Killing Rare Tamables

[Gumballs]

Alright, I have a little story, kind of a confession/what is your opinion on killing rares in the wild.

Before I played a hunter, I would never hesitate to kill a rare spawn I saw in the wild. It doesn't matter how rare the thing was, rare spawns were KoS. However, playing a hunter has for the most part, changed me. I will now ask around in the zone before killing the rare spawn (if it's tamable), hop on my hunter and tame them, or just take screenies and let them wander contently.

But the other day I was on my main, my warrior. I was bookin' it around Northrend, looking for rarespawns to kill for the achievement. I was flying through Grizzly Hills, and my npcscan goes of.. I was tabbed out so my heart skipped a beat, thinking it was Arcturis. He is one of my favourite beasts in game and I have always wanted to see him. Alas, it was not. So I fly down, kill the other rare and then make my way West.

Not even a minute later npcscan goes off again, telling me the gorgeous ethereal bear is in range! I was so excited, but it took me about 5-10 minutes to even find him since I had no clue where he spawned. Finally I found him, just chilling. I sat and took screenshots for around 5 minutes (he's so pretty) before I began whispering the hunter's in the zone.

No one responds. I whisper my hunter friends, they are not interested or already have him. I finally post a message in general chat. After about 10 more minutes, I did the unthinkable.

I killed Arcturis.

I didn't feel bad at first, because no one had shown interest, and he will always respawn. But then I found out I didn't need him for the achievement. And then the worst part.. a petless night elf hunter logs in about two minutes after his death, right on top of his corpse. They started mumbling in common, skinned him and flew away.

I felt pretty bad after that. I made an Alliance toon and whispered them to apologize, that I had been there for about 20 minutes and no one was there so I killed him. They told me it was all right and I couldn't have known that the night elf was camping him. I still feel bad, regardless of their response. I would have felt 1000x better helping a hunter get him, especially once I found out I didn't even need him for the achievement.

Should I feel bad for killing him even though no Hordies expressed interest? How do you guys feel about killing rares in the wild? After how bad I felt over this incident I don't think I could ever kill a rare in the wild again, even if there is no one in zone to tame him. >_>

[Nevar]

I for one refuse to do it, I will say you didnt know but on my part I wont kill rare tamables since in my mind theres always someone there wanting them. As that little night elf hunter proved they may not be there at that moment but they could pop up or someone else could kill him. HOWEVER you wouldnt be the one who killed him.. I mean I figure whats the most I get out of it.. not much.. I just cant do it - regardless of faction horde or alli I will do my best to find anything rare and tamable a home because like I said someone may be out there looking for them. I've had that happen I've had someone kill a rare I wanted to tame not even a minute before I logged in - while they couldnt have known they gloated that they killed him. Never the less you couldnt have known but I would recommend checking cross faction before you decide to kill anyone. Just like you love Arcturis someone else may love him just as much.

[Acherontia]

I just don't.

Part of me is sentimental, and doesn't like killing ANY beast without reason.

The other part knows that another hunter may turn up any time wanting to tame.

My guildmate got Northern Exposure yesterday and linked a King's Eyesocket of something or other. I was, pun not intended, just a little crushed. On the plus side it means nobody else will turn up with him (I have him), but I still feel bad knowing 5 minutes later, someone may fly to check his spawnpoint, have NPC_Scan go off, and find him dead

[Dewclaw]

I wouldn't do it. I saw someone had killed Skoll once and I mourned his loss. No way I could have killed the bear.

[Kastarakovski]

If I fly over a non-tameable rare, it's free game. However, if it's a rare tameable, same rules don't apply.
A non-tameable rare, like Dirkee or the Scarlet Commander is just a bonus for long days' farming to me.

I've flown over a variety of tameables before, and have made the announcement to other hunters in the area and have gone on my way. I never make an announcement in General. There are so many jackasses that populate that thing, it's not worth the risk. If the hunters don't reply or have the rare, I leave it well alone. I might take a few screenshots for finding it alive and walking/flying around all undisturbed and such, but kill it? Never. Never crossed my mind to do that. I never will, regardless if I'm camping it or not and someone finds it first.

Besides, the horrific guilt that follows a kill is enough to scare me off. I still feel guilty on Laz for having to kill Krush WHILST attempting to tame him because of that douchebag Paladin, but then, he wanted to be an asshole to me, and I still let him have it in PvP whenever I see him >_>;

[Rhyela]

I, too, killed Arcturis, after waiting several minutes for someone to come by and checking for hunters. I didn't realize at the time he wasn't part of Frostbitten. I also felt bad after doing so, thinking that maybe someone could have shown up just minutes later to tame him.

However, part of my reasoning for doing the deed was for spawn timer window stuff. Being in the Petopians channel on Ysera, I felt that I could at least give people a time that he had last been seen. If I had left him there and someone else killed him later, then we wouldn't have been able to judge his next spawn. It may sound like a flimsy excuse, but I was honestly trying to do the best thing at the time.

Don't think I'd kill another one again though. Hey, like the saying goes, "Live and learn". I used to stomp on ants when I was little too, until I realized how neat they are and that they are living creatures. You gotta make a mistake to learn from it, so don't let anyone make you feel bad for killing him. Like you said, he will respawn.

[Ungoro]

Well, when I was lower leveled, I don't really recall seeing any rare tameable. But now if I saw any rare, at any location, of course I would /w around to see if anyone wanted it (unless I really, really, really wanted/needed it to tame).

