Regarding *Cosmetic Pets and how useless and annoying they are/will be

To start off I would like to apologize to those of you that do enjoy pets. However having played GW1 and GW2 *Cosmetic pets are the most annoying and useless "collection" (oh look at this fancy pet I spent $20 on) thing in the games. They are the first visual to go when an area is heavily populated and they serve ZERO purpose other than to generate money. They add to the visual clutter of MMOs that have a lot of magical effects and can sometimes be mistaken for enemies while fighting. It is not something I am interested in at all and would be shocked if anyone actually cared if they were not implemented. Seeing 10 well armed awesome looking characters all have little delicate *cosmetic pets following them during some dangerous adventure is so incredibly lame and takes away from the feel of a truly bad ass game.

That being said I think it would be cool to have a pet that stays at your home that will greet you when you come back that you can pet and play with.

What are all your thoughts on pets?

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Schwann36

I think from what the wiki has said so far that I am interested in the final implementation but not actively concerned "yet".
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Pets

If it was purely cosmetic pets I'd say definite overkill and clutter, but the addition of combat pets makes it a more complex issue.
I definitely support combat pets as currently noted as if can really help those solo roles which struggle as solo. Having the option for a tank to sacrifice some stats for a DPS combat pet or mage to sacrifice for a Tank combat pet is sometimes the change that they need to be relevant. This will be even more critical for Rangers where there may be minimum distance requirements on certain skills.

I do like the idea of pets wandering around a home or ship but can see it being a processing strain for things like Sieges where there are already lots of players and particle effects.

I would hope that it ends up somewhat like WoW where most people have some pet options but generally don't have them turned on. I hope against the static feel of pets which sit or hover in place whilst the PC is inactive or jerk forwards in an attempt to catch up.

Combat pet approach I like.
Summoned pets seem great, especially with group siege summons.
Cosmetic Pets I'm reserved on but mostly just worried about development time & graphics processing that they add.

B_B_Z

Thank you for your input. I am purely talking about cosmetic pets which I should have specified. Summoned pets that are part of a class or charmed pets are totally fine. Cosmetic pets that follow you around and do nothing at all are not fine imho. In Guild Wars they are called "Miniatures" and they are a complete waste of space. If someone can give me a valid reason why we would want cosmetic pets in a game like AoC I would be willing to listen, I am willing to listen, I'm just not seeing why they should be in a game like this.

GW2 has become a very cosmetic driven game where people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on cosmetic items a year like Wings... If this game implements wings as a cosmetic I'm out cause it is so annoying to see people with wings that they cant even use, but "look really cool". I am not a cosmetic fan, I am an experience fan and am all about the adventure. That's not to say I don't want me character to look cool, cause I do, but I don't want it to look ridiculous like GW2 has become.

If AoC wants to be taken seriously as an MMORPG I would advise staying away from cosmetic pets and useless cosmetics such as wings for players. Yes I am saying as a player of GW2 with thousands of hours in game that I do not take that game as a serious MMO cause in part how childish the cosmetics are (that among a LOT of other reasons).

I hope AoC wants to make a truly great and challenging game with out alienating players for that sweet sweet $$$.

Enigmatic Sage

I don't mind them in a game, I just see them as more clutter on the screen especially during large player events where the game demands more performance. Remember back when people used to have like 10 keychains and a single key on that ring? lol. They do bring some life into the game though

I hope they are turned off during raids, sieges and things alike. Dont need the excess polygons on the screen.

Balanz

If it gets in the way of my attacker while I flee, then it's done its job

And don't think I won't. Back in College, I was the Men's Freestyle Fleeing Champion...three years running.

Enigmatic Sage

Balanz wrote: »

If it gets in the way of my attacker while I flee, then it's done its job

And don't think I won't. Back in College, I was the Men's Freestyle Fleeing Champion...three years running.

lol... the puns!!!

