Lament of the Eyes of the Beast

[Renagade Raven]

So, I thought I would make a thread dedicated to this wonderful spell.

As well as being an iconic hunter ability, something that really separates us from the other pet using classes, it really suits us, establishing the unique bond we share with our pets.

Fun
It was fun. You could run around as an animal for a while, you could make it jump, you could use their abilities and actually be using the abilities. You could duel people as your pet, you could have a better look at it, but mostly, just the fact that you can run around as the animal some of us have spent years playing with is brilliant.

Useful
This is the thing, it wasn't really useful, apart from capturing people who jumped off cliffs away from you in PvP, which is very situational and not even remotely overpowered. Rather it just was, it was there, and it was great to use. There is nothing wrong with having an ability you can activate just for a laugh. Surely also, that with the amount of work going into Cataclysm, it is just more work to take it out for the sake of taking it out than to leave it in?

So why did they remove it? Does anyone know the reason? I have looked but can find nothing. Does anyone else agree that this is, really, a pointless action that removes an iconic, purely fun portion of the class?
I mean, why not remove Eye of Kilrogg, or Eagle Eye, or Far sight? What is it, that in all the many things they have to get done for Cataclysm, what is it that made someone working at Blizzard wake up one morning and think to himself; "Damn, Eyes of the beast really needs to be removed from the game"?

Now I am loving the way Cataclysm is looking, and there is very little with which I disagree with. But this is one of those things. One of those monumental cock ups that seem to have no reason for happening, and it really has pissed me off.
I mean, transformation items, or placeable items, many potions and buffs, trinkets, weapon effects, etc, are purely there for cosmetic purposes / fun, so why not remove these too, if the reason they are removing Eyes of the Beast is because it is not "Useful."

I even made a Haiku about it:
Why remove beast eyes,
A delightful little spell,
Verily I'll miss.

It was a cosmetic, fun, interesting, suitable, iconic, old, wonderful spell that added variety to the game, and there is no reason that I can tell for it being removed, it is one of the most ridiculous, pointless things that has befallen the game. And no, I am not being sarcastic or hyperbolic, I mean it, those who have been a hunter and like more about the game than simply trying to come first in Dps will know what I am talking about.
Even exploration, one of the main reasons I play this game, is made much more fun when you have this spell. It makes it feel like your pet is really there with you, not just some pixels following you. This angers me, a lot.


/rant.

>Edit< Added moar to the rant.
>Edit 2< And other points.

[Arkenaw]

They got rid of useless abilities. this ability was pretty useless...

[Condemner]

Is it removed? Didnt know that. Pretty lame indeed . I feel sorry for the hunters. My alt hunter had fun using that spell at lowbie lvl area's, where people actually thought you was a mob. Long time ago though.

[Renagade Raven]

They got rid of useless abilities. this ability was pretty useless...

It was fun. You know, that reason people play the game? Not every ability has to add to your dps to increase your enjoyment of the >Game< And as the main purpose of a >Game< is to have fun (Note: NOT to come first on some damage metre) I contest your post that it is a useless ability.

[Tholl]

They got rid of useless abilities. this ability was pretty useless...

Nothing screams fun more than controlling your pet and killing a bunch of low lvl players with it while they wonder "Wtf is the hunter!?!"

[Renagade Raven]

Nothing screams fun more than controlling your pet and killing a bunch of low lvl players with it while they wonder "Wtf is the hunter!?!"

Well... that too ;>
But yeah...

[Opreich]

The got rid of it because they though its only use was to have your pet on stay, then EotB, and move it somewhere. So to make its "only use" simpler they gave us the Move To command.

I enjoyed EotB, and I am sad to see it go, considering it was the only way to see the jump animations for the pets.

[haglowicz]

I find it telling that every time someone whines about a widely regarded as useless ability from the game, the justification of "fun" is that it could be used to grief lowbies.

I think Blizzard is trying to tell you something.

