Perks N Peeves Five Year Anniversary

It's been five years since I made my very first post. A lot has changed since then.

Originally, my intention was to maintain a personal blog that I could fill with all of my pet-related nonsense. It was to be casual, as indicated by my style of writing back then. Grammar? Formatting? Psh. This was my space, with my rules.

That changed when I shared my post on collecting Mr. Grubbs over at WarcraftPets. What I had discovered was really exciting to me, so I wanted to share it with as many collectors as possible. Something new, something interesting, and an all around neat discovery that wasn't as plain as day. I loved me some detective work and research (and I still do). :)

Before I knew it, Breanni had included my blog link in a WarcraftPets front page article. It was unexpected since I never imagined that anyone would take much notice of my writings. To have someone as notable and respected as Breanni include it on the front page of a website that I adored and frequented? I was shocked and humbled.

About two weeks later, I woke up one day and found that my image hosting account was over its limit. My blog was suddenly flooded with views and I couldn't figure out why. I soon found out that the extreme burst of traffic came from MMO-Champion. They had also included my post in their overview of the new Cataclysm pets.

I was absolutely bewildered, grateful and honestly a little terrified. All of this was happening out of the blue and I really didn't know what to make of it. So I did what felt right, and just plodded on with collecting and writing about my pet experiences.

I never imagined that my little obsession with vanity pets (which would then turn into battle pets) would eventually lead to volunteering at WarcraftPets. When Breanni contacted me about a trial position as Content Manager, I was so star-struck. I probably came off as an over-the-top fangirl haha.

My blog's changed because of all this, but I think it's for the better. The content is roughly the same, although I don't post as many personal entries on my pet collecting adventures anymore. Once WoD is released, I'll try to find the time to update more. Fun stuff featuring the new pets as I collect them, even though I've already posted screenshots from the beta.

In this teeny tiny portion of the internet, I've been able to share experiences and connect with other people. Expressing myself has never been easy for me, but here I can at least attempt to convey my thoughts without fear. There will be no scoffing at pets here! :P

I love to write, discover, and share. I'll continue to do so for as long as there are things to enthusiastically fawn over.

Writing this blog has led to some amazing opportunities and connections with awesome people of like-mind. Here's to another 5 years? If WoW lasts that long lol.

The Instance's Interview With Cory Stockton

Developer Cory Stockton (@mumper) recently did an interview with The Instance and Pet Battles was briefly discussed. Stockton touches on the design philosophy as well as Pet Battles on mobile devices. Here are the main (pet) points of the interview.

19:55 - Future of Pet Battles and design philosophy

• more about collecting, less about "a balanced fighter" style of gameplay
• goal is to add content to existing systems without "bloating it out"

33:30 - Rethinking design

• originally wild pets were cageable and could be sold on the AH, but that changed

36:15 - Pet Battles on IOS and Android

• something they've discussed about a lot, but if it doesn't add anything meaningful it's unlikely they will implement it
• difficult to translate Pet Battles to a mobile game without losing key features such as world exploration

The Look-a-Like Challenge - Part 8

I didn't expect to make another Look-a-Like Challenge post until after WoD was released, but ta-da! Hallow's End brought new goodies that made it possible. :D


Pet: Giant Bone Spider or Desert Spider
Item: Hallowed Wand - Spider (Only available during Hallow's End)



Pet: Jade Oozeling
Item: Hallowed Wand - Slime (Only available during Hallow's End)


This one isn't actually available yet since the pet can't be collected until WoD is released.

I couldn't pass up this chance to add this one to my list, though; I'd have to wait until next year if I didn't take advantage of the holiday event going on right now! So I ended up hopping onto the beta to snap this screenshot. :)


Pet: Weebomination
Item: Hallowed Wand - Abomination (Only available during Hallow's End)

Hallow's End Funsies

Happy Hallow's End! The updated in-game holiday is here, and I spent almost my entire day collecting the two new pets and enough Tricky Treats for 10 Yipp-Saron Costumes. Yep, it was a long day.

        
Collecting Widget the Departed and Cursed Birman was straight forward. It just took a buttload of time and patience. Travel time is a bitch, even with flying.

