just checked the ebay prices of the newest TCG pets, Spectral Tiger Cub and Tuskarr Kite. i'm trying very hard not to submit any bids. even though some of the kites are going for less than $40. there are even a couple going for less than $20 (non-buy-out though). nearly all of the tiger cubs are in the hundreds, both bids and buy-out. T_T
attempting to put it out of sight, out of mind. i will NOT buy these two... awesome... wonderful... cute... new pets.
my heart is being ripped and shred into pieces right now, i'm so torn.
in all honesty, i shouldn't even be checking out the prices on ANY TCG pets. but what can i say? curiosity killed the cat.
i definitely do not have the income to support that type of luxury. hell, i haven't even started christmas shopping yet! maybe i'll ask santa...
you cannot afford to buy TCG pets. you cannot afford to buy TCG pets. *repeats the mantra*
/headdesk
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Pet of the Week - Bombay Cat
after all the excitement of this week, this version of pet of the week will be short and sweet.
the bombay cat was one of the first vendor pets that i bought in bulk. there's a total of 6 vendor kitties, and i'm not ashamed to say that i bought all of them all at once. (and this was before pets were learnable, so that meant 6 bag slots taken up by my feline friends >_<)
why i love it
it's quite possibly the best pet to have out during halloween (other than the sinister squashling, that is). the bombay cat matches perfectly with my witch costume!
i also love the way stinker pines endlessly for this pet. i'm sure this confuses the hell out of the bombay though, heh.
what i would change
is there anything to change? this pet is a classic. it's model is very vanilla-style WoW, so it would be a shame if it was changed too much. if anything, i would give it an additional idle animation. maybe have it lick its paws and groom itself at random moments. how cute would that be? :)
overall it's sleek model and coloring make it a perfect companion for halloween, and it's classic-ness make it wonderful pet all year round. i wonder if the perky pug will agree? *cough*dog+cat=new animation?*cough* just a suggestion... ^_~
the bombay cat was one of the first vendor pets that i bought in bulk. there's a total of 6 vendor kitties, and i'm not ashamed to say that i bought all of them all at once. (and this was before pets were learnable, so that meant 6 bag slots taken up by my feline friends >_<)
why i love it
it's quite possibly the best pet to have out during halloween (other than the sinister squashling, that is). the bombay cat matches perfectly with my witch costume!
i also love the way stinker pines endlessly for this pet. i'm sure this confuses the hell out of the bombay though, heh.
what i would change
is there anything to change? this pet is a classic. it's model is very vanilla-style WoW, so it would be a shame if it was changed too much. if anything, i would give it an additional idle animation. maybe have it lick its paws and groom itself at random moments. how cute would that be? :)
overall it's sleek model and coloring make it a perfect companion for halloween, and it's classic-ness make it wonderful pet all year round. i wonder if the perky pug will agree? *cough*dog+cat=new animation?*cough* just a suggestion... ^_~
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Pet of the Week - Teldrassil Sproutling
with all the excitement of new pets, i completely forgot to do a pet of the week write up. older pets get very little love compared to the newer, shinier ones. :(
this week's pet of the week is the teldrassil sproutling. since i'm a night elf, the first vendor that opened up to me was the darnassus one, making the sproutling my first argent tournament pet. when i first saw previews of it, i remember thinking to myself 'it's going to be like a mini-me on a leash! how awkwardly cute!'
why i love it
it's a mini-me! i can't even begin to count how many minutes or hours i've wasted just sitting in dalaran in tree form with the sproutling out. we play a game of sorts. it dances, so i dance! it sleeps, so i sleep! it's like follow the leader, except when i plot to take over the world. then i become the leader and my mimi-me follows. ^^
what i would change
is there anything i would want to change about this pet? it's already animated and graphically pleasing. i guess the only thing i can think of would be an on click vocalization. perhaps the tree-like grunt that us bark-wearing-folk make whenever we go into tree form. :P
the teldrassil sproutling is definitely one of my favorites in the argent tournament collection, but the grind for 40 seals isn't an activity that i'd repeat. that's ok, though. i have my one sproutling and that's more than i could ask for. besides, he won't be leaving my side any time soon. us trees, we gotta stick together yenno. lol.
this week's pet of the week is the teldrassil sproutling. since i'm a night elf, the first vendor that opened up to me was the darnassus one, making the sproutling my first argent tournament pet. when i first saw previews of it, i remember thinking to myself 'it's going to be like a mini-me on a leash! how awkwardly cute!'
why i love it
it's a mini-me! i can't even begin to count how many minutes or hours i've wasted just sitting in dalaran in tree form with the sproutling out. we play a game of sorts. it dances, so i dance! it sleeps, so i sleep! it's like follow the leader, except when i plot to take over the world. then i become the leader and my mimi-me follows. ^^
what i would change
is there anything i would want to change about this pet? it's already animated and graphically pleasing. i guess the only thing i can think of would be an on click vocalization. perhaps the tree-like grunt that us bark-wearing-folk make whenever we go into tree form. :P
the teldrassil sproutling is definitely one of my favorites in the argent tournament collection, but the grind for 40 seals isn't an activity that i'd repeat. that's ok, though. i have my one sproutling and that's more than i could ask for. besides, he won't be leaving my side any time soon. us trees, we gotta stick together yenno. lol.
