Let us keep using our favorite pets/jugs (uncap jug pets + change BST affinity)

[Goldfish]

First, let me start off by saying I love DipperYuly (we had great times together and I hope to have more great times together in the future).

Second, I'm not sure if this the case or not (I'm going by ffxiclopedia level caps in the familiar page) but it seems most of our jug pets are still capped at 99 (only the ones introduced in Adoulin such as the new crab jug has a higher base cap).

This means even with full beast affinity merits + augmented monster gloves +2, our old pets will still be at a max of 114 (99 + 15 from Beast Affinity with augmented relic gloves). It's not a problem now but assuming that content progression keeps on going forward, that means the majority of our pets will soon become irrelevant and underleveled for newer content.

My suggestion is that every jug pet should be uncapped and Beast Affinity merits changed to a minor stat increase. Beast Affinity merits could be changed to be like Optimization or Fine-Tuning (from PUP) where it simply increases stats. Beast Affinity could simply increase accuracy, attack, defense, and evasion by a small amount (which keeps the merits relevant) while all jug pets should be uncapped.

New pets could work but since we already have a huge variety, why not also keep our current pets still relevant by uncapping them? Of course I also want new pets too but I don't want our old pets to be slowly outdated due to most of them being capped at 99 (114 with Beast Affinity and augmented Relic Gloves).

As for what to do with NQ/HQ jug pets? For most part, NQ/HQ pets only really exist for 75 pets and below (76+ pets added since the level cap increase has usually been just one quality). In this case, they could simply uncap only 76+ jug pets. (I know the crafting recipe/mats/cost of lower level jug pets were balanced in accordance to the lower level cap for lower level jug pets, so they could only uncap 76+ and maybe some 75 jug pets while keeping the lower level ones still capped.)

Another idea for what to do duplicate familiar jug pets (we have 4 different crab jugs for example) - they could have different statistics (like doing blunt damage instead of slashing, or vice versa). CourierCarrier could have blunt damage, Sunburst Malfik could have slashing, and Herald Henry could have piercing damage (for example). For some of the harder to obtain jug pets (whether due to mats or something), maybe they could have slightly higher statistics (or they could simply make ingredients for certain pets, like the 76+ Pugil pet from "Auroral Broth", easier to obtain by adding them to mog gardens or something).

I just have had great times with DipperYuly (my favorite) and I don't want to see DipperYuly replaced :(. Do any of you also have favorite pets you want to keep relevant in adoulin (with higher ilvl increases, etc)?

[dasva]

I think some of the old ones actually cap lower than 114 but not sure.

But yes I agree with the sentiment the relative low amount of new jugs basically make us chose either using a non optimal pet type (that has ingredients that are hard to get and costly) or use something under lvld. And well if you have been using jugs in soa you know that lvl 113-114 jugs kinda blow. It would be kinda like if the smn ammo only raised shivas lvl <.<

Though I think I'd rather have beast affinity go back to what it was. And that was getting the lower lvl ones up. So like anything that was brought either naturally because that's the way it is or thru BA merits to 99 would be that. And then anything at 99 would go to whatever ilvl weapon is when equipped if that makes sense.

I have favorites. The slug with it's -hp move that used to land on almost everything but doesn't really on soa stuff. Or leech similarly with it's -50% att move. And others as well. This wouldn't be a problem if they had replaced them like they have in the past but they've only given us 2 that will actually go all the way to the current cap and one costs 2k plasm <.<. So either need to bring old ones up (though dev note says they are raising stats so that might help.) or get alot more jugs that can go all the way to the current ilvl cap and higher. Like at least 1 per ecosystem. I mean whats the point of zones with only 1 ecosystem if a bst can't take advantage of it eh?

[Falkirk]

anything that was brought either naturally because that's the way it is or thru BA merits to 99 would be that. And then anything at 99 would go to whatever ilvl weapon is when equipped if that makes sense.
[...]
So either need to bring old ones up (though dev note says they are raising stats so that might help.) or get alot more jugs that can go all the way to the current ilvl cap and higher. Like at least 1 per ecosystem.

Pretty much everything dasva is saying is spot on, and seeing something along these lines would go a long way to at least restoring the previous functionality of BST (as limited as that already was). Major thumbs up.

