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Pet and Mount pane searchable in patch 5.1
The new mount panel is fantastic, and avoids many a noob moment like I had back when my paladin was brand new and had just learned to summon the class mount -- I couldn't find it, not realising that there was a "Mounts" tab in my spellbook. However, it has its downsides. I don't suffer from this that much, as I'm not a huge collector of mounts, pets, or anything for that matter. I only have about 70 mounts, and that's a very ambitious estimate indeed! For those of us who are serious collectors, pet and mount panes new and old suffered from a serious problem: a lack of searchability! Last night, in a Twitter conversation with Community Manager Zarhym, Lead Encounter Designer Cory "Mumper" Stockton said that a search function for mounts is "en-route for 5.1". Even with my measly 70 mounts and even fewer pets, I'm rejoicing. And, of course, glaring at the Abyssal Seahorse that mocks me from the top of my mount list. What else could Blizzard do to improve the basic UI? I'd love to see a similar search added to the spellbook. My shaman was very confused indeed at the loss of Earth Shield, and eventually discovered that it had been taken away from her until level 26. A search could have made it far easier to find that! And I'd love to see a favorites section in the mount and pet journals. Mostly to get rid of that pesky seahorse. [Edit: Thanks to all readers who pointed out that the pet pane is searchable already! I must write pieces immediately after titles so I don't forget key details!]
Mountain Dew Warbot pet and War Fuel now available for purchase in-game
If you're looking to shore up your collection of pets in preparation for the battle pet system coming in Mists of Pandaria, we've got good news for you. Toy vendors around the world are now selling the Warbot Ignition Key, as well as Blue and Red War Fuel for the robot. While there was a schematic datamined for the Warbot, it appears that it was decided to just make this an item found on any of the assorted toy vendors around Azeroth. The Warbot and its assorted fuels were originally part of a U.S.-only Mountain Dew Game Fuel promotion back in 2009. For those wondering what the heck the fuel is for, you can load your robot up with either Horde red or Alliance blue fuel, and Warbots that have opposing colors of fuel will battle each other when in proximity. It was a fun promotion, but the lack of availability for anyone not in the United States was a bummer, so it's nice to see the Warbot available to all at last. To purchase your Warbot, just head to any toy vendor. The Warbot costs 500g, but it is affected by reputation; exalted reputation cuts the price down to a slightly more affordable 350g. As for the War Fuels, you can pick whichever color you like, regardless of what faction you happen to be on. Happy battling!
It came from the Blog: Join us for a pet collecting party
Account-wide pets are here with patch 5.0.4, so It came from the Blog is having a pet collecting party to fill up our pet journals. Any pets you collect with us will show up on your other characters, so there's no reason not to join us. When: Friday, Aug. 31 at 11 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. PDT, 9 p.m. realm time). Where: The courtyard of the Ruins of Lordaeron on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H). Who: Any level Horde character, but you will be happier with a mount and some cash. How: Ask any member of It came from the Blog for an invite, if you are not already in our family of guilds. Some gold will be provided for those who are low on funds, as usual. We'll be shopping around the world (of Warcraft) and perhaps doing some questing and farming, time permitting. So come pet collecting with us this Friday, even if you've never joined us for anything before. Yay, account-wide pets! Yay, parties! Boo, party poopers. Hope to see you there! Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All guild ranks can invite, so /whisper Tizzi or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
What you should know about account-wide pets, mounts and achievements
Patch 5.0.4 is live and most of your achievements, pets and mounts are now account-wide. The problem is that they will not all show up when you first log in. You also may find that you don't have as many of each pet as you thought you did. Here's what you should know: You must log in to all of your characters for their pets, mounts and achievements to show up across your account. All learned pets that are unique will be merged into one pet. All learned, non-unique pets will be reduced to three. You can only learn 500 pets. So if you logged in and didn't like the size of your pet and mount journal, log on to all of your characters. The full posts from Blizzard with this information are after the break.
