Need support; Exotic pet as BM signature move.

[Jekyll]

Worba aka Khitsune posted two thread up in the forums I think should be supported. They are concerning the BM's ability to tame exotics (maybe making this ability available to BM hunters much sooner) and the level 10 BM ability.

Suggestion forum

Hunters forum

to sum it up;

We don't feel Intimidation is an appropriate ability to represent the core of BM.

Anyone who has rolled, and enjoyed being a Beast Mastery Hunter has done so mostly because of the ability to tame exotic beasts.
We are hunters after all, and this is what we love about our class, is our pets. BM hunters have taken that love of their pets to the next level, and THAT my friends is what the class is all about

This is the reason why, even in WotLK, some of us hunters STILL raid in BM, or at least paid for dual spec's, just so we could keep the spec we love.

The ability to tame exotics should be available a lot sooner for BM hunters in cata. Intimidation seems to be up to snuff with the other level 10 abilities provided for our SV and MM brothers and sisters. Bestial Wrath would be a more appropriate ability imo, but barring that, Beast Mastery might be a fair trade. (other thoughts fellow hunters?)

Make exotics a passive tree talent since now you -have- to spec into a tree to get its bonuses. Roll the 4 extra pet talent points into a new 31 pt talent and call it a day. Distinguish the BMs at an early level with the exotics without the added balancing hassle with the 4 pts.

A list of exotic pets and the lowest level you can get them at:
Corehound: The Kurken: Azuremyst - lvl 12
Worms: Earthborer: RFC - lvl 13
Chimaeras: Young Chimaera: Stonetalon - lvl 23
Silithids: Silithid Ravager (rare): 1kN - lvl 36
All Other Silthids: lvl 49
Devilsaur: Un'goro - lvl 54
Rhinos: Northrend - lvl 67
Spirit Beast: Level 74

[Rukah]

TBH I dont think *ALL* Exotic pets should be avalible from the get go. For example, spirit beasts are a rare and wonderful pet, giving them out at lvl 1 would ruin the epicness of them.

I do agree that Intimidation isn't signature move worthy

[Deleted]

I agree that exotic pets should be available a lot earlier, but then their new, shiny abilities should not be available until you get the 31 points talent that also give the extra 4 points.

[Milanor]

I think the problem is how much one has to hunt for an exotic pet - it won't benefit a new player just hitting level 10 if they don't know where to find the exotics. If they spread them out a whole bunch more then I'd agree that it would be much better than intimidation.

[Jekyll]

TBH I dont think *ALL* Exotic pets should be avalible from the get go. For example, spirit beasts are a rare and wonderful pet, giving them out at lvl 1 would ruin the epicness of them.

I do agree that Intimidation isn't signature move worthy

well at between level 10-19 the only exotic pets available are worm(rfc), kurken(azuremyst) and chimaera(azshara in cata if im not mistaken) so no we would not face that problem.

---------- Post added 2010-09-22 at 07:33 PM ----------

I agree that exotic pets should be available a lot earlier, but then their new, shiny abilities should not be available until you get the 31 points talent that also give the extra 4 points.

I agree, the exotic skills talent should be unlocked when the 31 talent learned.

---------- Post added 2010-09-22 at 07:36 PM ----------

I think the problem is how much one has to hunt for an exotic pet - it won't benefit a new player just hitting level 10 if they don't know where to find the exotics. If they spread them out a whole bunch more then I'd agree that it would be much better than intimidation.

they are already resources on this. My first wow character was an alliance hunter and her first companion was the scorpid with the grey/ocher skin which can only be found in durator, and I went there once I reached level 10. Sincerely it was one of the best feeling I ever had as a hunter. So please give newbies more credit.

[Thereign]

I'm a hunter, and I hate the pet mechanic. I just adore the role we fill though. WTB ranger class.

[Pool of the Dead]

GOGO level 12 Kurken with heroism, though that is sarcasm, if they could do heroism at lvl 12 shamans would get real mad.

then again wont they have heroism at lvl 60 now for BM hunters. hmmmm.

[Jekyll]

Started an EU thread on the subject, although the arguments have been worded slightly differently: http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread....700510&sid=1#0

nice write up.

[Cyph3r]

well at between level 10-19 the only exotic pets available are worm(rfc), kurken(azuremyst) and chimaera(azshara in cata if im not mistaken) so no we would not face that problem.

This pretty much hits the nail on the head as to why it's NOT a good idea. So a marksman hunter hits level 10, gets aimed shot, can start using it immediately. A survival hunter hits level 10, gets explosive shot, gets to start using it immediately. A level 10 beast master hunter hits level 10, gets the ability to tame exotic pets... and then has to go level a bit, then go hunting all over the world to find an exotic pet within the level range. The Kurken is really the best option (which you'd still have to wait 2 levels for), and he's deep in alliance territory, what if you're horde?

