Beastmaster / Tamer Class

[Laughlyn]

Not sure where to put this, so i'll try here.

This is merly a suggestions & feedback thread for the future of a "Pet Taming" class/job.
(if you have nothing constructive to bring to this discussion then kindly move along.)

In the FFXIV 2.0 pdf files, there was some information regarding "Pet Taming" wich
could be done with specific class/job, now...

What do you think?

● Should it be called "Beastmaster" or "Tamer" ?

● Wich monsters should we be able to "Tame" ?
- Exmple: Sheep, Coblyn, Wolf...nothing over the top ofcourse.

● Should we be able to name our pet?

● Should pets have their own stats allocation system?

● Should pets be able to equip certain armor?

● Should pets be able to change class?
- Exmple: Paladin Cactuar, Black Mage Sea Hare...etc
lol...i just put this one in here for fun.

● What actions should the pet be able to perform?
- Example: Attacks/Debuffs, Kiting, Tank/Defense, Party buffs, Gardening actions.

● Should pets be an optional mount?
- Example: maybe at a certain level?

● Should we be able to run around inside cities with your pets?
- Example: unlike being able to ride mounts in cities.

Thats just a few suggestions i could come up with, feel free to add your own ones. ^.^
I just cant wait for more information regarding "Pet Taming".

[BlaiseLallaise]

● Should it be called "Beastmaster" or "Tamer" ?
Why not both? "Tamer" can be a class, and "Beastmaster" can be a job.

● Wich monsters should we be able to "Tame" ?
I think it would be interesting to be able to do a quest to 'tame' your very own of almost every non-large or rare beast, and then they would be yours to call at any time (one at a time, obviously). Seems like a more personal way to go about it than the 'catch & release' method used in FFXI.

edit: After thinking again, perhaps it isn't such a good idea to tame the smallest creatures. Who would fear a tiny little rat, or a swarm of bees? So, medium-sized creatures would be about right.

● Should we be able to name our pet?
If implemented like my previous answer, absolutely. Using an FFXI method, probably not.

● Should pets have their own stats allocation system?
I don't think that's necessary. Just a standard base stat distribution per beast type should suffice.

● Should pets be able to equip certain armor?
Probably, but no more than something similar to Chocobo barding.

● Should pets be able to change class?
If implemented as I envision it, each different pet could have its own class, and you could change battle tactics by simply swapping pets.

● What actions should the pet be able to perform?
Initially the beast's native attacks, but it would be interesting to be able to raise them to learn new attacks (within reason).

● Should pets be an optional mount?
Since we will be able to use chocobos in battle, it only makes sense to allow it to go the other way around. (Again, within reason. No marmot mounts, please.)

● Should we be able to run around inside cities with your pets?
Simply a novelty, but not a terrible idea. I have no leanings either way.

[Laurel_McFang]

I prefer tamer and summoner the names used in the PDF. It looks like the summoners will get to call on primals. No one tell the slyphs else they'll get angry...

Btw the pets will level up it looks like ala the system in ff 13-2.

[NintenPyjak64]

● Should pets be able to equip certain armor?
Probably, but no more than something similar to Chocobo barding.

● Should pets be able to change class?
If implemented as I envision it, each different pet could have its own class, and you could change battle tactics by simply swapping pets.

First thing that came to mind when reading this was 13-2

[Avisaia]

● Should it be called "Beastmaster" or "Tamer" ?

-I would prefer for Tamer to be another base job added that would branch into Summoner and Beastmaster. TMR + MRD = BST and TMR + (CNJ or THM) = SMN I don't know if Tamer should be a magic based class or a melee class -especially since it seems that FFXIV stresses magic users not using their weapons at all and my memory of SMN in FFXI was that they could beat stuff pretty damn well with their sticks, not just their magic.

● Wich monsters should we be able to "Tame" ?

