Posting this from California where I'm on holidays till the weekend.
I can tell you the rare cats won't be changed before Cata goes live as I was given info that all the last changes before release were already checked in. Probably the last patch is the last beast changes we see before release. They could change them or add new ID versions later but then anyone who tamed them since would see changes instead. Perhaps they'll go that way though. I can't say.
How do I know what I know? Well despite some fun speculation, I'm not a developer. However I did meet one on the weekend. Really awesome guy who made most of the >100 new skin additions with this expansion as well as all the rares. Yes, he reads Petopia but chooses to remain anonymous with good reason. Mania knows who he is too. He hasnt wanted me to mention that before but said he's ok with me saying that much now I'll post pics when I get home and provide more details as posting from my phone is annoying.
The only thing I'll add is please don't contact Mania or I directly to pass on your ideas or complaints. He reads the site as do we. Plus I suspect Mania already has too much on her plate to become a go-between.
The second thing I'll add is I found all those rares with my own hard hours searching and a lot if luck. He didn't point me to them. And was put out I found them so quickly
*cheers and waves to Wain* Welcome to California! ^_^ And thanks for the insider info/theorycrafting!
*waves to our lurker* We love you! Well, you probably already know that from the HUNDREDS OF PAGES of squeeing regarding the new pets and pet skins, but still! It's good to know that it really isn't just a coincidence that many of these lovely additions really did come from us and that you're listening.
"Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it." ~ Terry Pratchett
I need more hunters, IMO.
"A hobby should pass the time, not fill it." --Norman Bates "Psycho"
That's awesome Wain! And yes, if our mysterious helper happens to be reading this then I also wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks at all you've done for the Hunter community. Truly this expansion will be one of the most memorable when it comes to the plethora of tameable skins we're getting. ^^
Thank you for showing your hunter love! <3
All the new pets are amazing! I'm afraid my stable will be full the first night of Cata. You all have really put in a lot of effort to get in many of the unused skins, and new surprises for us
Also, if Ghostcrawler can have a spirit beast named after him, I propose that our lurker get some sort of exciting multicolored rare spawn namesake. *nod*
Please do pass on our thanks to our lurking developer friend, Wain. It's by no means that those of us upset by this particular change don't appreciate all the hard work he and his fellows have done. Hell, I'd love to see that dawnsaber mount skin somewhere running around as a pet.
So just stepping in (after reading 9+ pages of debate) to offer an alternative solution to anyone whose beloved kitty is changing shades.
First of all let me say that I totally 100% understand what everyone is going through, those of you attached to Rak'Shiri's minty look. I've never owned the kitty myself (indeed, I'm not a terribly huge fan of cats to begin with in game). However, one of my own beloved pets, the Scarlet Tracking Hound, was announced to be changing to a red mastiff come Cata. This isn't just a change in color, either; it's a whole new model/creature change, which had me even more upset. Silinrul, my hunter, already has a storyline about how she tamed her red hyena, and has leveled with Jiaphyon the Scarlet Tracking Hound since 34 when she tamed him, straight up to 80. I never even considered using another pet full-time until both of us hit 80.
Not too many people were upset by this change overall though, which in a way is understandable. Cats seem to be far more popular than hyenas, and Rak'Shiri has long been considered a special catch among rare-hunters, rare-skin hunters, and people looking for special bondable pets alike. Certainly Rak'Shiri is far more popular than the red hyena model, so I'm honestly not surprised that Rak'shiri is causing such an uproar even though the hound (and a number of other pets too) have been announced as major color/model changes for far longer.
But let me offer you a suggestion that I myself am using to cope with my own changing pet.
I understand full well that just going out and retaming a similar skin won't work for everybody. A lot of you consider Rak'shiri to be Rak'shiri, and even if nobody else knows it's that particular cat, you do, and that's important to you. Instead of getting over it or forgetting about your kitty then, find a way to make the new skin your cat.
This is how I'm doing it with my Jiaphyon. There's a new rare red hyena model, Slaverjaw, that's set to appear in Tanaris when Cata hits. Slaverjaw is not Jiaphyon, not at first. However, before Cataclysm is released--maybe a day or two before, just to make sure no last-minute changes occur--I will head down to Tanaris with Silinrul and her loyal companion Jiaphyon. When she arrives at Tanaris, she'll release him into the desert. She'll have a special job for him to take care of...keeping an eye on elemental activity going on there, or watching some of the inhabitants of the desert, keeping tabs on what they're doing. Jiaphyon will be there for a reason; I'm not just dumping him back into the desert.
When Cataclysm hits, I'll head back to pick him up and see what he's figured out, tracked, or otherwise discovered for me. The inhabitants might have seen him around while he was tracking things for me; they might have given him the name 'slaverjaw.' But it's not this slaverjaw, it's my Jiaphyon. I'll pick him up again and take him back with me first thing, and then I can quest with him as I always have from 80-85. Because Jia is my first special pet, and I can't imagine questing without him.
TL; DR:
I understand it's upsetting to have your pet suddenly switched on you. But you can still control it to a degree. If you still want that skin, and that pet, find a way to somehow make the new skin your pet.
