Level 1 Starting Pets

[Fael]

In the past week new information was shared about the level 1 starting pets that will be associated with each race. Since this is something that has an impact on a hunter's first experiences with the game it seems like it deserves some attention! What do you think about these choices? Are they appropriate? Are you disappointed?

Alliance:
Night Elf - Cat
Human - Wolf
Dwarf - Bear
Draenei - Moth
Worgen - Mastiff

Horde:
Orc - Boar
Troll - Raptor
Blood Elf - Dragonhawk
Goblin - Crab
Tauren - Plainstrider
Forsaken - Bat

The news was found at the following link (It is very image heavy and will contains spoilers): http://wowneg.net/index.php?option=com_ ... rt=50#3311
As well as this thread: http://fluxflashor.net/forum/cataclysm/ ... ?f=8&t=109

Youtube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAUkspARZaY

[Ryno]

It sounds good to me, just some things I personally think should be switched...

Orcs should get wolves, perhaps the worg models instead, since they ride them and have the shamanistic heritage, with the wolves and all...

Dwarves would do better with a boar me thinks, just me...

Humans, well, not really sure there. Maybe spiders? They do have A LOT of spiders in Duskwood, and there are the overrun mines in Elwynn with spiders...

Just my opinion though~!

[Ryai]

what everyone seems to be forgetting...

MASTIFF. Does this mean they're actually tameable!?

[Ariamodasu]

Shush woman there's more important things that made me finally make an account.

PLAINSTRIDER.

[Ryno]

what everyone seems to be forgetting...

MASTIFF. Does this mean they're actually tameable!?

Yes.

P. Dawg has told me so.

Thus it shall be.

/sagenod

[Palladiamorsdeus]

Bears are perfect for dwarves, I do think orcs should have gotten like, Scorpids, though. And wolves just seem more fitting for humans, considering how many of the things wander around the human areas.

[Fael]

I think it really does lean towards mastiffs being tameable if they aren't already, but I haven't read about anyone doing it yet. Perhaps they will implement feral dogs at some point or perhaps an instance where they are hostile to all players. It would be strange to give them to Worgen only once, although that would make them quite special and unfair.

There is a screenshot with the mastiff that I came across in a couple of forums so I'm not certain of its true origins. It supports the mastiffs being the Worgen starter, as well as the idea that from now in the selection screen you are going to see your race appropriate pet before you even create your hunter: http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9798/worgenhunter.jpg

The first opening movie to World of Warcraft firmly etched Dwarves with bears into my brain... :p I would have been happier seeing Orcs with wolves as well, though.

[kamoodle5]

Everything seems to fall into suit for me. Humans and wolves would make a good pair because, after all, dogs have been a man's best friend for a long time. For goblins, crabs is more than perfect for them.

[zedxrgal]

I am more then pleased!! Mastiff for my new toon!!!!

So from level 1 - 10 that's the pet you have to start with then you are able to move on after that?

[FuzzyDolly]

Boy am I glad I already have a Draeni hunter... A moth? Really? With the stags and nightstalkers in the area, we get a moth? Well, I guess they are the most prevelant animal in the area. And it's a way of getting people to use pets that never get used. But... moths?

Oh, and a boar for Orcs? Why not a scorpid? If I remember correctly, one of their first quests is to kill Sarkoth (sp).

[Saturo]

Hmm? I always thought Moth's fit the Draenei personality. Besides, they could'nt very well give them Ravagers. Draenei consider Ravagers dangerous pests.

[kairii]

i like this kinda set up
and i dont see the down side at lv 10 you can get which ever you want :s
for forsaken i guess spider or bat nice to see a bat

beats the QQ abot leveling 1-10 as melee half the time :p

[Sasrei]

They sound pretty good to me, I really like the wolves for the human and the mastiff does work for worgens (though I kinda dont like em)
but I wonder if we will get to choose the color of our pet (since there are many variations of colors for them) if we do that would be awesome

[VelkynKarma]

I think this is pretty interesting, actually. I agree with Ryno that worgs would probably fit the orcs better. I mean, they have worgs as mounts, among a number of clans, both in Outland and on Azeroth. Wolves are obviously pretty important to them. It'd make perfect sense.

Humans starting with wolves doesn't bug me either, though, that also makes sense. Seeing as humans did go and domesticate wolves once upon a time. I could also see them with an eagle or something too though, seeing as falconry is also a historical way of hunting.

Dwarves and bears make sense. If I recall correctly, the opening vid for Vanilla Wow includes a dwarf hunter with a pet bear.

~VelkynKarma

[Anansi]

Moths are actually very solid DPS pets. Overall I think the starting pets make good sense for their respective races. Although for level 1 Hunters and their pets they should really get things like rabbits, squirrels, chickens and so forth. Level 1 Human Hunter with a Westfall Chicken pet. That works.

As for Orcs and Boars, yes, Wolves are logical as well, but remember there are Boar farms outside Orgrimmar, so the Orcs maintain Boar farming, makes sense a level 1 pet would come from that source. The Wolves that are integral to Orcish culture are tougher to train beasts and I thus not appropriate to starting Hunters.

[Sarayana]

I was going to say the same, Anansi. I have been putzing around on a lowbie troll, and yeah, Durotar is FULL of boars. Packed!! It makes a lot of sense, though scorpids would make sense too.

And yeah, mastiffs! /fistpump. Might have to make a worgen hunter after all... xD

[Karrosh]

I like those choices for the most part. I suppose I probably would have preferred a scorpid to a boar for the orc start pet, but that's just because I'm not a big fan of boars. Then again, the odds that I'll be rolling another orc hunter anytime soon isn't all that high anyway. It isn't a bad choice at all though.

Also, I am excited about mastiffs, provided that there is a means of taming them somewhere and they aren't exclusively linked to newbie worgen-hunters. I think it would be fun to run into their starting zone and snatch up a big doggie for my cow-man.

And finally, that video of the dwarven hunter and his bear for vanilla WoW completely hooked me on the idea of being a hunter. That imagery of being in the wilds of the world, accompanied by a loyal and fearless companion, was appealing. I loved how they presented the bear as being this docile creature alongside a stout little rifleman, and then the next time you see him he is charging into battle, all teeth and claws, ready to obliterate his hunter's foe.

I might watch that video again...

[Anansi]

Yeah, it's too bad bears aren't damage pets.

I'd love if that old rumour came to fruition, that we could pick a talent tree for our pets, so we could have tank cats and DPS bears and whatnot.

[Fael]

It'd be neat if the hunter pets started off as something younger that you raised... kind of like the white lions in Warhammer. I liked the idea of having that unique sort of bond with a pet. If some sort of personal touch was added to a hunter's beginning experience to WoW make it a little more involving I'd love it all the more. Bond with your starter pet before you replace it with something else... :p

[FuzzyDolly]

It's not that I hate Moths. In fact some day when the stables get expanded I will get one, however look at the list... Cats, wolves, bears, mastiffs, boars, raptors, dragonhawks, crabs, plainstriders, bats, moths. Which of these things is not like the other? All the others have a feel of power to them. Then there's the moth. What do you think of when you think of moths? Holoes in clothes. Maybe they should get a second attack... +10% damage to cloth wearers. lol Oh, and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that doesn't like the Mastiffs.