If I were a MP ... I would want these for pets.
I almost never talk MP-stuff. I never got mine past 60. BUT I have played pet classes on a few other MMOs.
If I were a MP, this is what I would want for adjustment to my pets:
NOTE: This is off-the-cuff and would need fine tuning, but the concepts would make me much more interested in a MP. Additionally some of the mechanics below MAY not be possible under the current engine but should be codeable without too much problem.
1) Tankpet
A new "tank" pet that didn't just do damage but actually taunted the mob. The taunt could be intelligent such that the tankpet would auto-taunt -any- mob that aggros the pet owner.
The taunt should be significant but tailored to be only 55% of the taunt an equal-level mongo would generate (I say 55% since, while levelling, enforcers are going to use mongos significantly lower than an equal level MP ... while at 220 doing 55% of iMongo would be -better- than the top RK mongo). This would be LIKE an AoE taunt in that it was possibly taunting multiple mobs but NOT AoE ... it would be reactive based on the MP's hatelist.
The tankpet would have at LEAST 2x the healdelta AND HP of the current attackpets, possibly even raising its healdelta per mob that has it aggroed (but not equal to the number of mobs, perhaps +80% healdelta per mob ... such that the MP can't uberbuff the pet simply by getting it aggro). Or perhaps give the pet a scaling reflect based on number of attackers + the 2x healdelta. However the tankpet would be -immune- the healpet heals.
What do you lose when using tankpet?
* You can't heal your tankpet with your healpet.
* Your healpet only heals you for 50% of the heals it would give without tankpet being out (mass pulls will still kill you since you'll take a hit before tankpet engages).
* You can not have a mezzpet during this time.
* Tankpet only does 125% of the damage of an -equal level- attack pet through L200 and then slowly scales down to 80% of the damage of a Rihwen at 220 (WHO uses equal level attack pets? No one ... you use red attack pets while levelling ... 125% of a L60 pet for a L60 MP is noticeably less than the damage of a L80+ attack pet).
* Tankpets are always level-locked. In fact, I would propose -1- tankpet that you learn at L1 that scales with you as you level. It can "grow up" and change forms as you level. This means you always have a somewhat viable pet but it never outclasses the damage and heals of twinked pets.
* Tankpet's taunts have ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT on players (other than to make them laugh). Therefor Tankpet is a PVM pet.
* Tankpet would take the place of the attackpet, you can't have both active.
In a team situation the tankpet would be useful if no Enforcer (or Soldier) was around. Otherwise in a team situation with a tank your attackpet + healpet + mezzpet will end up being better for your team.
...
2) PVPet
NOTE: This one will be rather clueless from me. I don't know if it will be useful or not ... but the concepts are there.
PVPet would be similar to Tankpet in the idea that it would be level-locked and "grow" as the MP grows.
* PvPet would have 2x healdelta over the current attack pets (to heal up quicker between fights without the healpet) BUT be immune to heals from Healpet (means in the end, once PvPet healing was balanced out, you don't have to micromanage your healpet).
* PvPet would have 2/3rd the HP of the current attack pets through L219. At L220 (ie, Rihwen) the PvPet has 60% of the HP of the Rihwen (I'm making the assumption that Rihwen has significantly higher HP than the next highest attack pet). HOWEVER:
* PvPet can be instacast (cast time: 0sec) with a 15sec recharge (you can get it back much quicker BUT you are not able to cast other nanos for a bit afterwards). Casting PvPet will take UP TO 50% of your current Nano. If you have less than 50% nano left (what kind of MP ARE you?) then it drops your Nano to 0.
* PvPet will proc a 30% ABSORB ON THE MP once every 60 seconds. This reflect is knocked out after 6 successul damaging hits on the MP (like a partial blocker) from ANY 1 TARGET. Meaning if 3 people attack the MP then ALL of their hits will be reduced by 30% until -1- of those players hits the MP 5 times. Any damage absorbed by this proc on the MP will be transferred as damage against PvPet. This is all calculated -after- the PvP damage caps have been applied. (this section edited since original post).
* PvPet is unrootable/uncalmable and has 3.5K runspeed (snares will still affect it, but far less). PvPet has 4K inits (init debuffs will still affect it, but far less).
* PvPet has 110% the AR AND weapons templates of the Rihwen, scaled up/down based on MP's level.
* ADDITIONALLY: Any target hitting PvPet BESIDES its current target will reflect 33% (however actual damage on the attacker is capped at 7% of their current max HP) of the damage back to the attacker (some zerg protection).
* PvPet will NEVER disobey (ie, won't go OE in the same manner as other pets). However the PvPet -will- OE in the sense that if the MP is drained by 25% of their unbuffed skill, PvPet will go down to 75% effectiveness on weapons. If the MP is drained by 50% (wow) PvPet will go down to 50% effectiveness on weapons, etc.
What do you lose using PvPet?
* While active, PvPet cuts the effectiveness of Healpet to 75% of normal. You're getting 30% absorbs for a chunk of each minute in a duel ... in a mass PvP situation this becomes MORE effective since you gain the absorb against all the opponents. You're -changing- the type of resilience you have situationally. You may find in some situations (like duels against consistent high damage opponents) that traditional pets work better. PvPet shouldn't ALWAYS be the right choice.
* The MP focuses more on the PvPet to control it. Weapon recharges are increased by .3sec (raising AS recharge a bit) and AAD bonuses from gear are reduced 7% while Nanodelta is cut to 50% of normal (amount ticked, not speed of ticks).
* PvPet would make it impossible to cast your mezz pet BUT would proc the same effects as the mezz pets 50% as often along with additional debuffs (to be hashed out by MPs later).
* PvPet will is surrounded by a continual AoE DEtaunt that wipes it and the healpet from the hatelist of all nearby non-player mobs. Additionally PvPet will hit any "not player" mob for 0 points of damage. It would actually still be quite useful for the MP to BLITZ through an area due to it's other effects on the MP, but would otherwise be pointless in PvM.
* PvPet would take the place of the attackpet, you can't have both active.
(I think PvPet is probably OPed ... but ... it gives you an idea of where I'd take a PvPet).
...
As for the mezzpet, well, in these 2 situations it just wouldn't be used. 1 less thing to manage with a nice set of bonuses on the replacement pet.
Healpet would "know" it can't heal tankpet or PvPet and simply refuse, keeping its current heal target.