Aeria Games blends sci-fi and fantasy in new MMORPG Starlight Story
Aeria Games, the free-to-play publisher known for a variety of browser-based games, adds a new title to the mix. Starlight Story mixes technology and magic in a realm where players must try to save their dying planet. To aid them in preventing the destruction of their world, players will have pets that will fight at their side as well as double as mounts. Both players and their pets will be able to transform into previously slain bosses, giving stat boosts on top of the cosmetic changes. Catch a glimpse of the game in the trailer after the cut. Sign-ups for the closed beta are also going on now; players can sign up by visiting the official site. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Breakfast Topic: Have you ever named a pet after a WoW NPC?
Sometimes you come across a character in a game, be it an NPC or another player character, that you just absolutely love. You identify with the character in such a way that they become a sort of ideal for you of some type or another. Every now and then, you try to incorporate that character into your real life in some manner or another. For us, it took the form of naming our puppy after a great and terrible NPC, Lady Sylvanas Windrunner. When we first got our dog, she was born on Halloween and since she was a beagle, she liked to howl, so we figured that naming her after the Banshee Queen was a suitable name. Unlike the leader of the undead, though, she's a small furnace and wails surprisingly little, but we love her just the same. She's also become my World of Warcraft buddy and will whine at the screen if she sees me getting particularly frustrated with a boss fight until the boss is killed. She also has this super-awesome little dance she does whenever I cheer or get really excited. So how about you? Have you ever named a pet after a World of Warcraft NPC that you particularly loved? What type of pet is it, and what type of adventures have you had?
Fox Kit added to Tol Barad vendors in next patch
Ever wanted one of those wily Fox Kit pets from Tol Barad? In order to get one, you have to endlessly grind the foxes on the main island -- well, until next patch, that is. Warcraft Pets reports that according to tweets by game designer Jonathan LeCraft, the Fox Kit will be placed on vendors in the upcoming pre-Mists of Pandaria patch. Included with the tweet was an image of our sly little friend on the Tol Barad vendors. Lest you think this will be an easy purchase, however, you may want to think again. Not only does the Fox Kit cost a whopping 200 tokens from either Hellscream's Reach or Baradin's Wardens, it also requires exalted reputation with whichever faction your side happens to be affiliated with. This late in the game, that shouldn't be an issue for most players -- but if you haven't tasted the delights of Tol Barad, you may want to get cracking now. Besides, who doesn't want a Fox Van Allen of their very own?
WoW Archivist: A fluffy history of companion pets
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? In Mists of Pandaria, our companion pets will be more than just vanity items. We'll be able to tame them, train them, and pit them against each other in Azeroth's most adorable blood sport since School of Hard Knocks. Pet battles are brand new, but the history of companion pets stretches all the way back to the game's earliest days. These faithful sidekicks have been tagging along with us from our first characters in 2004 to the final confrontation with Deathwing. They're more than just a fluffy diversion, however. Believe it or not, some pets have actually made the real world a better place, and some have irrevocably changed WoW as we know it.
The Daily Grind: Do you want more from your vanity pets?
So I completed Funcom's 30-mission goal this past weekend during The Secret World's one-month celebration. The reward was a shirt and a handful of points to use in the game's cash shop. I spent them on the Little Lion vanity pet that is a spitting image of my real-world house cat, and I got a few chuckles out of having her follow me around as I smited various dead and undead creatures terrorizing the locals in Blue Mountain. Eventually I zoned and she went back to her digital cat-napping, and I was left to wonder why more games don't give you some actual functionality to go along with your vanity pets. I know, they're just vanity pets, but in EverQuest II for example, I can make them play dead and about a dozen other tricks, whereas in The Secret World (and most other MMOs), they just follow me around. Heck, I can't even name this one! What about you, morning folk? Would you like your vanity pets to actually do something, or is that pretty far down on your MMO wishlist? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Mists of Pandaria Beta: Transferring wealth between servers with battle pets?
