Waiting For Things to Heat Up

note: long winded post is long winded. i write a similar one up each year and will continue to do so because i think it's important that players don't forget. over time we may grow accustomed and complacent to how things are done/run in game, but it's important to understand different perspectives, how we got there and both the highs and lows we've had to go through while on the current path we walk.

there are about 2 weeks left until the anticipated/dreaded midsummer fire festival comes to azeroth. the entire event will last for just about 2 weeks itself, a little less if you're unable to squeeze in that first/last dungeon run for the holiday loot bag.

this festival really hits a nerve for many pet collectors. why? mainly due to the shocking and unexpected changes it has undergone in the previous years. first was the removal of the beloved and highly sought after searing scorchling (still has yet to make a reappearance in-game), which was replaced by the frigid frostling. then came the new holiday loot system in which players could only attempt to obtain holiday boss vanity items (companion pets included) exactly once per day, per toon. and no, unlike the call to arms satchel of exotic mysteries, the holiday bag is NOT bind on account (at least it hasn't been thus far).

although it wasn't the only in-game event that was affected by the changed holiday system, pets were also displaced/replaced pretty much out of the blue. this left pet collectors shaken up, and bit untrusting of the future and longevity of any holiday dropped companion.

which is understandable. the searing scorchling's sudden disappearance from the holiday made it very clear that blizzard could and would pull the plug on any pet without any warning. add to that that pet collectors only have a limited time each year to try for these seasonal companions... well you can see why it's more of a stressful than fun and enjoyable time of year for some players, yea?

i'm still quite unsatisfied and not in favor of the holiday loot system. for any player who's chosen path is to collect pets, there's absolutely nothing they can do during each event each year to increase their chances even slightly. no control whatsoever. it's very frustrating and demoralizing. with the way it currently is, i'm actually glad that no new holiday dropped pets have been added since the release of cataclysm.

one thing that blizzard could do to attempt to ease the strain would be to make the holiday loot bags bind on account in the same way the satchel of exotic mysteries is also BoA. it may give collectors with eligible alts some hope that if they do manage to snag a pet on a character that's not their collecting main, they can send it to the correct toon which would help maintain their collection and keep it intact. more than a few collectors would definitely appreciate a change such as this.

it would only be a small compromise, but a compromise nonetheless. i'm not saying it would erase what has already happened, make everyone forget the past, and everything will be sunshine and rainbows, but it would at least be a sign that blizzard is taking the needs of even the smaller gameplay communities into consideration and implementing means for them to play in their chosen style within the game.