Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Discuss WoW Classic and give feedback for our Petopia Classic sites, including Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King.
Forum rules
Treat others with respect. Report, don't respond. Read the complete forum rules.
User avatar
Wain
The Insane
The Insane
Posts: 13513
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:54 am
Gender: Male

Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Wain »

I hope to use this thread to compile a list of the main differences between playing with a hunter pet in Classic compared to live. So any additions are most welcome :) Of course there are things we can't be certain of until we get access to the Classic client, but we should have a good idea of most things. Thanks :)

Pet Families
- there are only 17 or 18 families in Classic. The final number will depend on whether they decide to include Serpents, which were added before Burning Crusade, but were actually in 2.0 so may be left out. I've put them up for now.
- Owls are a family, instead of Birds of Prey. The rest of the families are the same as modern ones.
- there are no exotic families.
- there are no family talent trees in the modern sense, but there are three types of family, which result in some being better at tanking, some at damage, and some in between. Petopia used to call these Defensive, Offensive and General, but I'm still unsure if these terms were ever official or if they were just terms of convenience that Mania used.
- There are tables of how these three "specs" affect stats. Depending on the family type, the pet's health, armour and dps are modified by a set amount. See this table.
- most families don't have a unique ability, but the abilities a family can learn do vary. I've already documented those on the individual family pages.
- pet family diets in Classic aren't that different to modern ones - some family diets change a little, and there are also no mechanical bits, raw meat or raw fish. I've already documented those on the individual family pages.


Pets
- you can only ever have three pets: 2 in the stable and one active! So if you're heading out to tame something you have to leave your other pets at the stable in town.
- because you need to tame wild pets purely to learn certain abilities you're better off keeping only 2 pets, as you'll need that third slot for temporaries. Once you've learned all the ranks of wild abilities you can fill that slot.
- pets have loyalty that must be maintained by feeding (and other things?). If your pet drops too low in loyalty it will eventually leave you for good. You have to feed the pet soon after you tame it or you'll lose it again!
- feeding is important!
- pets don't automatically level up to your level. They start out at (their original level?) and you have to use them in combat to level them up.
- pets don't automatically know all their powers. Some know a few and it depends on the individual NPC rather than the family what they know and what rank. I've already added most of that info but it's not up on the site yet. I'll discuss that more in the Pet Abilities section.
- only some pet looks are available. Lots aren't, and never will be in Classic. I'll still add them to the site so that players who see an untameable look in the wild can at least know they can't get it anywhere.
- hunter player stats affect pet performance, like this old page
- there were some NPCs that had what were termed "caster stats" when tamed, which meant they had sub-standard abilities and performed poorly as pets. I have data on all these. Time will tell if Classic has this issue too, as it could be considered a bug and they did say they might fix bugs that existed in 1.12.

Pet Abilities
- the abilities a pet can learn depend on the family, but most aren't family-specific (link to old info)
- abilities have ranks and most have multiple ranks, but the max. rank number varies a lot between abilities. I think I've already got this info, but it's not up on the site yet.
- you spend the pet's Training Points (TP) to teach them ranks of abilities. Higher ranks cost more TP, but (i) you get refunded the TP cost of the lower rank when you learn a higher one, and (ii) when training you can skip ranks, so you can teach a pet Claw 4 without it knowing Claw 3. (link to old pet training info)
- Your pet can't learn every ability, even if it technically has access to them, so you have to choose wisely when training. This is for two reasons: (i) pets can only learn 4 active skills at once (though they can learn all the passive skills), and (ii) pets only gain a certain number of TP a level, also linked to loyalty by the formula: (level)*(loyalty-1) and that total TP at level 60 and max loyalty still isn't enough to learn it all.
- some pets come with abilities when tamed, but whether the pet already knows an ability (and at what rank) depends on the individual NPC. Most have to be taught their abilities by the hunter, or taught higher ranks.
- hunters have to learn an ability first before they can teach it to their pets. They also have to learn higher ranks before they can teach them.
- some abilities are taught (to the hunter) by trainers, but others have to be learned from tamed wild pets. Can some be learned from both? I have a feeling this is the case with some, and learning it from a wild pet can save you some gold.
- if you want to learn a certain rank of an ability from a beast in the wild, you have to find one that knows that rank from Petopia's list, tame it, and run around with it for a little while until the game says you've learned that rank.
- for ability ranks learned from wild pets, you don't need to learn every rank in between. You can learn a rank 5 ability without already knowing rank 4. I don't remember if that's the case for trainer-taught abilities.
- Gore (an ability of Boars, and also Ravagers in BC) probably won't exist, as I think it was added in 2.0.
Shaman avatar by Spiritbinder.
User avatar
GormanGhaste
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 6460
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:00 pm
Realm: Uldaman (and Ravencrest)

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by GormanGhaste »

Pets actually had happiness and loyalty. You feed your pet to keep them happy, and happy pets increase in loyalty. Unhappy pets lose loyalty, ultimately running away if not fed. Loyalty levels gave skill points that could be assigned.
Image
User avatar
GormanGhaste
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 6460
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:00 pm
Realm: Uldaman (and Ravencrest)

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by GormanGhaste »

Wain wrote:family-specific (link to old info
This link doesn't work for me.
Image
User avatar
Ana
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 18639
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:19 am
Realm: Light EU Twintania/ Azol-Nerub EU
Gender: Female
Location: Copenhagen- Denmark

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Ana »

You could also only have 3 pets ... or was it 5 just before outlands?