One Lucky Night
update: 728 PM, Sunday evening
indeed the plump turkey is a strange one...
combine it with fire and you get dinner. combine it with the spring rabbit and you get... cross species mating. O_o
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two pets in one night; so EXCITING!
the onyxian whelpling is everything that one could hope for. a miniature version of an in-game creature (a boss, no less!), cute in an ugly sort of way, and s/he even "deep breaths" just like mommy! well, ok... not really. the whelpling's just 'blowing smoke' so to speak :P
and after three and a half hours of carefully planned daily/achievement grinding, the plump turkey is now in my possession. he's a bit suicidal though, the poor guy. thank you to a certain someone for all the help in getting this pet :) (ps: orc rogues are a damn rarity on my server!)
all in all, i'm pretty impressed by these two new pets. they both have very unique animations and skins/graphics, and are both equally adorable (although the whelpling's cute in its own way). either blizzard's taking the hint on how to make vanity pets more enjoyable, or critter companions have taken over the blizzard hq and are now designing the in-game creatures to their own liking! ^^;
indeed the plump turkey is a strange one...
combine it with fire and you get dinner. combine it with the spring rabbit and you get... cross species mating. O_o
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two pets in one night; so EXCITING!
the onyxian whelpling is everything that one could hope for. a miniature version of an in-game creature (a boss, no less!), cute in an ugly sort of way, and s/he even "deep breaths" just like mommy! well, ok... not really. the whelpling's just 'blowing smoke' so to speak :P
and after three and a half hours of carefully planned daily/achievement grinding, the plump turkey is now in my possession. he's a bit suicidal though, the poor guy. thank you to a certain someone for all the help in getting this pet :) (ps: orc rogues are a damn rarity on my server!)
all in all, i'm pretty impressed by these two new pets. they both have very unique animations and skins/graphics, and are both equally adorable (although the whelpling's cute in its own way). either blizzard's taking the hint on how to make vanity pets more enjoyable, or critter companions have taken over the blizzard hq and are now designing the in-game creatures to their own liking! ^^;
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Turkey Time's Almost Here!
sorta. the in-game turkey, yes. still half a week before the real thing, which i'm grateful for. so much to do in so little time, leaves me feeling pretty anxious and stressed.
it doesn't help that there are still some unclear things about the Pilgrim's Bounty achievements. there would definitely be less worry on my shoulders if i knew the details of this new seasonal event. but i'm the rare type of person that enjoys reading the end of a story before ever starting it, so i don't expect blizzard to make all aspects of new events readily available.
some things that i haven't been able to uncover:
i DID find out that there will be an NPC in stormwind who offers a quest (possibly a chain) to learn all the thanksgiving recipes. the thanksgiving celebrants direct you to this NPC who then goes on about how to cook special dishes, etc. whether or not he will actually make the recipes readily available or send you off on some long winded adventure to purchase/find the recipes, i don't know yet. i'm hoping for the former.
after all that's said and done, the plump turkey will be mine!! *cackles evilly* uh, yea. :P but seriously, ever since i saw the turkeys in howling fjord, i knew i had to have one. i hope blizzard added in a neat little animation or emote to the turkey. perhaps a juicy, sizzling sound followed by a cooking timer ding? heh.
so here's to a busy busy weekend/week. i'll be doing lots of baking IRL and in-game, too bad only the food IRL tastes as good as it looks. :P
it doesn't help that there are still some unclear things about the Pilgrim's Bounty achievements. there would definitely be less worry on my shoulders if i knew the details of this new seasonal event. but i'm the rare type of person that enjoys reading the end of a story before ever starting it, so i don't expect blizzard to make all aspects of new events readily available.
some things that i haven't been able to uncover:
- where to get/purchase: Turkey Shooter, Pilgrim's Hat, Pilgrim's Dress/Robe/Attire
- where each city's (horde and alliance) Bountiful Table will be located
- whether or not the dailies will be made available all at once, and you'll just have to pick one to do each day or if the dailies will be made random and only offered once per day
i DID find out that there will be an NPC in stormwind who offers a quest (possibly a chain) to learn all the thanksgiving recipes. the thanksgiving celebrants direct you to this NPC who then goes on about how to cook special dishes, etc. whether or not he will actually make the recipes readily available or send you off on some long winded adventure to purchase/find the recipes, i don't know yet. i'm hoping for the former.