Night Wings

I personally don't see an issue, because cosmetic pets help fund intrepid studios. Also some pets can be awarded from achievement's or drop's from world bosses to say I killed that boss. Cosmetic pets are to deeply integrated they were offer with certain packages in the kick starter of ashes of creation. Trying to get them remove at this point is well impossible for many reasons.

B_B_Z wrote: »

They add to the visual clutter of MMOs that have a lot of magical effects and can sometimes be mistaken for enemies while fighting.

So I never really played Guild wars I was a World of Warcraft player for good 15 years, but after reading this post I wanted to know what GW2 "Miniatures" were like I found a video here DEAR GOD PLEASE DO NOT MAKE COMPANION PETS LIKE THIS. That is the most obnoxious thing I ever witness and I totally agree with you that is just bad..... WOW companions were never that obnoxious.... I do think there should be setting that not allow you to tab target or target a pet unless you idk shift click it or be able to toggle pet names in the user settings.

Dygz

It's an RPG. Cosmetic pets are an accessory that provide others about the interests of the character.
I dunno how something that doesn't attack you can be mistaken for an enemy.

B_B_Z

Night Wings wrote: »

Cosmetic pets are to deeply integrated they were offer with certain packages in the kick starter of ashes of creation. Trying to get them remove at this point is well impossible for many reasons.

I think it's a solvable problem. They could offer something else like a new title or different skin with those packages instead.

Dygz wrote: »

It's an RPG. Cosmetic pets are an accessory that provide others about the interests of the character.
I dunno how something that doesn't attack you can be mistaken for an enemy.

Yeah, its an RPG that looks really amazing and this one thing can make it look really childish. As far as mistaking something that doeant attack you for an enemy, when you're moving around a lot and there are spell effects going off and someone next to you moves to the other side and there cosmetic pet comes into field of vision you can mistake it for an enemy coming from behind. Or if youre clicking around you can accidentally click on someone elses cosmetic pet instead of the thing you want to click.

Cosmetic pets bring nothing to the game.

Dygz

Lots of stuff in Ashes will look childish.
Stufferton being one of them.

Cosmetic pets bring to the game exactly what they are intended to bring.
You don't have to like everything.

B_B_Z

Dygz wrote: »

Lots of stuff in Ashes will look childish.
Stufferton being one of them.

Cosmetic pets bring to the game exactly what they are intended to bring.
You don't have to like everything.

I surely wont like everything, but this is one thing that is so astronomically USELESS that brings only more clutter to the game. Its a net negative to the game and gaming experience. I had to express my concern/opinion. Thank you for expressing yours.

CROW3

B_B_Z wrote: »

Cosmetic pets bring nothing to the game.

My best friend died in 2016 from a heart condition, we had been thick as thieves since we were five. He was also my backpacking partner for close to thirty years - so most every amazing place I’ve been he had been standing next to me.

After he died, I found a number of ways to both memorialize and honor him irl. One silly, but very helpful thing, was that I named a pet in WoW after him. So every bit of exploration or raiding or whatever I did in Legion through SL, that little pet was there with me. Just as a reminder.

So, yes - for some of us they do bring something.

B_B_Z

CROW3 wrote: »

B_B_Z wrote: »

Cosmetic pets bring nothing to the game.

My best friend died in 2016 from a heart condition, we had been thick as thieves since we were five. He was also my backpacking partner for close to thirty years - so most every amazing place I’ve been he had been standing next to me.

After he died, I found a number of ways to both memorialize and honor him irl. One silly, but very helpful thing, was that I named a pet in WoW after him. So every bit of exploration or raiding or whatever I did in Legion through SL, that little pet was there with me. Just as a reminder.

So, yes - for some of us they do bring something.

I am extremely sorry for your loss. I am glad you found a way to memorialize your friend.

I stopped playing WoW during WotLK, they added cosmetic pets in WoW? I wonder if they were implemented like GW2 cosmetic pets, I'll have to look into this.