Even assuming Kerehcatl mainhand, the level cap spectrum is like so (assuming 5/5 Beast Affinity and augmented Monster Gloves +2):
Nursery Nazuna: 101
Crafty Clyvonne: 105
Presto Julio: 108
Swift Sieghard: 109
Mailbuster Cetas: 110
Audacious Anna: 110
The rest: 114
Droopy Dortwin: 118
Scissorleg Xerin: 119
Sunburst Malfik: 119
Herald Henry: 119

When the iLvl 130 axe is released, look forward to still using Herald Henry at 2k plasm per pop, along with Zesty Ziggy the raptor (who caps at iLvl 125 and bestows Vermin Killer in an era where Beast Killer is desired for the new SoA zone).

It sounds very pessimistic, but it probably isn't far off. It's gonna be a rough ride.

[Leonardus]

along with Zesty Ziggy the raptor

Aha! Make ZestyZiggy a red raptor with Whirling Inferno just for aesthetic awesomeness.

My life will be complete (I will swear an oath to complain approximately 87.5% less on these forums with Ziggy at my side).

I'm sorry, Falcorr. >.>

[dasva]

Hehe I also vote for Zestyziggy. That is just cash if nothing else... really sad about anna though. Cause at that low level makes it really hard to land infrasonics... which is defintely something that would get people to want a bst... well at least before they put 242 skill on weapons. And newer pets just don't have the cool debuffs that the old ones had but most people didn't seem to know about

Another issue I find is even with the newer pets they put there caps so low that beast affinity is litterally a must have merit just to have your pets even be remotely useable. I thought the point of merits was to give some choices and differences between different people on the same job. Like before some people might chose BA so they can have the lower stuff still be 75 too and have like sheep song for some things. While others wanted to focus on there DD with killer instinct. And some to save money/help with harder solos with beast healer... and some weird people wanted feral howl :).

But now it's definitely BA definitely and chosing dmg or survivability for your pets and soon like Falkirk stated our non gimp non plasm pet choices will probably be even worse off meaning might have to start using plasm as gross as that is which basically forces beast healer in an attempt to not bleed any more plasm than necessary

[Olor]

Yeah I support this entirely. The system is broken. Even if they add 2 or 3 more pets, history shows us they will cost an arm and a leg and still suck universally more than SMN and PUP pets.

And what is with Scissorlegs not getting any good ready moves? Seriously? An AOE that does 150-200 damage is weaksauce.

[Louispv]

Yeah I support this entirely. The system is broken. Even if they add 2 or 3 more pets, history shows us they will cost an arm and a leg and still suck universally more than SMN and PUP pets.

And what is with Scissorlegs not getting any good ready moves? Seriously? An AOE that does 150-200 damage is weaksauce.

SE Dev1: But if we gave you Nature's meditation you could use it with unleashed for 30 seconds of invincibility! Why if there were 18 of you, you could be invincible for 9 straight minutes!

SE Dev2: Hey Bob, didn't we already give PUP that as a new one hour? Couldn't 18 PUP's do it?

SE Dev3: Yeah along with 4 other one hour abilities? Also, aren't Avatars immune to damage from any enemy of the element they're strong to? That big mega "kill everyone" move we gave Hurkan that does 4500 damage to players, only does like 80 damage to Titan.

SE Dev2: And haven't PLD and THF always been able to do that?

SE Dev1: Quiet, all of you! You're all fired! No one who plays the game and understands how it works can be a developer for it!

[Leonardus]

The TP abilities help form the personality of the monster.

I'm pretty sure SE removes some of those interesting abilities because they are deemed a)Too Strong, or b)Too Versatile.

I still think they should just try and balance them out, and let people have fun using them. It's really not likely you're going to break anything with a few BSTs in an Adoulin party.

[dasva]

Well going along with how jugs have been they haven't really had much in the way of useful buffs or really hardly and self ready moves. But a lot of the old pets had some pretty neet and unique debuffs which was a great reason to use random other pets. I mean purlant ooze used to land on most nms and that alone could justify a bst slot if they hadn't made it so it wont land on soa nms. -25% evasion from the lizard or -25% def that lasts litterally for hours from the tortoise -50% att from leech etc.

Would be nice if they made it so we could ya know actually land those on content and continue that tradition with new pets. Like chapuli could've gotten Orthopterror. Give it weak dmg but keep the decent terror on it. Or Sanguinary Slash with the hp down stat actually landing. Rabbits being the only one that can heal themselves could've given the new one the wild ginseng that the monstrosity one gets. And sense you made it cost 2k plasm for god sakes had made the stupid crab have venom shower

[Glamdring]

I agree with OP and those supporting him. I also have to think it would be alot less work to simply open up the top end of our existing pets than to create new ones from scratch as well as the method of obtainment.

I would also like us to be able to charm critters in events. remember how much fun it was for 6 beasts to do The Worm's Turn in the old days? well, why not charm the lesser critters in a WKR or the like?