[PFI] Pet Family Idea: Shrimps! (Peacock Mantis Shrimp!)

[Qraljar]

Okay, so I've had a brainfart again, and when I get ideas for classes or pets, I usually have to let them go and leave my head; thus, sorry for bothering you with this one:


It doesn't seem too far-fetched to think we will somehow get an underwater expansion before World of Warcraft ends.

With that in mind, I've been thinking about a few sea creatures and lately, I've been very fascinated by shrimps, and in particular, Peacock Mantis Shrimps, with their stories of breaking aquarium glass and their appearance that doesn't look too far off from an eldritch sea horror or something you'd see in Lovecraft's works. What are Peacock Mantis Shrimps'?





Also called Odontodactylus scyllarus, peacock mantis shrimps, harlequin mantis shrimps or painted mantis shrimps, these are magnificent creatures that come in a beautiful range of colour and are equipped with a lot of.. what you would call legs that push them forward over the ocean floor.

These spectacular animals can range from 3 to 18 centimetres (1.2 to 7.1 in) and come primarily in a colourful palette consisting of mostly shades of green and orange.

Peacock mantis shrimps are neither mantids, nor shrimps.. or for that matter, of course, peacocks..

They are crustaceans, but not shrimps.

So what makes these organisms so magnificent if not their bright colours?

Well, mainly two things, actually:

1) Like the pistol shrimp, the peacock mantis shrimp is equipped with two raptorial appendages that are used like clubs which are not only an imposing sight in itself, but also capable of breaking through aquarium glass.

There's a reason you'd be strongly advised not to put your hand near it, and that reason is that you may lose a finger or two if you're not careful enough.

That's right. These creatures pack a punch that equals the speed and strength of a .22 calibre bullet. Yes, you heard that right; these animals manage to hit you with the speed of a vehicle while the water itself tries to hold their nifty little club-like weapons from picking up too much power.

I think that in itself makes them a really great candidate for a hunter pet. If they are that strong under water and in such an -in comparison- small form, then imagine how strong they'd be without water resistance and at a bigger size than a dog? Yes: Absolutely devastating.

But I told you there was a second reason these creatures are amazing and that is their ability to see just about every shade of every colour perfectly. Peacock mantis shrimps have 3 pupils in each eye and they can see just great.




Now as this is a shrimp thread and peacock mantis shrimps aren't really shrimps, the family should obviously be called 'crustaceans', but crustaceans would be a really HUGE family as there are a lot of crustaceans. That aside, pistol shrimps and peacock mantis shrimps both look quite a lot like shrimps, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Besides, it's not like we have Wyverns that are actually Manticores!

Shrimps

Special ability:

Death Strike

Hit the enemy with your raptorial claws, effectively knocking them down and stunning them for three seconds. Deals ?% attack damage



I realize I only spoke about peacock mantis shrimps, but I guess it's a proper way to open the discussion!

[Zhinru]

I... don't know what I'm looking at.
...
I like it.

[Wain]

I had a mantis shrimp hiding in my tank that killed my sea horses. I hate them. But they do look awesome

It's a shame the makrura model is established as a humanoid as they'd make a great looking pet model. Then again, it's also used for crayfish etc. Maybe if they made a version with a different skeleton wasn't so upright they could use it as a large beast as well.

[Apaché]

i too would love to see shrimps, but all of that said, it will be a while until un underwater expansion, and we still have to think about outland. How will these critters look in outland? i think a sea lion of some sort is a possibility, but sadly, i cant picture a shrimp in-game.

[Wain]

i too would love to see shrimps, but all of that said, it will be a while until un underwater expansion, and we still have to think about outland. How will these critters look in outland? i think a sea lion of some sort is a possibility, but sadly, i cant picture a shrimp in-game.

Something like a makrura. They do look pretty wicked:

[GormanGhaste]

We could combine them with crabs into a new Crustacean family. I never liked the crab ability anyway

[Apaché]

i can definately see a makura. i really love thier models, and can see them ingame. i see that more likely than a shrimp, tho

[TygerDarkstorm]

I like the idea of a crustacean family, and those peacock shrimp are neat looking, but no pet special has a damage component to it anymore (excluding worm burrow and chimaera breath which are special exotic abilities) so the 7% attack damage would need to be removed.

[Wain]

i can definately see a makura. i really love thier models, and can see them ingame. i see that more likely than a shrimp, tho

I more meant using the makrura model (maybe with a skeleton modification) for the "shrimp". Makrura themselves are humanoids.

[Apaché]

i can definately see a makura. i really love thier models, and can see them ingame. i see that more likely than a shrimp, tho

I more meant using the makrura model (maybe with a skeleton modification) for the "shrimp". Makrura themselves are humanoids.

Oh, ahaha. Either way though, using a makura as the shrimp model would still classify it as a shrimp I do just have that gut feeling though that makura WILL become tameble sometime or another

[Wain]

i can definately see a makura. i really love thier models, and can see them ingame. i see that more likely than a shrimp, tho

I more meant using the makrura model (maybe with a skeleton modification) for the "shrimp". Makrura themselves are humanoids.

Oh, ahaha. Either way though, using a makura as the shrimp model would still classify it as a shrimp I do just have that gut feeling though that makura WILL become tameble sometime or another

They apparently have a culture and language and such. We just see very little evidence of it in the game, where they usually just scuttle around randomly.

[Zhinru]

Yeah, Makrura are most definitely meant to be people. The now-defunct RPG had a whole bit about the Nerglish language (language of Murlocs and other aquatic races) being invented by them, as well as their capital Mak'aru being in opposition to the Naga. Of course, the RPG is now dispossessed, but things like those were ideas by Blizzard shared with the RPG publishers to expand the universe for tabletop games, so Mak'aru and Nerglish are most likely still an (unsourced) canon.

[Apaché]

Yeah, Makrura are most definitely meant to be people. The now-defunct RPG had a whole bit about the Nerglish language (language of Murlocs and other aquatic races) being invented by them, as well as their capital Mak'aru being in opposition to the Naga. Of course, the RPG is now dispossessed, but things like those were ideas by Blizzard shared with the RPG publishers to expand the universe for tabletop games, so Mak'aru and Nerglish are most likely still an (unsourced) canon.

ya, im just going through in my head of how they could make the makura tameble as shrimp. I think what they will do if this happens is they will probably do as wain said, a skeletal remake. i dont really want little orbs with water flying around as hunter pets like that seahorse. Gah! that still bugs me.