Blizzard updated the Public Test Realms and the WotLK Beta realms this evening with Patch 3.0.2 (9038). This was a small patch (something like 12 MB) and our second this week, so I am expecting primarily skill and talent tweaks.
Some good news to start, though: the 3% damage difference in ex-caster pets is gone! Ex-casters now have exactly the same stats as normal pets. (Let’s hope they stay that way this time.)
Unfortunately I still seem to be missing the Charge talent from my land-based Ferocity pets.
So far I am not seeing many changes in pet skills or talents, but once I am done with that I’ll go recheck untameable families, demon hounds, etc. I’ll update this post if I find anything (and put up a new exciting post if I find anything major). If you are on the PTR or beta, let me know if you find anything!
[Update #1]
They apparently raised the based health of level 75 pets, from about 4650 to about 5020. I don’t see a health difference on my level 65 pets, so I’m guessing they probably tweaked 70+ or 71+. At any rate, on a kitted out (but untalented) pre-made, that means that my bear has 12,000 health.
[Update #2]
Vargul Blighthounds can still be tamed (and are still wolves), but it still doesn’t look like any of the other demon hounds can. I also haven’t come across any new tameable families yet.
Though I doubt its new to this build,I tested today and the wasps from Underbog are indeed tameable. H UB is a good source for a lvl 70 wasp, only source until WotLK. That is of course if your group is nice enough and competent enough to NOT kill your would-be pet, two things my group happened to lack. :(
Ahh, ty, Seidouyumi! xD I’m still more of a newcomer and haven’t made those distinctions yet. :)
Great info about the spiders – I was afraid they weren’t tamable due to the scripted event that is going on it that area, so nice to see I was wrong.
Regarding Growl and Cower sharing a cooldown: it isn’t all that unusual for abilities to share cooldowns, even when those cooldowns are of different lengths, and as far as I know Growl and Cower have always been in that category – if you try to increase your pet’s threat one pet GCD, you can’t decrease it the next pet GCD and vice-versa. So I don’t see a new bug there – just the ongoing issue with abilities that aren’t on your pet action bar putting themselves on autocast. On that particular topic, have a look at this comment from GC in the shaman forums – the reason they haven’t fixed the bug yet, is because they’re still deciding how best to go about doing so (i.e. try to make it work properly within the current system, or else overhaul it).
On Ferocity pets and Charge: I haven’t logged into beta in a while – when folks say it is missing, do they mean the talent itself is gone (similar to the way Swoop used to be missing for flyers), or just that you can take the talent and not get the ability? (I’m guessing the former, but the posts I have seen have been a little ambiguous on the topic).
Kalli-
You’re welcome.
Nimizar-
Charge has been removed from the Ferocity Talent Tree.
If I got one of the black worg like things that the other poster said I’d name it Gmork after the wolf creature in Neverending Story :P Because Gmork kicked but and they remind me of him.
I haven’t been able to get on the PTR for awhile after this patch oo It just won’t let me log in. And interesting new Spider Skin, webs on the legs… Niiiiiiiiice XP
PepsiJedi: Yeah, only Kurken does it. Thank god lol. I really dislike the other corehound models. Yes, I’m extremely picky and something that drools THAT much is not traveling with me lol XD
Harleigh: At the very least, 2. Like I’ve stated a few times before, I do have a ghost wolf. I’m NEVER abandoning him. I love the new saberworg. I plan on getting the white one, then switching it out for the color-changer.
I like the pets, but there are just some I will NEVER own for purely aesthetic reasons. Silithid, Spiders, Scorpids, Serpents, and Wasps just because I abhor bugs and snakes and I’m scared of spiders, also the spider attack noise makes me grit my teeth. Gorillas, Crocolisks, Devilsaurs, Raptors, Ravagers & Boars (Unless its the Black armored one), and Bears. These guys for various reasons ranging from annoying idle noises to I just really don’t like them (in the case of Devilsaurs). Some may think that knocks out alot of pets (I’ve been told “jeez what do you like?”) but actually it works just fine for me and I’ve never noticed ^^;
So come Wrath, I’ll probably be sticking with the wolves and alot of old-world pre TBC pets since they’ll level to just below me.
Drakkena – webs on the legs? The only new spider model I’ve seen is the spiky “bone spider” look, but I’m aware there are some “flying nerubian” models out there, which I’d given up for lost as either undead, humanoid or unclassified. Any sign that the flying spiders are tameable, cos I’m all over them if they are.
Rikaku – that’s fine. Cats, wolves, bears and other hairy, smelly mammals really creep the hell out of me. Give me a scorpid, silithid, spider or wasp any day :)
I remember being up there in Storm Peaks and killing those spiders and wondering why Blizzard hadn’t made them tameable. I had tried to tame one of them several weeks ago. I’m really glad Blizzard made that bone-legged spider model tameable. Thanks, Draeon!
Last I saw one, the red Core Hound also did the screen bounce, but also had a fire sizzling sound effect, similar to burning woods. I’m getting this one anyway, I can live with the bounce, as long as I get the skin I like the best.
I guess I’m lucky that the one I like best, the green one, doesn’t do that! Yeah me!
PepsiJedi: I liked the green one til I tamed it. When it threw its head back and did the drool flying through the air thing, I kinda got nausious. I’d kept him if he hadn’t have done that.
