Questions for the Hunters here.

[Rogue]

I enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Specifically the killing of rare mobs in wow. Ive been working very hard the this last year for Bloody rare achieve. http://www.wowhead.com/achievement=1312

My two questions:

1- Why is it that hunters develop an emotional bond with their in-game-pets?(im not here to make the argument that they are just bits of code, I dont think you guys are stupid). Im just wondering if it stems from a RL experience with a lost pet, and wow has helped you coupe with the emotion.

2- Why is my quest to get an achievement assumed to be less important than you taming the pet. In my eyes they are the same.(Only because current content does not require a specific(rare pet) to max your DPS. If it did than obviously it would make more sense.

That last question is brought to light after the enormous amounts of QQ I get when a hunter sees me take down a beast I have camped for days. I understand the frustration, You want that skin to show off, Just like I want the achievement. Purely for bragging rights.

[Azunara]

You know, I can't quite tell if you're a troll. Likely are, but eh. I'll bite. Cause I'm an idiot.

1. Well, it's like developing an attraction to a favorite mount or class. Pets are pixels we specifically like. And that's that. Not hard.

2. In my mind, frankly, you have -every- right to kill the achievement mob or rare you find. Unless you are killing a rare currently being tamed by a hunter, I am all for killing the rare. I personally will ask around to see if a hunter wants it, but if not, then I will kill it. Because I found it first, and it's mine to do with what I want. I'm not killing a spawn currently tamed. And I'm not luring a hunter over, then killing it. *shrugs.*

And because I know some "Hunters deserve them!" argument will show up, what about that rare pet hunter for the one achievement that just swooped in and as you tamed Loque. What if that acheivement want-er has been camping Loque for months, you, a few weeks. Because you want to tame it, does that make you better?

...So yeah, that's my input. Then again, this is probably a post to irk people, huh?

[Rogue]

Thanks for your response, no Im not a troll. Just honestly was curious as to the almost RL affection show towards wow's "Pixels" . Just trying to understand your side of things. thanks again.

[Saturo]

Unh-huh, I've gotten' crap for killing rares for the achievs too. My reasoning is that whoever tags it gets it. If it's being tamed then i leave it be, if I find it and nobody's there I kill it.

I've never actually gotten' attached to a pet, I just enjoy having something cool running around near me. Or a sporebat. :D

[Calomel]

Tough achievement to get! I wish you luck.

1) Hmm. I don't think that every hunter has an 'emotional bond' with their pets, but some do. Personally, I 'feel' for my pets (the ones I personally have tamed), but it's the same way that I 'feel' for a stuffed animal. It's not really alive, I like it, and it makes me happy to possess. I don't burst into tears or anything if it gets killed, that would be silly.

2) I've had to compete with achievement hunters before and never felt like I was more 'deserving' of the beast than the guy who was camping for just as long as I was. While we hunting for the same rare (Loque'nahak, to be specific), it was actually a rogue that was after the Frostbitten achievement who gave me the spawn time that led me to taming my own Loque. I had no hard feelings about him killing the cat. He'd been there for days and saw me circling, even waited until I logged in that day to tell me when Loque'nahak had spawned/died.

I see it as a first-come, first-served thing. If there's a hunter *right there* taming it and maybe forgot to tag it first, don't go in and kill the soon-to-be-pet. However, if you got to it first and are in the process of killing it, I wouldn't expect you to stop and give up your achievement for a hunter that's late to the party.

[Royi]

yeah i guess if you dont grief a hunter trying to tame a rare, or kill a rare as a hunter's taming it... i have no problems with any of that.

all the new shinies are not apart of any achievement now so theres no problem in there, and if you dont collect Crystaline Tears of Loyalty, i have no problems with that either.

~For the bonding question, its sort of how you bond with your character. Since you're in control of both pet and master, you develop a bond like you would with 2 seperate characters almost.

[Vephriel]

I too enjoy the thrill of the hunt and completing the achievements like Bloody Rare and Frostbitten. For me it's not even for bragging rights so much as just a sense of completion. When I have a list of things I can achieve it just feels nice to check them off as I gain them. The 'worth' of a rare mob is going to be unique to each individual person, and it's impossible to rank that worth in an all-encompassing fashion. A non-hunter will most likely find more gain in killing a rare for either an achievement or for loot/experience, and I see no problem with that. Rares are out there for everyone. They respawn, everyone can have a chance at finding one and doing what they choose to it.

As others have already been stating, the only irksome factor is when someone deliberately sabotages a taming attempt or griefs with someone's rare in some way. First come first serve is the general rule of common sense. Just as a player should not rush in and kill a rare in the process of being tamed by a hunter, a hunter should not cause a fuss if they come upon another player killing a rare if they were there first.

