^thisEqueon wrote:Bristlenose wrote:Almost as much a question as an idea since I have not seen anything either way, what about Survival getting the use of exotic pets? With MM having no pets and Survival going melee, would it hurt to allow them exotics? I used to prefer Survival but went to Beast Mastery after exotics came out. I like spirit beasts too much and it's nice to have a corehound battle rez in a pinch of you have no druids.With all due respect, I completely disagree. This expansion is supposed to be all about increasing class fantasy while decreasing spec homogeneity, and allowing survival to tame exotic beasts would achieve the opposite of both of those goals.Wain wrote:Agreed. I think the exotic category is no longer as relevant as it once was and we'd be better off removing it. I thought that before these changes were announced (and I know others did too, there's a discussion somewhere), but the announcements only reinforce my belief.
Exotic beasts work best for Beastmasters because, as Blizzard has said, they are the pet class. No other hunter could hope to tame tyrannosaurs or beings made of elemental rock... only the beastmasters' invigoration from the primal world's "dangerous and untamed nature" and their close bond with animals allows them to accomplish such feats.
In contrast, Survival hunters have pets to aid them in their hunting and trapping. Though they also share a close bond with their companion, it is one forged through a shared struggle for survival, not necessarily being in tune with the beast's nature or from a desire to tame challenging new creatures. It makes much more sense thematically for a ranger placing traps in the woods to be accompanied by a wolf or cat rather than the ghost of an ancient porcupine or a tentacled fen strider.
The only real argument I have seen for exotics being made available to all is that many pets that physically appear "exotic" are, in fact, tamable by all specs. For example, the lava spiders or the crackling worgs are just as, if not more, shiny than some of BM's exotics.
However, I feel that once again, the changes Legion brings will make this point less important. To start with, these pets were made available to all because Blizzard didn't usually want to spend a lot of time creating something special (direhorns or the lava spider challenges) for only a percentage of one class to be able to use them. Players would - and do - complain that "BM gets all the cool pets", and the fact that the debate over exotic availability is still going further proves this point.
Yet Legion's hunter changes means that Marksman will no longer have a pet at all - that's one less spec that could tame exotics anyway. Many shared abilities between the three specs are gone, and Blizzard is firm in its decision to make each spec feel properly varied to deliver on the "class fantasy." Differentiating specs is important enough in this expansion for each one to get its own artifact and storyline - that's 36 different stories for the sake of adding variety. With this new mentality, adding more unique BM tames like Gara would not be felt as a loss by the other specs, since they would presumably have their own exclusive aspects. It's the perfect time to add even more unique aspects to BM and survival alike. And with triple specialization becoming available, with just a few seconds of cast time you can have your exotic pets back by your side, no matter your preferred spec.
Leaving exotics to BM and melee and traps to Survival properly separates those hunters with a "profound bond with the creatures of the wild" from those who prefer to fight "facing one’s enemy eye-to-eye, accompanied by merciless bloodshed... laying deceptive traps to see their enemies undone."
As a BM hunter (all of my many many hunters) the changes that are coming are making me finally want to expand beyond BM to try the other specs because they are DIFFERENT from what I have been playing since I started in BC. Giving them all the same stuff takes away from people wanting to branch out from that one spec.
I could be wrong but is the fel wolf not usable for all specs? BM is not getting all the best skins anymore. Plus with being able to switch into one of the other specs with much more ease makes having the SB there at the drop of a hat. I for one look forward to trying melee hunter since my first love was a DPS warrior and just cuz people always joke about hunters being melee.
Anyway just stating what has already been said (and maybe being wrong with some info that I'm to tired to double check). This is like me being pissed that pallys get ashbringer since my warrior can use two handed swords. It sucks but makes sense that they get it based on lore and class and if I want to swing the awesome sword that I lvl my pally and have at.