Special tames for real tamers

[lancelot99]

I have posted this in the main forum, but want to get other tamers ideas onboard...

As taming seems to be on a slide (even gd's lacking compared to RC's), i have an idea to inject some fun back into taming (for dedicated tamers only) ...

There should be some new champs (or add to old champs/doom) and each chapm should have a chance to drop an Egg..
The eggs take maybe a week to hatch when placed in stable (take up 4-5 stable slots) and the monster that emerges can me a random new monster.
The monsters could be a fire dragon, phoenix, magma dragon, ice dragon, shadow dragon, Basilisk, gryphon etc ...
Each with special abilities/colours/armour saves - all are slightly better stats/abilities than GD and better than RC
- To stop the other templates moaning and claiming favouritism, make it so you need 120 tame/lore/vet (real not enhanced) to use the creature. 360 points investment for a great monster

 

[kRUXCg7]

Do they have the bondage-skill Can they be bonded?

 

[Kylie Kinslayer]

Good idea, however I think they should only be as strong as the greater dragon. No tamable in the future should ever be stronger than the greater. This coming from someone who plays 2 different tamers, but we have hopefully hit our max imo.

 

[Aibal]

Good idea, however I think they should only be as strong as the greater dragon. No tamable in the future should ever be stronger than the greater. This coming from someone who plays 2 different tamers, but we have hopefully hit our max imo.

I used to agree with this, but over the last year or so I am starting to really disagree with these thoughts. Bottom line, a mystic with 240 points invested can summon a RC that doles out more damage than a gdrag. After people whined about gdrags (anyone not playing a tamer), they nerfed them into oblivion. They could no longer fly, their firebreath was severely nerfed, and they basically became 5 slot tanks that kill things exceedingly slowly. With the introduction of some of the newer bosses, tamers are the last template I'll grab in many cases. Sampy's, mystic throwers, whammys, etc can kill much faster. Not that I want those templates nerfed, but I did an EM event the other night where I could see one tamer with a drag, and everyone else was on different templates. Why? Because they were way more effective. Tamers have been hated on/nerfed since the intro of the gdrag. It's time for a bone to get thrown their way, and not one they bend over to receive.

 

[Wenchkin]

I don't think the answer is to keep adding more and more power to templates. That just brings us all to a point where all the old spawns are far too weak. Yet if you raised the level of the spawn accordingly, that is going to be a real pain for new players. Or those of us who aren't into the UO arms race enough to try competing. Not everyone is geared to the max and aiming to solo the top end content. Not everyone thinks tamers should have the most powerful template either. It's healthy that we aren't using the same template at events! Heck I remember the response when everyone was running round with GDs and I took my dread and mare instead. People stood and watched lol. Crazy... There should be a range of templates at events and I think it's good if some skills become more challenging than others. It gives experienced players something to work up to. I find it boring as heck if I can swat spawn really fast, but if it's breathing down my neck and I really don't know who is going to win the fight - now that is what I like.

I honestly don't think it's a terrible thing if other templates are stronger than us. I really don't. If you want to see a template that really needs love, it's the old school warrior who didn't become a paladin, sammy, wammy or any of that other nonsense. A template that used to be fab is now so hilariously bad I think even the NPC warriors are more successful Tamer aren't that bad, and if we're a few pegs down the pecking order I think it's good.

If any love is given to tamers I don't want new pets. I want love to the old ones first, bug fixes, enhancements to the skill. That kinda thing. I love new pets, but I have no extra room so that means tossing out old pets. Which I'm not doing. I'm still trying to squeeze in the last lot! I want the pets I already have to get some love first. There is no point in having a lot of tameable creatures in game if people only enjoy using a select few. Adding more new pets isn't the solution to that problem. I don't want buffs to the level where they're just GDs in different colours with different stats, nothing would make me quit UO faster lol. But there is plenty of room to make modest improvements that would be enjoyable. I think it would be best to focus on the content we have already and make it as good as we can, before moving onto something new.

And one day I'll be able to write a post that's succinct lmao.

Wenchy

 

[Aibal]

But MOST, not all, but most, tamers DO choose one or two pets. The gdrag (far and away) or a cu. Now I have good examples of both on all of my tamers, and use them occasionally, but I much prefer my bug/bake or bug/mare combo. And yes Wenchy, I know what it's like when people look at you like "wtf dude, where's your drag" lol. Hell, my favorite was my pack of frenzies, but I had to let them go due to stable spot considerations.

