This post is in reply to Aradune's request:
Aradune said:
... You did sign up to contribute ideas, help build upon ideas, to seek solutions and make Pantheon an amazing game, right? ...
I will innovate, using Aradune's post as an indication of the level of nuance he wants to entertain.
FOCUS:
I introduce a player stat, here I call it 'Focus'.
Simply: Focus is your ability to multitask
All players get it, though in differing amounts. This may be stat based, class based, race adjusted or whatever. In the case below I assume it is 'class based', adjusted by stat/race which can go up by level (as stat builds). For the sake of simplicity, I have assumed a 'sample' value for each class. You wizzie and tank are pretty much focused on one thing, the enchanter si watching all about him coping with multiple threats. Thus the first two have low 'focus' while the enchanter has high 'focus'.
See the table below:
These are sample tables to illustrate a possible mechanic for summoning pets.
Table #1:
Each class fits into a 'Summoning Tier'. This is merely a simple way for me to demonstrate the differing ways each group of classes may use pets - it could merely be based on a per-class value, adjusted by stats etc.
E.g. Here, a sample Dire Lord (Tier-3) typically has 30-40 focus; lets say this one has 35 Focus points.
Table #2:
Since we are giving players a stat for focus ... it does not seem unreasonable for actions that we might imagine to have impact on your ability to focus actually cost you focus while you are doing them!
E.g. The Dire Lord (above) disengages from combat to summon a Tier-3 pet (re-animate a corpse). This reduces his Focus from 35 to 35-22 = 13 focus (We are saying below that it costs 22 focus in this instance). This still leaves the Dire Lord with 13 focus ... enough for him to re-engage into combat! This will leave him with only 13-5 = 8 focus point. Perhaps 8 focus is sufficient to drink (Nord) beer while fighting?
Table #3:
Each pet fits into a 'Tier' which has the effect of lowering the player's focus by an amount. Higher Tier pets cost more in Focus. In this imagining of the pet system, I have merely assumed a summoned pet uses up 1 point of the focus used to create it every duration marker indicated.
E.g. A Dire Lord re-animates a corpse (Tier-3 pet) to fight for him. It might cost 22 Focus when he casts the 'Summon pet' spell, and will last (a maximum of) 22x90 secs = 33 minutes before he loses focus and it turns on him and attacks! Every 90 secs it loses a point of focus from him and has a (rising) chance to break control from him. Odd are it will not last much more than half that time, say 15 minutes.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
That concludes the evidence for the defence.
This post was an attempt to create the 'pet-centric' idea Brad was considering. While it is 'class related', it is also more than that - covering gameplay and, to a certain degree, mechanics for extending skill and resource management for players.
PLEASE consider this a ROUGH bare-bones presentation of an idea. I don't doubt there are errors!
Evoras, awaits the inevitable fun and games!
Personally I'd prefer a persistent resource pool reduction/cost, it just seems simpler, rather than adding another stat. But that's just me. EQ2 tried focus and it was... problematic in it's implementation.
Example: Summoner has one pet active/alive; it costs them 50% of their mana pool, minus their level disparity. So if it's an even level pet, it permanently reduces their mana pool by 50%, as long as the pet is alive. If it's a lower level pet, it costs less than 50% of the mana pool.
If they have 1000 mana without the pet, while the pet is active, they have 500 mana.
If 50% isn't enough, make it 75%. Pets are seen as (and often actually are) free damage, once summoned, so there has to be a balance to so much reward. If there's no risk, then summoners are just massively overpowered, as we see with so many pet classes. A constant mana drain while the pet is alive would work too, provided the pet mana drain ignored mana regen effects, so it could never be fully countered.
Interesting commentary from Brad in December, on pets.
My opinion from the summoner thread on the subject of the inevitable overpowering of pets:
"
I just don't want to see the same terrible fate befall Pantheon. Don't do it VR. Transient dumbfire pets ONLY. This means either you cast them and they last until the Summoner is out of combat, and/or they drain mana constantly while alive, and/or they persistently cost a minimum of 50-75% of the mana pool to have a pet alive. Pets that almost, slightly, entirely, significantly, or even APPROACH replacing a players role in a group should not be a design goal, imo.
