Guild Wars 2

I know there are certainly more important Ranger areas that require an urgent fix right now and we constantly hear how Arenanet is aware of pet survivability, trait and utility issues in need of improvement, but only rarely do you see or hear that the pet naming system is bugged and actually not functional as of now.

The problem:
You can assign a name to your pets via the pet selection window (key [K]), but as soon as you remove a certain pet from your two “ready for combat” slots, they lose that name and won’t display it when you select them later again. This bug is so incredibly annoying, cause it forces you to constantly rename your pets over and over again, that most Rangers simply don’t name their pets at all anymore.

From a gameplay perspective there’s no major issue here, since the pet’s functionality won’t suffer just because it doesn’t display a proper name :p, but as far as immersion is concerned, this is really frustrating. I mean, I as a Ranger have been through thick and thin with my pets and still they display this nonsense “Juvenile” prefix every time I decide to swap them back in.

Arenanet wants us to adapt to certain situations like open-world PvE, dungeons, large-scale events, WvW, etc. by bringing the right pet for the right job and to swap pets often depending on what you need or is most useful for the battle ahead. So far, I really like that idea, because I too believe Rangers shouldn’t always run around with the same two pets only. However, this severe form of pet amnesia really adds an annoying side effect to this mechanic and what bugs me the most is that in all the months since the launch of GW2 (almost 8 now), I’ve never seen this addressed or even just acknowledged by the developers, though chances are that I might have missed it.

The solution:
First of all, when a Ranger tames a pet the default name should be the specie’s name, like “Jaguar”, “Brown Bear” or “Armorfish” without that “juvenile” prefix, simply because as soon as the Ranger tames the pet and trains it, it’s for sure not juvenile anymore.
Secondly, when I as the player decide to change that default name via the pet control panel [K], the name should stick to the pet, no matter whether I put it back in storage and decide to use it later again. This name should only be overwritten by me entering a different name for that pet via the control panel and nothing else.

I really wish to see this fixed finally, but regarding all the time that has gone past without having such an annoying but still minor bug addressed (certainly this can’t be too difficult and time consuming), I’m not too optimistic anymore.

What are your opinions on the pet naming system? Do you think it’s of any relevance at all? How do you live with your pets constantly forgetting their names? Or is it the Ranger who can’t recall the names of his pets? :p

Look for threads posted just after the game was released for the discussion. It’s really obvious that it should happen but we can’t complain about it every day.

Stooperdale.3560:

Look for threads posted just after the game was released for the discussion. It’s really obvious that it should happen but we can’t complain about it every day.

Challenge accepted.

yeah I agree it’s extremely annoying, especially since I name each pet of mine after various mythology figures.

I mean sure, Fenrir (wolf) and Ose (Bobcat) are easy enough to remember, but when you start slipping in lesser known names like Xbalanque (Jaguar) or Kamui (Bear) or Jormangandr (Devourer), it gets old fast.

It’s not a bug, this was intended. the reason behind this (and someone has mentioned it, possibly a dev, I’ll dig it up and link it later) is that each name you make for your own character utilizes a name database. now imagine for each individual pet you have you made unique names. That means new databases have to be created for each individual pet. Now I assume you have never programmed a database before, and I have only done non-professional maintenance on one, but they would have to make sections for each animal type, break it down to specific animals, then link individual names per animal to individual accounts, all the while making sure there is no redundancy of names and other redundant info…..it’s not really feasible, especially when it takes you all of 25 seconds to retype that name. If it takes you any longer, get typing lessons or choose a shorter name lol. now before you put the torches to me, I do think it would be prudent to make the actual pet slots name-bound, that way even if you swap, the same name is still there and saved in the same spot, only now you have a new pet (although this would still require new assignments, I think it would be much much less labor intensive). So there’s your answer. For now stop being lazy, they just don’t have the resources to do it.

Well, you are right in that I don’t know much about setting up and running a database, but seeing as a ton of databases are at work behind the scenes of GW2, I don’t understand why it would be problematic and troublesome to set one more up for pet names. Afterall, your character names are linked to your account name. Now linking pet names to your character names doesn’t strike me as much of a big difference.

I don’t believe it’s intended, but if a developer really explained it like that, I’d appreciate if anyone who read it, could provide a link to said statement.

I don’t see why pet names couldn’t be stored client-side and validated server-side.

When you swap in a new pet, the client-side stored name is sent to the server which validates it or not. If invalid, the player would receive a message saying such, the pet would revert back to “Juvenile X”, and the client would store the name as that or “n/a” which would revert to that.

This would allow the pets to keep their names without any additional storage needs on ArenaNet’s behalf. They already have the code for validating the name, so the additional code only lives client-side.

The database excuse is a cop-out. 50,000 Rangers running around with 40 pets each, each pet having its own stat breakdown, and a unique name is a data concern? That’s where we draw the line?

If it truly is a problem, then the database was poorly designed to begin with.

I think the issue is that each pet activated is basically treated as a new object, and that the way the system is set up, it brings in a whole new set of variables. It would explain why the health is instantly reset and why conditions seem to disappear into thin air.

However, I think that it is a purely cosmetic issue, and that this particular issue does not take priority off of mechanic changes/polishes and balance updates. Once those are in a good place, then cosmetic changes can be treated with a little more precedence.

Normally, I’d say something about necroposters, but this issue still exists 2 months later :P

I’d like to have my pets remember their names eventually. I named my pigs Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert and I mixed them up so many times I don’t remember who is who anymore o_O

jubskie.3152:

Normally, I’d say something about necroposters, but this issue still exists 2 months later :P

I’d like to have my pets remember their names eventually. I named my pigs Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert and I mixed them up so many times I don’t remember who is who anymore o_O

This issue isn’t 2 months old. It’s nearly one year old.