after all that's said and done, the plump turkey will be mine!! *cackles evilly* uh, yea. :P but seriously, ever since i saw the turkeys in howling fjord, i knew i had to have one. i hope blizzard added in a neat little animation or emote to the turkey. perhaps a juicy, sizzling sound followed by a cooking timer ding? heh.
so here's to a busy busy weekend/week. i'll be doing lots of baking IRL and in-game, too bad only the food IRL tastes as good as it looks. :P
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Lists for Life
i'm a huge "to-do-list" fan. it saves me the time and headache of trying to remember all things that need to be remembered. perhaps that's why warcraftpets.com is such a great site for me. i can keep track of the pets that i have, and then monitor which ones i need to get.
but the one thing that it doesn't have is a way to track a wish list (which i may add is probably for the best since it's so easy to say 'my wish list contains all pets'... which is kind of ridiculous and defeats the purpose of a wish list in general). so rather than write it down on random scraps of paper that i'll lose in a matter of moments, i decided to add it here.
i know i've said the TCG pets are none of my concern, but let's be honest. sure, i can't afford the $50+ for any of the TCG companions, but does that mean i don't want any of them, period? hell no. "not having the means" does not equal to "not being interested." everyone, regardless if they are able to buy them or not, would love to have their very own set of TCG pets.
so there's that list. a rather short and simple one because lists weren't meant to be enormous. if that were the case, we'd never have to remember anything on our own ever again. except maybe where we stuck the giant list...
like i said, i like lists. simple, to the point, and up-to-date.
but the one thing that it doesn't have is a way to track a wish list (which i may add is probably for the best since it's so easy to say 'my wish list contains all pets'... which is kind of ridiculous and defeats the purpose of a wish list in general). so rather than write it down on random scraps of paper that i'll lose in a matter of moments, i decided to add it here.
i know i've said the TCG pets are none of my concern, but let's be honest. sure, i can't afford the $50+ for any of the TCG companions, but does that mean i don't want any of them, period? hell no. "not having the means" does not equal to "not being interested." everyone, regardless if they are able to buy them or not, would love to have their very own set of TCG pets.
so there's that list. a rather short and simple one because lists weren't meant to be enormous. if that were the case, we'd never have to remember anything on our own ever again. except maybe where we stuck the giant list...
like i said, i like lists. simple, to the point, and up-to-date.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sorry, You've Been Benched
much to my disappointment, there is still no news or update on the Toxic Wasteling that was datamined from the PTR. judging from the datamined abilities, it sounded as if it was going to be a Disgusting Oozeling doped up on drugs. how awesome would that be? the oozeling and wasteling could even go on play dates together.
with so little news on this potentially new pet, and considering how far the along testing is on the PTR, it's likely that the wasteling won't make it to live servers this time around. (or blizzard's being sneaky, those sly devs.)
it's hard to say for sure, though. there have been many PTR companions that never went live. some even already had a vendor, a vendor price, an icon, a summon spell, etc, but it just wasn't meant to be. some examples are the Baby Shark and the XS-001 Constructor Bot. both wonderful ideas for vanity pets, imo, yet they never reached live servers for one reason or another. i guess even GMs need something unique to parade around with while they do their in-game duties? ;)
so i'm still hoping and waiting, but i don't think i'll hold my breath. in the long run, maybe it's better that one doesn't make the cut. i have my plate pretty full already, and yenno what they say about your eyes being bigger than your stomach, yea? heh.
with so little news on this potentially new pet, and considering how far the along testing is on the PTR, it's likely that the wasteling won't make it to live servers this time around. (or blizzard's being sneaky, those sly devs.)
it's hard to say for sure, though. there have been many PTR companions that never went live. some even already had a vendor, a vendor price, an icon, a summon spell, etc, but it just wasn't meant to be. some examples are the Baby Shark and the XS-001 Constructor Bot. both wonderful ideas for vanity pets, imo, yet they never reached live servers for one reason or another. i guess even GMs need something unique to parade around with while they do their in-game duties? ;)
so i'm still hoping and waiting, but i don't think i'll hold my breath. in the long run, maybe it's better that one doesn't make the cut. i have my plate pretty full already, and yenno what they say about your eyes being bigger than your stomach, yea? heh.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
How Much is that Doggy in the Window?
mmo just confirmed that the Perky Pug is the reward for Looking For Multitudes achievement.
in an ideal situation, where each person you randomly are grouped with is new and different AND all the pugs you join using the dungeon tool are a success, a single person would need to run 25 pugs before receiving the pet. but when has anything ever been an ideal situation? lol.
i know i'm going to have to run more. the main tank of my guild is actually interested in getting the perky pug (now THAT'S rare), so instead of 25 groups, my total is looking more like 34. not including the possible fail runs and possible grouping with the same pugs over and over again.
this achievement looks like it's going to take a bit of work. or not. it all falls to RNG yet again. i'm crossing my fingers for an ideal situation... even though i'm not an idealist.
