Guild Wars 2

I’ve noticed that pets have been pretty much “figured out” in areas such as WvW and other areas of the game. Everyone knows to bring one of about 4 pets. The reason for this is because the skills that these have are the most useful. What ends up happening is you see everyone carrying the same pet. Here is what I would like to suggest:

Instead of have the attack moves of pets be based on the pet, have the pet skills assigned to a pet be selectable from a list of skills just like the skills you as a player bring to battle. It would make a larger variety of pets viable and everyone wouldn’t bring 1 of 4 pets to every battle.

I’ve got a better suggestion for ranger make the pet optional that’s the reason I don’t play mine pet is freaking stupid I would have one as my main but I can’t stand the pet I loved my GW1 ranger because I wasn’t FORCED to use a pet it was optional idc if you leave it to only ranger just give us the freaking option to kill it forever if we want I play DnD and rangers are not FORCED to have some sort of animal companion you can have some but it’s merely someone who lives off the forest respectful of it of course but my god I hate pets! I wanted to make a ranger tengu but I probably wont for that simple fact of pet required

The pet is fine, I just don’t like being pigeonholed into using only 4 pets when there are so many better looking pets I’d rather use. Being able to have more control over what skills the pets bring would make the variety of pets seen in the game larger. As of right now, all I ever see in WvW is the green lizard and the wolf.

I like the idea of the original poster, though I think each pet should retain their “trademark” F2 skill, and be limited to abilities logical to the companion.

As an example, a salamander drake would retain its “fire breath” skill, no matter what other skills are chosen. This leaves the player three open slots (going off of 4 visible skills in pet id panel, with F2 skill locked in first) to choose normal skills. Sticking with the salamander drake (on land), the current (default) skills are “bite”, “chomp”, and “tail slap.” Perhaps a player wants a pet that can charge foes, and thus switches out “tail slap” for a skill like the Porcine family “brutal charge.” In the same aspect, it makes no sense for a salamander drake to have access to the spider family “entangling web”, or devourer family “burrowing retreat”. These skills would not be available for selection. Acquisition of base pet family skills could be unlocked with the taming of a member of that family. Taming the salamander drake would open “bite”, “chomp”, and “tail slap.”

An issue I see with this idea, is the same skills taken. So the pet has all stuns or crowd control, and no damage skills. A possible solution would be to tier pet skills similar to players. Thus the salamander drake could trade its tier 1 “bite” for a bears tier 1 “claw,” or the above example of tier 3 “tail slap” for the Porcine tier 3 “brutal charge.” This grants at least one “basic” tier 1 damage attack.

Well not all pets are as universal as say brown bear or Salamander drake. They each have their role really, its just many of them fill a role no one cares for.

Pet acquisition is dull, being pet bound is uninviting, I wasn’t to happy with the ranger transition between gw1 and gw2 but it is what it is. Only thing I’d suggest is skins unique to pets (like the HoM pet skins, but through gw2 for those interested in cool pet skins) and more pet options with varying f2 skills. Like walls, or more boons, or more fields (lightning perhaps?) because I agree, some pets look way more appealing than others. Problem is their not as useful as some others, and you’re essentially stuck with a select few. That’s not what gw2 is about, you should be able to play how you want. If I can’t use a drake hound as effective as a wolf or a Polar bear as effective as a Black bear then I have no use in my ranger.