If the TMR class does have pets (assuming its a base job and not an advanced one) they should be very limited -likely a new pet allowed to summon every 15 levels. So, at 0 you get a rat or marmot, something squishy. At 15 you could be allowed to summon a fungar, etc... The Tamer class could be allowed to summon small sized monsters only while the advanced classes- BST: Can summon medium sized monsters and SMN: Can summon elementals (please for the love of god make them look cooler) and some other base summons (Cait Sith?) that will hopefully be added outside of the primals.

I really hope that they don't combine SMN/BST all in one job like I've seen a few people mention. I would be very cross if I was a summoner who should be magic based summoning pets... when I could be summoning pets and using an AXE!

● Should we be able to name our pet?

I don't think we should be able to name our pets. I enjoyed the cute and creative names in XI's NM-pets. I also hope that a few of the pets we're allowed to summon will have love and attention given to them such as our dear Courier Carrie did. Things as small as additions like that can signify what the pet may be able to do and give it personality. Who wouldn't love to see a medium sized crab pet covered in pots tossing out protect, stoneskin and cures? :)

● Should pets have their own stats allocation system?

No. Let the master be the character with the stats to worry about. The pets should definitely have scaling stats as they level with you as well as their own scaling abilities so pets never become useless. One of the worst things about FFXI was that as you leveled BST or SMN -pets fell out of use completely. Such as hardly ever using Titan or Diabolos except for a few buffs now and again or how the lower tier BST pets were often so useless you didn't bother buying/making/using the jugs for them. I hope they will continue the trend of low amounts of skills being given -yet they remain completely useful!

● Should pets be able to equip certain armor?

Nah. (((If DRG ever gets a wyvern I think they should be able to equip armor))<-I'm newish to XIV still and just last night learned that Dragoons are dragon slayers! So never-mind that comment.), but BST and SMN pets have always been awesomely sufficient on their own. You can heal BST pets and you can re-summon an avatar. DRG however made wonderful use of their pet and in XI they tended to be squishy to AoEs.

● Should pets be able to change class?

Nah, but they should definitely HAVE classes. TMR/BST could have thm,cnj,gla,pug,mrd,lnc,arc and SMN could stick with the class inspired summons or magic based avatars. It would be cute to have a cnj crab and a gla crab -two separate ones at different levels that have different appearance.

● What actions should the pet be able to perform?

Pets will hopefully be as versatile as they were in FFXI. Different pets should be able to do as you said: attack, tank, buff parties, be useful for kiting, etc. Seeing our pets using skills and being able to target them specifically would also be an exciting beginning to the possibility of Blue Mage. I just hope they don't give our pets skills that should be strong and they end up being 1/4 as effective as a mob using it in the wild. I always found that disappointing.

● Should pets be an optional mount?

No.

● Should we be able to run around inside cities with your pets?

While I would find this insanely entertaining... I already hate Ul'dah because of the lag, and ANY major city should remain free and clear of anything aside from NPCs/EventStuff/PCs.

My own ramblings~

I am glad that someone posted something about BST. I know most people are simply excited for SMN, but BST is so precious to me I wanted to think for a while before flash-fire responding to your post. I really really hope that BST and SMN remain their own separate classes with their own amazing storylines and what not. I can envision a lot of great lore for BST. Such as.... A pirate from Limsa got washed up on some island after the apocalypse and was alone stranded on an island with only the creatures to sustain him.. He befriends the opo-opo, they teach him, he lives! He ropes some sea turtles! ... But yeah, he's a MRD, becomes a BST, teaches you in your opening quest after proving you have some affinity for beasts (by leveling TMR and MRD) and he grants you THE SOUL OF THE BEAST!

I would hope they will have access to heavy armor, though it would make more sense in this game for them to be mostly a leather based class that can use shield and one-handed axe, should it ever ever be introduced or... just give it a GAxe. Not as nostalgic, but still nice.

I also hope that it isn't all touchy-feeling-elementally like all of Gridania is. The BST storyline quest in XI always bugged me because it was about protecting and cherishing your pet when every single person who played BST seriously knew it was all about recycling the mobs you used and SENDING LEGIONS TO DIE FOR YOUR CAUSE! ~whatever that may have been. (For leveling and giving yourself a challenge for certain nms) I want BST to be awesome, powerful, sexy, and not focused on the rage of the hedge or elementals and how they influence the animals. Make our critters intelligent and have personality!