My thoughts weren't just give us some uber powerful pet, my thought was following along with the OP's last point that for 360 total skill points invested, there should be an advantage for those choosing that route. It doesn't eliminate great pets for those going the 110/110+ route and hybridizing the template into a warrior tamer or the like, but it does give an advantage to those more heavily invested (besides stable slots).

With that clarification, I agree with your point on fixing some of the issues with older pets. Let's start with the craptalon. I would love different color pets (blue or green dragons would rock), and some of the bug fixes. I'd like to see pet balls actually made useful, since when I really want to use one I can't....wtf? So I agree completely that repairs are needed. But I still feel tamers need a shot in the arm.

You speak of how boring it would be at events where everyone was the same template. Maybe it's different on your shard, but our EM events are predominated by mystics, sammy's and throwers. An occasional tamer, or like myself as a bard are sprinkled in, but those first 2-3 I mentioned will be 98%+ of the templates. That, to me, IS boring. But I don't blame them....drops are calculated on damage, and those templates will outdamage anything in the game. It is really frustrating to tank your gdrag, bust your b***s keeping it alive (or have it die a couple times requiring retraining time), to get nada while every mystic and warrior around you has a new shiney. And no, I DON'T play for the shinies, but it is still nice to get one occasionally for your efforts.

 

[Wenchkin]

I absolutely agree that having a lot of real skill should be a benefit, I've long argued that real skill should give some advantage. I just don't know that it should be really strong pets for 360 skill. I always hoped for some real skill advantage that was scaled with the points invested so that there was incentive to train up, but that it might work in a similar way to stable space and increase as you train. Then it works with a range of templates so you fit in what you can. I took ages to get to 120 but I don't want to get all the perks if there's nothing for say 110 tamers, if that makes sense

As for events, well all that would happen if tamers got a buff is we'd see the sea of tamers thing again. I hate to be mean, but players do tend to go for the top couple of templates. I do see your point with the loot, but I would say the better option is to curb the damage output other templates have. But it's almost blasphemy to suggest people shouldn't easily solo things or the game should be tougher. You may even get burned on a stake for suggesting team play hehehe. I doubt EAM would nerf the top damagers, there'd be too many complaints. If tamers got a boost instead the same people would complain about that too. I think as a tamer I'd rather see other classes balanced. The big advantage being that we aren't held directly responsible lol!

Honestly? I don't think UO can be fixed unless EAMythic bite the bullet, roll up their sleeves and get stuck into some really controversial balancing changes. I just can't see that happening though. Whether it comes as a boost to tamers or a nerf to other classes, it'll go down like a lead balloon. Players like to get power, but to lose it... oh no I've waited and hoped for a lot of things to be changed, but years on they're still alive and kicking.

Wenchy

 

[kitiara-atlantic]

Thanks for a very interesting read, everybody!

I'd love to see some sort of perk for the major "real" skill levels of taming (100, 110, 120), but like Wenchy, I'm not sure a more powerful pet would be it. I think I'd rather see some other skill enhancements or benefits. (Honestly, I'd just about die for double the stable slots! I have so many token-tamers jeweled up just so I can store old pets that I can't bear to part with!) But I'd love to see some skill enhancements. I'm thinking of the addition of the spell songs to barding.... some sort of secondary enhancement, qualified by real skill levels.

Are there any current skills in UO that offer benefits for real skill vs. enhanced skill? I can't seem to think of any.

 

[startle]

.... Are there any current skills in UO that offer benefits for real skill vs. enhanced skill? I can't seem to think of any.

Hey kit, the bard mastery's effects depend on Real skill levels, and there's others... See this thread.

 

[kitiara-atlantic]

Thanks, startle! One of these days I should play something other than my tamers

 

[startle]

Thanks, startle! One of these days I should play something other than my tamers

For me, the only chars that I enjoy as much as my tamers are my bards...

 

[Dan123The123Man]

While I did not read the entire thread... I do feel like for tamers with REAL SKILL there should be some kind of incentive (being able to use say greater dragons vs those without real skill having to resort to regualr) something like that.

 

[Aibal]

I love playing lots of templates startle, but I have to agree with you that bards rock! They also hold a very special place in my heart as that was the first character type I ever played in UO.

 

[bosgamer]

For me, the only chars that I enjoy as much as my tamers are my bards...

To keep multiple pets alive in a mob, maybe the true skill tamers could get a mass heal spell - that would make tandem pets more useful and give the GDs a rest

 

[startle]

To keep multiple pets alive in a mob, maybe the true skill tamers could get a mass heal spell - that would make tandem pets more useful and give the GDs a rest

That would be quite nice, actually!