"
Similar pool reductions/drains (endurance, mana, health) for other pets, seems reasonable, provided the same guidelines were applied, for non Summoners, too.
I really like what you have put forth in its basic form Evoras. And I have to disagree with Vjek in the keep it simle department. Lets not. Having multiple layers on resource management just makes classes more interesting to play and also leaves no room for auto-pilot gameplay. I dont mean that it should be as active and binding as a full on action mmo. But I want the choices I make to matter, and I want to be kept engauged with combat that makes you think. Now it does need to be something that can be managed, and something that is fun. And not all classes have to work the same. You could have some classes that use cooldowns and mana, and others that use focus points and energy, and still others that are cooldowns and mana and focus. The key is balancing them so that they are fair in risk/reward.
It doesnt have to be only those type of extra levels of gameplay either. I really liked Corsair from XI with the card draws and dice rolls that needed to be managed and actively countered when you got a bad hand or roll. A fun class designed around the RNG being the "resource" that has to be managed lol. But more than anything else I want Pantheon to give me strategy and not rotations. Something to build toward or save up. And having different layers to combat can go a long ways in that direction.
Im also not sure why Vjek so strongly wants pets to be only a certain way. Im sorry but I see no reason why I pet cant contribute to say 80% of a players dps, etc. It doesnt have to mean that they are on autopilot and dont have to have any skill. Persistent pets should be fine with the right mechanics in place to make sure the balance of having them all the time makes them where they arent OP. Especially if its a true pet class and not just a class that happens to have a pet (putting more strict limitations on those I can understand more). Im not really a pet class kind of guy, but if I did want to play one it would probably piss me off that my pet only contributed a minor part of my overall gameplay. The idea of the pet class is you are 2 characters in 1. In some classes it might be appropriate for player/pet contribution to be 20/80, in other classes 80/20. Understand Im not specifically saying you are wrong or that Transient only pet classes are bad. I just think there is room for both.
@Evoras thanks for including Bard and Necro as well! ^.^
P.S Brad also said that we should look at the idea and not how it was implemented in another game. It might be true it sucked in EQ2 (no idea), but that doesnt mean it has to suck in Pantheon.
I always thought pet classes were great. EQ1 mage and Necro are awesome to say the least.
I like the ideas shared above.
I always wondered why pets weren't part of the "spell" line up. The conjurer would summon a pet with a certain ability like Stun, Root, Slow etc.
The pet would last X amount a time ( I am no developer so someone would have to fill in the holes in my idea)
it could be where you have one pet up at a time, or 2 or 3 ( again, a developer would have to take my feeble idea and fill in the massive holes and make the mechanics work)
Say it's 1 pet a time. The pet last ... 1 min. it does dmg and also does its other job, root, stun etc
While the pet is up, the summoner uses other dps spells, Fire lash, fire bombs etc, whatever spells, doesn't matter. The summoner could keep a single pet out at all times, but he has to re summon a new pet once per minute.(or two min, whatever, I still need holes filled here, just an example) If you had a stun pet out and knew your were going to need root or slow (whatever ability the pet has) you could go ahead and cast the new pet, it would just unsummon the current pet. etc. Maybe even have a pet that just comes out and buffs and or heals for 1 min. or some other specific task. Maybe the mage could summon a pet that siphons mana (does Very low dps) but acts like Clarity while that pet is active.
What I am getting at, pet class in EQ1 could camp a spawn for you while you were afk. with having to summon them repeatedly like any other dmg spell, it keeps people from afk mob camping.
Maybe have a sacrifice spell that causes the pet to explode for AE dmg. it could also give the summoner a buff something like Hero (wow shaman) to the caster or group, but they wouldn't be able to resummon another pet for 1 or 2 min (cool down)
Or a Pet with a LONG cool down that would Tank for X amount of time if the tank went down or a pet that would group heal for 1 min if the cleric went down etc. again, long cool down on the "oh-****" save the group type pets. The heal pet would only heal, and do no dps at all. The tank pet would be Very minor dps, but would taunt like mad.