When I found out Perky Pug costume needed 150 Tricky Treats (same price as one of the new kitties), I decided to collect the two pets on my alts, rather than my main. If my main was still on the same server as my alts, I would have switched that around since the costumes aren't BoP, but alas.

In the end I split up the task of farming Tricky Treats between two alts. Pandaria, Northrend, Outland, then one of the daily quests and a Headless Horseman run was all I needed for one pet each alt. That freed up my main to go out and loot ALL of the candy buckets in the game so she could buy the pug costume. Priorities, damnit. Totally worth it though...


"I am the lucid dream"


In his (dog)house at R'lyeh Elwynn, Cthulhu Perky Pug waits dreaming.

Internet high-five if you get the reference. Love me some Lovecraft!

150 Tricky Treats buys you one bundle (x5) of Yipp-Saron Costumes, but I had enough to buy two bundles (x10). How could I NOT dump all my currency into this awesomeness?! :P

The costume lasts for as long as your pug is out. Loading, re-summoning, etc. removes the costume, sadly. If I could buy these outfits all year 'round (using gold or some other readily available currency), I wouldn't mind so much. But since I only have 10 (9 now since I used one for the screenshot lol) I'm sooo nervous to use them. I don't want to "waste" them accidentally. :(

Anyway, I absolutely love my little old-god haha. :D


Reaching another milestone
I finally earned So. Many. Pets. today!


Collecting the first kitty pushed my unique pets count up to 600, and Stormwing was immediately added to my Pet Journal. Gorgeous.

Part of me feels like I should maybe feel embarrassed for reaching this point, but I don't feel bad about it at all. Sure, I invest my time and energy into pixels in a game (that won't last forever), but it's something I wholeheartedly enjoy. It's not as if it's a quick and easy task either.

So with that in mind, I definitely feel accomplished and proud of this milestone, and I'm even looking forward to the next goal. XD


Doesn't seem quite right...
Last but not least, I don't know what happened post-patch 6.0 but the Feline Familiar seems to have lost her broom. :(


As amusing as I find this, I also really loved the Feline Familiar's adorable little broom. Hopefully floaty-air-kitty is just a bug and she'll get her mount back. I mentioned this to the devs on Twitter but we'll see.

Post-Patch 6.0 Post

Patch 6.0 arrived yesterday and there's been a whirlwind of stuff to do. From updating and adding 92 new pets to WarcraftPets, to getting the two new pets (and pining for the other two!)... I haven't had the time to take a breather and talk about the new pets on my blog. XD

I've collected the two pets that everyone can collect immediately, Iron Starlette and Bronze Whelpling, but I'm still waiting on a Sky-Bo from Blingtron 4000. Damn you little bot, giff me pet! :P I've even enlisted the help of my other half to pick up the daily and check for the pet. Nothing so far. :(

On the plus side, I have two starlettes and whelplings so far; two H/P mechs and an H/P and S/S dragonkin. I'm still doing the pre-expac event on all of my alts, so I'll probably end up with more of those. Hopefully I'll see some other breeds, as there's still discussion on what's better for the two new pets.

Once I collect Sky-Bo (or one other new pet) I'll meet the requirements for the achievement So. Many. Pets. and receive Stormwing. I can't wait! *squees*

Even if I don't manage to get lucky with the new engineering pet, I will most likely complete the achievement this weekend. Hallow's End starts and I'm crossing my fingers for the two new pets, Cursed Birman and Widget the Departed. If the in-game event features the updates, those two pets should be available. Yes please!

There's so much more to do in 6.0, but it was about time for something new! :P

WoD Faction Pets: Earning Revered

There will be 6 reputations that you'll want to earn at least Revered with in WoD. Each of the factions has a pet associated with it (two pets in one faction's case) that you can purchase for gold and Apexis Crystals.

I've found some invaluable Wowhead guides (linked below) to help explain the rep grinding process for each of the factions, since earning reputation isn't exactly the same as in previous expansions.

Some quests, no dailies, just grinding. Killing mobs generally grants 5 - 16 reputation (not taking into account reputation bonuses), depending on the difficulty of the creature killed.