My questions :

• What would our AF look like? What stats should be on it?
• How much stronger will the pets be than us? Or will we fight alongside our pet equally such as DRG and its pet in XI?
• Will they introduce a 1H axe or will we be doomed to be a two handed class?
• Will our pets be able to zone with us? Please say it is so.

Most importantly. Where the hell are the rest of you Beastmasters? I know you're out there.

[BlaiseLallaise]

Avisaia: Mostly I wanted to say that I enjoyed reading your post. Such well-thought posts are refreshing around here.

Additionally, I didn't play Beastmaster in FFXI, but I did watch my wife play it a lot. It always bothered me that pets were recycled as they were. Does one care nothing for the bond between beast and master, or does he merely revel in the power held through commanding hordes of beasts to do his bidding?

I did, however, play a hunter in WoW for a while, and what I gained from that was a sense of a true bond between master and beast. I tamed my beast early on and he fought by my side nearly the entire game. I was proud when he helped me down creature after creature, and I was sad when he fell. That's how I would like to see the beast/master bond in any Tamer/Beastmaster class/job. I'd likely play it if that were the case.

[Leonesaurus]

Not sure where to put this, so i'll try here.

This is merly a suggestions & feedback thread for the future of a "Pet Taming" class/job.
(if you have nothing constructive to bring to this discussion then kindly move along.)

In the FFXIV 2.0 pdf files, there was some information regarding "Pet Taming" wich
could be done with specific class/job, now...

What do you think?

● Should it be called "Beastmaster" or "Tamer" ?

● Wich monsters should we be able to "Tame" ?
- Exmple: Sheep, Coblyn, Wolf...nothing over the top ofcourse.

● Should we be able to name our pet?

● Should pets have their own stats allocation system?

● Should pets be able to equip certain armor?

● Should pets be able to change class?
- Exmple: Paladin Cactuar, Black Mage Sea Hare...etc
lol...i just put this one in here for fun.

● What actions should the pet be able to perform?
- Example: Attacks/Debuffs, Kiting, Tank/Defense, Party buffs, Gardening actions.

● Should pets be an optional mount?
- Example: maybe at a certain level?

● Should we be able to run around inside cities with your pets?
- Example: unlike being able to ride mounts in cities.

Thats just a few suggestions i could come up with, feel free to add your own ones. ^.^
I just cant wait for more information regarding "Pet Taming".

*MY RESPONSE*

● Should it be called "Beastmaster" or "Tamer" ?


I foresee two options here, at least in my eyes:

A) Create a new class called Tamer, named after its original name in Final Fantasy V, that can become Beastmaster as a job through quests.

EX: Class: Tamer <---> Job: Beastmaster

The Tamer/Beastmaster wields a bullwhip used to tame animals/monsters with.

Main Hand Weapon: Beastmaster's Bullwhip / Tamer's Whip

The bullwhip is balanced to not be strong like a Dragoon's lance or a Monk's fists, since it has an animal/monster being the muscle behind the class, enabling a balance between yourself, the pet AND the other jobs it fights along side. Seems fair and legit.

OR

B) The second possible scenario I foresee:

Marauder serves as the base originator for the Job of Beastmaster.

EX: Class: Marauder (Axe Wielder) <---> Job: Beastmaster (Axe Wielder/Pet Tamer)

With this option, things would behave differently from option A), meaning that Beastmaster would be the only name for the pet taming job and it would branch out from Marauder.

So it can attack with an axe (borrow abilities from Marauder and possibly a healing job to cure itself or another damage dealer) and have the pet fight along side it.

The problem with this option is the fact that you would have to balance the power of the axe in tangent with the animal/monsters you tame and fight with. And that might NOT be that fun of an option if done so.

