Pets

-Get blocked by obstacles or players in PVP and sit there doing nothing. The pathing bugs out.

-Don't get on the right targets, even if you spam "I'm attacking..". They switch randomly whenever they feel like it.

-Don't stay on the target you call.

-Require too many skill slots just to bring along.

-Rush off to their deaths on your first bow shot, even when you're trying to skirmish or pull from range.

-Have horrible damage and limited usefuleness even with a full bar of pet skills, made worse by the fact that they're never on the target you want.

-Have trouble hitting/chasing anything that moves. They average about two attacks a fight especially when people are mobile.

-Are only good for making corpses.


SUGGESTIONS:

Remove the random auto-targetting AI and give them two basic commands - Follow me (they don't engage until told otherwise), and Attack this target (which makes them STAY on the target and switch immediately if you call a different one).

Boost their natural speed and attack rate, give them extra speed to keep up with you while not attacking a target and following you.

Combine Charm animal and Comfort animal into one skill.

What happened to the pet damage indicators from beta? Put them back in so you can see exactly what your pet is doing.

But having a black bear called Mr Wiggles with you in party is just too tempting to leave behind. Think of the shame the enemy would feel when they get mutilated to bleeding pulps by a wolf with the name of Pookiepants.

Pets are tricky to master. the higher the beast mastery the better it reacts to things.
Some things to know...

If something attacks it, it will likely attack back...

If you attack a target that target remains the pets primary target for up to 20 secs or until the enemy dies. However, clicking on another target multiple times often gets the pet to change targets early. (This allows you to have your pet attacking one target while you attack another.)

Different pets have different armor classes and attack rates and they increase for each level the pet achieves up to 20 just like your character.

Pet skills ARE working now, and it takes some getting used to when using them. Timing is everything just like with distracting shot ...

Pets are able to be healed just like any party member. (Enchantments, Area effects, and healing skills). Hexes as well for that matter.

Monk Ranger builds can result in some very powerful pets play with the concept.

Rangers have some spirit and shout spells that can result in calling non charmed pets in the area to fight with you for a period of time as though it were your pet. Resulting in more then one being able to be used for battles in some areas.

The pet getting you stuck, is still a problem but you learn to avoid certain areas on a map to prevent this.

Charm animal shouldn't even be needed to keep your pet around. There should just be a toggle switch for it. In fact, they should make it so that you can charm up to 5 animals and buy a pen for them at a special NPC. Before missions you can select which pet to take out with you. They should vary up the pets a bit so there's some strategy involved in which pet to bring for what situation.

Pets should also be able to be rezzed with any normal res, not just some stupid ranger skill that takes up a slot.

Make some of the pets ranged, and make the melee pets have 80AL. Pets are worthless if they only have 60 armor and you expect them to attack in melee range. Imagine having a monk going head to head with a Titan...

I've got a moa named Geoffrey, and I must admit, Recliner hits it smack on with most points. I just wanted to try and I'll prolly change secondary once I get there... not sure what to take though. But a pet moa just looks damn cool

contemplatin getting a pet boar too.

funny you mention this. it is one of the proposed upgrades for the Guild Hall we have been asking for... The Kennel concept will allow rangers to put their pets in there and allow them to go out to charm a new one and level it up. Then those stored pets would be available to re-equip or trade out with the current pet, and be available to use with a PvP character build.

Would be nice if you could get some kind of money or item for charming an animal and then giving it to Jarrell the Tamer. Of course if they do that then it should be a bit more difficult to tame a pet.

I don't think so.

If you bring a long or flatbow and shoot the furthest away, your pet doesn't engage. If you've been having trouble luring, now you can do it with having your pet run into battle. However, I do agree there should be some command to keep the pet there.

Pets have good damage to begin with. Think about it, it's one skill that you don't have to cast or use mana and just deals damage to your target automatically.

BUT if you want your pet to deal some serious damage then you need to buff it with call of haste for 25% attack speed and 33% run speed; Scavenger Strike for 29 extra damage if you use poison or any other condition; Brutal Strike for 34 extra damage if foe is below 50%.

But I don't use my pet for damage, in pvp I just bring charm animal and Disrupting Lunge for an extra interrupt. It's so good to interrupt healing and then seeing my pet interrupt ressurect.

The pet has some really useful skills besides damage, one to bleed, interrupt, cripple, and the most amazing one: Ferocious Strike which gives you adrenaline AND energy.

And they do many more attacks than two, if you're attacking people that run away, than I suggest you bring call of haste to chase and Maiming Strike for cripple, or your own cripple skill.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...te+pet+guid e

what I would really like to see is a separate window for pets and pet commands.

We need to have more control over them. Just a simple window with a few simple commands such as pet stay , pet attack , pet protect and pet guard.

Pet stay - pet does not attack unless told too, will stay in that spot until told to move.

Pet attack - self explanitory

Pet protect - anything that attacks pet or player and team mates the pet will attack. Calls pet to you from anywhere in zone.

Pet Guard - pet attacks anything that attacks player only and not pet or team mates. Calls pet to you from anywhere in zone.


Hawkeyes Ravenloft