Since Blizzard have categorically stated that they will not make pets with additional damaging abilities, I guess you can't always have what you want.
The clock won't be turned back, and from most of the feedback, it seems very few hunters want that clock turned back.
A bit of palindromic wisdom: "Step on no pets!" Casual player.. don't raid, don't PvP. Suffer from extreme altitis I love pets - combat or non. <That Kind of Orc> guild on The Scryers, small, casual LGBT and friends guild, join us Horde-side.
Since Blizzard have categorically stated that they will not make pets with additional damaging abilities, I guess you can't always have what you want.
The clock won't be turned back, and from most of the feedback, it seems very few hunters want that clock turned back.
And one of the reasons I'm trying to get a few other classes to a reasonable gear level before WoD. The thrill of a hunter has gotten a bit dull, and if they fuss with the spells too much, and make one of the others more playable...
Everyone is going to have their pros and cons, likes and dislikes about the old way. However everyone needs to realize Blizzard will not go back to anything "old" simply because the player base has complained too much that its too hard. Hence why hunters, pets and taming has become what it has. As much as it was a pain in the ass back it the day it created several challenges. Yes there were cookie cutter builds for the class and the pets themselves not to mention their care but you actually had the LEARN how to play the class! You cannot tell me that now days you have to learn how to play the class. Because, well, TO ME, you don't. That's what I miss. Learning my beloved class and being good at it. I've been around since 04 and can say that currently the class is a noob class. It really is. Smite me all you want for saying that but its true. The current talent system has made it such a piece of cake.
I miss the true camping parties. Feeding my pet so it wouldn't run away. I don't exactly miss the assholes you could get in a raid but at the same time I got to prove my and my companions worth! I miss The Beats boss tag! It took me forever to get him for that tag. Those challenges are gone. Never to return.
I've said it I don't know how many times that I'd much rather see the old models updated across the board than to see even more colors or placements of the same model.
Even with pet talent equalization and stats etc I still to this day see the same pets very commonly on my server. Which are 90% of the time a spirit beast, wolf, cat or devilsaur. I do see the occasional bear or turtle. But even in raids or dungeon the same types of pets are brought. Granted I know they don't HAVE too but I still think that mindset could still be there that those specific pets need to be used.
I want:
LESS IS MORE! update old tired beasts instead of filling a new zone with blocky new colors.
Give us visuals or something to show the work we put in on obtaining a hard to get rare.
On that note. Make rates actually rare again! (I know I'll get smited for that but I don't care)
I love my hunters. But the class and having pets has becoming super easy. Pretty sad (like Slick said) when a baby hunter can cross the world for a pet without breaking a sweat or running with fear.
Here's an example of what I'd like to see. I'll go ahead and also bring up ideas from other pet families.
Any of these could be swapped out to replace abilities that another pet already has, or added in.
Cats-
A leap, as described.
Chimaeras-
A breath weapon. It could be ranged but would deal damage as well, thus possibly making it one of the best pets available.
...but it already exists. Despite this, I've seen hardly anyone running with a chimaera. They appear to have a sacrifice however, as they have no raid buff.
Devilsaurs-
Fear
Direhorn-
A small knockback and an interrupt in one.
Gorilla-
Interesting name and animation. Pummel makes sense!
Nether Ray-
A weak drain mana spell equivalent to that of a priest. High focus cost?
Ravagers-
Perhaps a stun, added seperately from Ravage. If added into Ravage itself would have a longer duration but also a longer CD.
Scorpids-
Neurotoxin, or something with a similar name indicating a relation to venom. Effects could range though no damage would be applied.
Silithids-
A better root effect to push it to be up to par with the Shale Spider. Perhaps an interrupt to tag along.
Spore Bat-
Same as it is now. I'd hate to have a spell that makes them buff my enemy.
Warp Stalkers-
Phasing invisibility, or getting their original ability from BC back to simply appear behind the target both in melee and from a distance.
Wasps-
An ability like they had before, to stop stealthies.
Just some goofy ideas to throw out there. I've already discussed how to make pets look more unique. Also...
I second what zedxrgal said.
Chimera's breath weapon is for AoE, it's channeled so I'm pretty sure it's a dps loss against single targets, just like worm's. Also, chimera's is a cone, so you have to position your pet by choosing the right enemy. Pet's cleave with multishot is easier for aoe, so Chimera's breath weapon is just for looking cool. An ability that increases just the pet's dps (as opposed to a standard raid debuff/buff) would make that pet mandatory.
I think bats have a fear, or something like it, so that would make Devilsaurs less unique. Their mortal strike is kind of nice.
I like silithid's web as it is, with a 40 second cooldown, and rooting for 5 seconds. Making it match shale spiders (3 second stun with 1.5 minute cooldown) would make it less unique.
Definitely a venom based attack for scorpids. Crippling or mind-numbing poison I'd think.
Bats don't have a fear, and I'm talking about something different for the silithid. Two separate abilities or perhaps a different mechanic altogether. For both the Shale Spider and the Silithid being exotics their abilities don't really meet one another. It's the same with the crocolisk and the warp stalker. As many abilities that our pets have to close in on mobs and players the warp stalker's ranged slow isn't as good as the crocolisks being that it has a longer cooldown. Regarding the chimaera and the worm, the argument from Blizzard was that there wouldn't be a pet that had a DPS ability as you can see from most of the pet families. I'm not trying to say the ability is under/overpowered, good or bad.
My Lion Den!
