Feedback:User/Silverdawn/Ranger Pets

So, I hear the devs aren't happy with how ranger pets in GW2 die all the time and seem like they're something a ranger has instead of part of the ranger. Hopefully, this suggestion will help.

A pet stays very close to the ranger, within three steps in any direction. It is invulnerable to damage and does not draw aggro when the ranger isn't down or defeated. Even though a pet cannot be killed, it can be disabled for a few seconds by attacking it.

The pet's skillbar has a basic attack, a snare attack, a skill for its family and a skill for its unique variety. A pet only uses its basic attack unless fighting independently. Pets don't do a lot of damage by themselves.

Every ranger attack skill and most other ranger skills have a ranger component and a pet component. Either component may or may not be an attack, inflict a condition or grant a boon. If both components are attacks, the combined attack should not be much more powerful than a single attack from an equivalent skill from a more solitary profession.

The pet has a couple controls:

Fight as one: the default setting is the pet attacks everything the ranger does. If the ranger is using a ranged attack, the pet immediately runs up to the targeted enemy and doesn't leave until the player switches targets or uses a different pet control, or the target dies. Unless commanded otherwise, the pet returns to its master's side.

One mind, two bodies: the pet can be commanded to interact with a targettable object independently of the ranger. This includes locking onto and attacking an enemy, using simple environmental objects like levers, or picking up bundle items. In the case of picking up bundle items, the one mind, two bodies icon changes to "drop bundle". In any case, the pet stays by the targetted object until commanded differently.

Heel: the pet will remain close to the ranger. It will independently attack any aggressive enemy that comes within range, but will not stray from its master's side. It will not attack any enemy that isn't going to attack the ranger.

Flag: the pet will move up to a flagged location and take no actions.

When the ranger is downed or defeated, the pet suddenly gets a health bar and the ability to draw aggro. It automatically heels and defends the ranger if an enemy is trying to attack it or tries to rally/resurrect the ranger if it's being ignored. As long as the pet lives, the ranger can switch between directly controlling the pet and himself (if he isn't defeated).

Caveat: The ranger and pet combined should be balanced so it's not more effective than any other profession, taking the fact that the pet will have some travel time to the target and time being stunned into account.