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen and Fox Van Allen aim to show you how to make money on the Auction House. Check out Basil's re-reboot of Call To Auction, and email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! Note: This article is about the Mists of Pandaria Beta. There is no guarantee that this functionality will exist in the live version of MoP. The new pet battle system in Mists of Pandaria is going to be one of the most exciting new features for a lot of people; however, a potentially unintended consequence of the way it's currently implemented is that by selling pets on one realm that you bought on another realm, you will be able to transfer wealth between servers or factions. Orkchop wrote me an email that got me investigating: All these pets are bound to your account, across all servers, across both factions, and can be sold. You can log on to your level 90 main, buy some pets, learn them, then log on to another server, create a level 1 and go sell those pets at auction. All without touching the neutral auction house and its fees.
Mists of Pandaria Beta: StarCraft Baneling pet swarms into beta with more new pets, mounts
If you like pets and mounts (or are married to someone who does, as I am), then we have news for you from the latest Mists of Pandaria beta information from Wowhead. What, you may ask, are we looking at? The StarCraft II collector's edition Baneling pet. A new schematic to craft the Warbot pet and recipes to make the fuel for it. The achievement for 400 pet battle achievement points, Time to Open a Pet Store, now grants the Jade Tentacle pet. The Ancestral Phoenix Egg from challenge modes will allow you to chose what color of phoenix mount you want. August Celestials offer the Reins of the Thundering Ruby Cloud Serpent at exalted rep. Head on over to Wowhead News for the complete list of new stuff. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
ArenaNet shares Hall of Monuments newbie guide and reward video
With only a month remaining until the release of Guild Wars 2, many players are frantically working on boosting their Guild Wars Hall of Monuments numbers in order to gain access to special GW2 rewards. Content Designer John Stumme posted a neat introductory guide to getting 30 points or more, and he slants his post toward the newcomer. "Most people will be content to get 30 points for all of the special items, and that's a task that's much easier to break down," he assures us. In addition to the guide, Stumme put together a video showing off the in-game rewards that the Hall of Monuments produces in ArenaNet's sequel. You can check this video out after the jump, but don't forget that Massively has a rather excellent Hall of Monuments guide as well!
Mists of Pandaria: Wild pets will not be tradable
Cory Stockton, aka Mumper, has announced that pets caught in the wild will no longer be tradable and that this will be the case when Mists of Pandaria launches. Mumper We just finished a pass making all pets that are caught via pet battles in the world non-tradeable. This means these pets cannot be put in cages for trading or posting on the AH. We felt that the option to buy these pets on the AH would take away from the exploration/collection gameplay of the system. This could always change in a future patch, but this is how it will go out with MoP. You should see the change in our next build. source In pet battles, tradable pets can be sold on the AH. Training and caging wild pets looked to be a lucrative endeavor, since the catchable pets spawn in various qualities such as poor and rare. Many buyers would have been happy to shell out their gold for a high-quality pet that they didn't have to grind for. As of right now on the beta, pet spawning locations tend to be heavily camped. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in cross-realm zones. [via alt:ternative] It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Blizzard unveils Pet Battles on the official MoP site -- and beta
Pet Battles are one of Mists of Pandaria's most anticipated features, and Blizzard's been taking their time implementing these furry free-for-alls to get the quality just right. Today the devs have unveiled a new Pet Battle system section on the MoP website highlighting the ins and outs of the system, including how you can get new pets in the wild, what Pet Battle stats mean, and more. The devs have stated in the past that pet battling is meant to be a mostly stress-free affair. You won't see the names of the people whose pets you battle, and the game will only keep track of your wins, not your losses. Don't expect to find bleeding-edge Pet Battle progression groups any time soon. That's the right call, though -- the game needs more fun, casual stuff to do, not less. Check out the Pet Battle guide, and if you have an MoP beta account, patch it today -- Pet Battles are playable! It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Joymax announces Knight Age, opens beta for one week
