Idea for new rare pet type for Cataclysm

[Bendok]

I think we can all agree that Cataclysm needs its own version of the Spirit Beast. Exceptionally rare pets that only come out 1 or 2 per major content patch. I've had this idea for a while now and I think it would work pretty well for super rare pets like this...

Their classification would be "Hero Beast." Getting the hero beast actually involves completing a quest.

Each one would have its own story associated with it. It could have been the former pet of a now-dead hunter who was an important part of WoW lore, or just a newly made up hunter who died and left their pet behind.

The pet would not be tameable or attackable but instead would give a quest only to hunters. Once a hunter accepts the quest, no one else can accept it until it respawns. Or depending on the rarity there could be a very short window where another hunter can accept the quest after the first.

The quest would involve helping the beast finish some unfinished business (or something like that) for their former master, or maybe some kind of revenge thing or a lost item from the hunter that gives you the beasts loyalty.

WHen you get the quest you would get some item, maybe a special whistle, that you can take to a specific location and use to call back the beast to complete the quest.

Once you complete it, the beast gives you a choice for what type of pet you want it to be (ferocity, cunning, or tenacity) and this choice is permanent.

In addition to this, these pets would be the first to have a special title that goes before or after the name you choose for them. The title would be related to their former master, sort of "in memory" to them. One of my pets is named Annatar, so it would be something like "Annatar the Just" or something along those lines.

The pets would be based off classic species but would have brand new unique models and skins.

One of the benefits to this is that achievement hunters won't be killing the beasts either.

Wishful thinking, I know, but I always thought it would be a cool idea.

[Ryai]

Uh, I have to politely disagree with your idea. It would only bring about more grief, more 'amigawd this would be the best pet ever I must have must have must have!!!' syndrome, and I've already seen it with Loque after a guy thought amigawd spirit beasts are getting dps boost I MUST TAME TO HAVE MOST IMBA PET EVER.

Then having a pet with a title? That.. seems a bit much too- The just? The loyal? The brave? Aren't all pets like this for the most part? What would set a 'Hero pet' apart from other pets? And why would it choose to go with another hunter like that? I mean if you look at the legends for like Wolfhounds- seriously go look up some of their legends, it seems that's what you're trying to get at but, the 'beasts' did not stick around after getting revenge for their slain masters, they died from mourning. They were that loyal.

Perhaps maybe a chance to tame a beast of that sort- but the same beast itself? It doesn't really sit right nor well with me.

Then ofc there's the respawning, and the fact that you wouldn't just have to be quick to grab the quest from this beast, but you'd have to be quicker than other people running up to it to accept it's quest- like limited time items sold from vendors. Sure it may still claim it has the item in it's inventory, but someone may have already snatched it up before you could.

There's enough animosity imo atm, between not only in factions, but between them concerning the rarespawns we have now. I don't want more reasons for hate and grief coming up. Or more shouts and cries of 'ninja' appearing in trade.

Maybe- MAYBE if the quest began from like a drop item, or a spawn item that has a respawn timer roughkly the same as the raptor nests or some ilk like that. Like; The bones of this unnamed beast call to your soul for some strange, unknown reason. Gazing at them unsettles you, let alone the thought of actually disturbing the resting place of this creature. but still, something calls to you to do so. Amongst the remains, you find [item here], blah blah blah...

Tho honestly I'd rather see Tame Beast = tagging a mob and making it unattackable then more beast types. No offense.

[Bendok]

Yeah there are a ton of ways to give the quest, but I don't think this method would create more animosity. It would be truly first come first serve, not first come, get ganked or have it killed by a griefer. The only difference is the hunter who loses doesn't have the opportunity to kill the pet in spite.

Also how is it different from multiple people taming existing named pets, like Loque, who is the mate of an important quest giver in WOTLK. Why do thousands of hunters have that? Oh right, it's a MMO. Nothing is designed for only one single person to posses

Of course we can agree to disagree...

[Ryai]

Yeah there are a ton of ways to give the quest, but I don't think this method would create more animosity. It would be truly first come first serve, not first come, get ganked or have it killed by a griefer. The only difference is the hunter who loses doesn't have the opportunity to kill the pet in spite.

I've heard tales of people camping rarespawns just to kill them to keep them from players. There's nothing keeping them from just continuously looting the quest item and just destroying it to grief others. As to be fair it would be a 'repeatable' quest incase an accident or some sort happened. Just because you wouldn't lose a pet to a ganking griefer doesn't mean there wouldn't be new ways for this to cause more misery.

That's why i am not so accepting of the idea because we already have enough grief concerning the big engame pets. I mean no one will even tell me when/if Skoll was last sighted in Storm Peaks :|

Also how is it different from multiple people taming existing named pets, like Loque, who is the mate of an important quest giver in WOTLK. Why do thousands of hunters have that? Oh right, it's a MMO. Nothing is designed for only one single person to posses :P

Mostly because most people give their pets different lore/history/background when they tame theirs. But with something more set into stone?

I mean with my Loque on Ryai? Oh he's not Loque'Nahak, mate of Harkoa. He's one of their redeamed kittens. I've not gotten an idea for Yas's yet but I'll think of something.

That and well you didn't get my point. Why would a pet that had an owner and be so loyal decide to go with someone else? If it was that smart/intelligent it just doesn't sit with me. As I said maybe getting an item to tame a one of the members of the species IE you proved yourself to it and while it won't let you tame it, it tells you where to go to have a test/chance of taming another of it's kind.

I mean in theory your idea is interesting, to a point, for me, but as I said I'd not rather see more beasts I'd have to spend weeks camping [my god Krush is still giving me nightmares for when I go for him], just because I want them for how they look- not for ooo shiny lore. And then turns out there's a crapload other hunters wanting them and since they aren't exotics that means not only do I have competition from BM hunters and BM offspeccs, but all the MM and SV's too.

Sure you can say, but that will make taming it all the better when you finally get the chance! And sure it might make northrend tames easier to get, but do you really want Blizz to really, really think that Challenging Tames aren't mobs like Krush and Mosh where you have to use your head and think up strategies to tame- but rather sitting at the computer for days on end, with little sleep high on a caffiene[?] rush, trying to get a beast that can respawn every 12~24 hours, if you're lucky enough where no one else is after him?

I mean they already claim Spirit Beasts are that way- when it's not a challenge. You just sit on your butt and slowly go insane >_>