It wouldn't have the abilities of a Warrior obviously, but it still may be too over powered or unbalanced in some way, shape or form to the other damage dealers just because of the axe AND the pet.

Which is why the first option not only sounds and plays more original-like, but works better in this instance as well.

You guys decide.

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● Wich monsters should we be able to "Tame" ?
- Exmple: Sheep, Coblyn, Wolf...nothing over the top of course.

Tameable Animals/Monsters:

~Beastkin~

- Rodents (Mice/Rat/Squirrel)

- Sheep (White/Black Karakul Ewe)

- Wolves (Black wolf/Ixali wolf/Hyena)

- Goats (Aldgoat Billy/Aldgoat Nanny)

- Antelopes (Doe/Stag)

- Boars (Wildboar/Puggot)

- Monkeys (Opo opo/Lemur/Lemming)

- Bats (Giant Bat/Mini Bat)

- Moles (Hedgehog/Bandicoot/Mole)

~Scalekin~

- Pterocs (Puk/Pteroc)

- Toads (Nix/Gigantoad)

- Drakes (Biast/Drake)

- Peistes (Basilisk/Peiste)

- Raptor (Anole/Lindwurm/Velociraptor)

- Salamander (Eft/Salamander)

~Cloudkin~

- Dodos (Cockatrice/Roadrunner/Dodo)

- Buzzards (Vulture/Condor)

- Apkallus (Apkallu)

~Wavekin~

- Orobons (Orobon/Angler)

- Crabs (Snipper -Red/Megalocrab - Green)

- Jellyfish (Aurelia/Casseopeia)

~Vilekin~

- Spiders (Yarzon - Purple/Sand Yarzon - Brown)

- Gnats (Redwing Ked/Gnat)

- Mosquitos (Djigga/Chiggo)

- Slugs (Sea Slug - Blue/Slug - Purple)

- Beetles (Ladybug/Beetle)

- Mites (Miteling/Diremite/Banemite)

- Bees (Fly Swarm/Bee Swarm)

~Voidsent~

(I would just like to add-in at this point to the discussion, would you like voidsent to be tameable or untameable? I prefer tameable but I don't think it will fit the title. You decide)

- Ahriman (Smolenkos/Floating Eye)

- Spriggans (Spriggan Collector)

- Imps (Imp)

- Snurbles (Burble/Snurble/Camate (just kidding)

- Ogres (Ogre)

~Seedkin~

- Goobbues (Level 30: Carpethead Goobbue/Mossy Goobbue)

- Flytraps (Poison Trap/Fly Trap)

- Funguar (Funguar - Orange/Shroom - Purple)

- Cactuar (Sabotender De Sol/ Cactuar)

- Malboro (Creeping Ivy/Marbol)

NOTE: (If I left any out just reply to me and I'll edit it in later!)

Listed above are the following animals/monsters I would love to have tameable for the player in A Realm Reborn! Discuss what you guys think and would like to see left in or out?


Below are the following animals/monsters impossible to not only gauge, but also impossible to tame.

- Notorious Monsters (Inside dungeons, outside dungeons, inside instanced quests, and in certain other locations with the following symbols "??".

- Anything too high a level, as was the case in FF XI, is unable to be charmed at this time. Or unable to hold tamed for too long.

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● Should we be able to name our pet?

Excellent question!

Yes and no.

Let me explain my proposal for this instance.

EX:

You obtain your very first bullwhip to start leveling your Beastmaster/Tamer.

You enter the wild and find a cool little dodo that you charm and have following you around and assisting you in battle.

Farting, and belching, and throwing up all over your opponents high and low.

You decide to take a break from your new dodo friend and try taming something else. But then you'll lose your dodo.

But then you realize you have several options as a Beastmaster in FF XIV.

Save and name your new dodo to recall later as a summon-able ally wherever, whenever.

There's a certain number of summon-able pets you can store at once, and the lower level you are, the less you can store. The stronger you become and more skilled, the greater the number of pets you can store increases.