Hopefully this strategy will help out at least a few of you!
~VelkynKarma
Silinrul and Jiaphyon of <Ominous Latin Name>
A big thanks to Vephriel for the awesome signature
I love your idea Vel, I think it's a fantastic way of looking at things. I've done similar things myself to the point of thinking out elaborate reasons or stories as to why I let my pets go and how I get them back later (eg. Kevin). It adds a fun twist and in some cases fleshes our your pet's character even more through their random escapade.
Wain wrote:Well despite some fun speculation, I'm not a developer
...yet?
Okay, how about about-to-be WoW environment/landscape designer?
About-to-be hunter class QA?
I'll echo the earlier posters - do pass along my thanks to your anonymous friend if you talk to him again before you leave. Otherwise said person will just have to read it here himself!
One question though:
Special ability for the shale spiders? They don't get one until sometime after the Cataclysm?
Kalliope wrote:Won't matter, since they won't exist in the game until then anyway.
The way Wain phrased it it sounds like what's in now as far as pets goes is what will go live for Cataclysm. With would mean Cataclysm sans-shale-spider-special until the first non-emergency-patch*.
*) I'd put money on there being some issues that haven't been caught during beta that have to be emergency-fixed shortly after release. Hopefully they aren't the realm-crashing variety this year...
Kalliope wrote:Won't matter, since they won't exist in the game until then anyway.
The way Wain phrased it it sounds like what's in now as far as pets goes is what will go live for Cataclysm. With would mean Cataclysm sans-shale-spider-special until the first non-emergency-patch*.
*) I'd put money on there being some issues that haven't been caught during beta that have to be emergency-fixed shortly after release. Hopefully they aren't the realm-crashing variety this year...
Ooooh, okay, sorry; I misunderstood! Yes, that is an important question.
Taluwen wrote:Vel, that's the best thing I've read so far.
I agree. It's absolutely perfect! And like Veph said, it adds a really nice twist to the story. Besides, it's a great feeling when you track your old friend down again.
Just a few responses, since I'm just watching tv in my hotel room...
Perhaps they could still check in a shale spider power. I honestly don't know. But I do know it's past code freeze for beast changes and well past freeze for creating new npc ids which is why they couldn't be applied with the new skin changes. But there are more skins to be added after release, in an update patch some time after release.
I know this because they were the last ones I suggested that I know he has implemented but won't be out before release. Not sure if we'll see it on beta or not. I forgot to ask him that. He only just checked in the cat and ravager and colour changer changes in time. Blame me and not him for the rare cat skin changes that have upset a few. I was trying to suggest ways of getting more skins in before release while making rare and named beasts more special. I hoped they could have new ids but it was impossible, unfortunately.
We actually talked about spirit beasts and funny enough devilsaur was brought up amongst others. Who knows? It could be funny but personally I'd prefer something more "spiritual" looking. But maybe we can get two again?
*keeps her fingers crossed for Chatter instead of the unnamed brown spider on the additional list*
The idea of changing the old rares was a good one. Those pets needed and deserved the love. It's really no different than Spiteflayer, Grunter, and other old rares changing. Some people will like change, others won't. Even freezing the IDs would have a similar impact: some would be happy, others wouldn't.
Well, there's one slight problem, Wain. With this upcoming change, Rak'shiri will now be indistinguishable from the night elf starter pet. She hasn't been made more distinguishable and special...she's been made rather distinctly less so. If you see one of the other cats, or, for the sake of argument, say King Krush, you know in an instant by the appearance that that hunter did the work to get an unusual pet. With Rak'shiri, there's now no way to tell, especially if the hunter in question happens to be a night elf. I still have no idea what I'm going to do with Daishar...but I sure don't want anyone thinking at first glance that I started a nelf, leveled to 10, and race/faction swapped to keep the pet because I really wanted to play a blood elf with that cat skin. No offense intended to you night elf hunter players, just not my thing anymore.
Just putting in my 2 cents, Since having Hunters in both Factions. Rak'shiri lost alot of her mystique for the Alliance when the Horde only spawn quest was changed to both factions. She is still a beautiful cat white and black or white and blue. Since we do have a Blizzard Dev looking at our forums, We should make Beast Suggestions that make sense for that zone. Like Winterspring other then the Winterspring cubs all the other cats should be Sabers. There are unused skins for that. We still have rares missing in Alterac and the Badlands lets look at those unused skins and make some suggestion. BETA is still not on the release patch yet so we probably have one more patch before release. So cross your fingers and wish all you guys luck hunting and taming for those rares.
Yeah, it is kind of odd that the NE hunters get a super sekrit special squirrel starter versus all the other races. :/ Why not give it to say one of the outlands named cats or any one of 'em really.
Sofia, the remarkably purple spirit cat as drawn by Ket Shi.
And yes, if our mysterious helper happens to be reading this then I also wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks at all you've done for the Hunter community. Truly this expansion will be one of the most memorable when it comes to the plethora of tameable skins we're getting. ^^
Sofia, the remarkably purple spirit cat as drawn by Ket Shi.