Yeah..I mean clearly this isn’t the most urgent issue and it’s not really hurting anything, but it does kind of take something away from the class from an rpg perspective. For the pets I use the most, I have memorized the names I pick for them (cause I want them to have the same name every time), but it would be nice if the game were set up so they kept their names. It just kind of makes it feel like the game/Anet doesn’t care about the class very much. I mean the pets are one of the key things about rangers, and if we have the option to name them it would only make sense for them to keep their names…

Abrilete.1439:

jubskie.3152:

Normally, I’d say something about necroposters, but this issue still exists 2 months later :P

I’d like to have my pets remember their names eventually. I named my pigs Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert and I mixed them up so many times I don’t remember who is who anymore o_O

This issue isn’t 2 months old. It’s nearly one year old.

I was referring to the age of the thread, but yeah, it’s been here since launch.

They have given us an answer on this topic and you can feel how you want about the answer. The gave us a short not technical answer. You can think it’s bs but then you don’t understand all the finer points. Would adding the names delay pet swapping or incur more summoning sickness for pets when swapped. There is already some skill delay at times. Would saving all those names be like adding 40 unique skills for each ranger.

The bottom line they don’t want too. Could they change thier mind when whatever is holding them back is no longer an issue sure. Accept the things you can’t change. If you can change it then change it and be done with it.

You guys always want justification for what they decide. Bottom line they feeling it’s in the best interest of the game.

Serraphin Storm.2369:

They have given us an answer on this topic and you can feel how you want about the answer.

Can you link me? People have been saying this, but I haven’t really found anything about it. AFAIK, it was players that said that the DB issues was holding them back.

iirc it’s dev who said they won’t do it, but I’m too lazy to search for topic now.

I’m sure there are lots of good technical reasons for why it’s like this, and it’s really not that big of a deal..it just makes me a little sad.

And tbh sometimes in dungeons when I switch pets, even if a fight is starting up, I sit there and take the extra time to type my pet’s name out…

The whole “a pet name database is too much work” argument is just a proof of laziness and lacking commitment. If they really think that way about it, then why have a character name database? Why not simply have everyone log in as Juvenile Ranger? Heck, that would be even less work.

Nay of the Ether.8913:

now before you put the torches to me, I do think it would be prudent to make the actual pet slots name-bound, that way even if you swap, the same name is still there and saved in the same spot, only now you have a new pet (although this would still require new assignments, I think it would be much much less labor intensive).

If I remember right it used to do that some time back. I had used the name “Thrall” for one of my pets and whenever I would switch him out, the pet I had switched to would keep that name. For some irrational reason it would bothered me to no end, guess it was because I had to rename it. Which looking back, I have to wonder why I bothered lol.

Girion.5483:

The whole “a pet name database is too much work” argument is just a proof of laziness and lacking commitment. If they really think that way about it, then why have a character name database? Why not simply have everyone log in as Juvenile Ranger? Heck, that would be even less work.

It would also solve a lot of issues concerning ‘character name taken’…
/signed

Back to being serious; I don’t care if the name of the pets reset, the thing that bothers me is the Juvennile prefix on all pets.

TheComet.6471:

yeah I agree it’s extremely annoying, especially since I name each pet of mine after various mythology figures.

I mean sure, Fenrir (wolf) and Ose (Bobcat) are easy enough to remember, but when you start slipping in lesser known names like Xbalanque (Jaguar) or Kamui (Bear) or Jormangandr (Devourer), it gets old fast.

I name mine after food, it does get hard to remember which one I named Raisin and which one I named Licorice, and for what reasons after a while.

Though not game breaking this really is annoying. Sometimes they names get mixed up. My fish had my dog’s name! Usually it just loses them.

Some of the newer ones seem to have a permanent data-entry field for this, like the ReefDrake. … which begs the question of why they didn’t go back and Retroactively grant the rest of them permanent naming.

Nay of the Ether.8913:

It’s not a bug, this was intended. the reason behind this (and someone has mentioned it, possibly a dev, I’ll dig it up and link it later) is that each name you make for your own character utilizes a name database. now imagine for each individual pet you have you made unique names. That means new databases have to be created for each individual pet. Now I assume you have never programmed a database before, and I have only done non-professional maintenance on one, but they would have to make sections for each animal type, break it down to specific animals, then link individual names per animal to individual accounts, all the while making sure there is no redundancy of names and other redundant info…..it’s not really feasible, especially when it takes you all of 25 seconds to retype that name. If it takes you any longer, get typing lessons or choose a shorter name lol. now before you put the torches to me, I do think it would be prudent to make the actual pet slots name-bound, that way even if you swap, the same name is still there and saved in the same spot, only now you have a new pet (although this would still require new assignments, I think it would be much much less labor intensive). So there’s your answer. For now stop being lazy, they just don’t have the resources to do it.

It’s more annoying than you describe though. Sometimes you will swap pets just for a single encounter (like swapping to spiders for a boss or to a melee pet for the Jade fractal). When you are swapping pets, sometimes more than once a fractal there’s really very little reason to rename them at all.

I’d love it if they got rid of “juvenile” at the very least. If nothing else, I will stop trying to tame other ranger’s pets (not really an issue now that I’ve tamed them all) but I honestly just think “juvenile” sounds bad.

If they can’t create a database for unique names, it would be kind of cool if pets were assigned a random name from a shared database until they were renamed. At least that way pets would have a name. I’d rather my stalker be randomly assigned the name “Mittens” than constantly swapping it in to see it called “Juvenile”.