An Idea on Pet Abilities [Word Filled]

[Skeeter]

Now I am almost positive I can't be the only one to post this, but this seems like the only forums hunters get any love so I figured if this is the best place to post this in the hopes something changes.

I am not proposing we need any new pet buffs, i am proposing we select our pet abilities based on their tree.
I can not tell you how much i would love using a Rhino/Boar (i really do like the models alot, i might even end up taming a Rhino after this just because i like them so much lol) but due to their almost useless pet ability, this goes the same for Foxes and Tallstriders, Sporebats (whats new there) and cats/spirit beasts teeter on the edge of usefulness because 3 classes bring the same buff.

I completely understand that Blizzard is trying to differentiate the pets from one another, but by sandbagging some pets it just upsets me that im being forced to play mechanically more than enjoyably.

Anyways i could go on with more repetative reasons on why pets should be more customizeable but ill cut to the chase =p

Since we have Pet Talent Trees, I was thinking of removing the Specie specific abilities and adding a pet Equivalent to a Glyph Tab, in which case the Hunter selects an Ability that the pet will utilize, and the availability of the Abilities is based on the Tree of the pet and BM Hunters will be able to select an Exotic Ability for their pet in addition to the first ability.

Below i have listed all the Abilities in each game currently in game with some minor tweaks in the Tenacity tree

CUNNING
Stun
Disarm
8% Magic
4s Disorient
40s Interupt
4% Phys
Sunder Armor
Cast Slow
Root
*Fortitude
*Conal AOE (Channeled, Basically mimicking the Chimera's Breathe)


FEROCITY
Demoralizing Roar Debuff
Str + Agi Buff
Root
Melee Slow Debuff
30% Bleed
1m Interrupt
Sunder Armor
Stun
5% Crit
*Bloodlust
*10% Healing Debuff
*Heal


TENACITY
Demo Roar
Shield Wall
30% Bleed
Root
Slow
Interrupt
Disarm
*Kings
*De-aggroing AOE (like the Worm's Burrow Attack, gives them some DPS Potential in PvE)


*EXOTIC (Beast Mastery Spec) Pet Abilities in addition to their Non-exotic Ability.

I took out the Knockback from the Tenacity tree in fear of Tenacity pets being dominant in PvP being specced to have a root/slow/disarm and a Knockback, i also did not include the upcoming Shale Spider Stun, for the same reason.


But with the ability to choose our Abilities it would greatly change the way we worry about what to tame allow us to use our pets to define our characters a bit more (which is one perk of being a hunter)

Anyways, i expect this has been discussed before, but i felt that if i wanted anything to change id post about it as well. Thanks for reading guys (assuming you did, i dont blame you if you didnt) and i apologize for any spelling/grammar errors that occured, its 2 am when im writing, and nothing good ever happens after 2am.

[Lisaara]

I really dont think its necessary. Blizzard did a great job on this and purposely made it so ALL pets in ALL trees can be as good as any other. Thats why they didn't do it like how you listed it. It looks like it tilts the scales unevenly to the point it looks like if its cunning, it has to pvp or if its tenacity, it has to tank/be a solo pet.

I'm quite happy with most pets. Only one I'd change is the silly Rhino. thats the only useless pet ability.

[Skeeter]

Well how the talent trees are set up at the moment, I find all pets to do just fine in a PvP situation/PvE situation as long as they are specced for the respective role, most hunters in BGs ive noticed are currently using spiders/silithids just because it is the ONLY pet with a ranged root, plus it is Cunning, which is the most notorius for pvp utility, they blatantly made the spider superior to any other pet for PvP (until Shale Spiders get their new ability) by giving them 1s more on their root + the ability to DMG during it + range, and


when it comes to PvE they have made Core Hounds a priority pet by giving them such a powerful buff, granted the core hound can be switched out after the buff, i just feel that is now how hunters are intended to be played, by switching pets in and out during a fight

And by giving nonferocity pets Party buffs (such as Shale Spiders and their Kings buff) the hunter if forced to take a DPS hit in order to supply a missing buff, when higher dps might be achieved by using a ferocity pet with a redundant party buff being used.