Looking For Multitudesagain, i must nit-pick the wording of this achievement. it explicitly states "finish" random heroic dungeons. according to blizzard an instance is "finished" only after the last boss is killed. so that means any partially or nearly finished pug groups won't count, unless someone from the PTR can provide evidence otherwise.
Use the Dungeon tool to finish random heroic dungeons until you have grouped with 100 random players total.
in an ideal situation, where each person you randomly are grouped with is new and different AND all the pugs you join using the dungeon tool are a success, a single person would need to run 25 pugs before receiving the pet. but when has anything ever been an ideal situation? lol.
i know i'm going to have to run more. the main tank of my guild is actually interested in getting the perky pug (now THAT'S rare), so instead of 25 groups, my total is looking more like 34. not including the possible fail runs and possible grouping with the same pugs over and over again.
this achievement looks like it's going to take a bit of work. or not. it all falls to RNG yet again. i'm crossing my fingers for an ideal situation... even though i'm not an idealist.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Pet of the Week - Nether Ray Fry
the nether ray fry is one of the few TBC reputation pets. i remember when news of it came from the PTR, i immediately began grinding sha'tari skyguard rep. not that it was difficult, just a little tedious and boring. the extra effort was totally worth it.
why i love it
it flies with me now! i love the fact that blizzard changed it so that it flies along side with you rather than staying grounded. if i had bought one of the nether ray mounts, it would have definitely made a very cute picture; a big nether ray with a mini one flying side by side.
i also adore this pet because, let's face it, how could you NOT like miniature versions of in-game creatures?!
what i would change
much like the crimson snake, which was last week's random pet of the week, i would give the nether ray fry an on-click sound as well as an animation. what does a nether ray do in its spare time though? animating this companion may be a tad difficult since i can't even think of a possible animation to give it! perhaps a little spin as it hovers and idles around. or make it do barrel rolls as it attempts to chase its own tail ^_~
another change i would add is a different color upon each summon. take a look at all the possible nether ray mount colors! why settle for one when you could have the same pet of many colors?! surely the mounts will have babies, and those babies of varied color could be tamed, domesticated, and turned into vanity pets, yea? :3
i'll be honest, i don't take this pet out as much as i should. it's cute and worthy of some attention every now and then. i almost feel bad about the nether ray fry because it got so little glory in TBC and still is only recognized only when my random pet macro summons it. maybe if some changes were added, this companion would gain some popularity.
why i love it
it flies with me now! i love the fact that blizzard changed it so that it flies along side with you rather than staying grounded. if i had bought one of the nether ray mounts, it would have definitely made a very cute picture; a big nether ray with a mini one flying side by side.
i also adore this pet because, let's face it, how could you NOT like miniature versions of in-game creatures?!
what i would change
much like the crimson snake, which was last week's random pet of the week, i would give the nether ray fry an on-click sound as well as an animation. what does a nether ray do in its spare time though? animating this companion may be a tad difficult since i can't even think of a possible animation to give it! perhaps a little spin as it hovers and idles around. or make it do barrel rolls as it attempts to chase its own tail ^_~
another change i would add is a different color upon each summon. take a look at all the possible nether ray mount colors! why settle for one when you could have the same pet of many colors?! surely the mounts will have babies, and those babies of varied color could be tamed, domesticated, and turned into vanity pets, yea? :3
i'll be honest, i don't take this pet out as much as i should. it's cute and worthy of some attention every now and then. i almost feel bad about the nether ray fry because it got so little glory in TBC and still is only recognized only when my random pet macro summons it. maybe if some changes were added, this companion would gain some popularity.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Fare-Thee-Well
alas, it has come to pass that this "minor tool patch" implemented today has taken away my little skeleton friend. you will be missed and never forgotten. /salute.
too RP? lol. well what's done is done, and the macabre marionette's lifespan is done. it's for sure this time. there will be no more restorations, no more chances to /dance with this companion this year, and it will NOT be made into or considered a true vanity pet this time around.
