Priests with Pets

[checking facts]

https://twitter.com/Celestalon/statu...99689318674432

has there ever been any thought about a pet healing class? (Holy?)

It's an interesting thought. Would you find it fun to control it manually? Or would it turn into yet another smart heal?

The reason I'm making this thread on general discussion instead of on the priest forum is because I want to see how the community as a whole, from priests, to other healers, to tanks to dps, thinks about this.

How would you feel about priests getting a healing pet?

How do you feel they could be used to give holy priests a special niche that disc doesn't cover, while not being overpowered or becoming the norm? Or do you feel like it should give holy the ability to do what disc does and holy doesn't in a different way (like atonement healing, for instance)

A tank healer, a self healer, a melee range healer, a ranged healer, an atonement healer, how do you feel a holy priest pet could fit on the game's current dynamics?

[The Glitch]

I think its an interesting idea, so long as it wasnt just plonk a pet down and let it heal, dunno how far you could go with having an interactive pet healing spec that wasnt so complicated that it just gets frustrating an not fun to play, just like a smart heal pet wouldn't be all that fun imo.

[Deleted]

Surely a healing pet would go to Warlocks/Hunters, after all they already have a tank, dps & pvp pet, a healing pet would be logical

[checking facts]

the pet could be Hearthstone's priest card, the Lightspawn:

[1Seven]

http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/8783638927
Posted 3 days ago. ^_^

[Deleted]

I hate pet classes. Can't stand playing them. Pets are annoying nuisances to me.
My main is a Holy Priest since early TBC, I love me my holy priest. Don't bring the pet crap to my clean and pure holy priest.

[Zka]

Healing is all about reliability.
I don't think reliability can be associated with pets, given how many bugs and vulnerabilities they have.

[checking facts]

http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/8783638927
Posted 3 days ago. ^_^

I'd agree with the pet, but not with it being a val'kyr, because a val'kyr is an undead creatures raised by the lich king from a vrykul woman. it's ebul! lol

the glyph of the val'kyr is there to give forsaken holy priests some flavor, just like the new troll glyphs for shamans introduced on siege of orgrimmar exist to give troll shamans some flavor. of course nothing stops a non-troll shaman from taking the troll glyphs, but lorewise a draenei shaman wouldn't be using vol'jin's serpent ward.

so yeah, a priest summoning a val'kyr would be out of place. the only character to ever summon val'kyr in-game is the Lich King, who happens to be the mold for playable Death Knights.

[Lothrik]

It's an interesting concept, but considering how much AI pets involve and how for a healing pet that would largely mean smart healing it's probably never going to happen. They're trying to reduce smart heals in WoD not add more of them.

Would be nice to have a minor glyph to turn Shadowfiend into a Lightspawn though.

Edit: Also, the whole "make the player control how it heals" thing.. you guys do realize that if that actually happened pets for priests would be more complicated than the already existing pet classes? Kind of far-fetched.

Healing pets sort of already exist anyway with Force of Nature. Which yet again is a cool idea, but very unlikely to be seen as a Priest spell (this time simply because Blizzard doesn't like unnecessary class homogenization.) -- Also Mistweaver Xuen.

[checking facts]

Healing is all about reliability.
I don't think reliability can be associated with pets, given how many bugs and vulnerabilities they have.

the only vulnerabilities pets have is when changing targets, which becomes a non-issue when you put ranged heals, smart heals and heals commanded by the player in the equation.

[Zka]

the only vulnerabilities pets have is when changing targets, which becomes a non-issue when you put ranged heals, smart heals and heals commanded by the player in the equation.

So pets no longer have these problems like:
- can't jump down to follow the owner
- similar problem with upwards, like pillars on Nef
- pathing problems
- getting lost during phase changes
- dying to aoe and stuff?
I can't believe all these are solved reliably. I honestly have no clue, having never played a pet class, but I know there have been such errors for years.

And what would the pet do? Random smart healing, or small splash healing? That's boring.
Targeted direct heals, so the healer must heal with his own character AND with the pet at the same time? Most healers would not ever spec that.

[TyrantWave]

I may be biased as that was my tweet, but yes, I'd love Holy to be a pet healer.


Pet placement would be important - on auto it would heal (Weak, with an ICD) nearby players who are below, say, 70% HP. It's a nice little buffer, but not overpowered.

It would have its own CDs. e.g., a quick aoe around it, a stronger aoe (That could disable the auto heal whilst on CD), and directed flash heals.

Idea being, combined with the base priest's heals (Or whatever class) it would be balanced. But it also wouldn't be so weak you could just ignore it - it's a buffer with placement based CDs basically. Sure you could make it similar to the Monk's totem, but this is for flavour as well.

[3DTyrant]

I don't play Priests, however, it would be an interesting concept and I'd personally like to see how it could play out, weather or not it works, is a different story though (in my eyes anyway)

[Nihilostromrage]

Pets have gone too far in this game as it is with 3 classes(Mages,Locks and Hunters) having them. I personally hate the whole 'kitchyness' of pets (hunters it makes sense). Frankly the whole 'pet' thing has been done enough within this expansion and Id really like to see blizz get away from it as it seems infantile to me. Id prefer development of the priest class to remain as a strict caster.If they spend time on our class at all before next xpac I hope its more mobility or tenacity for PvP.
Making a pet that heals for you would further automate (dumb down) the process of actually thinking about what your responsible for as a healer.
I don't want a healer who is tabbed out and can't think for her or himself. Smart heals should be limited to helping preserve mana efficiency, they should not replace good casting choices.
Priests already get pets with shadow fiends or mind benders anyway.

[checking facts]

So pets no longer have these problems like:
- can't jump down to follow the owner
- similar problem with upwards, like pillars on Nef
- pathing problems
- getting lost during phase changes
- dying to aoe and stuff?
I can't believe all these are solved reliably. I honestly have no clue, having never played a pet class, but I know there have been such errors for years.

And what would the pet do? Random smart healing, or small splash healing? That's boring.
Targeted direct heals, so the healer must heal with his own character AND with the pet at the same time? Most healers would not ever spec that.

- dismiss the pet, jump and summon
- same deal
- if the pet is ranged, pathing is a non-issue
- same deal
- pets don't take a significant amount of AoE damage. they have a skill that reduces AoE damage taken by 90%

[Deleted]

We need less classes with pets, not more.

[Deleted]

Surely a healing pet would go to Warlocks/Hunters, after all they already have a tank, dps & pvp pet, a healing pet would be logical

no it wouldnt

[Haywire5714]

That's another Keybind though

[Fungj]

I don't like the idea of priests having pets, and if so it would be as a cooldown, preferably an atonement type of pet then.

[CJack14dt]

How bad is it that I was all excited about the title of the thread thinking it was going to be a hilarious thread about how many Priests run around with Argent Squires? My Tauren priest Vealophile is still waiting patiently for a calf companion to complete the hilarity.