Idea 2:
You still have to summon pets, and they could be a timed pet, like above, or perma pets, but if you summon Water, you can only cast water/ice spells while that pet was active. Water and Ice type pets would still be good at a particular thing such as slow movement or attack speed. If you summon a Fire pet, you have good single tartget or good AE damage, and it would also cast a fire damage shield on players within X feet of the pet that last for 10 seconds. If you summon an earth, you can cast earth based spells and the pet would snare or root. etc. The caster could would "take on" a spell line up that would also shift that player to being 'like' their pet. Water Mage would be slowing or AE dmg. A Fire line would be the best DPS, but not do much dps to Fire based mobs. Etc. (something negative, for every positive)
(that's another thing that should be added, Fire should do less dps to fire based mobs, Water/Ice should do less to cold based mobs etc) they should also have to fight against the elements in the world.
Kind of, sort of like Elementist in GW2.
You get the idea. again. its a poor idea that would need, someone who understands class developement, to fill in the massive wrongs and tweak it to feel right.
necro could follow along the lines of warlock demonology where pets are summoned, sometimes in numbers, and then sacificed for DMG.
For the Necro, maybe have some spells that cost Caster Hit points, and they would have to summon pets to siphon life (that transfers to the caster) while they cast those spells.
This would keep pet classes where they couldn't sit and watch TV while they hit tab to target, send pet and AFK. they would regularly be resummoning pets for this or that.
It's ok to disagree with me and this whole idea, but there is no reason to be mean, or knee-jerk respond that if I want things like GW2 or WoW, i should play those games. nor do I need a lecture on how bad my idea is. However, feel free to take my idea and turn it into something that makes more sense.
I am just adding my thoughts, I didn't claim they were a good idea, or the best idea, just simply AN idea. I am looking for a new spin on summoner classes that keep mages/necro from sleeping at the keyboard while everyone else does all the work.
Side Note:
So far, for taking a class idea and making it something special; the Cloromancer in Rift is the cats meow. Its a DPS class with 2 actual target heals,(think one is a HoT and the other is a direct heal) and then group heals a % of their dps they do. (with certain spells)
Not a pure heal class, just a support class. (you would still need a Main healer) Not as powerful as full blown wizard type DPS, but a wizard can't help with minor healing or spot heals either.
I would like to see some originality like that on the mage/necro classes.
This wasn't thought out, this is late night ramblings after a long day. My post will never be as good as the OP.
@Evoras
Nice presentation.
Now I want a kicking warhorse!
Naim said:Idea 2:
You still have to summon pets, and they could be a timed pet, like above, or perma pets, but if you summon Water, you can only cast water/ice spells while that pet was active. Water and Ice type pets would still be good at a particular thing such as slow movement or attack speed. If you summon a Fire pet, you have good single tartget or good AE damage, and it would also cast a fire damage shield on players within X feet of the pet that last for 10 seconds. If you summon an earth, you can cast earth based spells and the pet would snare or root. etc. The caster could would "take on" a spell line up that would also shift that player to being 'like' their pet. Water Mage would be slowing or AE dmg. A Fire line would be the best DPS, but not do much dps to Fire based mobs. Etc. (something negative, for every positive)
(that's another thing that should be added, Fire should do less dps to fire based mobs, Water/Ice should do less to cold based mobs etc) they should also have to fight against the elements in the world.
Relly great and well presented ideas . Compliments !
Pushing it into details of class specialization is excellent . Class and race differentiation is one of the corner stones of Pantheon . You could actually add a table showing differences between races and not only classes .
I found it quite enlightening and consistent . Indeed managing a pet needs some energy and concentration costs . So it makes sense that if you make something else, you are less able to manage a pet .