The emotional bond is something hard to describe or explain to someone who doesn't have the same feelings towards a virtual creature. My hunter's pets do not stem from any real world ties, but I have always been very fond of the notion of a companion/guardian/friend pet within games like this. They may be just pixels, yes, but if you have even the slightest mentality of roleplaying or immersion in your character you can find how every pet has their own personality and identity. This creature will fight by your side and stay with you as you venture through the game world. Naming it and seeing the subtle hints of character within that pet is something that really broadens the enjoyment of the hunter class and brings a little more life to it. Not every hunter feels this way of course, but this community of pet lovers in particular has a large amount of likeminded folk for that point of view.

I enjoy the company of my pets in game. Their presence is a steady source of companionship that bonds them to me and keeps me so absorbed with the hunter class. I wish I could elaborate on the topic and try to explain it better, but I'm afraid that sort of attachment is hard to relay.

[Kalliope]

I don't know if you've ever played Portal, Rogue, but fans of the game have an attachment to the Companion Cube for what I consider to be similar reasons. These bunches of pixels are our companions through adventures. That both are virtual and don't exist in the real world is irrelevant.

I don't speak for all hunters here, of course, but you're as entitled to a virtual achievement as we are to tame our virtual companions. Both are equally meaningless to those who might not understand the accomplishment of either.

[Royi]

I wish I could elaborate on the topic and try to explain it better, but I'm afraid that sort of attachment is hard to relay.

I think the only way to relay that is to roll a hunter yourself. The first few taming experiences are pretty epic when you finally "set" yourself on a certain pet, then the moment that you finally nab them is just amazing (especially if its from a epic trek)

[rubybeam]

Well I'll give it a shot
1- Some people devolp emotions with thier pets for many reasons mine are
a. my my life world of warcraft was a get away, I used to view my characters as myself in the game, the pets are like real pets, real friends I know how stupid it sounds but its true. Even though I know thier pixels you just can't help just feel attached to them, they always seem just be happy being with you and stuff, Its kinda hard to explain so forgive me
b. pets may start out as simple jokes but then those jokes become almost real and its quite hard not to get attached for example my worm 'wormy' always has the joke that he'll eat anyone if I tell him to its just so fun to do this and I got attachted to him for it
2- Actually you have every right to kill the mob as we do taming it, but if theres a hunter taming it just don't kill it, if its out there for achevments its out there for you to ^^

[Vephriel]

I wish I could elaborate on the topic and try to explain it better, but I'm afraid that sort of attachment is hard to relay.

I think the only way to relay that is to roll a hunter yourself. The first few taming experiences are pretty epic when you finally "set" yourself on a certain pet, then the moment that you finally nab them is just amazing (especially if its from a epic trek)

I agree. For many, the desire to find that one special pet that fully complements your character and clicks with them is a very gratifying quest to embark on. ^^ Experiencing that aspect of a hunter firsthand is really the best way to find out.

[TygerDarkstorm]

I know that I personally will kill rares on my lowbies if I don't wish to tame them and there isn't a hunter around that wants them. Why? Because Blizzard made them give a massive amount of XP and lowered their respawn timers. I mean, some of the rares I've killed have given me more XP then handing in a quest that nearly caused me to die. However, like the others, I would never steal the rare out from under some hunter that was there first and wanted to tame it.

Personally, I view taming a pet that you don't want just to keep someone who wants an achievement as a form a griefing. I also feel the same way about Madexx. I see no point in taming a color you loathe when you could have found a hunter who really wanted that color. If you actually want every color, that's fine, but it seems saddening to me to tame something you hate.

Anyway, back on track; being attached to pixels...it's a weird thing to describe. I get attached to my pets in the same way that I get attached to my characters--especially if the pet has done something unique or quirky that really gets them to stick in my mind. I like to write a lot in my free time and I like to think I have a pretty decent imagination, so in my mind, my pets are sort of brought to life, much the way my characters are when given a story.

[Lupis]

1. Attachment to a pet is something that not everyone can achieve. My brother is a perfectly nice person, but he doesn't understand how you bond to a pet. I, in the meanwhile, love my pets. Each one has its own personality.
I suppose part of it comes from how long you've had a pet. If your pet defends you for ages, it can make you depend on that pet. You trust it. It's just a bunch of pixels, I know, but seeing my devilsaur charge off after a mob makes me happy.
It might help that I'm a very, very daydreamy person. I practically live in a fantasy world because I'm always thinking about things in a literary, fantasy way. My brother, who is a computer programer, doesn't understand how I do that.

2. Honestly, achievements are just as important, if you're willing to put in the time for it. The achievement I have no quarrel with - it's the people that are *ruthless* trying to get it. If you camp a mob to kill it, that's okay. You camped it, you deserve it. But if you find some hunter taming a pet and kill it for the achievement, or kill a pet that a hunter is saving for someone else, then we have to talk.
However, not all hunters tame pets just to brag. I tame all sorts of rare spawns, but often it's because I really like how the pet looks. If I love the appearance of Sambas, I'll tame him. It's not for DPS, because I don't think in numbers - some people, like my brother, do. I don't tame him for bragging rights, either. Who cares if I tamed a rare spawn? I just love how it looks.