[Cialbi]

Well, in PvE, core hounds are only useful if there is no shaman or mage in the group; given how ubiquitous the latter class is, that isn't going to be so common. As for spiders, the reason that I can deduce for there being a second longer duration is because of a lack of access to Charge (that provides a 1 sec immobilize). However, I do agree that making Lock Jaw and Pin be channeled abilities wasn't a very good idea since special abilities no longer deal damage (exotic abilities aside).

Still, I'm still very much pleased at having come so far from "<insert top DPS pet class here> or GTFO!" being a near universal raiding policy. The only improvements I want to see are echoes of what Taluwen said; please change the pet special abilities that are so useless that I take them off autocast, off my pet actionbar, and forget that they exist (i.e: Gore, Stampede).

[Skeeter]

Yea i know core hounds are situationally useful, but it just bothers me that a core hound must be a staple for a BM hunter, i feel that if im BM i have to carry around a core hound, in my opinion they havent changed the <insert top pet class here> or gtfo, they just disguised it.

Even if they did implement something related to the idea im proposing there still would be an issue of "the best pve ability combos" but i would feel less tied down to selecting pets I dislike. Yes this post is mostly complaining about my opinions on what pets look nice and what not, but they fixed the issue when it came to real classes (bring the player not the buff Blizzard motto) they should do something similar with hunter pets. The idea is simple and shouldnt affect current hunter gameplay at all (i cant think of any overpowered BM ability combos, and the one i did, i didnt suggest)

and if you think the ideas proposed filter pets into their roles like Taluwen said, you have to realize, i just listed all of the pet abilities as they currently are, so yea, cunning looks an awful lot like the pvp tree, but thats the current live status, its the trees not the abilities that filter pets into roles, im just proposing more customization in the form of "I really like Bird of Prey models, but for PvE they are useless so i cant use them" into "I really like my Bird of Prey, and since i PvE alot, i chose to give him a 4% Physical Damage debuff"

I dont argue blizzards buff idea for pets wasnt a good one, i just dont feel like i should use the pets everyone else use, the whole idea behind this is mainly cosmetic i guess i could say.

[Tudyk]

It's an interesting idea, but honestly I think (<--- personal opinion inc!) it sort of negates the point of having all these shiny new stable slots. =D If they were to change anything about the way the system currently works (other than the dragonhawk/windserpent overlap ;p), I'd vote for an option to talent into an insta-dismiss-pet (with a cooldown). But that's possibly just because I'm crazy and really LIKE micromanaging crap.

As for the "gotta have it" pet ... even if my group DOESN'T have another bloodlust available (unlikely, since my bro's wife is a mage) I still only whip out TimeLapse once every 10 minutes and then cycle back to my ferocity/cunning meat-eating-totem of choice as soon as it's convenient.

[Phoronid]

I've actually found that given that the commonly thought of "most important" buffs for the hunter to give via pet (corehound, wolf, cat, windserpent/dragonhawk, and ravager) are very often already filled by other classes. I check every group using an add-on that tells me the buffs/debuffs that the other players/I have active, (I think it's called raidchecker.. ?)

Knowing what is already filled gives me a good chance to using my 5th active slot as "pet of choice", often a spirit beast if I am going BM (for the always useful heals), or something silly in ferocity/cunning as survival, like my trick-tamed pets, flamingo, a "vanity pet twin", or other 'personality' pet.

The most common pet I find myself "needing" to use is actually the windserpent (or dragonhawk), which is a key survival debuff and still has a "whoa." factor for other players, who didn't see them hardly at all in Wrath. In raids, especially 25 man, I can be the creative hunter I want to be!

[Vetiver]

i know that technically we should have one of every buff in order to have what is needed be it a 10 man or heroic........but no can do with 25 slots, sorry! ^_^

many of the families that have vital buffs don't even have a single skin that i like, and nearly EVERY SINGLE EFFING TENACITY PET has an amazing skin that i am in love with. change the tenacity tree to where it can be specced for either dps OR tanking, much like a feral druid, and i won't have a 3/4 useless stable (because awesomeness aside, all those spirit beasts are dead weight after the first one, but you'll have to pry them all out of my cold dead hooves.....and BM is not even the spec of choice if you like doing actual damage)