i'm glad that i had the chance to enjoy this pet for a little longer than intended. our escapades consisted of playing fetch (ball head!), taking a bath to get all shiny clean, and exploring instances which i'm sure the marionette's never experienced before.
i do feel for those who didn't get the extra time to enjoy the little guy. some got shafted and shafted hard, while others were given a second chance. is it fair? no. but what's done is done, and hopefully blizzard will learn from this fiasco and make plans to prevent something like this from happening again next year.
so we will just have to wait patiently until next year's Day of the Dead, and hope that blizzard will be generous enough to offer the marionette up as a true vanity pet.
goodbye for now, macabre marionette. i'll be awaiting your return next year. /teary wave.
too RP? lol. well what's done is done, and the macabre marionette's lifespan is done. it's for sure this time. there will be no more restorations, no more chances to /dance with this companion this year, and it will NOT be made into or considered a true vanity pet this time around.
i'm glad that i had the chance to enjoy this pet for a little longer than intended. our escapades consisted of playing fetch (ball head!), taking a bath to get all shiny clean, and exploring instances which i'm sure the marionette's never experienced before.
i do feel for those who didn't get the extra time to enjoy the little guy. some got shafted and shafted hard, while others were given a second chance. is it fair? no. but what's done is done, and hopefully blizzard will learn from this fiasco and make plans to prevent something like this from happening again next year.
so we will just have to wait patiently until next year's Day of the Dead, and hope that blizzard will be generous enough to offer the marionette up as a true vanity pet.
goodbye for now, macabre marionette. i'll be awaiting your return next year. /teary wave.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
So They DO Have Eyes!
mmo-champion posted screenshots of the new Calico Cat and Albino Snake. and i'm thrilled to see that the snake actually has visible eyes! (see my post on the crimson snake to understand what i mean.)
even if these two newest pets will be available via breanni the vendor (with an unlimited supply), i'm very excited and axious to add these two companions to my collection.
sure, there's no challenge awaiting me or hours upon hours of farming to be done, but vendor pet or not, they are all welcome to be apart of my little (little? you mean huge) family.
being sold at an unlimited supply through a vendor also helps out the many collectors without the means or desire to spend real life money on vanity pets, with the pet collecting achievements. (i'm all for keeping the balance between the "pay-to-pet" community and the "pets for all players" community.)
with more easily accessible in-game pets, can collectors hope to see a 100 pet achievement soon? that is, of course, if one assumes the main reason that it hasn't been implemented yet is because of the current difficulty in obtaining 100 companions without spending extra cash.
well, we'll see.
in the meantime, i'm going to enjoy spending time with my new kitty and snake. :)
even if these two newest pets will be available via breanni the vendor (with an unlimited supply), i'm very excited and axious to add these two companions to my collection.
sure, there's no challenge awaiting me or hours upon hours of farming to be done, but vendor pet or not, they are all welcome to be apart of my little (little? you mean huge) family.
being sold at an unlimited supply through a vendor also helps out the many collectors without the means or desire to spend real life money on vanity pets, with the pet collecting achievements. (i'm all for keeping the balance between the "pay-to-pet" community and the "pets for all players" community.)
with more easily accessible in-game pets, can collectors hope to see a 100 pet achievement soon? that is, of course, if one assumes the main reason that it hasn't been implemented yet is because of the current difficulty in obtaining 100 companions without spending extra cash.
well, we'll see.
in the meantime, i'm going to enjoy spending time with my new kitty and snake. :)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
10 Pages of Hide n Seek Fun...
...or NOT.
i've been dwelling on this for a while. how many times have i decided firmly on a specific pet for a specific moment, yet have had to flip through the many pages of my alphabetically sorted list of companions to try and find it? 10 pages worth of pets starts to become a bit of a headache, right?
there are probably plenty of addons that make sorting and filtering vanity pets easier and less of a hassle, but the easiest fix would be if blizzard added a search feature to the companion window, much like the crafting profession window. it would remove the need to scroll through them all just to find one, and it wouldn't require an extra download for an addon that probably has too many bells and whistles for most people's tastes.
or maybe it's just me. i've always been inclined to use the simplest, most user-friendly, and basic addons or features available, so i can't speak for the rest of the pet collecting community.
maybe everyone else is ok with the current set up and i just need to learn how to deal with it better.
remind me to memorize the order in which my vanity pets are listed. i'll get right on that...
i've been dwelling on this for a while. how many times have i decided firmly on a specific pet for a specific moment, yet have had to flip through the many pages of my alphabetically sorted list of companions to try and find it? 10 pages worth of pets starts to become a bit of a headache, right?
there are probably plenty of addons that make sorting and filtering vanity pets easier and less of a hassle, but the easiest fix would be if blizzard added a search feature to the companion window, much like the crafting profession window. it would remove the need to scroll through them all just to find one, and it wouldn't require an extra download for an addon that probably has too many bells and whistles for most people's tastes.
or maybe it's just me. i've always been inclined to use the simplest, most user-friendly, and basic addons or features available, so i can't speak for the rest of the pet collecting community.
maybe everyone else is ok with the current set up and i just need to learn how to deal with it better.
remind me to memorize the order in which my vanity pets are listed. i'll get right on that...