You can swap in and out/release/capture/summon as many times as you desire to your preferred play style.

So you can:

A) Summon all the above creatures. Store them. Name them. Decide to not name them and only have them temporarily, or hold onto them and have them grow.

And

B) When they stick with you and grow over the experience it gains, it becomes stronger than the natural dodos it once flocked with.

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● Should pets be able to change class?
- Exmple: Paladin Cactuar, Black Mage Sea Hare...etc

There's a few ways I see this working, but none of them are 100% clear enough in my head to see it through entirely.

Let me start with my first example of how I can see this working, at least one possibility.



EX: (OPTION A)

FF XIV Beastmaster Pet Roles

Listed below are ideas ONLY for the idea presented about pets having certain "roles" like the chocobo will in A Realm Reborn.

(Tank, Damage Dealer, Caster, Healer / [De]Buffer)

(This is ONLY a rough-draft. Ideas and suggestions are subject to change at any time!)

TANK

Big beasts with a large HP pool that can also deal damage through auto-attack and weaponskills.

Attack weaponskills EX: Thousand Needles, Badbreath
Debuff weaponksills EX: Petrify, Stun

Although DPS and damage is not as fast and effective as a Damage Dealer class, it can still protect the Beastmaster and the entire party with ease. The party members must fight primarily to make up for the lack of DPS from the tanking beast.

- Crab

- Ogre

- Aldgoat

- Gigantoad

- Banemite

- Goobbue

- Malboro

- Basilisk


DAMAGE DEALER

Damage dealers do one primary thing and one primary thing only, deal damage. They hit hard, fast, and deliever a variety of close-mid ranged weaponksills ranging from strength, debuffs, and buffs on its own self to assist it.

DD pets can fight a good fight but they must have their health monitored more than the tanking pets, however, they'll be fighting along side you, not for you.

- Cactuar

- Raptor/Anole

- Coeurl

- Pteroc/Puk

- Peiste/Basilisk

- Drake/Biast

- Apkallu

- Wolf/Hyena

- Opo opo

- Antelope Doe/Stag

- Bat

- Karakul Ewe

- Rat/Mouse/Squirrel

- Orobon

- Yarzon

- Ladybug/Beetle

- Bee Swarm

- Djigga/Chiggo

- Mole


HEALER/BUFFER

Healing and buffing pets are not fighters. They are there by your side to keep you safe, healthy and fully buffed with Protect, Stoneskin, Regen and other safety precautions. They can auto-attack to assist you, but don't expect them to destroy all your foes.

Healers/Buffers do not build TP like a Tank or Damage Dealing pet does. The instead are swapped with an MP bar that builds as they auto-attack or rest safely in the back.

Pets, unfortunately cannot raise you after death considering they retreat after you have fallen. However, being able to raise another player when alive with your pet out is still under discussion.

- Snurble

- Funguar

- Karakul Ewe

- Rat/Squirrel/Mouse

- Bat

- Ladybug


CASTER

Casters are beasts that have the ability to fire projectiles and cast magic from a distance on enemies. They are not tanks with a plethora of HP nor a knack for physical damage. However, they can auto-attack to build back up their MP and add small amounts on damage in between.

Casters can be very, very deadly if used wisely. However, just as easily as it is for them to nuke down foes, they can just as easily be slain.

- Gnat

- Eft

- Spriggan

- Jellyfish
- Ahriman

- Flytrap

- Slug

- Imp

EX: (OPTION B)

If you throw out the entire idea and concept behind the role system for FF XIV's pets (inspired by FF XIII-2's role system for pets) this is the other alternative, which is much more like FF XI.

All animals/monsters in the game are the same type, depending on their natural move sets out in the wild.

This means, that if you are high enough of a level and you come across a Malboro and tame it, you can have it attack for you like it normally would out in the wild, with a large HP pool and high attack power.

Your Malboro can use Badbreath, use weaponskills with its vines and use auto-attack and a few other unique moves exclusive to the seedkin.