Of course the devil being in detail, it has to be balanced to avoid that something gets too overpowered . Also we are used to permanent summoned pets (as opposed to charmed pets which can break) so that the duration for pet master classes (necromancer etc) should be reasonably long (certainly longer than 30 or 40 minutes) .
Only a very minor point . An undead is by definition an animated dead so the necromancer does technically 2 things . First he needs something that is already dead (a bone,a skeleton, a corpse) then he uses his craft to animate it and to bind it to his will to do his bidding . That's why I don't understand your distinction between dead and undead . The former is just an inert piece of matter which is the raw material for the necromancer while the latter is the finished product of his art . If the necromancer removes his animation spell, the undead reverts again just to dead matter . So what you are saying for the Dire Lord (animating dead) is basically the same thing as what you are saying for the Necromancer (creating undead) . Or perhaps I am missing something .
Deadshade said:...An undead is by definition an animated dead ...
In a nutshell,
'Dead' is any dead matter (Corpse, Skeleton, bone)
'Undead' is 'Dead' matter that has been imbued with power/energy to animate
Thus, the Dire Lord merely imbues (short term, fading) energy to animate the dead. When this energy bleeds off, all that is left is a corpse with little to no residual energy.
The Necromancer, in looking for material to replenish his pet, can use :
'dead' material, with little/no residual energy in it
'undead' material, still powered by appreciable force/energy
The latter is a much richer source of energy, since it contains animating energy.
NB: All the undead make by the Necromancer (apart from by the T3 'Force Dead') are permanent undead!
EDIT: Missed a point you made.
PS a Necro Master Pet, on my rough tables, would last 15-20 mins per focus point (90-100 focus points for T6 pet). This would be, say at least 15x90 mins = 22-33 Hours.
After this time, the pet will go, leaving the necro to have to recover the 90-100 focus (about 90 x 3 = 270 mins, or 4.5 hours). Since the Neco has 60 focus left, though (150 max - 90 for the pet he had)... he could create a new pet after regainaing only a further 30-40 focus (30-40 x3 = 90-120 mins = 1.5-2 Hours). This assumes he has no spells/buffs to enhance focus regen.
Good post.
>And I have to disagree with Vjek in the keep it simple department<
I both agree and disagree. On the one hand it is definitely good to have some classes fairly complex - difficult even - a challenge to play well.
On the other hand I think some classes should be able to be played with considerably less effort and ....what is a good word for this thread .....focus. Firstly as a good class for the altoholic that may want the class available to fill a need in groups sometimes but doesn't play it 24/7. Secondly for the more casual player - casual doesn't mean bad person and their money helps the game as much as ours does - this forum has a lot of dedicated people which is nice but the game also needs the less dedicated. Thirdly some of us simply aren't as good as others and a class a player can play effectively with slower reflexes, worse vision, sub-mensa level intelligence etc is a good thing to have. I say "effectively" not optimally if a better player can get more out of the class good but every MMO needs one or two "one-button" classes.
None of which is intended to disagree with the OP a pet class doesn't need to be the "one button" class but we definitely should have one IMO.
Amsai said: ... Im also not sure why Vjek so strongly wants pets to be only a certain way. Im sorry but I see no reason why I pet cant contribute to say 80% of a players dps, etc. It doesnt have to mean that they are on autopilot and dont have to have any skill. Persistent pets should be fine with the right mechanics in place to make sure the balance of having them all the time makes them where they arent OP. Especially if its a true pet class and not just a class that happens to have a pet (putting more strict limitations on those I can understand more). Im not really a pet class kind of guy, but if I did want to play one it would probably piss me off that my pet only contributed a minor part of my overall gameplay. The idea of the pet class is you are 2 characters in 1. In some classes it might be appropriate for player/pet contribution to be 20/80, in other classes 80/20. Understand Im not specifically saying you are wrong or that Transient only pet classes are bad. I just think there is room for both....
P.S Brad also said that we should look at the idea and not how it was implemented in another game. It might be true it sucked in EQ2 (no idea), but that doesnt mean it has to suck in Pantheon.
