New Pet Types

Botagar

Currently, we have 3 main archetypes of pets: Combat, Cosmetic and Summoner Pets.
I would like to propose a 4th type as I can see quite a bit of exciting design space for this...

~ Artisan Pets ~

And further split into Gathering support pets and Processing support pets.

I have to admit I don't have any smashing ideas for processing support pets so I'll focus on gathering.

Gathering Pets

• Imagine you're going out looking for wood with a particular trait. Instead of just running around aimlessly, you can summon your tree spirit pet and depending on the type of tree spirit and how you've configured/skilled it, it starts to wander around the area around you hopping tree to tree until if finds what you're looking for, then it comes back to you and leads you to the resource.
• Idea extended from this post: Have a pig pet that can sniff out truffles, tubers and edible roots for you to harvest.
• A dog pet specialised in tracking small animal prey. You have your pet "sniff" something like a "rabbit pelt" and it'll start tracking down the rabbits in your area.
• A semi-sentient floating piece of rock that glows in the presence of a certain kind of mineral.
• A magic attuned weasel that seeks out herbs
• A tamed goblin that just finds either random trash in the world or the occasional treasure/gold

Any other thoughts/ideas for more pet types or functions pets can be involved in?

Demostrathe

Botagar wrote: »

Currently, we have 3 main archetypes of pets: Combat, Cosmetic and Summoner Pets.
I would like to propose a 4th type as I can see quite a bit of exciting design space for this...

~ Artisan Pets ~

And further split into Gathering support pets and Processing support pets.

I have to admit I don't have any smashing ideas for processing support pets so I'll focus on gathering.

Gathering Pets

• Imagine you're going out looking for wood with a particular trait. Instead of just running around aimlessly, you can summon your tree spirit pet and depending on the type of tree spirit and how you've configured/skilled it, it starts to wander around the area around you hopping tree to tree until if finds what you're looking for, then it comes back to you and leads you to the resource.
• Idea extended from this post: Have a pig pet that can sniff out truffles, tubers and edible roots for you to harvest.
• A dog pet specialised in tracking small animal prey. You have your pet "sniff" something like a "rabbit pelt" and it'll start tracking down the rabbits in your area.
• A semi-sentient floating piece of rock that glows in the presence of a certain kind of mineral.
• A magic attuned weasel that seeks out herbs
• A tamed goblin that just finds either random trash in the world or the occasional treasure/gold

Any other thoughts/ideas for more pet types or functions pets can be involved in?

Honestly i like the idea alot expands on the artisan system more while at the same time giving pets more uses other than just combat and looking cute

wakkytabbaky

getting a resource sniffer pet at the master / grandmaster lvl would work or as one of the talents you gotta pick somewhere near the end of a tree. it would have to be a balanced range tho so as your pet dont go running 300 meters into the forest sniffing out that rare ore

Botagar

Range of detection could be tied to pet quality.
And definitely the "ability to handle" these pets can be tied to your progression along that artisan route.

Maybe even some rare combat pets can evolve an artisan ability side to them as you become master/grandmaster etc...

I think doing this would unlock much more depth in the pet system than what we see implemented in other games now.

Fantmx

Gathering pets sound pretty fun. You could breed all sorta of qualities into them that top level characters would want.

Botagar

Fantmx wrote: »

Gathering pets sound pretty fun. You could breed all sorta of qualities into them that top level characters would want.

Yes! Coming back to the pig, I can see a process where you feed it certain food items and when it breeds, there's a chance that the offspring gets a skill related to said food items.
ie. Feed a regular pig truffles and theres a chance that one (or some) of its piglet's gets "Truffle seeking lvl 1", and you can keep stacking more truffle, or maybe feed that generation mushrooms to get "Truffle seeking lvl 1, Mushroom seeking lvl 1".