JustVine

I sort of think of pets as the one cosmetic that has compete validity for people being able to turn off visually. Pets create entity lag and therefore impact the actual playable experience for other players.

Since it has no functionality its mostly for the players immersion in a way that doesn't really effect people not in your rp sphere unlike gear cosmetics.

So while you are normally entitled to 'make other people see your collectible because, you paid money', I think these two factors entitle the players paying their sub to not have to suffer too much lag. If IS can make it so that it doesn't cause entity lag otoh this specific argument is obviously moot.

CROW3

B_B_Z wrote: »

I stopped playing WoW during WotLK, they added cosmetic pets in WoW?

Thanks. WoW had non-combat pets since vanilla, they introduced pet battles at some point (I forget what patch - but my wife was very into them). Then Bliz offered pets to the store later.

Taleof2Cities

Night Wings wrote: »

I personally don't see an issue, because cosmetic pets help fund intrepid studios. Also some pets can be awarded from achievement's or drop's from world bosses to say I killed that boss. Cosmetic pets are to deeply integrated they were offer with certain packages in the kick starter of ashes of creation. Trying to get them remove at this point is well impossible for many reasons.

Enigmatic Sage wrote: »

I hope they are turned off during raids, sieges and things alike. Dont need the excess polygons on the screen.

These are the two best answers in the thread.

Cosmetic pets aren't going away since they were promised very early in pre-orders.

However, there will be quite a few group situations where your raid or PvP leader will ask cosmetic pets to be unsummoned during an important fight.

B_B_Z wrote: »

I hope AoC wants to make a truly great and challenging game with out alienating players for that sweet sweet $$$.

Sorry, @B_B_Z, that's a slippery slope fallacy.

Gamers aren't going to make their decision on playing Ashes solely because of cosmetic pets ... nor is buying cosmetic pets required to play the game.

Dolyem

I see them as a harmless addition really, though I personally don't feel a need to collect them. They seem like a simple enough thing to add a bit of flavor to a character but as long as the important systems are completed first, I don't see an issue in having pets, although I hold a strong dislike of pets, or any cosmetics along the silly spectrum such as the Stufferton mount. Really hope that tone that stuff down, Stufferton mount riders are KoS lmao.

Night Wings

B_B_Z wrote: »

I think it's a solvable problem. They could offer something else like a new title or different skin with those packages instead.

so 5 years of work down the drain? Changing it to something else can have detrimental effect's also personally could see a potential law suit and have bad or negative out looks if they were to just switch even they offer to compromise with something else.

B_B_Z wrote: »

I stopped playing WoW during WotLK, they added cosmetic pets in WoW? I wonder if they were implemented like GW2 cosmetic pets, I'll have to look into this.

its nothing like GW2 pets they were more reasonable lmao

B_B_Z

I really doubt anyone bought a package for the cosmetic pet. It took them 5 years to make cosmetic pets? I dont think so.

However someone had a good suggestion that you should have the option to turn off cosmetic useless pets and I would be willing to compromise with that solution.

I really appreciate everyones input. So thank you all.

Dygz

I'm not sure what that means.
I bought a package to support the devs and participate in the Alphas and Betas.
I've purchased a Sootshell pet.
They've been selling cosmetic pets pretty much every month for the past 4 years, at least, if not exactly 5 years.

George_Black

I agree 100%.
Just visual garbage, even if the design looks great.
Surely they cant be there to replace alive companionship. They are just attention seeking pieces, that nobody besides the owner cares for.
They look glitchy when they move and clip through things.
Even when they have a practical use I dont like them. In BDO I had them turned off.

I wish that one mmo will have good summoner/tamer classes, for elemental and natural summons and if you want a pet... that's the class for you. No cosmetic pets.

But it's 2022, ppl are silly and got money to spend and I dont care to oppose them since they make money for the studios, offsetting p2w desires.

People shouldnt feel offended btw. And if they do, for such unimportant things as a topic for fake pets, they'd better keep it to themselves.

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