Unique. Such a dangerous word in WoW. Unique is something a great deal of players strive for in WoW. Just like in the real world, we all strive to stand out somehow (generally speaking). Some of us dream of being in the top raiding guild or top PvP guild. Many players obtain unique mounts, armor, tabards, shirts, mini-pets, titles- all to have something unique to them and their character After all, it would be rather lame if every Night Elf had white skin and blue hair right? Well, that's why we have the option to design our characters before their creation!But Unique also has a dark-side. It can also sometimes make people assume your character is an elitist, "hard-core", or just someone who want's to be (and this is a phrase you see alot on the WoW forums) a 'unique little snowflake'*. I see this alot on forums and blogs, but sometimes I see it on WoW itself as well.
But despite all this, Hunters have one extra feature to make them "unique": Pets.
Which brings me to the question of today's blog:
What does your pet say about you? (If anything!)
You see alot of Hunters get put into categories just by their pet alone. Don't deny that you have. Perhaps you've been in a group with another Hunter who brought a Gorilla to your Heroic Nexus. You may have thought he was foolish for not bringing a Wolf. Maybe you thought that the Hunter who has a Spirit Beast is a fool for spending so many hours camping a pet that isn't better than a Devilsaur or a Cat. Heck, if you were Beastmastery after patch 3.0.8 and still in 3.0.9, you may have been on the receiving end of some taunts and overgeneralizations based purely on the fact you had an Exotic pet (which gave your spec away).But does a pet say something about the Hunter? I'm sure some pets do, but not all. But the following over-generalizations are not fair to assume:
By owning a Boar or Bear from Elwynn Forest, are you automatically a Hunter who doesn't care at all about their companion?
By owning a cat like Rake and Echeyakee, are you just another "unoriginal" Hunter?
By owning a Devilsaur, are you just another damage-meter-watching Hunter?
By owning a rare-spawn pet like Loque'nahak and Old Cliff Jumper, are you just a showoff?
By owning retired pets like Gezzerak or Grimtotem Spirit Guide, are you just trying to be a unique little Hunter?
No, I think there's something much more to the choosing of a companion amongst Hunters. I know some Hunters who stuck with their first pet from level 10 and haven't glanced at other pets. Some people just love cats, others wolves. Maybe that blood elf hunter chose a raptor because he loves Jurassic Park.
Overgeneralization is something we don't like in real life, we call them stereotypes. So consider this my food for thought for today. Just what does your pet say about you?
But more importantly,
What does your pet mean to you?
3 comments:
Hmm. Food for thought today. *chews on thought*
Personally, I didn't choose my pets to be unique. I chose the pets I have because those were the ones -I- wanted.
I have a Spirit Beast named Tempest. I got him after three days of running and flying in non-stop circles. I spent three days searching, putting off 80, because I'd said at the release of Wrath "I will have a Spirit Beast."
I have Ruka, my Frostsaber Pridewatcher, because I found Petopia as a level 9 hunter, and fell in love with the lavander tiger skin.
I have Helki, my Ghostpaw Alpha, because, back in the day I wanted a "white wolf" with a fast attack speed. She had a 1.2 AS. She was not expected in Battlegrounds by anything cloth.
Lucivar, my brash little stubborn boar. I've not had him too long, he's formerly Snorts from Storm Peaks. I set myself a challenge - tame an alliance stablemaster's pet. I got it, after dying once. My piggy.
Nice post, definitely makes you think.
I've had Motomo my black wolf since lvl 10, he's always been my main pet. I got him because that was the pet I wanted my hunter to have.
He was my only pet up until level 68. I had wanted a warp stalker since the first day I saw one standing in the Orgrimmar auction house...I was like whoa! What is that?!
And my spirit beast was a random chance encounter, I hadn't been actively hunting Loque, but decided to take a jaunt around the basin. My curiousity paid off, and now I know what it feels like to tame something rare.
But when it comes down to it Motomo is still my favorite. I am BM spec, and always have been, that won't be changing even with dual spec courtesy of 3.1, I've been BM since day one and plan to stay that way and make it work the best I can. Any 5, 10, or 25 mans that will have me, I am there. :)
I try and have my hunter pets be a blend of aesthetics and function, but more often than not they have to "feel right" for the character I'm playing. My blood elf hunter works with a white hyena, but having a cat or a boar beside him just feels wrong. My night elf hunter works great with tallstriders, but looks funny (in my eyes) with a cat or a wolf.
Being I'm a roleplayer, the pet is an extension of the character and their story, so I carefully consider which beast would be the right one for that toon.
I also am generally faithful to most of my earlier pets--I do not consider myself a flavor of the month pet switcher when something newer and better comes around.
My hyena, Halja (formerly the beast known as "Giggler"), has been with me since level 34 being that's the first chance one has at a white hyena. I will never ever think of abandoning her and she will always be at my belf hunter's side.
Post a Comment