Pet of the Week - Crimson Snake
yes, even old school/world pets should get some love and attention now and then. the crimson snake's animation is basic (casually looks around, sticks out its tongue from time to time, and slithers to follow after you) and it's graphics can't compare with some of the newer in game vanity pets, but i adore my snake friend mainly for sentimental reasons.
why i love it
this companion was given to me by a guildie as an in-game wedding gift (how RP of me, i know heh), and it was my first snake pet. it was also my first horde pet, being that it was gifted to me before burning crusade; before anyone could buy it from the neutral vendor in netherstorm.
what i would change
i would definitely update the graphics of this companion and give the eyes more detail. at the moment, they blend in with the rest of the body so well, it's almost as if it has no eyes at all. i'm walking around with a blind snake and it's heartbreaking!
i would also give it an on-click sound effect, much like a couple of the newer vanity pets have. perhaps a small hissing sound whenever you target it.
as for an animation (because i love my animated and interactable pets), i'm not sure any type of special animation would suit this one. at first i thought about maybe having it shed its skin from time to time, but i'm not entirely sure that's something the majority of players want to see (it IS kind of gross if you dwell on it too deeply).
one animation that would probably be PC enough is an idle animation. whenever idle, the snake could curl up into a tight coil and fall asleep. of course it's rare for blizzard to go back and change/update animations for most pets, so i won't hold my breath.
all in all, it's great for lower level characters who may not have access to higher level companions yet, and even though it's quite old and may need some updating, the crimson snake is still a pet that i would not go without. whenever i bring it out via my random pet macro, it makes me all nostalgic. :)
why i love it
this companion was given to me by a guildie as an in-game wedding gift (how RP of me, i know heh), and it was my first snake pet. it was also my first horde pet, being that it was gifted to me before burning crusade; before anyone could buy it from the neutral vendor in netherstorm.
what i would change
i would definitely update the graphics of this companion and give the eyes more detail. at the moment, they blend in with the rest of the body so well, it's almost as if it has no eyes at all. i'm walking around with a blind snake and it's heartbreaking!
i would also give it an on-click sound effect, much like a couple of the newer vanity pets have. perhaps a small hissing sound whenever you target it.
as for an animation (because i love my animated and interactable pets), i'm not sure any type of special animation would suit this one. at first i thought about maybe having it shed its skin from time to time, but i'm not entirely sure that's something the majority of players want to see (it IS kind of gross if you dwell on it too deeply).
one animation that would probably be PC enough is an idle animation. whenever idle, the snake could curl up into a tight coil and fall asleep. of course it's rare for blizzard to go back and change/update animations for most pets, so i won't hold my breath.
all in all, it's great for lower level characters who may not have access to higher level companions yet, and even though it's quite old and may need some updating, the crimson snake is still a pet that i would not go without. whenever i bring it out via my random pet macro, it makes me all nostalgic. :)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sticky Situation
there's a huge divide between those of the pet collecting community. the disagreement? for or against blizzard's new movement into "pay-to-pet" services.
this article, written by wow insider's Mike Schramm, explains (very well might i add) the idea and pro's/con's of "pay-to-pet" services or microtransactions.
my two cents on the matter is that blizzard should take some steps to make sure that both sides of the argument are acknowledged and taken care of.
this article, written by wow insider's Mike Schramm, explains (very well might i add) the idea and pro's/con's of "pay-to-pet" services or microtransactions.
my two cents on the matter is that blizzard should take some steps to make sure that both sides of the argument are acknowledged and taken care of.
Squish the BUG
i've found my first possible confirmation that the macabre marionette item is indeed bugged.
until blizzard releases an official statement, though, there is still hope that the marionette will be made into a real vanity pet (i'm getting flashbacks of Pinocchio - 'you're a real boy, now! you're a real boy, now!').
two new pets, the lich and the panda, were just released. and as cool and awesome as they are, i think i'll be spending more time with my cute skeleton friend. gotta enjoy it while it lasts.
Greetings,there's even a nifty screenshot of the GM response.
Thank you for contacting the World of Warcraft Game Master Department.
The Macabre Marionette is a temporary item meant to be removed once the Day of the Dead holiday was over. There is currently an issue where the pet will remain on a character after the holiday.