I'll expand a bit, because without context, it might seem like I'm just offering a strongly worded opinion with no historical evidence. Quite the contray. :)
Ask anyone today who playes on EQ1 Live about "mage armies" or ask anyone today who plays on EQ1 TLP about "6box mage groups".
Mage pets are a server side entity. They don't suffer from latency, or distraction, or imperfection, or greed, or selfishness, or hunger, or thirst, or any of those other things that make other human players... well, human. As a result, they are absolutely PERFECT at their job.
Put simply, six mages (with six pets) can consume content meant for 8-12 people, today. In any game that has pets that you can command, this is true and will always be true, due to them being server side entities.
Slide around the logic all you want (and wow, lots of people do) but Pet classes are always, inevitably, more powerful than non pet classes. Beastlords, Enchanters, Necromancers, Magicians. All of those? Their pets replace, entirely, more than one role of another player in a group. Pets can tank, DPS, and CC. And they can do it all better than a player, because they're a server side entity. No player should ever be rewarded for doing nothing. Pet classes are rewarded for doing nothing, every day, all day. Active participation should carry the greatest reward, not being AFK with your Pet on Guard or Aggressive.
Now, it's true, you can make pets weak, to begin with. But until a pet can Tank, DPS, and CC, they are seen as "useless" by all classes that rely on them. I completely understand that Pantheon is not EQ1.
I'll say that again so there's no mistake: I completely understand Pantheon is not EQ1. However, people are still the same. Paying customers are still the same. The requests to buff pets will be never ending until the devs give in. Has happened before, will happen again. Visionary Realms, from their public statements to date, are very pro-pet.
So, that's why I'm so down on pet classes (and summoners in Pantheon) because of the above. I've played a Magician, and it was by far the most overpowered class I've ever played, in EQ1 in 2002 or 2017. The emphasis Brad put on pets has me quite concerned that everyone will/may/might have a combat capable pet. I don't want to play a game where everyone has a pet. I don't want to play a game where a pet can replace the role of another player. It cheapens the value of human contribution to my entertainment experience. I'm not paying to play with pets. I'm paying to play with other people.
Having said all that, if this is really their intent? To go full on OP-Mode with Summoners and/or combat pets? Then I'll play one and post logs, parses, screenshots and videos showing how absurdly OP they are until they're nerfed back to where they should be. All to avoid the plague of Mage Armies that is the reality of EQ1 today and any other game that has combat pets in it.
True, mages in EQ are a strong and at the same time quite straigthtforward class, but especially at higher levels you will quickly run against a wall if you try to solo level appropriate content with them. Its not the mage or the pet that are overpowered, its PLAYERS putting six of them into a group and boxing them through macros. So an argument should rather be made how to prevent multiboxing (if that's at all possible), or how to make the mage class more engaging than "send pet, nuke mob until dead". I'm all for ideas that work toward that goal :)
If you make it where a strong pet IS the class essentially, I think it can be done. The PC controlling them could have all their skills revolve around a complex and active management system. No direct skills that dps or heal (other than pet heals maybe). You could also have things like pet stances, and positioning matter. As well as smart AI that might go after the PC rather than their pet. They can build in weaknesses or limitations to mitigate any supposed OPness as well. Lastly, like other MMOs they could also make it where after 10 mins of inactivity or no direct input the game autologs you out so no playing AFK. Just a few ideas.
Also as Sarim said multiboxing is a whole other issue. And I think if it became a major problem VR would likely do something more active against it. But the current plan is to make it technically hard to even be able too. If you couple this with difficult content and active pet controls, I doubt people will be able to multibox pet classes let alone something more straight forward like melee dps.
@Vjek
Im not a big fan of pet classses either. At least personally. I dont plan on playing one. And whie I dont want to see pet classes everywhere, Im only really concerned with not every class having combat pets. If other classes have non combat pets (scouting, passive enhancements, fetching etc), Then Im not really that concerned.
