Feedback talk:User/Malek Exsecror/Mesmer Pets

No. Mesmers, if available in the game (and yeah, they prolly are) shouldn't have pets. I can't think of a profession in both GW1 and GW2 that is the least compatible with a pets system. You say that they (mesmers) work better when someone else is in front? How is that different from any other spell-caster profession. The ability to take away the Rangers pets is gimping them out right (less so with necromancers). Mesmers are about Control and subversion, punishing others for taking certain actions, preventing them from taking others, and looking good while doing it. Pets just don't fit with them.--Will Greyhawk 04:55, 29 October 2011 (UTC)

I think that the Mesmer has the potential, conceptually, of being an incredible solo character, if used right. This would, of course, require being on the backline and not taking as many hits. So, although animal companions are very ill-fitting for the class, I can see a sort of "pet" being included in the mechanics.

The best idea I have is illusions, which you can conjure to use as decoys, allies, etc. I draw inspiration for this from the Ritualist's spirits in OGW. They'd be fairly short term allies, easily recreated for another battle, and would have various effects. For example, one could be a mirror image of your character who performs the same skill animations as you, showing the same status as your character, but with an independant, hidden health bar. Another example would be an illusory warrior, who fights with you for a short time, and hexing nearby foes when dispelled.

So, I like the general idea of mesmers having a "pet" option, it just doesn't fit to have an animal companion as that choice. Derikvyreflame 23:29, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

There are no hex spells in GW2. However, summons similar to spirits in the form of "illusions" could work. But as I understand the word "Pet" in regards to game play, I see something like animal companions of Rangers. Necro minions and engineer turrets are summons. They aren't permanent. They are bound entirely to the skills that summon them. A pet, as I see them, are independent entities that are linked to the character, and have their own abilities. I do understand that its all semantics, tomato tomahto, etc. But with how the guy explained it in this suggestion, it sounded more like an animal companion, which just doesn't work.--Will Greyhawk 08:38, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

Of course animal companions wouldn't fit in with mesmers. However, see http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Pet Going by the page, the term "pet" refers to more than just animal companions. The only difference between the pets is that animal companions are the ranger class ability, as opposed to a skill. Thus, their pets will be more in-depth and commandable than the summoned pets. Does that make the others any less of a 'pet?' Absolutely not.

In my opinion, a "pet" is an individual AI that is under your control, whether summoned or not. On a lighter note for example, you could have a pet rock in real life. Sure, it's not an animal, and it can't do as many tricks as, say, a dog, but it's still a pet, none-the-less. :D

Now, back on topic. Now I want to voice a specific concern of mine. The illusory summon (for sake of personal ease, I'll refer to them as 'illusions') should be confined to skills, and not be the class ability. Why? The class ability is what differentiates the classes the most; it's their most distinguishing factor. If you make illusions the mesmer class abililty, you PERSONIFY the mesmer as an illusionist. While this seems fitting at first, lore states the mesmer's school of magic as 'Denial.' You could stretch it by saying that illusions "deny" your opponent their perspective, but that would be pushing it. Thus, save the class ability for something that would fit into 'denial' better than illusions, and confine the illusions to summon skills. Derikvyreflame 21:34, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

I like the idea of illusory summons for a Mesmer. All the more so because I get the sneaky suspicion that the Mesmer of GW2 is going to be a bit more of an Illusionist than pure GW1 Mesmer. That's entirely unfounded speculation on my part with no evidence to back it up, by the way. It comes from the fact that GW2 is being designed to be solo-able in PvE.

For a squishy caster class, that means you're going to have to have something to help with mobs. For Eles, it's their devastating damage potential and for Necros it's either their minions or considerable toughness in the form of high health, extensive self-healing, and Death Shroud mechanic. But where does that leave the as-yet-unannounced third scholar class (*cough* Mesmer/Illusionist *cough*)? They're going to need something to help in that aspect and illusory summons would fit perfectly.

Of course, this is all conjecture on my part. If the PvE game is truly solo-able, players are forced to bring a self-heal, and ArenaNet is dispensing with the Holy Trinity in GW2, then the re-imagined Mesmer may have quite a different profession-defining mechanic and skill set than what we would expect from a GW1-era Mesmer.

Back on topic, I don't entirely disagree with the OP's suggestion of a pet for Mesmers. I think there's an automatic connotation within the context of GW in which many people see the word "pet" and think "Bear", "Wolf", "Tiger", etc. But for a Mesmer, "pets" could be a cat, a small bird (raven, parrot, etc.), a small snake (not a Boa Constrictor or Giant Cobra like a Ranger would have), a rat, a weasel, etc. Small, seemingly inoffensive creatures that no one takes seriously as a threat.

That is, until the weasel runs up your pant leg and causes your ax swing to miss, or the raven comes flying into your face to interrupt your spell cast, or the cat bites and scratches you to give you 1 stack of bleeding, or the snake bites you to give you 1 stack of poison, or the beauty of the parrot distracts you so your next skill fails. All effects and actions that are involved with distraction, disruption, subversion, control, etc.

But I do agree that Mesmer's pets should not be the same as Ranger's pets nor their mechanics be similar. A Ranger's pets are frontline fighters who can act independently as practically party members in their own right. If Mesmer pets are added, they should be an extension of the Mesmer's distraction, disruption, subversion, and control skills. I don't think the OP need worry about having a frontline of pet tanks to protect them while they cast from the backline, anyway. It appears ArenaNet - in dispensing with the Holy Trinity and making PvE solo-able - is moving away from that frontline/backline paradigm. Guild Wars 3 perhaps 01:02, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Mesmers have phantoms and illusions, illusions are less strong than phantoms and look like the character and phantoms are stronger and look like some sort of purple ghosts