If you also come across a Snurble (such as Camate ) and you tame him, he will behave similarly to a wild Snurble. Even if he's around the same level as the Malboro.

Yet the Snurble's HP will be drastically lower, yet still have a fair amount, and have mostly healing/buffing weaponskills for his master. He will also be able to deal damage and auto-attacks like the Malboro but they will also be much, much weaker and less effective compared to the Malboro.

Which means most people will use the Malboro and never bother with the Snurble, unless they choose to. This will work similarly with all the beasts in the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(This is just a quick doodle I made to imagine what the setup might be like for a full party with a Beastmaster and his pet fighting a single target enemy in A Realm Reborn. Sorry for the mess and the crappy art!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

● Should pets be able to equip certain armor?

In my honest opinion. No.

But here's my solution and reply to that answer!

I noticed the Amalj'aa and Ixali have electrum and myhtril collars and bracelets on their tamed beasts of war.

What I suggest is a simple makeover that looks cool but also distinguishes a wild mob and a tamed mob from each other. Also, naming your pet or the other alternative "Jerbird's Basilisk" distinguishes you from other people's pets. Whichever option is chosen.

However, back to my suggestion/solution.

I think that when you tame any beast they should all have bracelets/collars of decorated ownership displayed on that animal once he is tamed. When released he/she loses them and becomes wild once again.

Other from that, I think as of right now, only the chocobos should have the armor for combat and protection.

(Here's an example of what I mean by the accessories being only visual cues to a tamed pet rather than an actual piece of gear needed for pets.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

● Should pets be an optional mount?
- Example: maybe at a certain level?

Answering this is a little bit tricky.

For me personally, as a FF XIV fan and player, I love mounts, I love pets, and I love variety.

So if it was up to me, depending on the size and type of mob, and possibly even depending on your characters size and race, I'd have to say certain mobs everyone can mount and tame. Others have exclusives since they are more fit for one over the other. But I wouldn't say that would be 100% set in stone.

I don't see this happening though, and I also wouldn't be too beat up over it. It would just be a nice thing to have but I KNOW a portion of people playing this game and using these forums would flip out and consider suicide or something.

So this question I'd say I'd welcome it with open arms and eagerness but I'm not demanding it nor fighting for it to be in. Only if it would be possible and easy to get in the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE: FURTHER SUGGESTIONS COMING SOON! NEED TO TAKE A BREAK!

[Avisaia]

Leonesaurus, I love the comprehensive list of all the possible pets that could be available to us. I was going to attempt it but I didn't have the time to dig up all the names. So, thank you!

As for where the Beastmaster class will hail from, I really hope its from Tamer, and doesn't spawn from MRD. If they do end up giving SMN/BST whips as so many people seem to desire, I hope that we will still do very fair damage. Obviously, it shouldn't do as much as DRG/MNK/MRD, but I would be heavily disappointed in a BST that doesn't pack the punch like it did in XI. I loved being able to rip things apart even if I didn't have a pet up at all times. Regardless of its back-drop, I hope that it remains a melee class and not a pseudo DD-mage that cowers behind the pet controlling it like a pokemon master.

I think that your(Leonesaurus) idea about basically catching and training mobs is very interesting. If they do that instead of my idea about gaining mobs at certain levels, or whatever else they might cook up, it would be very much like a BLU hunting spells for hours and people going to join skill-up parties to keep their pets top-notch. I worry about the idea because the mob will have to be trained completely separately from yourself -the player. It would be leveling two whole jobs/characters at the same time which I think could be very very painful and tedious.

**Extensive Idea-ing**

I think a possible option could be Tamer/Beastmaster quests where:

Tamer Guild Master/Main Quest Giver: Mahpahn -An adorable lalafell with green pigtails.

Quest 1 @Lv30 BST:::

Mahpahn: Oh, its you Nyljuone. Yes, I heard about you from Verlwyd (a character of some kind that introduced you to BST). He said you may have some affinity in the ways of taming, and it appears to be so. I suppose you made your way here quickly enough...