• Council of Exarchs (Alliance) - Pet: Draenei Micro Defender

Summary: Just complete all of the related quests and you should be Revered by the end. If not, kill level 100 mobs in specific areas of Shadowmoon Valley (Draenor) for additional reputation.

• Frostwolf Orcs (Horde) - Pet: Frostwolf Pup

Summary: Just complete all of the related quests and you should be Revered by the end. If not, kill level 100 mobs in specific areas of Frostfire Ridge for additional reputation.

• Arakkoa Outcasts - Pet: Son of Sethe

Summary: Completing all of the related quests will get you Honored but you need to be Revered to purchase the pet. To earn the rest, kill level 100 mobs in specific areas of Spires of Arak.

• Steamwheedle Preservation Society - Pets: Albino River Calf and Forest Sproutling

Summary: Kill level 100 elite mobs in northern Nagrand (Draenor) and/or loot caches in the surrounding area to collect items to turn in for rep. Named elite mobs drop special items that reward an especially larger chunk of reputation.

• Sha'tari Defense (Alliance) - Pet: Sky Fry

Summary: No quests or dailies. Kill level 100 mobs in specific areas of Talador to earn reputation. Accessing the quartermaster requires a garrison Trading Post, level 2.

• Laughing Skull (Horde) - Pet: Bone Wasp

Summary: No quests or dailies. Kill level 100 mobs in specific areas of Gorgrond to earn reputation. Accessing the quartermaster requires a garrison Trading Post, level 2.

Confirmed and Possible 6.0 Pets

Patch 6.0 is just around the corner. Ready? I'm not! There are still many things to do for WarcraftPets in preparation for the patch and expansion. It's the last minute crunch to get it all done in time. x_x

So what will 6.0 have to offer us pet collectors? At least two new pets!

        
The two confirmed pets are the "Iron horde" pets, the Iron Starlette and Bronze Whelpling. You'll be able to collect these pets by participating in the pre-expansion content. Complete the quest chain for the starlette and kill some (or a lot) of Ironmarch orcs in Blasted Lands for the whelpling. Both pets are cageable.

Other pets that MIGHT be available in patch 6.0, but haven't been confirmed yet. The availability of these pets will all depend on whether or not the patch releases the new content for each in-game event.

• Cursed Burman and Widget the Departed - New Hallow's End pets
• Syd the Squid - New Darkmoon Faire pet

Grommloc, the BlizzCon 2014 pet, should also be available prior to the expansion's release since the convention is before the release date, but we'll see. I've got my Virtual Ticket, so I'm ready for at least that! XD

EDIT: Stormwing may also be available to collect in 6.0. You get this pet for completing So. Many. Pets. (collect 600 unique pets). On the PTR this achievement is present, but we'll see if it's released with the patch on live servers.

Beta Testers: Do You Have Any of These Pets?

I've started the process of adding the WoD pets into new pet profiles on WarcraftPets, but I'm missing some pets on the beta so my data is incomplete.

If you're on the beta and have any of the pets listed below, please get in contact with me either through Twitter, in this forum thread, a comment on this blog post, or a message on WarcraftPets. You can also mail/whisper Quintessence in-game on the PVE realms (leveling and the 100 premade server).

Albino River Calf
Ancient Nest Guardian
Bone Wasp
Deathwatch Hatchling
Eye of Observation
Forest Sproutling
Frostwolf Ghostpup
Land Shark
Lanticore Spawnling
Lil' Leftovers
Nightshade Sproutling
Ore Eater
Sea Calf
Sentinel's Companion
Servant of Demidos
Sky-Bo
Sky Fry
Son of Sethe

I have a few questions about the pets if you have the time to sit down and poke at it for a little bit. Information gathered will help make the new pet profiles on WarcraftPets more accurate and complete.

1.) What is the pet's quality when added to the Pet Journal?

2.) Does it make any noise when you click on it? When left alone to idle (periodic and/or constant noises)? When moving?

3.) Does it have any idle animations? What about interactions with other pets, critters, players, or the environment?

Any and all assistance is appreciated! :)