Furthermore, what if you don't WANT to tame an exotic pet? You initially stated "Anyone who has rolled, and enjoyed being a Beast Mastery Hunter has done so mostly because of the ability to tame exotic beasts." This is not true. Most of us went BM because we love to have powerful pets, not just so we could tame the new shiny. I started playing this game a long, long time ago, and I've always liked BM because it meant my pet was a force to be reckoned with. When they introduced the current 51 point talent, I was personally excited for the extra pet talent points more than the ability to tame an exotic. I already had a pet I loved after all, this was an opportunity to make him stronger.

Which brings me to the current level 10 ability for BM, intimidation. Again, you said it yourself: We love our pets. We want them to be stronger. Intimidation does just that. I think most of the people complaining about intimidation don't fully understand the power of this ability. On the live realms it has a long cooldown and is also on the global, kind of a pain and something we rarely use because well, we rarely have to. But any hunter who truly understands the strength of the mechanic and has ever put it to good use knows how truly helpful it can be to have a stun. Not only that, in cataclysm it's OFF the global cooldown, meaning we can use it as an interrupt on casters as well. This ability may not immediately scream "beast master!", but think about it; our pets can do something that other hunters' can't, it makes our pets more dangerous in pvp, and can come in VERY handy while leveling. How does that NOT fit the theme of a hunter who's more in sync with his bestial companion?

[Deleted]

Personly i can't really see why u shouldn't be able to switch intimidation with Bestial wrath.

Intimidation is a crappy skill to get at lvl 10 since it gives u no bonus to ur lvling abilities like the other trees gives u.
Bestial wrath will be good as that. Your beast will be a beast so to speak. But it is a 50% damage increase for 10sec. I mean it is not like it will rip the whole forest apart. U will maybe be able to take 2-3 mobs if u group pull and press before it runs out.

[Basmothel]

I've thought this from the announcement of what would be the level 10 abilities.

Intimidation can stay as the active ability given at level 10. Taming Exotic Beasts should be one of the passive abilities given at level 10. Bestial Wrath should be the 31 point talent. The extra pet talents can be bundled in another talent (pre-req for Bestial Wrath?).

It's like the only thing that would make me level a Beast Mastery Hunter. I want to be able to level with a Silithid. Not wait until I'm almost done leveling to get one...

[Vurrin]

Frost Mages get water elemental as their signature move no? Too lazy to check but I'm fairly confident water elementals have a longer CD than BW, and are basically a "Cooldown" like BW.

Also bear in mind BW is NOT TBW, which makes it much more reasonable imo to give to low level hunter. Sure your pet is strong and able to ignore CC on a CD, but the hunter themselves can be CC'd to stop Kill Command while his pet is raging. Which avoids at least some pitfalls of Op at low level Pvp. Sure you pet is doing more damage but if you're sheep'd odds are its not going to be am insurmountable threat by itself.

Could also lower the damage bonus to say 25% and then boost it up to 50% with TBW or an interim talent where BW is now that adds more of the damage bonus/cc immunity.

[ASO]

I don't care much for BM (Note: I'm only specced BM right now because I'm enjoying soloing raids), but even I agree Intimidation is kind of the wrong direction for them to go. I think most BM hunters don't even have it on their toolbar...it's a totally solo/pvp talent.

[Deleted]

Yea when i say Beastial wrath as lvl 10, i would still keep The beast within in the talents.

And I personaly wouldn't mind the CD for beastial wrath. Would still be a better lvl 10 spell than intimidation and from my point of view also better than exotic, because u would benefit from it in unless the exotic pets are around u. In which case it would be an epic upgrade either.

[Aksor]

well at between level 10-19 the only exotic pets available are worm(rfc), kurken(azuremyst) and chimaera(azshara in cata if im not mistaken) so no we would not face that problem.

This pretty much hits the nail on the head as to why it's NOT a good idea. So a marksman hunter hits level 10, gets aimed shot, can start using it immediately. A survival hunter hits level 10, gets explosive shot, gets to start using it immediately. A level 10 beast master hunter hits level 10, gets the ability to tame exotic pets... and then has to go level a bit, then go hunting all over the world to find an exotic pet within the level range. The Kurken is really the best option (which you'd still have to wait 2 levels for), and he's deep in alliance territory, what if you're horde?