Image

HUGE thanks to Makoes, Syleye, FeralClaw, Pingupuff, Karin,Bowno, Varethyn, Ashaine, Kishay, Aki (Täräin13), my friend Marie and some lovely ppl on Fligth Rising for my lovely sig

User avatar
Rawr
Illustrious Master Hunter
Illustrious Master Hunter
Posts: 4481
Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:21 pm
Realm: Draka-Wyrmrest Accord
Gender: Female

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Rawr »

5 pets was BC/Wrath, if your pet got Unhappy enough it wouldn't just leave, it attached you. Happiness and Loyalty gave you Training Points to spend on skills for your pet either from wild learned ones or from the Pet Trainer, they have Growl, Cower, all the resistances, Stam, and Armor. At max level and Loyalty you did not have enough points for all the skills the Trainer taught you so you have to be careful, I don't remember the option to retrain your until BC. :mrgreen:

Image

User avatar
GormanGhaste
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 6460
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:00 pm
Realm: Uldaman (and Ravencrest)

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by GormanGhaste »

Actually, it was still just three pets in BC. And of course, you really only had two, because you needed the other slot for temp pets. Hard enough keeping two pets leveled anyway :)
Image
User avatar
Bowno
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 2346
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:21 am
Realm: Moon Guard
Gender: Female
Contact:

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Bowno »

I seem to remember pets losing a bit of happiness when you put them in the stable.
Either that, or I always just had bad luck and just had to feed them every time I took someone out of the stable. Could have just been bad timing when I put them in.

Siggy under construction!

User avatar
Wain
The Insane
The Insane
Posts: 13513
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:54 am
Gender: Male

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Wain »

I forgot it was just 3 pets! I thought it was 5. Ouch.

So did stables exist? How many could you keep in your active slots at once? Just 1 or all 3?
Shaman avatar by Spiritbinder.
User avatar
Rawr
Illustrious Master Hunter
Illustrious Master Hunter
Posts: 4481
Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:21 pm
Realm: Draka-Wyrmrest Accord
Gender: Female

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Rawr »

You could keep 1 with you and 2 in the stables. :mrgreen:

Image

User avatar
Wain
The Insane
The Insane
Posts: 13513
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:54 am
Gender: Male

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Wain »

Ahh, so when you went out to tame one to learn a new ability rank, you had to go out without a pet? :) That sounds familiar.
Shaman avatar by Spiritbinder.
User avatar
Rawr
Illustrious Master Hunter
Illustrious Master Hunter
Posts: 4481
Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:21 pm
Realm: Draka-Wyrmrest Accord
Gender: Female

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Rawr »

Yeah, if it was a long trip I would tame a temp and name them Tempy :lol: :mrgreen:

Image

User avatar
Ana
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 18639
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:19 am
Realm: Light EU Twintania/ Azol-Nerub EU
Gender: Female
Location: Copenhagen- Denmark

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Ana »

Wain wrote:I forgot it was just 3 pets! I thought it was 5. Ouch.

So did stables exist? How many could you keep in your active slots at once? Just 1 or all 3?
Rawr wrote:You could keep 1 with you and 2 in the stables. :mrgreen:
yup you could have 1 on you and 2 in stables

and stable slots cost money!! forgot how much it cost to unlock them..

and the long trip if your pet got unhappy it could just go Pooof!! Unhappy pets LEFT their owners.. so you could be without pet.. Taming a rare meant feeding them CONSTATLY to keep them happy .. and get their loyality up. And pet lvl did not scale.. If you tamed Maz at lvl 70 he would still be his lvl which I think were around 8/9 (forgot his lvl). You had to lvl them.. If they died while you did it their loyality went down :P Healing were channeled then hehe

Image

HUGE thanks to Makoes, Syleye, FeralClaw, Pingupuff, Karin,Bowno, Varethyn, Ashaine, Kishay, Aki (Täräin13), my friend Marie and some lovely ppl on Fligth Rising for my lovely sig

User avatar
Wain
The Insane
The Insane
Posts: 13513
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:54 am
Gender: Male

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Wain »

It's *really* going to make hunters want to choose their pets carefully!

I don't mind that too much in principle. It's very different to our current system, but severe choice limitations also make things a bit special. Unfortunately, the fact that a few specific NPCs are going to be desirable for raids means that it's going to result in uniformity again, and for Classic that will never change.