I can’t wait to try out Hyenas <3 I love the little buggers XD
Rikaku,
Hyenae are pretty solid pets now. That tendon rip is good if you have a high focus regen rate. I took it off auto cast since it will be used right at the beginning. However, I kept an eye out for runners about to break and used it manually, and it worked a treat. So far, I’ve used all the pets below lvl 27 except for Ravagers and Moths, and they’re all great pets now. Some are just a bit more, well, in need of direction than others.
Sei: That is music to my ears. Now I can get me one of the ridiculous purple ones and “Hurruu~” my way through Northrend XD Hmm… I’ll have to try one out on the PTR. Don’t be surprised if I name my hyena “Sei” after you now XD
I see lots of people hating Moths because they’re Ferocity pets. And after testing one for awhile, I think they fit perfectly in that tree. This little fluffy things are harder to kill than others just due to Serenity Dust. When it starts to get too low on health it will pop it up, and regen health as well as do 10% more damage. And frankly, before you get high enough to put points into Bloodthristy it will save the Moth. Once you can also get Lick Your Wounds then it’s even better.
I say they’re going to be great leveling up pets, especially for Draenei hunters. Serenity Dust + Mend Pet + Gift of the Naaru = Win.
I’m glad caster pets are gone! I only wish they would put the trexgreen skin on something other than an extremely rare elite with a long respawn time. I love that skin but it will be near impossible to get. At least I’ll have a flying mount and track beasts but lets hope he has a 2-8 hour respawn time.
Is anyone else really pumped to get a wasp? i’m going for the light blue silithid wasp boss skin, i’m a troll and i think a wasp would look good by my side.
Deathbang, I hope the same thing only for the spirit beast XD
Speaking of Spirit Beasts, has anyone found any new skins for them? Or is it still just the one <.<
@Sei
I’ve noticed that to be a pattern thus far with many of the new pet family abilities – they need to be manually used by the hunter. I can’t tell if that’s the reason for my PTR pets’ seeming lack of overall dps or if it’s just all the classes getting to be overpowered.
Does this seem to be the new thing for hunters and their pets? You have to manually have them use skills, so they’re even more of an extension of yourself, as opposed to just letting them go? I’m just curious, since I’m still trying to decide on which one is going to be my pvp pet.
I am happy that all the pets are getting their own skills, I am expecially happy with the Hyena skill, tendon rip. Since my main (well only pet I actually use) is a Hyena. though I still plan on getting a blight hound if they remain tamable. Silithids, I’ve always wanted one of those and I am glad my fav model is the tamable type. havent figured out what I want for the last two slots, I might leave them open for now…maybe a spirit beast…depending on what other models there might be.
Probably won’t pvp till after the expansion, and then test out some pets…Rhino’s and core hounds and worms oh my!
I think I could put up with a rhino’s screen bounce as long as I can enjoy seeing it knock people off cliffs.
@BoarWood: Sorry to burst your bubble, but Silithid Wasps have not been tameable sofar in the PTR. So, unless they changed it in this build (can anyone confirm?), the only one that are tameable are at least level 75 won’t be available until after Wrath is out.
I think Boarwood means the blue ones in Northrend, which use Silithid Boss models from Ahn’Qiraj, but are tameable beasts.
And I’ll be grabbin’ me a wasp too, although a firefly type I think.
Name that firefly Serenity.
Yeah, that is indeed what i meant, the 75 ones in sholozar basin.
Has anyone tried to tame the Core hounds in the Northern part of Netherstorm yet? They have black skin. I would get one of them if they are tamable.
@Clawclaw-I never even thougt about that. Defending the lumber mill, using the rhino to send people flying over the cliff… oh the thought of seeing gnomes going flying just makes my troll heart beat with excitement.
At least they fixed the DPS problem with former caster pets. Now I can truly get my nether ray and have fun with it :D
@Thranos
I haven’t checked this build, but they’ve always been Demon and are likely going to remain as such =(
@Clawclaw: I’m with Shagrat. I can’t wait to use it on gnomes-oh wait…. damn they’re part of my faction… rats. ._. Oh well, I can always send blood elves flying. (No offense to any blood elves, but blood elf pallys always make me angry for some reason XD)
I didn’t realize that the others where not Demons. It would be cool if they changed them to not be demons. i really like that skin.
I’m glad that they finally reduced pet leveling experience. And I’m glad they’ve been bumping up pet health a couple of times now. Even though it is a little at a time. And I now have all “5″ of my Stable slots filled. White Devilsaur, the one and only (so far) cat(-like) Spirit Beast, an albino lion, a whitish rhino and an albino eagle. If they add any more pets, that appeal to me, they’re gonna make me choose!
There’s Uhk’loc http://petopia.brashendeavors.net/html/mobs/mob_uhkloc.php the white gorilla.
Temper… i’ll take that. It’s better than what hunters had to get back to range. At least we may have a chance against melle opponents now.
@ Bradagore
http://img243.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wowscrnshot100308234854cc9.jpg
Look at this screenshot, see the WEBS on the legs there? Or am I just seeing things that are hanging from the spiders legs? I didn’t see any posts on the Bone Spider, unless you mean the ones from the Islands where the Draenei start.