Once this issue is resolved, all players will no longer have the Macabre Marionette.
Please accept our apologies for any frustration this may have caused.
-source (towards the very bottom of the comment page)
until blizzard releases an official statement, though, there is still hope that the marionette will be made into a real vanity pet (i'm getting flashbacks of Pinocchio - 'you're a real boy, now! you're a real boy, now!').
two new pets, the lich and the panda, were just released. and as cool and awesome as they are, i think i'll be spending more time with my cute skeleton friend. gotta enjoy it while it lasts.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Lich and A Panda
wow! what a wonderful surprise! and here i was thinking that the pandaren monk and the lil' kt would be for the next expansion.
i was actually debating on whether or not to purchase these two pets ($10 each). my motto has always been that since i spend so much money on this game already, i won't stress over the pets that require even more RL money.
however, one thing that made me falter was that 50% of every $10 (for the monk pet) will go to the make a wish foundation.
not to mention that compared to the TCG pets, $10 is very reasonable. AND both the monk and lich are account bound, which means all my toons, past and future ones, will be able to add these two lovely companions to their collections too.
i was at a loss and didn't know what i should do. my cursor was just hovering over the buy now button. so i decided to call someone important and get their advice.
their advice was to check my email since they had just bought the two pets for me. -_-
as with any pet that's purchased with me in mind, i'm eternally grateful. <3
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sidenote: unlike most other pets, you will not be able to use the vanity items sold by breanni on these two pets. this includes, the fetch ball, leash, grooming kit, and pet snack. party poopers.
BUT! if you /bow to the Pandaren Monk, he will bow back. and Lil' KT? well let's just say he has it in for other critters.
i love animated pets that you can interact with or that interact with the environment around you :)
i was actually debating on whether or not to purchase these two pets ($10 each). my motto has always been that since i spend so much money on this game already, i won't stress over the pets that require even more RL money.
however, one thing that made me falter was that 50% of every $10 (for the monk pet) will go to the make a wish foundation.
not to mention that compared to the TCG pets, $10 is very reasonable. AND both the monk and lich are account bound, which means all my toons, past and future ones, will be able to add these two lovely companions to their collections too.
i was at a loss and didn't know what i should do. my cursor was just hovering over the buy now button. so i decided to call someone important and get their advice.
their advice was to check my email since they had just bought the two pets for me. -_-
as with any pet that's purchased with me in mind, i'm eternally grateful. <3
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sidenote: unlike most other pets, you will not be able to use the vanity items sold by breanni on these two pets. this includes, the fetch ball, leash, grooming kit, and pet snack. party poopers.
BUT! if you /bow to the Pandaren Monk, he will bow back. and Lil' KT? well let's just say he has it in for other critters.
i love animated pets that you can interact with or that interact with the environment around you :)
Ball Head
just a small note on the Macabre Marionette: when you play "fetch ball" with this pet, the skeleton effectively turns into mr. ball head.
try it and you'll see what i mean ^_~
try it and you'll see what i mean ^_~
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Beating the Dead Horse Bloody
"well i mean, they couldn't get it right the first time, what makes you think they'll get it right trying to remove him."yes, we are talking about the infamous macabre marionette; the one and only pet that has caused more trouble than any other companion in recent memory.
it's now day 3 of the marionette fiasco. while in-game support sent that wonderful message along with the pet item restoration (see post below), the item is still in my bags, and the cute little skeleton? it's happily following me around, without a care in the world or any sense of impending doom to come.
this raises the question: will it come? the impending doom that is.
blizzard has yet to announce whether or not they will be removing the item/pet from inventories and banks. it was speculated that the mass purging would be happening over night, during the tuesday maintenance. upon logging in, though, the little guy is still around, and the text on the item still reads "requires day of the dead" despite owners being able to summon it even though the event is over.
so we'll just have to wait and see what they intend on doing with this little guy. one theory is that blizzard is giving everyone a chance to thoroughly enjoy the macabre marionette (before removing it) since many had their pet disappear on them during the actual event.
or.. perhaps make it a permanent vanity pet, maraca dance included? one can only hope.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Macabre Marionette - Update Part 2
**9:47 PM UPDATE**
this msg was sent to me along with the pet restoration in game:
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wow, i really feel like i'm beating a dead horse with this.
a blue post wrote:
can't say that this really resolves anything. it's a nice touch that at least they are responding to the community's outcries, but at the same time we are still left with a pet/item that's only usable for the next 4 hours, when we should have had it for the entire event. or even better, the entire year.
even if i may not get my pet restored in time to use it before the event is over, my hope is that in the near future they will make it a permanent, learnable companion. that, and i worry that because i completed the quest this year, i may not be able to next year and receive another one. =\ better get it restored now.
this msg was sent to me along with the pet restoration in game:
"greetings!so it looks like even the item will not be permanent, nevermind the pet. wish they had mentioned that sooner. >:T
the issue you experienced with your macabre marionette disappearing should now be resolved. we apologize for the inconvenience and will continue to monitor the situation. you will find a new marionette attached, and we hope that you continue to enjoy the day of the dead. please note that the item will disappear at the end of the holiday event.
thank you for your patience while we worked to resolve this issue."
