[13202] New spirit beast: Ghostcrawler!

[Ikult]

If I tame it at all. The new skin looks better yes. But I still think the was an extremely poor choice for a spirit beast. I wish I could complain to Blizz about it. Better yet, I wish they'd listen. Awesome for those who love it, please don't get me wrong. But there were much better beast choices to turn the new SB into then a crab.[/color]

^THIS.
A crab? Really? I'm quite disappointed in the choice. And especially for inflating that *mumblemumble*'s ego.

However, Blizz is not here to please everyone, and I'm glad there are those who are looking forward to this pet. I'm quite happy this is one Spirit Beast I won't be camping. I've been pleased, or at least accepting, of all the SB's that have come before (though, to be honest, nothing and no one can top Loque'nahak, so it's all downhill from the very first Spirit Beast introduced anyway!).

*huggles her Precious, Loque*

[ummeiko]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the crab. It's a little different, but it fits the zone well. Will it be a top priority of mine? Maybe, maybe not.

I'd still rather have a wind serpent though.

[VelkynKarma]

Agreed. While I'm glad Blizz is thinking outside the box, and breaking away from the ever-popular cats and wolves (which already have plenty of skins as it is) I kinda wish it wasn't a crab. Crabs have never really appealed to me, and I'm not really fond of the 'see-through' models either. It feels a bit like a cheap trick....just taking a pre-existing skin, lowering its opacity, and marketing it as a 'spirit beast' to appeal to the masses. One or two are okay, but when it starts becoming a trend it's a little disappointing. Gondria is still my least-favorite spirit-beast for just that reason, and while I love Taigi's Arc, it's also partly because he's at least a semi-unique model with the druidy qualities in addition to being transparent.

Ultimately I woulda liked to see a pet skin originally from the cunning family get picked next. Ferocity supplies the cat and wolf models (Loque, Skoll and Gondria), while Tenacity supplies Arc's bear look, but we've yet to see a spirit-beast hailing from the Cunning lineup. A windserpent, bat, dragon hawk, bird of prey, or regular serpent would make a really nice spirit beast, I think.

Oh well. At least they're still adding new ones. Hopefully the sixth spirit beast will be something with a new or different model mechanic. I liked what they did with Skoll and his lightning; it was a different sort of edit to a pre-existing model. I'd like to see more designs thinking in those terms instead.

~VelkynKarma

[Vephriel]

I don't mind at all the fact that it's a crab, seems very fitting for an expansion with such a large underwater zone. ^^ However, what bothers me is the seemingly lazy way they're doing Spirit Beasts now. Everything besides Loque and Skoll has just been a see through regular model for the most part. They're lovely, but we need some variety or that gets still really fast (already has for me).

What I'm dying to see is a reptile Spirit Beast. Any type....serpent, crocolisk, raptor, devilsaur, etc.

[Mania]

To be fair, it is a new texture. It would just be nice if it felt more special.

Game designers and artists get this wrong all the time. It's not about how much time actually went into the content - it's about how much time players think went into the content. If it seems like a big deal to us we'll be happy even if it took someone half a day. But something that took a month, if it feels to us like it took half a day ... we're not so thrilled.

[Vephriel]

Yeah. I know it's a bit different from Arcturis and Gondria's transparencies, but it's basically the same 'genre' of effect. I'd rather see some more corporeal pets with unique models or at least cool accessories such as Skoll with his brilliant blue and lightning.

[Mania]

*nod* I agree with you. I was just using this as another opportunity to hold forth on the foibles of game design.

[Lisaara]

Yeah. I know it's a bit different from Arcturis and Gondria's transparencies, but it's basically the same 'genre' of effect. I'd rather see some more corporeal pets with unique models or at least cool accessories such as Skoll with his brilliant blue and lightning.

I agree, Veph.

[zedxrgal]

What I'm dying to see is a reptile Spirit Beast. Any type....serpent, crocolisk, raptor, devilsaur, etc.

This. Oh my this. I know this is beating a dead horse but it still irks me in a sense. I really don't know how to explain it. I really hope that this isn't the only SB being added to this expansion especially I believe all four came out when WotLK did. So I'm hoping something will be added and yes something different. Blizzard gods /goddess willing something reptilian. We all know how badass a raptor, wind serpent or devilsaur would be as a Spirit Beast.

[Kalliope]

I really hope that this isn't the only SB being added to this expansion especially I believe all four came out when WotLK did.

You're misremembering.

Only Loque existed at LK launch.

Gondria was added in the next big patch (Ulduar), Skoll in the one after that (ToC), and Arcturis in the last one (ICC).

[Shinryu Masaki]

You got Arcturis and Skoll reversed though. =P

[Kalliope]

So I did. Thanks, fixed it!

[Ariamodasu]

Personally I'm still waiting for a Spirit burd, a Spirit strider would be freaking awesome.

This said though they were extremely lazy with the crab as they have been with all Spirit Beasts since the rather sickly looking Loque so I'm not surprised, it's still really nifty and not a bloody cat.

[Ikult]

Loque'nahak actually did not exist at WotLK's launch. He was added in a month (I'm remember a few months, but it was at least a patch or two) after launch at least.

I remember that fondly because I saw him upcoming in the patch, his skin datamined on MMOChamp, and I burned the midnight oil getting my huntress to L76 so she could get him on Patch Day.

This new Ghostcrawler is the first of many new Spirit Beasts coming our way! I'm desperately wanting a Devilsaur. Devilsaurs are already BM-only, so give us a SB skin for one! :3

[Gimlion]

Loque definitely was there on launch... I remember admiring his picture on Petopia for like three months before Launch....

[Malazee]

ROFL... gigantic kudos to whoever is holding Ghostcrawler for ransom over on the Beta Forums. I hope it's one of you people, because this is hilarious:

I crabnapped your Lead Systems Designer.....He's safe....for now. Here is proof that he is still alive.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc4 ... 235824.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc4 ... 235758.jpg

If my demands are not met before Dec. 7th...let's just say I'll be very "crabby"!

1. Fix Trap Launcher so it applies client side instead of server side.
2. Nerf Frost Mages.
3. Make thorns castable from Feral forms.
4. Stop making encounters that Hunters get stuck in melee range.
5. Full Resilience scaling for pets.
6. Less RNG in ret rotations.

Ghostcrawler will be served as a crab cake to this giant tentacle thing if my demands are not met. He keeps begging for his life, offering me a moose if I let him live.

*7. A moose.

You also might want to add knuckle sandwiches to Spirit Beast diets....because that's all this crab will be eating until Hunters get buffed.

[Kalliope]

Loque'nahak actually did not exist at WotLK's launch. He was added in a month (I'm remember a few months, but it was at least a patch or two) after launch at least.

This is incorrect. I saw and killed him in the first week of LK.

....I didn't think any hunters would be level 76 yet, okay? -_-

[Protego]

Of course there aren't "done" with Spirit Beasts. There are gonna be more! I'd love a Devilsaur Spirit Beast too.

[Worba]

I think the GC spirit beast was kept somewhat "mundane" on purpose - it's there primarily as an "inside joke" rather than something intended to command center stage like Skoll or Loque.

If they had given him a mega awesome unique appearance, some would undoubtedly complain it was an ego trip and why were so many developer hours tied up on this and not fixing X or implementing Y, etc etc.

I'm pretty confident that the next SB will be quite flashy and impressive, don't worry.

[Mania]

I really hope no one here minds, but I used some of the screenshots from this thread (with credit, of course) in a post about this spirit beast today.