Sell emote packs for pets based on mood.
OrcLuck
Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
I dunno about you, but I don't really care if my character can floss....but if I have a cool little pet, I would love to buy it emotes. Especially if its a hard to get pet.
Most monsters have an animation skeleton, most pets probably work within an archtypical set of skeleton that they then work off of.
I put forth that idea to justify why I think the work load, and the pay out would be reasonable.
Sure it wouldn't work as a one off for every pet, if every pet was a unique one off, but I view this as sort of just another layer of work that you can put in, with minor adjustments for varying pets.
Boom.
Everyone can buy a pet, that is either a goof ball, a spiteful heinous cat personality, or whatever you want, perhaps a package for the holidays, if they're archetyped off of any sort of noteworthy spooky monsters or character's add it as a seasonal option.
Sometimes making something cool doesn't have to do with how it looks, but how it moves. I think that's what I'm getting at.
Animation is something I'd like to see more investment in, and this is one way to drive that ecosystem.
Most monsters have an animation skeleton, most pets probably work within an archtypical set of skeleton that they then work off of.
I put forth that idea to justify why I think the work load, and the pay out would be reasonable.
Sure it wouldn't work as a one off for every pet, if every pet was a unique one off, but I view this as sort of just another layer of work that you can put in, with minor adjustments for varying pets.
Boom.
Everyone can buy a pet, that is either a goof ball, a spiteful heinous cat personality, or whatever you want, perhaps a package for the holidays, if they're archetyped off of any sort of noteworthy spooky monsters or character's add it as a seasonal option.
Sometimes making something cool doesn't have to do with how it looks, but how it moves. I think that's what I'm getting at.
Animation is something I'd like to see more investment in, and this is one way to drive that ecosystem.
1
Comments
Same animations, different skills. But when you look at them, they are basically the same pet with the same animations. Just different name plates.
People would collect them and let them roam their plots of land. Part of the appeal of visiting homes was to see their pet collections.
I'm sure people would pay for pet animations.That would be quite a lot of animations I expect. Given the numerous pet types.
*thinks of necromancer summons doing the thriller dance*
That would raise the question about summons though, you could see a summon as a new animal every time or a trusty familiar. I don't know, what do you think of it?
This would kind of solve @ravudha 's worries, you would need to spend time and effort to get those emotes.
Come take a look at ashesofcreation.wiki!
Formerly T-Elf
I don't see what the problem is. Sure you may not like them but that doesn't mean you should deny other people their fun (in this case anyway).
Imagine, if it was for summons:
(Thats you in the background btw ;D)
got to love the old school skeleton cartoons
I prefer things to 'fit' in the world and some things ruin that for me; pet's dancing (to pop culture songs from Earth) is one of those things (or doing emotes not realistic for the kind of animal it is). Festivals that mimic Christmas or Halloween are another.
I wouldn't want to see a gingerbread house skin on a freehold just because someone thinks it's fun; I don't want to see those other things for the same reason. That's just my subjective taste and personal preference. Most of us draw that line somewhere.
That. was. exactly. what. I. was. thinking. about.
have you seen the world we live in? Vanity is everywhere
NO!
BRING ME DA NEXT QUESTION!
What came first: The Hen or the Egg?
The goal, for OP and AoC, should be to be able to offer this to anyone who wanted it, whilst being absolutely invisible to anyone who doesn't.
That should already be a reality IMO.
Several other games already give the option to turn off you seeing cosmetic pets, why would you assume that AoC would not be capable of doing the same, and / or also applying the same to any pet emotes?
Not one of us, RPer or not, want to be in the middle of near impossible boss fight with 12 random cosmetic pets distracting you from the mobs.
Even then there are exceptions. I'd happily do so given the right scenario, but on the main, no, who wants that?
I believe 100% that most players should enjoy seeing animals who actually behaved and acted like animals in the game, but if this were to be a route that Ashes were to go down, why not just automatically opt everyone OUT of pet emotes / attitudes, so much like in most games you have to tick on a box to opt into 'loot all' if you want it.
Oh, the hardship.
In the interest of attempting to promote reasoned discussion, there would be plenty of ways that AoC could achieve the stated goals and integrate emotes and pet demeanor for those who wanted it.
And you know what, I can totally see the argument for not charging:
'yay immersion!!' or,
'every single one of these SHOULD be sold as an add on, because as much as how we'd love it, it would be 'fluff''
@Zomnivore phrased and presented their idea as being nothing more than a simple as a general demeanor, (oh yes because another playes who's applied 'elderly' to a pet and has its movement speeds slowed is really going to interrupt your gameplay that much? *Grumble grumble, eyetwitch*)
Just because the word 'emote' was used, at least one person reacted with their mivonks rather than their brain. If that kind of toxic game environment is what you're looking for, Warcraft is over that way.....
Plenty of potential ways to address this:
You could go down the attitude / demeanor aspect.
Something which once purchased, you can choose to set for your pet, but that you yourself have no, or practically NO input in, something that you can set as a preference or a 'daily random'.
So just like ordinary real life pets, you can interact with them, but if they feel under the weather, that day they're going to be lying down a lot and acting all lethargic.
Or assuming that the thingamies have already been created for 'roving' NPCs, then why not have a laissez faire attitude for pets that let them rove around all over the place within a set distance of yourself?
Alternatively you could be talking about being able to trigger a reaction in your pet.
Certain situations or personal skills being triggered and your puppy (for example) pronks about a bit.
Now why the assumption that this would interrupt anyones game?
Roleplayers have had to heavily rely on the ignore option for years, yet we're still all here.
And why the HEAVY assumption that if this were to be an option, you wouldn't also at the same time be given that option to 'ignore pets'?
Or you could go down the 100% full heavy RP route. My personal choice.
So go the whole hog and sell the option to buy a pet emote bar, then sell individual emotes to put into that.
Maybe unless you were to choose to buy into pet emotes and have that 'pet bar' you also would be automatically opted out of seeing other players emotes!!!
Right now we've been having to storytell without game aids:
Megs: *Absentmindedly reaches down to the ancient deerhound, and rubbles it behing an ear*
Megs: Dog *Stretches forward , breaks wind and looks expectantly for treats*
Sorry waffle.
TLDR:
Immersion = good.
Potential exta Intrepid income = good.
OP idea = good.
Personal player CHOICE = Great!
Now, the OP did mention general pet personalities - they also mentioned 'spooky monsters' archetypes as a seasonal option example. To me, that raises a red flag as potential for unrealistic, gimmicky pets and emotes.
For me, it's not about pets interrupting combat. It's the fear that when pets/costumes/festivals get too cutesy/gimmicky, like in other MMOs, the game world starts to lose its integrity.
If you're more about realistic emotes for RP purposes that enhance immersion in the world, then that's something I can get behind.