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wow, i really feel like i'm beating a dead horse with this.
a blue post wrote:
"It looks as if the Macabre Marionette will begin appearing in your inventories and mailboxes soon, everyone. If you are still missing a marionette, please post the name and realm of the character in question so that we can look further into this.so it seems like they are restoring the pets to those that have either submitted a ticket (although they specifically told us NOT to submit one) and those that have posted on that thread.
Thanks!"
can't say that this really resolves anything. it's a nice touch that at least they are responding to the community's outcries, but at the same time we are still left with a pet/item that's only usable for the next 4 hours, when we should have had it for the entire event. or even better, the entire year.
even if i may not get my pet restored in time to use it before the event is over, my hope is that in the near future they will make it a permanent, learnable companion. that, and i worry that because i completed the quest this year, i may not be able to next year and receive another one. =\ better get it restored now.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Macabre Marionette, In Depth
there has been much talk about the bugs, annoyances, and grievances circling around this pet, but not much talk about the why.
why would blizzard choose to make this pet "event-specific" rather than a permanent pet, learnable and usable all year round?
i've been wracking my brain trying to come up with possible explanations. a couple of them are a stretch. i was honestly trying to give blizzard the benefit of the doubt and think of something other than the obvious and most likely (it's up to personal opinion as to which is "most likely" :P).
why would blizzard choose to make this pet "event-specific" rather than a permanent pet, learnable and usable all year round?
i've been wracking my brain trying to come up with possible explanations. a couple of them are a stretch. i was honestly trying to give blizzard the benefit of the doubt and think of something other than the obvious and most likely (it's up to personal opinion as to which is "most likely" :P).
Day of the Fail
**4:30 PM Update**
This post states that there has been a hotfix for some of the Day of the Dead zoning, logging, hearthing issues. however, no news on whether or not the pet will be reimbursed to those that obtained it before the hotfix.
consider the following: there's only one more day of the event, the pet is still event-specific, the disappearing act happened to nearly all who participated in the event before the hotfix. add these things together on top of "the Game Master staff will be unable to provide immediate assistance as these issues also affect our ability to provide reimbursement", and it's sounding very much like we won't be seeing our marionette pet until next time around.
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day of the dead in game event is here!
and.... it sucks.
i'm at a loss of what to say about this event. are there any positives? i managed to snag myself another flower offhand (i have a habit of collecting flowers as well as pets). but other than that, day of the dead is a HUGE let down.
in my previous post i mentioned that i didn't mind the pet being event-specific. i still don't. what i DO mind is the fact that it, as well as many other aspects of this seasonal event, are bugged to hell.
oh by, the way, the official day of the dead information page is slightly misleading. yes, "festivities" are located at the graveyard in most major cities, however the quest to obtain the pet can only be found at YOUR race's home city (or in dalaran if you can get there).
This post states that there has been a hotfix for some of the Day of the Dead zoning, logging, hearthing issues. however, no news on whether or not the pet will be reimbursed to those that obtained it before the hotfix.
consider the following: there's only one more day of the event, the pet is still event-specific, the disappearing act happened to nearly all who participated in the event before the hotfix. add these things together on top of "the Game Master staff will be unable to provide immediate assistance as these issues also affect our ability to provide reimbursement", and it's sounding very much like we won't be seeing our marionette pet until next time around.
"Pretty much, those who cared about the pet, got it, lost it, and won't be getting it back. That's the stupidest thing I've heard in my life."QFT >:O
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day of the dead in game event is here!
and.... it sucks.
i'm at a loss of what to say about this event. are there any positives? i managed to snag myself another flower offhand (i have a habit of collecting flowers as well as pets). but other than that, day of the dead is a HUGE let down.
in my previous post i mentioned that i didn't mind the pet being event-specific. i still don't. what i DO mind is the fact that it, as well as many other aspects of this seasonal event, are bugged to hell.
oh by, the way, the official day of the dead information page is slightly misleading. yes, "festivities" are located at the graveyard in most major cities, however the quest to obtain the pet can only be found at YOUR race's home city (or in dalaran if you can get there).
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