WarcraftPets interview with Cory Stockton

[Vephriel]

There's some exciting tidbits!
http://www.warcraftpets.com/news/cory-s ... craftpets/

Highlights:

•Cory provided a sneak peak at the pet design process.
•Future patches and expansions won't contain quite as many pets as we saw in MoP and 5.1.
•Blizzard is very pleased with Pet Battles — more than 50% of players are participating.
•Epic (and possibly legendary) pet qualities will definitely come, in time.
•Pet gender may play a role down the road — think "cross-breeding" your pets.
•Older pet models will see some updating (frogs and snakes were mentioned), possibly for 5.2.
•Some wild pets will become tradable... eventually.
•Wild "boss pet" encounters, where you’d use your entire team to take down an über pet, are in the works.
•Dog-lovers rejoice! More traditional-style dog pets à la Perky Pug are on the horizon!

[cowmuflage]

legendary pets? Oh my oh my.

[swimgremlin]

I've just recently gotten into the pet battle scene. I'm loving my clumsy rhino pet! I've actually started doing the daily pet masters available to me (highest pet is 23 atm), so I can upgrade him from green to blue. Making him epic someday would be awesome!

[Vephriel]

I couldn't help wondering that if the snake models are updated, perhaps hunters would be able to tame the python style ones (if their textures are revamped).

[Wain]

Maybe if the new frog models are detailed enough we could get giant frog and toad pets!

[cowmuflage]

Maybe if the new frog models are detailed enough we could get giant frog and toad pets!

Can they be french?

[Myrrmi]

Oh, my, so the legendary pets are on the way after all? With the achi...? And... with the pet reward...?

I want my red panda cub NAO!

[GormanGhaste]

Yes, that interview made me hope for python and frog hunter pets, too!

[Myrrmi]

It's really high time for us to get the pythons.
As for frogs... wasn't there a King's short story about toads with teeth raining from the skye and eating people? I want one of those

[Kurasu]

I listened to this, and just want to correct a few things on the list. Yes, they are WCP's mistakes, not Veph's, but for people who are just skimming, I figure I might as well make sure that it's more correct. Because I'm tight that way!

Highlights:

•Future patches and expansions won't contain quite as many pets as we saw in MoP and 5.1.

By 'quite' as many, they mean he isn't planning to release anywhere *near* as many at once. The reason there were so many in 5.1 was to 'fill in' slots where there hadn't been as many pets of specific types (Undead, Dragon, magic, et cetera).

•Epic (and possibly legendary) pet qualities will definitely come, in time.

'Definitely' is a misnomer here. They had plans to, and still have plans to, but 'plans' aren't 'definitely'. They would *like* to.

•Pet gender may play a role down the road — think "cross-breeding" your pets.

Actually, he stated rather inequivacably that they reason they put those in was 'just in case we wanted to do something'. There are no plans for it. they just wanted to, in case they *did* make plans, have it there to be able to be used. Not to say that it won't happen, but he made it pretty clear that at this time, there are no plans for that 'pet gender' setting.

•Older pet models will see some updating (frogs and snakes were mentioned), possibly for 5.2.

The comment is that they would *like* to update them. Frogs were mentioned specifically, and snakes were mentioned, though as he points out 'for the most part, one snake looks like another snake in the real world'.

•Some wild pets will become tradable... eventually.

Again: *may*. They are looking into it. They would *like* it, and he thinks it's a good idea, but 'Will be' wasn't on the table here so much as 'would like to be'.

•Wild "boss pet" encounters, where you’d use your entire team to take down an über pet, are in the works.

This is true. Whether we'll be seeing it or not, it is an idea they came up with and they are presently in planning for.

•Dog-lovers rejoice! More traditional-style dog pets à la Perky Pug are on the horizon!

They have people who *want* more dog pets, but there was no mention at all about it being even in the plans, let alone 'on the horizon'.

I'm not saying that the interview doesn't have its worth. Actually, I *love* listening to it for a look into the minds of the people working, and the ideas brought up. Just saying that the people here are overstating what *is* being done, and what *could* be done. I highly say 'Listen to the whole thing for the whole story'!

[Wain]

•Older pet models will see some updating (frogs and snakes were mentioned), possibly for 5.2.

The comment is that they would *like* to update them. Frogs were mentioned specifically, and snakes were mentioned, though as he points out 'for the most part, one snake looks like another snake in the real world'.

Your comments I agree with pretty much spot on, but in this case I got the impression they actually were working on updating frogs as one of the first. Like, at the moment, and not something they'd just like to do. But maybe I misunderstood.

•Dog-lovers rejoice! More traditional-style dog pets à la Perky Pug are on the horizon!

They have people who *want* more dog pets, but there was no mention at all about it being even in the plans, let alone 'on the horizon'.

Yeah. It's worth noting that Breanni actually prompted him on dogs. Cory didn't offer that up as his own example of what they're working on first. But in response, Cory did say that people inside Blizzard request new dog models all the time. He said they're a very dog-friendly company and people bring their dogs to work! I so want to work there (and get a new dog )

[Kurasu]

The comment is that they would *like* to update them. Frogs were mentioned specifically, and snakes were mentioned, though as he points out 'for the most part, one snake looks like another snake in the real world'.

Your comments I agree with pretty much spot on, but in this case I got the impression they actually were working on updating frogs as one of the first. Like, at the moment, and not something they'd just like to do. But maybe I misunderstood.

It's possible! I know he said that they were looking into things. I'd have to listen again. It sounded more, at least to me, like 'We're seeing what we can do with them' than 'we'll be updating them for sure'. But I'll happily defer to you, if only because I'd *love* to see some updates on some of them!

It's worth noting that Breanni actually prompted him on dogs. Cory didn't offer that up as his own example of what they're working on first. But in response, Cory did say that people inside Blizzard request new dog models all the time. He said they're a very dog-friendly company and people bring their dogs to work! I so want to work there (and get a new dog )

[/quote]

For sure! *That* I am not going to argue. I think dogs were brought up because where cats all have a very similar body type (there's very little variety in how a 'cat' looks other than small details, coat length, and color), dogs are very recognizably 'different'. And yes, he definitely stated that they would *like* to, and that if they were going to do it, it would probably be through achievements. I have high hopes! At the very least, a mini-mastiff would be simple, and would make for an awesome pet.