Furthermore, what if you don't WANT to tame an exotic pet? You initially stated "Anyone who has rolled, and enjoyed being a Beast Mastery Hunter has done so mostly because of the ability to tame exotic beasts." This is not true. Most of us went BM because we love to have powerful pets, not just so we could tame the new shiny. I started playing this game a long, long time ago, and I've always liked BM because it meant my pet was a force to be reckoned with. When they introduced the current 51 point talent, I was personally excited for the extra pet talent points more than the ability to tame an exotic. I already had a pet I loved after all, this was an opportunity to make him stronger.

Which brings me to the current level 10 ability for BM, intimidation. Again, you said it yourself: We love our pets. We want them to be stronger. Intimidation does just that. I think most of the people complaining about intimidation don't fully understand the power of this ability. On the live realms it has a long cooldown and is also on the global, kind of a pain and something we rarely use because well, we rarely have to. But any hunter who truly understands the strength of the mechanic and has ever put it to good use knows how truly helpful it can be to have a stun. Not only that, in cataclysm it's OFF the global cooldown, meaning we can use it as an interrupt on casters as well. This ability may not immediately scream "beast master!", but think about it; our pets can do something that other hunters' can't, it makes our pets more dangerous in pvp, and can come in VERY handy while leveling. How does that NOT fit the theme of a hunter who's more in sync with his bestial companion?

^ someone who want exotic pet at lvl 10, please argue with this one.

[Cigss]

I'm a hunter, and I hate the pet mechanic. I just adore the role we fill though. WTB ranger class.

SO much this. i always pray they come out with a new class "shadow hunter" like illidan. sort of a ranger rogue combo class. have like a ranged no pet "ranger tree" and a kind of rogue tree focused on swords "glaive tree" and a sort of fel magic enhancement tree. obviously much better shit but that would be the basic gist. i HATE bm as a hunter spec only because i hate the pet mechanic in general. i wont lie, i do some extreme old raid soloing from time to time but i would gladly trade that for a 31pt marks talent that upped my dmg 20% and made me have no pet. (%dmg is irrelevant just fill in whatever pets do)

[Ayazaki1218]

This pretty much hits the nail on the head as to why it's NOT a good idea. So a marksman hunter hits level 10, gets aimed shot, can start using it immediately. A survival hunter hits level 10, gets explosive shot, gets to start using it immediately. A level 10 beast master hunter hits level 10, gets the ability to tame exotic pets... and then has to go level a bit, then go hunting all over the world to find an exotic pet within the level range. The Kurken is really the best option (which you'd still have to wait 2 levels for), and he's deep in alliance territory, what if you're horde?

Furthermore, what if you don't WANT to tame an exotic pet? You initially stated "Anyone who has rolled, and enjoyed being a Beast Mastery Hunter has done so mostly because of the ability to tame exotic beasts." This is not true. Most of us went BM because we love to have powerful pets, not just so we could tame the new shiny. I started playing this game a long, long time ago, and I've always liked BM because it meant my pet was a force to be reckoned with. When they introduced the current 51 point talent, I was personally excited for the extra pet talent points more than the ability to tame an exotic. I already had a pet I loved after all, this was an opportunity to make him stronger.

Which brings me to the current level 10 ability for BM, intimidation. Again, you said it yourself: We love our pets. We want them to be stronger. Intimidation does just that. I think most of the people complaining about intimidation don't fully understand the power of this ability. On the live realms it has a long cooldown and is also on the global, kind of a pain and something we rarely use because well, we rarely have to. But any hunter who truly understands the strength of the mechanic and has ever put it to good use knows how truly helpful it can be to have a stun. Not only that, in cataclysm it's OFF the global cooldown, meaning we can use it as an interrupt on casters as well. This ability may not immediately scream "beast master!", but think about it; our pets can do something that other hunters' can't, it makes our pets more dangerous in pvp, and can come in VERY handy while leveling. How does that NOT fit the theme of a hunter who's more in sync with his bestial companion?

I agree too, but either taming exotics and intimidation won't fit the role as signature moves when choosing BM at level 10. In my opinion, there are not too many exotics to choose on early levels and intimidation seems more situational. I rather like a buff to the hunter and pet increasing their damage much like Spirit Bond... Althought is quite a dream hahaha. But something like that would fit more the role as a BM signature move.

[Baz]

Or they could make exotic pets for all hunters and bring BM back to its glory of burning crusade by giving it an actual ability

[bamfrosty]

Because of that silly marks talent.

[Diamagon]

I agree with OP about intimidate not being the spec defining ability. But bringing exotic pets at lvl 10 is a bit too much, besides you can't get one when you ding scince the lowest one is the kurken and its lvl 12.
What I would do instead is to make intimidate usable in PvE, make it do dmg if the target is immune to stuns, like the frost mages deep freeze. it would be a nuke with a long cooldown, but a nuke indeed... yea maybe that's a bit OP, but WTH.