The studio that brought us Silkroad Online has announced its newest venture in the MMORPG market: Knight Age. Based on a vast world of knights battling against a malicious god, the game will feature pets that will fight alongside players, guild sieges, and giant PvP battles of 50v50 and even 1v100 in the ultimate fight for Excalibur. And what's a knight without his or her horse? Knight Age will feature mounted combat in which players will be able to perform elaborate attack skills while mounted and on the move. The first English closed beta is open to everyone on July 10th and will last one full week until the 17th. Players can participate in this beta via the official site. [Source: Joymax press release]
i-SODOG robot unveiled, dares you to resist its LED-puppy dog eyes
Takara Tomy's i-SODOG might not be as intimidating as other robotic quadrupeds, but it sure is a charmer. Freshly unveiled at the Tokyo International Toy Show, the puppy comes laden with touch sensors, 15 custom servos and a microphone, letting its master command it with up to 50 unique voice cues. The mechanical mutt's mind packs some basic artificial intelligence as well, allowing it to learn and modify its behavior based on the user's commands. If the pup flunks out of digital dog training, however, its owner can always assume control directly with the i-SODOG iOS / Android app or from a dedicated controller. Fido's chasing a Spring 2013 release for 31,500 yen ($400), but there's no word on a release outside of Japan. In the meantime, a video of the plastic pooch in action awaits you after the break.
Blood Pact: Get our MoP minions and our little felpuppies too
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Pact for affliction, demonology, and destruction warlocks. This week, Megan O'Neill totally cast a soulstone on her old computer minion, but it's refusing to take the battle res. Maybe it disconnected. Maybe it'll be ported to the Dwarven District when she comes back next week. Minions -- can't live with them, and can't live without them. Faithful friend, loquacious lackey, silent scapegoat -- like any typical villainous class, we've got cannon fodder for our plans. It's an important step in a warlock's proper training to know about your minions and what they do so that you can steer clear of any typical villain muck-ups in the future.
Mists of Pandaria Beta: Pet Battle Music is a blast from the past
In what will be heralded as one of the more austere, kickass features coming with Mists of Pandaria, Blizzard has finally added in the music for Pet Battles, which is a mix of a little new/little old MIDI tunes that sound more at home on a Super Nintendo. But what's that I hear? Is it ... the original Warcraft and Warcraft II renditions of the faction songs? For Pet Battles? For serious? I guess I have to go install Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition again. Great. What do you all think about the old Warcraft music's making an appearance in WoW? It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
The OverAchiever: Are pet achievements disappearing in Mists of Pandaria?
Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. This week, it's myth-explodin' time. Last week in the comment thread for OverAchiever: Achievements to do before it's too late, there were a few notes from readers who were worried that noncombat pet achievements were going to disappear in Mists of Pandaria. This shocked me, because I could have sworn I saw pet achievements flash across the screen during the spam I always get when I copy my main to a beta or PTR, and I hadn't been aware that these achievements were actually missing from the General category. I was also sure there would have been some pretty high-profile news about it if developers were planning to axe them. Especially with the introduction of Pet Battles, it seemed like a very strange time for Blizzard to get rid of related achievements. Then again, these are also the people who put the Aldor Rise elevator and Warsong Gulch rep in the game, so we already know they're capable of real cruelty. OverAchiever's pretty much pointless if I don't use it to investigate stuff that I could have warned readers about well in advance, and pets are serious business. So, another character copy onto the beta later, I have an answer for you about what's going on.
Gold Capped: Things that still sell at the end of an expansion
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen and Fox Van Allen aim to show you how to make money on the Auction House. Check out Fox and Basil's reboot of Call To Auction, and email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! The end of an expansion is a tough time to make gold. There's a lot more competition for a lot less demand. Many people see gold-making as a nice casual way to play while they wait for the next content dump, and fewer people are playing seriously (which is the root of demand for a lot of popular and profitable markets). To top it all off, we know that inflation is going to take a huge chunk out of our net worth when Mists launches, and there are a bunch of new things to save money up for. What kind of things can you still sell to make a profit?