If it's not tameable though...Let the pew pew begin!

[Sarayana]

Yeah, I wouldn't have. But to be fair, you thought he was part of the achievement, so I can't really fault you for the kill... Just keep in mind for future reference that he, Skoll, and Gondria are all non-achievement rares.

As for achievement rares? I'd say if it was Loque (for example) you did your part. You waited, you whispered folks, then waited some more...

[Azunara]

Any rares that isn't tamable? Fair game in my mind. I'll kill it dead, loot it, and move on in my life. Tamable ones, I'd see if ANY one wants it, and wait for a bit. Nothing? No one? Sorry rare spawn, have to kill you now. And I'll kill it. After all, someone will see the Krush I'm looking for and kill it without a second thought. I went to see if anyone wanted, no one did, it counts as a nontamable in my mind now.

Sure, I'll feel guilty, but I'll get over it...Eventually...

[Slickrock]

I'll do it for the achievement, assuming no hunter in the area wants them. I've also waited around, and killed rare tameables as a DK or warrior was zooming in for the kill.

If I knew no one else was going to kill them, I'd leave them alone, but, especially on my current server, they won't go more than about 5 minutes without getting killed, so...

[Teigan]

You had good intentions. Even though you thought he was part of the achievment, you still waited and looked. It's a shame what happened, but you didn't act maliciously.

For me, if it is a non-tameable rare, it's kill on sight. Unless I happen to like it.

If it's a tamable rare, I just take a screenie and move on after looking for a prospective owner. I've finally gotten even with Zaricotl, so even he gets to live now.

This was not always the way I behaved. I didn't know for a while what "rare" actually meant or the time and/or emotional involvement that goes into taming even the more common rares. Even though my first and main characters have always been hunters, I didn't understand the game mechanics. I killed some rares that I wish I hadn't before I knew.

The killing achievements are going to be a problem. I'm an achievement junkie, but I really don't think I can kill Loque or Krush. I would feel far too guilty, knowing what everyone has gone thru to tame them. Knowing the rush I got taming Loque, if I took that feeling away from someone else, it would be terrible.

[Slickrock]

If it's a tamable rare, I just take a screenie and move on after looking for a prospective owner. I've finally gotten even with Zaricotl, so even he gets to live now.

The killing achievements are going to be a problem. I'm an achievement junkie, but I really don't think I can kill Loque or Krush. I would feel far too guilty, knowing what everyone has gone thru to tame them. Knowing the rush I got taming Loque, if I took that feeling away from someone else, it would be terrible.

Zaricotl, not sure I'm even with him yet....

Yeah, any of the Sholo rares would be hard.. (I did take down Loq once, stealing the kill from a Dk). Perhaps once Cata comes and everyone is off taming new rares...

[Pawtrack]

If it's a uniqe-skinned (or, say, a low level version of a mainly high level skin) it lives. Otherwise, it dies.

On a side note, I got the Northern Exposure acheivment - didn't have to kill loque/aotona/krush though (not that I could)

[Kryte]

It depends on the situation.

If the rare has a unique skin (such as Skoll or Araga) or is the lowest level variant of a certain skin (such as Dishu or Barnabus), I'll leave it alone. But I have no qualms about killing rares that have readily available skins, like Mist Howler.

[Vephriel]

The only time I would kill a tameable rare is if there was an achievement linked to it. I'm an animal lover, yes, but I also enjoy getting achievements in game.

I will kill the required beast only once to get my credit, and not again. However, I will always check and see if I can find someone to tame them first. Taming is priority. Only if no one shows interest would I do it. If it's a non-tameable rare then I'll kill them as I see them, no guilt.

[Dakonic]

I usually feel bad if I do and usually leave them alone, although I would never ever harm Gorefang.

[Redith]

it depends if it is tameable. Krush, Skoll, Loque Never would kill. But while im camping skoll and have that rare dragon fly over me. Its on

Haha edited Krush to Skoll. Theres no rare dragon in salizar basin

[Kalliope]

I've killed them in the past if no one is actively around to tame them, just so they won't be killed in cold blood by the next jerk to wander past. Yes, that can screw over a hunter, but it's a crap shoot either way. The next player to come by is just as likely to be a cold blooded killer as a hopeful hunter.

At least when I have to do it, I give them lots of hugs. :/

[Slickrock]

Well, I'd rather randomly run across them and kill them for the achievement, than have them be the last mobs left for the achievement, and be camping them for that...

[Allua]

I killed Nuramoc for the Outland achievement with little regret. But I'm not a huge fan of chimaeras and it was 4 am with no other people at all in the zone. As for the Northrend achievement, there was a point at which I really considered going for it, since in general I like searching for rares, and I'm halfway through anyway. But Loque... Killing him is something I can't bear! I was in love with that cat the moment I saw its picture on the net and having one myself only added to that love. So no achievement for me, even though from time to time I circle a zone or two to clear another rare from the list. All but the basin ones.

And... I have to confess another story. I saw Skoll once, and since I don't really want him, I asked around but the only response was from a DK that wanted to kill him. Since there's even no achievement related, I... decided to save Skoll I promptly tamed him and a minute later released in a "safe spot". A crazy thing to do I know )

Oh. I recently stumbled upon Rak'Shiri, too. Didn't kill her, of course.