I think the reason people can't understand each other is because of the whole "Thinking in numbers vs. thinking in letters" thing. I think in a fantasy way, and sentiments mean a lot to me. My brother is very smart, but he thinks in absolute facts and always-truths. He likes numbers. He had a raptor way back when because he wanted high DPS. I can relate in part - I have a Spirit Beast that I use in all dungeons because of DPS. However, I also use it because I think the skin, Karoma, is very beautiful.

Overall, for me at least, it runs down to both usefulness and the skin. I don't care about "rare", I care about "Pretty". And sometimes a pretty pet charms me. I put personalities to things that don't have personalities because... I'm weird. xD

[Rogue]

I wish I could elaborate on the topic and try to explain it better, but I'm afraid that sort of attachment is hard to relay.

I think the only way to relay that is to roll a hunter yourself. The first few taming experiences are pretty epic when you finally "set" yourself on a certain pet, then the moment that you finally nab them is just amazing (especially if its from a epic trek)

I agree. For many, the desire to find that one special pet that fully complements your character and clicks with them is a very gratifying quest to embark on. ^^ Experiencing that aspect of a hunter firsthand is really the best way to find out.

Good points. and I appreciate the civility I have found on this forum. I'll take the challenge and make an alt Hunter. It would at the very least, give me a reason to come back to chat with you nice people. But Ill take my Rogue over a hunter Anyday!

[bloodysam]

Rogue to me its like trying to get that new game everyone wants just then when some Gamers (hunters) don't get that game they whine or most do, i totally agree with Azunara too.

[Vephriel]

Good points. and I appreciate the civility I have found on this forum. I'll take the challenge and make an alt Hunter. It would at the very least, give me a reason to come back to chat with you nice people. But Ill take my Rogue over a hunter Anyday!

Hee, you're certainly welcome to hang around even if you don't play a hunter. ^^ Good to have you here regardless, I think you brought up a very valid question and it's fun looking for a way to answer it and hearing the varying opinions of others on the topic.

[Kalliope]

Everyone has different playing styles, so of course you're entitled to prefer your rogue! We do have a number of people here who are hunter alts or simply visitors. Being a "hunter" here is more of a state of mind than actually playing the class. (Don't get me wrong, though; there are a number of dedicated hunters here. It's just far from being a requirement!)

[Cerah]

/two cents

I've always been a pet person, but I can't have any real pets of my own (not even a goldfish!) while I'm going to university. Playing games like WoW and Pokemon that allow me to collect virtual pets is a nice substitute. Plus, I have the thrill of taming something that's literally impossible to have as a pet in RL. What other game allows me to have a pet tyrannosaurus or velociraptor? Warcraft's hunter class is kind of a way to fulfil childhood fantasies of befriending cool, impossible animals. When I play as a Hunter, it's almost like being a kid again -- it's nostalgic and fun

Welcome to the boards, Rogue! It's nice to see people ask questions politely about us pet-crazed hunters, and to hear everyone's responses. We're happy to have you here, regardless of class. (btw, I have a rogue alt, and yes, they are fun)

[Shade]

1- Why is it that hunters develop an emotional bond with their in-game-pets?(im not here to make the argument that they are just bits of code, I dont think you guys are stupid). Im just wondering if it stems from a RL experience with a lost pet, and wow has helped you coupe with the emotion.

^As to me, I'm very single minded. If I see a pet design that I like, hard to get or not, I will camp a long time or do whatever I need to do to get it. For me its just my OCD.

2- Why is my quest to get an achievement assumed to be less important than you taming the pet. In my eyes they are the same.(Only because current content does not require a specific(rare pet) to max your DPS. If it did than obviously it would make more sense.

^Honestly? It's not. Some hunters think that because we can tame a creature we have 'rights' to it, when in reality it is first come first serve. Whomever gets to the pet first has the right to tame or kill it. Tis considered nice to let hunters tame if it is something they really want to tame, but really? Feel free to kill it if you found it first.

Kill it while a hunter is taming it though-that is a problem that some non-hunters create. No excuse for that. Happily enough, most of the Cata rates that people are after to tame award nothing for achievements-Blizzard has seemed to notice the problem themselves and is doing what they can to help alleviate the conflict over rare spawns.

[Wassa]

1) When you have a certain pet by your side for over 60 levels, they start to become a part of your character. Eventually people on my server knew Hahadori more than they knew me. Tallstriders are very uncommon to see tamed and with her colors she sticks out, plus she has done some crazy things (like tanking Hakkar at level 60) that got her well known.

2) I'm iffy on this one. I, for one, am a hunter and know how much of a pain it can be to camp a rare beast only to see some jerk kill it in front of me. On the other hand I love finding rares and killing them. I've killed the Sholazar beasts, Nuramoc, and many other unique skinned beasts. Rares are fair game. Whoever finds them first can decide to kill, tame, or help another hunter tame a new best friend.

Great to hear you are starting an alt hunter. I was going to suggest this to help you understand why we love our pets so much but looks like you got the right idea.