What if you had direct control of your pet while you were channeling it and your actual character just stood still focusing.
While you are controlling the pet you can use a full array of special attacks and the pet does as much damage or utility as a player character would do... specialized depending on the pet.
As soon as you toggle off the focus you regain control of your character and the pet goes back into its normal commandable state without all the bonus you would get for focusing on it.
This would be kind of cool because the different pets could represent differing playstyles like rogue pet, tank pet, caster pet... making mages the extremely versatile class I would like to picture them as.
Maybe this is a bad idea... just throwing it out there as more of a question.
Thanks,
Kiz~
I like the idea of resource management while dealing with pets. I am aso a big fan of limiting players in a sensible way based on what their character could or could not be expected to do with reasonable levels of attention/focus. I also really like when folks really put some effort into their ideas and spend some time thinking, which I know you do every time.
Is it your goal to have a system where people have prescribed builds for various tasks? Say you're tracking and hunting, then you break out x, y, z to maximize your focus usage. When you move on to raiding you switch to a, b, and c to maximize your focus usage. Would you prefer to have a system where players don't have premedidated focus optimizing builds? I don't think there's necessarily a right or wrong answer, just wondering. I kind of like that your system is static, so that it doesn't compete with existing systems of mana/stamina.
A couple of suggestions that are not necessarily well suited to your vision, given that my knowledge of that is limited.
1) Advanced combat abilities could have soft focus requirements to cast. If you don't have enough focus (say 20 for a complete heal), then your fizzle chance, mana cost, or cast time is increased for that spell.
2) Focus savings could be applied for tasks of a similar thread. Say one rock or water elemental costs 30 focus. Two rock elementals could cost 45 focus, but having both one rock and one water up simultaneously would take 60 focus. I'm not endorsing multi-pet classes, just trying to introduce a concept.
3) Time-dependent focus requirements could be introduced if you don't want a static system. Perhaps maintaining your undead pet becomes increasingly difficult over time as it loses its bones and meat to the rigors of combat and travel? Perhaps your wolf becomes increasingly attached to its master over time and so keeping it under control takes less focus over time?
Angrykiz said:What if you had direct control of your pet while you were channeling it and your actual character just stood still focusing.
I've pondered this concept in the past and it seems like a clear solution to the issue of pet balance alongside the player, but it has its downsides. Your body is a dead (or at least mindless) weight, making the use of this mechanic highly situational. You can't really participate in any fights that require even infrequent motion due to mechanics or you have to break the spell constantly. I had thought of a slightly different alternative to try and alleviate this issue and make the experience a little more immersive.
Mind Swap: You take control (POV and all) of your summoned pet's body, but your pet's mind is transferred to your body. You have the ability to play as the summoned pet (elemental, wolf, whatever) and command your true body as you would a pet. You can command your body (enabled by the pet's mind) to follow, attack, and stay (maybe a simple spell too).
Ainadak said: Is it your goal to have a system where people have prescribed builds for various tasks? ...
The initial idea was to see if I provide access to pets (in the style Brad suggested) without having to redraft all existing work they will have done. To that end I used a new resource, Focus. This will have added another resource to manage and so make a 'single best/optimum configuration' method less likely to exist. It would be about what is best for your play-style, group and encounter...
Chanter in area with few adds + charmable mobs : perhaps charming a mob is best ... perhaps not ...
Necro in undead-rich area might opt to get more tanky with his pet (soooo much fresh meat about!)
Ainadak said: 1) Advanced combat abilities could have soft focus requirements to cast. If you don't have enough focus (say 20 for a complete heal), then your fizzle chance, mana cost, or cast time is increased for that spell.
It was always an idea to have certain action types and abilities cost focus. The fleshed out version would have had Summoner, Necro classes needing their pet out for certain spells to be castable (or reduced focus to make them viable) and Cleric types needing their pet out for the best versions of rez/long-duration-buffs or iconish spell/ability lines ... all of which eat into their focus. But it isn't essential ... up to the player to determine route to success.