I actually think that last bit may end up being the greatest difficulty with Classic. Most concerns I've seen have focused on the fact that in Vanilla things are slower and the game has far fewer conveniences. But I think the greatest challenge may end up being something Vanilla had, but Classic can never have: hope. I wonder at the effect on the psychology of players in a game without any hope of improvement. It will never change, ever. One small example that's relevant to us: in compiling the database I became aware of just how many pet colours aren't tameable. In Vanilla, hunters experienced this too, but they always had hope of seeing them added in the future. In Classic, those pet looks will never be tameable, the game will be frozen as it is for all time, warts and all. I think it's going to be a big challenge for the game-runners to keep it interesting long-term without changing the game at all. But maybe they'll surprise us :)
Shaman avatar by Spiritbinder.
User avatar
Wain
The Insane
The Insane
Posts: 13513
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:54 am
Gender: Male

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Wain »

GormanGhaste wrote:
Wain wrote:family-specific (link to old info
This link doesn't work for me.
Sorry, fixed now!
Shaman avatar by Spiritbinder.
User avatar
Ana
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 18639
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:19 am
Realm: Light EU Twintania/ Azol-Nerub EU
Gender: Female
Location: Copenhagen- Denmark

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Ana »

it made one bond with ones pet in a totally different way.. Thats why I have such strong connection to Müsli.. she was not just a collection piece.. I researched petopia before i chose a hunter, I made the trip towards Ironforge before there was an easy path to it. I kept my VERY slow run speed snowleopard even though she was horrible .. lesser dps because she reached the mob sooo slow but I loved every bit of her :D

You and your were just together a lot because well your pet needed the lvls and the loyalty and seeing it reach that "Best Friend" mark was wonderful. And that you could only really have one true pet were just fab :D When all skills were learned I dont even remember what else I had beside Müsli mysnowleopard because she was my everything back then :D

Image

HUGE thanks to Makoes, Syleye, FeralClaw, Pingupuff, Karin,Bowno, Varethyn, Ashaine, Kishay, Aki (Täräin13), my friend Marie and some lovely ppl on Fligth Rising for my lovely sig

User avatar
Wain
The Insane
The Insane
Posts: 13513
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:54 am
Gender: Male

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Wain »

Thanks folks :) I've updated the list with info about stable size and also training points (TP).
Shaman avatar by Spiritbinder.
User avatar
Ana
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 18639
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:19 am
Realm: Light EU Twintania/ Azol-Nerub EU
Gender: Female
Location: Copenhagen- Denmark

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Ana »

anyone remember the runspeed of the individual pets? I know the snowleopards cups were one of the slowest and Tak were one of the fastest? There were an img on the old site where the slowest pet was behind and Tak were in front? or something like that

Image

HUGE thanks to Makoes, Syleye, FeralClaw, Pingupuff, Karin,Bowno, Varethyn, Ashaine, Kishay, Aki (Täräin13), my friend Marie and some lovely ppl on Fligth Rising for my lovely sig

User avatar
Wain
The Insane
The Insane
Posts: 13513
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:54 am
Gender: Male

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by Wain »

Tårnfalk wrote:anyone remember the runspeed? I know the snowleopards cups were one of the slowest and Tak were one of the fastest? There were an img on the old site where the slowest pet was behind and Tak were in front? or something like that
I was wondering at that, but according to this article pursuit speed was standardized after patch 1.8, so hopefully it won't be an issue in Classic. I guess we'll see :)
Shaman avatar by Spiritbinder.
User avatar
GormanGhaste
 Community Resource
 Community Resource
Posts: 6460
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:00 pm
Realm: Uldaman (and Ravencrest)

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by GormanGhaste »

Bowno wrote:I seem to remember pets losing a bit of happiness when you put them in the stable.
Their happiness stablized whenever you put them in the stable, but you just had to feed pets a lot. I had one bag that was just pet food (ok I had my people food in there too), and it's why I chose pets that could eat fish (cat and boar) to make it easier to acquire food.
Image
ilixirshy
Apprentice Hunter
Apprentice Hunter
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 5:02 pm
Realm: stormrage
Gender: female

Re: Pet-related differences between Classic and BfA

Unread post by ilixirshy »

their happiness also affected their dps green was 125% i believe yellow was 100 or 75 and red was even a lower % which i dont recall so yes making sure they were green all the time was essential. everytime theyd die their happiness would go down a lot so in raids youd have to bring like 2-3 stacks of food. and.... oh yes being at best friend loyalty lvl 6 their happiness would also increase the length of how long theyd stay happy vs a pet that was loyal lvl 1 for example if that makes sense lol so a pet at lvl 1 would need a lot more feeds vs lvl 6 pet. i could afk in ironforge for hours n my pet would be green (happy) forever at lvl 6 but not so much if you just tamed a pet. you would have to keep an eye on it so it wouldnt run away.

Image
signature by spiritbinder
Post Reply