Should professions be a way to acquire special pets?

[Nazja]

Now that Blizzard is adding mechanical pets, it seems like the logical follow-up would be to allow engineers to craft their own mechanical pets, right? Right? But why stop there?

Herbalists can already summon a fox at random, which could have a unique appearance based on the new fox mount, and if enchanters can enchant battle-pets, why shouldn't they be able to enchant their very own spirit beast, through some eldritch ritual? Archaeologists could unearth maps to ancient ruins that allow them to enter a solo scenarios, à la Treasures of the Thunder King, filled with loot (for every class) and a special pet or two for the hunters amongst them. Perhaps the denizens of the Broken Isles could even teach us how to use our culinary skills to attract elusive beasts?

What say you?

[Xota]

Something along those lines, yes. I think there should be ways to trigger a challenge tame other than just finding where a beast has spawned. Crafting and gathering would be a good way to trigger some of those. I'd also add in pvp-purchasable methods, with unique models or skins that would only be tameable during unique pvp conditions (eg: viscious nightsaber only tameable while carrying flag in WSG).

[Quiv]

What say you?

I love the idea of professions making items that bring in unique ways to find or tame pets. The Mech pet Engy item is a good starting point, but I would like to see it expanded into things that making taming pets more dynamic and involved.

However I hate the idea that X pet skin requires that hunter to have Y profession to tame or use.

[Araucaria]

Maybe we could even place special effects on our pets through professions, like an oil which can be fished that gives your pet something like the http://www.wowhead.com/npc=25791/oil-stained-wolf, or an enchant that makes it glow with fire.
Unfortunately, as nice as getting hunter pets or effects from professions would be, the other classes would also need something special from the same source, and it would take some time and effort to get something for every class :s

[Arthur]

I'm iffy about it. I like the ideas, but them being exclusive to one profession would be a bit of a pain in the butt.

I do like the scenario idea. That would be really fun.

[Chaix]

or instead of just crafting your own pet, why not have them create an item that summons/constructs a unique mechanical or starts a quest for one?

tell me hundreds of people wouldn't pay a few thousand gold each to tame, oh lets say... a mecha-dragon?

[Nazja]

I'm iffy about it. I like the ideas, but them being exclusive to one profession would be a bit of a pain in the butt.

I do like the scenario idea. That would be really fun.

or instead of just crafting your own pet, why not have them create an item that summons/constructs a unique mechanical or starts a quest for one?

tell me hundreds of people wouldn't pay a few thousand gold each to tame, oh lets say... a mecha-dragon?

Yeah, something that could be sold, like a quest item or a summoning item, would probably be the best. Either way, you'd need something to prevent griefing. Perhaps a special phase, like when you fight Xemirkol, or a buff that allows you to see the mob, while everybody else can't?

[Xota]

Maybe something in between just buying a crafted item someone made and having it restricted to the professions the hunter has. Like it would be easier for an herbalist to get the storybook fox, like it was easier for an herbalist to get the herbalism minipets in WoD, from having more possible herbs to pick per day. Or they'd have to shadow an herbalist and wait for a fox to spawn.

For pets where the player can choose where it spawns, you wouldn't need to phase, it's not too difficult to find a secluded area.

[Wain]

I agree, it definitely would have to be something that wasn't hard to transfer to a hunter that doesn't have that profession.

I'd been thinking more along the lines of class-related items that allow hunters to tame other things. Like a shaman-created item that allows hunters to tame more elemental beasts. I guess a profession-related equivalent would be herbalists (or druids) creating an item that allows hunters to tame plant monsters, but that's more iffy.

[Xota]

For random spawns from professions, they could drop items like rare spawns do. Either worth gold (like in Cata) or somewhat valuable gear. The profession spawns could spawn unhostile, so people could sell/give the tame away in chat, if they didn't want to kill it. It could be tagged to the spawner's party, to prevent it being sniped.

Mining could do a felslate/leystone shale spider. (Or leystone mana saber)
Herbalism could do that stylized fox.
Skinners could find a giant tick (like a nerubian skitterer, classed as a beetle).
Fishers could pull up a crab, croc, or turtle
When cooking, you might find a hatching egg.

[Quiv]

I'd been thinking more along the lines of class-related items that allow hunters to tame other things.

If a druid lets me tame anything, it better be the worgen druid forms

In all seriousness I like this too!

[Nazja]

I agree, it definitely would have to be something that wasn't hard to transfer to a hunter that doesn't have that profession.

I'd been thinking more along the lines of class-related items that allow hunters to tame other things. Like a shaman-created item that allows hunters to tame more elemental beasts. I guess a profession-related equivalent would be herbalists (or druids) creating an item that allows hunters to tame plant monsters, but that's more iffy.

Druids could craft a charm that allows others to briefly enter the Emerald Dream and tame some of the Wild Gods/animal spirits residing in it, like Ashamane.