There is an extraordinarily pesty creature by the name of "Pesky Patryb". This prince of perplexing persistence has been causing the typically calm puks to become quite perturbed and swarms have been attacking merchants, attracted by the jingling gil, no doubt. Seek out this Pesky Patryb and cease his roving.

Those fragile traders of Ul'dah who traverse our sharply sublime shore will have much less to snivel about. As though its my business to control all the minds of monsters in our land. Hmph! *she notices you still standing there* What are you waiting for? Get! Go! *shakes her head as she walks away*

Quest: You travel to some part of La Noscea and find the pack of persistent puks. There are three: two regular puks, and the "Pesky Patryb". You tame one puk, throw it at the Pesky Patryb. When your first tamed puk faints, you tame the other puk and send it at Pesky Patryb as well. Eventually: you defeat it and it ceases its violence. Obviously, this can only be done on the BST job class. Idealy, around level 30 when you are eligible for the quest so it is still a challenge.

<Congratulations!> You can now summon Pesky Patryb the pondrously pesty puk! (Tt respected your effort and decides to join you! In these mini-CSes, you could have the personality of the pets indicated or some such. Maybe even the option to change the monster's name.)

You return to Mahpahn. She responds with her lively wit and gives you some gil grudgingly. Until next time, that is.

***Obviously I'm biased and hope that Tamer will be located in Limsa Lominsa. :)

So obviously, each pet you obtain is earned at a certain level through testing your mettle as a beastmaster. This would allow the monsters to level-scale with you so that you don't have to level them up as well as yourself. You get some story, a mini adventure, and the ability to summon a new monster!

------

The more that I'm thinking about monsters being able to change job class, the more I dislike it. BST is not puppetmaster. We tame and obtain beasts. We don't add and remove items to the monsters to make them into a tank, DD, or a healer. The monster's have their own innate skills. Crabs have thick shells and, logically, should be able to tank. A snurble should obviously not be able to fluff up into steel and become a tank. It doesn't make sense. A Yarzon has a giant mouth and lots of legs! Unlikely it can defend itself too heavily, nor cure itself easily... thusly -deal some damage! I think the monster's should follow their intuitive design and not be melded into things of our own making. That is getting too closely integrated into the realm of Blue Mage where they can mix and mash as they see fit.

Leonesaurus, I love the way you have separated the monsters into the different classes. I especially think that tanking monsters are very well thought out.

Also, I'm pretty sure I said this somewhere, but I really hope that the monsters we can use are summon-able, and do not stem from jug-pets. I don't want another system where we depend on cooks to survive as a BST, especially if there are others like myself who abhor culinarian.

I'm also very curious if we should even have a Charm system as was used in FFXI. Anyone who played XI into aby-era knows how useless Charm became which instantly nullified the use for any CHR gear inside of it. I think it would extend the usage of BST if it is allowed to summon pets much like summoner is able to. I'm still very unsure how I feel/think about this whole issue of actually taming pets in the field -especially since mobs are segregated into their own camps and are not always convenient. Having them be summon-able would allow you to use a mob strong against another mob type, or play in a way that suits your need as you go. It doesn't force you to be dependent upon your surroundings.

Also, I'm loving the posts in this thread. Keep it coming! And anyone who happens to pass by and read, please give us your input. :) Excellent healthy discussion. We have to let SE know we want BST to be included and taken care of! (Even if we aren't as popular as summoners ;) )

[BlaiseLallaise]

I'm for a system where you have to go out in the wild to initially tame your beasts (I like the tamable NM idea), but once you have one of a particular family, it is yours to summon whenever. I almost want to say a beast should share the beastmaster's level, but I'm not completely sure about it. Optionally, they could allow a limited number of beasts owned per player (6 to 10?), so in that case they'd have to also implement a release feature. Although, I can't see that being an issue unless it's too limited (2-4).

One thing is for sure. I never liked jug pets. Terrible idea, imo.

[TaalAzura]

Or even better, once tamed the pet becomes lv1 and you have to level it by yourself.