Ainadak said: 2) Focus savings could be applied for tasks of a similar thread. Say one rock or water elemental costs 30 focus. Two rock elementals could cost 45 focus, but having both one rock and one water up simultaneously would take 60 focus. I'm not endorsing multi-pet classes, just trying to introduce a concept.
I like the idea of synergy .... having summoner's master pet out may be needed to cast 'mini-pet' versions of small spells (which detach from the master pet). Thus the summoner's full arsenal isnt available unless pet is out.... this is what would define Necro/Summoner as only true pet classes.
Ainadak said: 3) Time-dependent focus requirements could be introduced if you don't want a static system. Perhaps maintaining your undead pet becomes increasingly difficult over time as it loses its bones and meat to the rigors of combat and travel? Perhaps your wolf becomes increasingly attached to its master over time and so keeping it under control takes less focus over time?
There has to be a downside for pet usage.... I tried to incorporate this for all the non-'true pet' classes in one way or another. Even true pet classes must have built-in limitations! Your suggestions are the kind of thing you would have to put in place for balance.
Angrykiz said: What if you had direct control of your pet while you were channeling it and your actual character just stood still focusing.
I was leaning more towards having pet out being ok... but when you use its powers to do something (beyond your usual without pet) you are 'concentrating' and so reduce your movement rate dramatically. In the case of Cleric-rez with pet or any higher pet-ability interactions for Necro/Summoner I would have the pet locked to a fixed location. Think of a cannon ... it can be in packed 'carriage-mode' for movement or 'unpacked mode' ready to fire. The latter would mean it is static. Not exactly a great analogy, but hopefully you get my point.
PS I tried to build in restrictions on usage for all the pets i mentioned, but this was a 'rough-out' so apologies if I missed anything.
Maybe what was considered a broken mechanic in the past can be ...reanimated....(necro's are so-*makes a rabbit face*)
ADD the broken mechanic to my initial misunderstanding and we may have something.
Broken mechanic: I dont know if any of you remember that mage pets could go "rogue". Early on in EQ if you hit them with spells or too many rains they would turn on you and if you were in a group everyone would have to kill the pet. Maybe this "broken" mechanic can be re-imagined and part of the "focus" idea Evoras was speaking about- with a twist. The twist being, if you summoned a pet and lost focus- you would essentially have summoned a new creature in the world possibly your level- with a sudden hate for the person who summoned it and all that are grouped with the summoner. Only when the group died or left the zone would the pet then vanish- having no focus for its ire.
My initial misunderstanding: Imagine starting in Erudin, and no one is around so you have to figure things out for yourself and you have a good imagination- thats why you picked the game- heh. Imagine being a mage knowing you use pets and needing to choose a deity- and also imagine understanding basic faction. So, what did I make of the "Heretics"?. The fact that there were "heretics" which I hated because they all seemed to find me and kill me posibly beCAUSE of my choice in deity, made the whole religious aspect of the game bigger in my mind than it actually was. not only town faction, but also deity faction. (I hope it plays a big role in pantheon). The question 'heretics of what?' was in my mind, but there as no in game quests or lore to support it and then-
"abandoned heretic pets": This was my actual thought process: Mages have pets. Pets poof on zoning. why? if a mage zones and the pet poofs is it because the pet stays in the old zone with no master and then becomes "abandoned"?. Also, there being so many heretics, this abandoned pet could then be accosted by a heretic NPC, and it stands to reason that the heretic NPC would prosletize to the pet behind the scenes. The pet, having little or no mental acuity or will, then becomes a heretic from the prosletization, making the pet also a heretic to the deity of the original summoner. Hence my conception as to the creation of "abandoned, heretic, pet"s as opposed to merely abandoned pets. I truly believed it was because I zoned and did not reclaim energy on my pet that was the cause for the population of abandoned heretic pets in toxx forest and more importantly- why the spell "reclaim energy" existed because I tried using it in battle when I did not undertsand it and ended up dying and wondering where the elemental went- got mana, though.Fat lot of good that did haha!.