[Xota]

I can just see a gnome taming Agamaggan in the Emerald Dream.

[Quiv]

Warlocks could finally allow us to tap (ha!) into beast-ish demons, like the hell hounds or the void terrors.

Warriors could give us access to a machine of war mech pet, or some war-grizzled beast.

Death Knights could unlock more undead skins for us.

Tailoring and maybe Enchanting combo could unlock a stitched pet (like the elekk plushie but more pet sized) that we enchant to come to life.

Edit: If herbalism gave us something that allowed us to tame the plant hydras omg I would be happy.

[Silivren]

I agree, it definitely would have to be something that wasn't hard to transfer to a hunter that doesn't have that profession.

I'd been thinking more along the lines of class-related items that allow hunters to tame other things. Like a shaman-created item that allows hunters to tame more elemental beasts. I guess a profession-related equivalent would be herbalists (or druids) creating an item that allows hunters to tame plant monsters, but that's more iffy.

Druids could craft a charm that allows others to briefly enter the Emerald Dream and tame some of the Wild Gods/animal spirits residing in it, like Ashamane.

I'm going to completely disagree with this. Hunter's should NEVER be able to tame the Wild Gods, they're Gods for a reason and sentient. Not to mention in the case of Ashamane and Ursoc they're dead and their spirits are tied directly to feral druids. Engineering creating pets is a different story but other classes no, professions could work. But I don't think any other class should have an impact on hunters.

[Nazja]

I agree, it definitely would have to be something that wasn't hard to transfer to a hunter that doesn't have that profession.

I'd been thinking more along the lines of class-related items that allow hunters to tame other things. Like a shaman-created item that allows hunters to tame more elemental beasts. I guess a profession-related equivalent would be herbalists (or druids) creating an item that allows hunters to tame plant monsters, but that's more iffy.

Druids could craft a charm that allows others to briefly enter the Emerald Dream and tame some of the Wild Gods/animal spirits residing in it, like Ashamane.

I'm going to completely disagree with this. Hunter's should NEVER be able to tame the Wild Gods, they're Gods for a reason and sentient. Not to mention in the case of Ashamane and Ursoc they're dead and their spirits are tied directly to feral druids. Engineering creating pets is a different story but other classes no, professions could work. But I don't think any other class should have an impact on hunters.

Well, we've already tamed minor jungle troll loas, a Sanfuri loa and the mate of a major Drakkari loa (who's likely a minor loa himself), so we've already been taming the less influential Wild Gods for years. They just happened to be Loa, instead of Ancients or Celestials. That said, considering the impact Ursoc, Ursol, Ashamane and their peers have on the lore, in contrast to lowly Loque'nahak or Ghaz'rilla, it would probably be best to resort to their family members, if at all.

[Silivren]

Well, we've already tamed minor jungle troll loas, a Sanfuri loa and the mate of a major Drakkari loa (who's likely a minor loa himself), so we've already been taming the less influential Wild Gods for years. They just happened to be Loa, instead of Ancients or Celestials. That said, considering the impact Ursoc, Ursol, Ashamane and their peers have on the lore, in contrast to lowly Loque'nahak or Ghaz'rilla, it would probably be best to resort to their family members, if at all.

I would say IF anything they should be "aspects" of the Wild Gods/Ancients. Not the same model that the Ancients are given but perhaps models that have a feel like Loque did to him. I couldn't ever believe that Ursoc/Ursol/Ashamane/Goldrin etc would become the pet of a hunter. And like stated, Ursoc/Ashamane already have direct ties to Druid's/have blessed them with their forms in the expac. And hunters shouldn't have access to those druid forms as that is what makes druids unique.

But profession based one's would be neat if they made sense. Like cooking can grant you a special food that makes maybe a rare bear spawn, fishing could be a cat, maybe first aid gives you a quest to treat a wounded pet of a deceased hunter who decides to stay with you after you've treated them for x number of days. I will say that I would think Blizz would do THOSE professions before they'd made say.. anything other than a LW/Engineering pet. For the reason that most other professions don't really benefit the hunter, say like tailoring. And if what Blizz did with the LW wolf is any example those pets may require you to be x profession, which I don't think Blizz would be keen on for the reason that they seem to be all about choices now and not making one class/profession/mount etc superior to another.

[zedxrgal]

In my honest opinion the only profession I'd want to allow a unique tame would be fishing or cooking or maybe even first aid. Those are professions pretty much EVERY hunter does.
Fishing you could catch a very specific sea food to lure a specific creature to tame it.
Cooking - gather mats to to make a specific dish to also lure specific creatures.
First aid could be a quest line that you may actually have explore a zone to find your wounded creature and only healing it allows taming.

But. I could see other profession tames possible. I'm just a very lazy player. I only have like three toons that have max professions. This idea has merit.