Updates and Additional Thoughts on 7.2 Class Pets - At a Loss

UPDATE: Thanks to Adumbledore, there's now a DK/Monk pets feedback thread on the US Bnet 7.2 PTR forums.

Whether you're for or against these upcoming class pets, feel free to leave your feedback. Keep in mind that feedback will be better received and taken seriously if it's constructive, respectful, and on-topic.

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This week's PTR build added in the Death Knight and Monk class pets. To put it bluntly: I am not looking forward to these pets in their current iteration.

Disclaimer: I'm aware that this is the PTR and things could still change. Nothing is set in stone yet. I'm desperately hoping things will change for the better, and class pets will be implemented in a more collector-friendly manner. At the same time, I'm a pessimist at heart. So... there's that.

Both the DK and Monk pets are purchasable from Class Hall vendors. Each pet costs 10k Order Hall Resources each (DK's have 3 pets, so 30k total). BoP and not cageable.

To see the pets on the vendor, you need to complete the class mount questline. To purchase the pets, you need to meet the following requirements:

Death Knight pets (3 whelplings) -

Must empower and fully unlock all artifact weapon traits for each DK spec (Blood, Unholy, Frost). This includes the new traits added in 7.2. Each pet requires the corresponding fully unlocked artifact weapon.

Monk (Ban-Fu, Cub of Ban-Lu) -

Requires the achievement Power Ascended (empower and fully unlock all traits for one Monk artifact weapon).

Note: It's still unclear how the Rogue class pet will be obtained. The PTR Pet Journal still only states "Hall of Shadows". If anyone has a high level Rogue on the PTR and can try/test where Crackers is from, please let me know!


Feels Bad Man
I don't know what to say about these class pets at this point. It seems bonkers that Death Knights must farm artifact power to fully unlock talents for not just one but THREE artifact weapons. It seems a bit unreasonable to require fully unlocking traits for any artifact weapon, if I can be honest.

Sure, Artifact Knowledge is going to increase come 7.2, so each AP token thing will grant more AP per. But it still takes time and energy to go out and collect each token. WQs, dungeons, raids, etc. These activities still all require so much time. Especially for those playing with a time constraint. If DK or Monk aren't main characters, it'll be rough grinding the resources and AP just for the pet(s).

I was going to add arguments and logic to this post about why these pets shouldn't be so heavily gated behind seemingly unreasonable requirements, but I'm tired. Emotionally tired.

Since this PTR cycle started, I've argued for compromise when it comes to class pets. Add more exclusive pets? Ok. But consider the player-base that actually want these pets, and implement the pets in a way that doesn't completely alienate them. No need for "dumbing down" the game, just a few tweaks here and there so collectors don't feel completely discouraged/turned off.

There have been valid issues about class pets post-Legion and come next expansion. DKs and Monk will essentially be trapped in Legion, farming AP and resources in order to buy their class pets. If there's a weapon requirement for these companions, what will happen if we don't get to keep these artifact weapons in the next expansion?

I've discussed on Twitter at length the changing environment that is pet collecting. How once upon a time it was less like a job, and more like a quirky pastime. These days, compounded with the extreme content over-saturation in Legion (and gating and RNG among other things), many collectors seem to be burnt out. Or they've put collecting on hold indefinitely. Would-be collectors simply see it as too daunting of an activity and don't even bother.

The addition of new class pets with stringent requirements doesn't help. Gating these pets behind tasks that have nothing to do with pets or Pet Battles doesn't help.

I feel like I've said as much as I can, as logically and reasonably as possible.

Yet I can't shake the feeling that all that I've said is in vain. Am I simply yelling into the void? Is my point of view that of the majority? Or vocal minority? Have I surrounded myself in an echo chamber, where thoughts and ideas just bounce back without any real discussion? Am I not stating each point well enough? Is my mode for feedback incorrect; should I be directing it elsewhere?

If I'm being unreasonable about my dislike for these upcoming class pets, I'll gladly bite my tongue and back off on the subject. If my suggestions for compromise and not alienating pet collectors are out of line, I won't push the issue further.

The majority of myself feels that my point of view is not irrational though.

And then there's a small part of myself, the devil's advocate, that's insisting that I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Perhaps it really won't be that bad.

Minus having to level each class that has a class pet.

Oh and having to contend with RNG for some of them.

Plus the gating behind certain Order Hall Advancements.

And can't forget about the steep resource price and artifact weapon requirements coming soon to a Class Hall near you.

Yea, sure. It won't be that bad. (Sorry for the sarcasm, but I feel so passionately about this whole situation that it's slowly turning into a sense of hopelessness/helplessness.)

So I don't know what to think anymore. Self-doubt, inner conflict, plus I'm incredibly discouraged and demoralized about the whole thing.

Do I hope that there's some future yet-to-be announced mechanic that will make collecting these pets viable next expansion and less tedious? Yes, absolutely. Even if there is, does it remove the fact that I still advocate compromise? No. I would still very much like to see these pets implemented in a gentler, more collector-friendly manner for those aiming to collect the pets in current content.

I just don't know what else/what more can I say to get my points across. I'm at a complete loss.