[Dunee]

As stated the reason for the removal is they thought the only purpose of this spell was to position our pets.. what a load of bollocks, this spell was one of the spells i've had the most fun with in this entire game.. and I really do hope that come cata they are gna pop out and say " hahah we were just joking"
I mean cmon it didn't harm any1? and the reason for it to be "useless" is not a good reason to remove it..

please some1 wake me up and tell me it's all a joke >_<'

[row]

R.I.P Swirly ball.. I mean eyes of the beast.

[Rachel]

I find it telling that every time someone whines about a widely regarded as useless ability from the game, the justification of "fun" is that it could be used to grief lowbies.

I think Blizzard is trying to tell you something.

This is a good point, but I will miss running and jumping around as a little hyena when I'm bored.

[EternalK]

I remember EotB being used to pull BG back to Garr's room in vanilla, seems like it *had* a use, though it is doubtful that any such practical use remains.

[Renagade Raven]

I find it telling that every time someone whines about a widely regarded as useless ability from the game, the justification of "fun" is that it could be used to grief lowbies.

I think Blizzard is trying to tell you something.

That may be one way people enjoy it, but is certainly not the main, or recurring thought people have on why Eyes of the Beast is such a great spell.

---------- Post added 2010-10-04 at 04:14 PM ----------

I remember EotB being used to pull BG back to Garr's room in vanilla, seems like it *had* a use, though it is doubtful that any such practical use remains.

Other than fun... which is the most important thing...

[Renagade Raven]

I guess it was more of a Scouting ability. You know, hiding in a place and scout the enemy base with your pet. Juste like Hawk Eye or Farsight where you scouted the area from a long distance and reported it to your teammates.

Aye I still do that in PvP. Granted, Eyes of the beast isn't as an effective way of doing it, but the main point of it, surely, is to have fun =<

[Wildfang]

I felt the need to comment here. When i found out Eyes of the Beast was missing from my spellbook i felt sad. Alright it didnt serve much purpose other then to walk around with your pet but it in my own honest opinion the spell was fun enough that it didnt even need a purpose. I've been thinking about it and while i understand why one would take away something you 'never use', i dont see why you would remove anything that's still fun. It might just be me but for me personally, it greatly increased the kinship I felt with my pet, now you can call me a nutter for that but I am one of those guys who really does care for his pet in one way or another. To me thats whats being a hunter is also about. Hunters do have a lot of ability's as is, but it makes me sad to see this one go, and not changed to be of 'actual use' more often. In the end if it truly is gone i would accept that and if instead they do give it back i would be happy, at the moment though, my UI has an empty space in it, and i havent found anything worthy enough to fill it as of yet.

That was my opinion on this matter, wish you all a nice day

[Renagade Raven]

When i found out Eyes of the Beast was missing from my spellbook i felt sad.

I share your pain =<

Alright it didnt serve much purpose other then to walk around with your pet but it in my own honest opinion the spell was fun enough that it didnt even need a purpose.

Exactly my point.

I dont see why you would remove anything that's still fun.

Exactly. I mean, transformation items, or placeable items, many potions and buffs, trinkets, weapon effects, etc, are purely there for cosmetic purposes / fun, so why not remove these too, if the reason they are removing Eyes of the Beast is because it is not "Useful."

It might just be me but for me personally, it greatly increased the kinship I felt with your pet, now you can call me a nutter for that but I am one of those guys who really does care for his pet in one way or another.

It isn't just you, I feel that way for my pet, and I also identify with my characters, they are more than just something to get to the last level with, they are something to adventure with.

my UI has an empty space in it, and i havent found anything worthy enough to fill it as of yet.

Indeed =<
I never took my Paladin Charger off my action bar, for example, it just ... belongs there.

[Opreich]

Someone should take points and concerns raised in this thread and post it on the official forums.

[Renagade Raven]

Someone should take points and concerns raised in this thread and post it on the official forums.

I doubt very much whether it will be listened to. I don't have an active account atm and I am certainly not on the BETA, so my opinion, sadly, will count for nothing, unless among other like minded people.

If someone wants to copy my post to the Blizzard official forums by all means do, I like to think that I present a good argument, but I cannot without my account...

[Opreich]

Same reason I didn't do it. It would be nice to see a blue post on the matter,

[Pancunchi]

Nnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, how am i going to do the crimson hall weekly now