collector's edition box.But what about you? Do you care about collector's editions or the novelties they include -- like unique pets?
More mallowy Marsh artwork
Even without knowing a single thing about Maya and Marsh, we would've fallen in love with the two companions anyway, just based on the character designs for Eigo wo Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh (Mysterious English-Eating Animal Marsh). "Love" is a strong word, you might say. Well, so are our feelings for Dimple Entertainment's pet-sim/English-trainer. We have some new art samples for the game in our gallery which you should really check out. The simple style is like a mix of Kurt Halsey romance and Kogepan charm; it's no wonder we can't resist it. So what if we'll never see this quirky title localized for the US? And who cares if its English isn't perfect? The minute we saw this scene of Marsh flopped next to its friend, Cocoa, our hearts were won over. %Gallery-5600%
Komfort Pets' climate-controlled pet carrier
For the seasoned traveler who just can't leave their home country without bringing along their dear pet, Komfort Pets is out to make your animal's trip much more bearable. The firm's climate-controlled carrier not only cools Fido off when the ambient temperature reaches 72-degrees Fahrenheit, but also utilizes its patent-pending technology to heat things up if the outside air temperature dips below 65-degrees. The crate is said to be suitable for non-climate-controlled garages, and could be equally useful in homes, cars, boats, or RVs. Currently, a 19-inch x 13-inch x 16-inch rendition is available for $399, and while this one is only meant to hold creatures up to 12.5-pounds, larger carriers are slated for release later this year.[Via BookOfJoe]
PTR Notes: Kill command bugged
This is a weird, weird bug. Over on the PTRs, Tig has found that every time he tells his pet to drop the Kill Command, the mob attacked also executes the spell on its target. For example, if Tig is shooting a murloc, and his pet Ganjii is in melee with that murloc, Ganjii's Kill Command will attack the murloc, and then the murloc will somehow also drop a Kill Command attack on its target (in this case Ganjii).That's a big bug, because if you move it to, say, a boss, a Hunter could drop the Kill Command on the boss while the main tank's health is low, which would cause the boss to instantly attack the main tank, in effect wiping the raid. Not cool.Hortus wonders if it's just against specific mobs, but that's the last we hear of Blue-- there's no confirmation that it's a known bug and that they're planning a fix. Of course, it is the test realm, so let's not get too excited-- chances are that by the time this big patch reaches the live servers, this won't still be happening. But if you happen to be hitting the Kill Command with your pet on the test realms, watch out for that extra attack.Thanks, Colin!
PTR Notes: Dashing raptors
The always interesting Mania's Arcania has more great news for Hunters from the PTR blog. Apparently in 2.2 (and right now on the PTR), Raptor family pets will be able to learn the Dash ability. Previously, I believe, Dash was primarily available from the cats in STV (Bhag'thera, the elite panther down there, gave Dash rank 2). But now Raptors are getting in on the speedy fun, too.Now, Raptors can already learn to both Bite and Claw (they can Growl and Cower, too, but those are the standard pet abilities that every pet has), so you might think a third ability would make them a little OP. But it turns out Raptors have been getting the short end of the stick for a while-- Cats can do all those things and Prowl, and Boars even get an extra Charge ability. Heck, even Tallstriders can Dash, so a Raptor doing it is no problem.Bears, it seems, are stuck with the short of the stick, as they only have the Bite and Claw. But Bears get extra HP and Armor, plus a lumbering bear isn't exactly sprightly, so Bear-owning Hunters don't have much to complain about. If you're a Raptor kind of Hunter, make sure to stop by the pet trainer after 2.2, because your pet, clever girl, has picked up a new skill.
UK canine equipped with prosthetic paw
Although we've certainly come across prosthetics with names similar to that of a fun-loving canine, we don't believe we've ever seen a pup actually become the receipiant of one. Nevertheless, the Surrey-based Belgian Shepherd (named Storm) had to undergo a leg amputation due to an agreesive tumor, but rather than allowing it to live out its life minus a limb, Noel Fitzpatrick decided to operate further. Now, Storm has reportedly become the "world's first pet to be fitted with a prosthetic paw," and moreover, the device has actually been installed in a manner that will allow skin to "grow into the metal." Best of all, the veterianarian hopes that "it will act as a model for human amputees," and if this approach gains traction, it could provide hope for humans in the future "without feet or hands."[Via Shiny Shiny]
Tamed pets will stay for 30 minutes
Mania's Arcania has been doing some experimenting with tamed pets on the PTR, and she's got a few great tips for all you hunters picking up new pets. First and foremost, apparently any pet you tame, no matter how happy it is or how often its fed, will stick around with you for at least 30 minutes, so if you tame a new pet and don't have food for it, you've got that long to find some. Dismissing a pet or having it die actually stops that timer, too, so if you don't have food and the time is about to run out, you can dismiss the pet, and then recall it when you have food to feed it.She's also looked at some more technical information on how quickly pet health returns after various kinds of dismissals-- in most cases, it looks like your pet actually comes back with a lower percentage of health, which then ticks back up to full in just a second. Probably won't affect most Hunters, although a few of the situation she goes through sound like battleground PvP to me, and it could be that Hunters there are using their pets so quickly that it might make a difference. More testing is on the way, she says.But at least the taming schedule will probably help Hunters who end up grabbing a rare spawn as a pet and then realize they don't have the food to feed them. We've got more breathing room than we knew we had.
Most popular hunter pets according to Petopia
No, they don't have precise stats from the game, but Mania does let us know what the most visited pages on Petopia are -- and considering Petopia is the definitive resource for Hunter pets available on the internet, I'd say that their data has value. While Mania doesn't give us a full listing of pets, he tells us that the most-visited pet page belongs to the Ghost Saber and that the number two spot belongs to the game's only black lion, Humar the Pridelord. And the award for least-popular pet? It looks like that goes to the Webwood Lurker in Teldrassil. (And now I'm tempted to go tame one just so they won't be so lonely.)
Guides to choosing and leveling your pet
Recently Lizzie experienced the joyful tribulation facing many hunters as they work their way through from levels 10 to 20, puzzling out the question of which pet suits them best. This is one of my favorite choices in the game, partly because there are so many pets to choose from, partly because your choice really makes a difference, and partly because you're not locked into it if you want to try something different later.For you hunters out there who are looking into what your first pet should be, there is a guide to choosing a pet available on the US forums, which for some reason has not been stickied. It gives you a good overview of the different issues involved in choosing a pet, and sets you in the right direction you'll need to make your choice well. For those of you who have already reached level 70, but decided that you actually want a pet that is only available at low levels (such as that pretty red kitty from Eversong Woods), there is a guide on the EU forums on how to level that pet up in the quickest way possible. You'll need patience for this, of course, and many hunters just don't have enough, even for picking up the highest-level boar in the game from the Eastern Plaguelands. Still, if you have the resolve, this guide can help you take lots of the pain out of the process.
