Change pet bonding timer.

[Jartan]

I recently restarted after quitting long long ago (like pre noto patch). Since UO came out I've played a lot of mmo's and I think at least this has let me spot some things that don't make sense anymore.

I have to ask therefore is there really a reason to keep such a long pet bonding timer? A new player is left pretty much unable to play his tamer seriously till he bonds a halfway decent pet. I can't for the life of me see the benefit of that from any angle. Perhaps pet bonding can be a bit more involved process where you actually do something to cause it to happen?

 

[MalagAste]

The ONLY timer I want to see go is the one that won't let me change my freaking character in Trammel because I killed a Mongbat on the way to my door.

Dumbest timer in the entire game if you ask me.

 

[unified]

Perhaps pet bonding can be a bit more involved process where you actually do something to cause it to happen?

Exactly! I think feeding a pet and dumping him into a stable for a week is the cruelist thing. In my opinion, the pet should only really bond with the stablemaster since it is the stablemaster who took care of it for a week while it was abandoned by the owner.

There really should be some activities, training, quest, healing the pet, or something more to bond pets. I actually don't leave my pets in the stable to bond. I take them out and train them do it feels realistic when the bonding timer kicks in, and I feel like the pets bonded with me because I had them out training, healing and feeding them.

 

[AtlanticVlad]

I was thinking about this recently as well, I agree.

I just started a tamer on Siege and I don't wanna lose the pets I actually want but that means I cant work on my vet until they bond... really I don't see the point in it taking a week... A day would be plenty or just let us bond a pet a day or something? It's no different the item insurance that's instant its not like I have to take the stuff I wanna insure to get it appraised and what not before they will insure it...

 

[Wenchkin]

I recently restarted after quitting long long ago (like pre noto patch). Since UO came out I've played a lot of mmo's and I think at least this has let me spot some things that don't make sense anymore.

I have to ask therefore is there really a reason to keep such a long pet bonding timer? A new player is left pretty much unable to play his tamer seriously till he bonds a halfway decent pet. I can't for the life of me see the benefit of that from any angle. Perhaps pet bonding can be a bit more involved process where you actually do something to cause it to happen?

Having to wait a week was the commitment tamers were required to give before a pet bonded. I guess in RP terms to let the pet get to know and trust you. Quests and such might be an option, but you'd have some players complain that they had to "do stuff" to bond a pet heh.

Personally i think bonding should require real taming and vet skill to create the bond and also to maintain it. At least with "tamer" pets. Then I would agree to lower the bonding timer. As it stands though, it's just a week and you can certainly use pets in the meantime.

First option: stable the pet you want to keep and bond, then use another unbonded one for hunting.

Second option: just use the pet you'll bond, but take extra care to not swamp it in spawn.

Either is just fine if you take things carefully and don't put your pet into a really dangerous situation. You'll want to do this with a bonded pet too, otherwise you'll find yourself retraining skill points that were lost because your pet died.

Pets like cu sidhe are really pretty sturdy for hunting before they bond.

Wenchy

 

[AtlanticVlad]

I agree with the real skill for the big pets to bond and id be compleatly ok with vet being included all 4 soon to be 5 of my takers are 120 in all 3 skills. But I think the timer is very discuraging for new takers who might want to experement with lesser pets perhaps in packs or what not. I've no problem with mounts and packies not requireing skill but I do wish there was at least an active bonding thing that gave you a chance to res pets you wanted to bond on a short timer. Sorry for the lack of structure to this post im using my phone.

 

[puni666]

I agree with combat flagged pests not being able to instantly stable when the pests owner logs out of game. Please and thanks.

 

[Tina Small]

I was thinking about this recently as well, I agree.

I just started a tamer on Siege and I don't wanna lose the pets I actually want but that means I cant work on my vet until they bond... really I don't see the point in it taking a week... A day would be plenty or just let us bond a pet a day or something? It's no different the item insurance that's instant its not like I have to take the stuff I wanna insure to get it appraised and what not before they will insure it...

I've never really minded the week's wait for bonding. It's interesting to learn that the wait was the trade-off for being able to bond pets.

If I'm starting a new tamer character somewhere with relatively low taming skill (e.g., 50), I usually tame four bouras and throw the best pair in the stable. Then I use the other pair to hunt with or, if the tamer is guilded, have the pair that is out of the stables attack each other to get lore and vet gains. You can also work up your vet skill during the week you're waiting for pets to bond by taming two of each animal you're taming for gains and then releasing one and using the one that is still tamed to kill it. Then proceed to tame another animal, release the "oldest" tame and have the new tame kill it. Rinse and repeat.

My Siege tamer's vet and lore just hit 70 the other day, so I'm kind of experimenting with that process to try to optimize getting ROT and regular gains in all three tamer skills plus barding skills. If nothing else, the leather for the tailor is slowly piling up. LOL Hopefully at least the vet skill (and lore skill) will be to 80 by the end of the week of bonding. I definitely enjoy using bouras for hunting while working taming skill up to get the more routine tamer pets. Give 'em a try on Siege, Vlad, and see what you think. Let me know if you're not sure where to get them. Won't be able to play much the next couple of days, but I can tell you where to look and I'm pretty sure Petra also knows where to find them. (I'm talking about the lowland and high plains bouras. Skip the ruddy bouras because they're the weakest of the bunch.)

 

[roninaxx]

Or leave it a week but make it to where you have to care for it e.g: food water and out of stable for xx minutes. i mean we have to tend plants for their resources, water potion etc. seems like animals should be work also.

 

[AtlanticVlad]

I think the point is times have changed the 7 day bonding timer was origionaly put in place as a way to somewhat balance the fact that a tamer could keep a pet vs a warrior losing their armor...

This was all long before insurance mind you...

This is really no longer the case with insurance and things now... Perhaps on Siege but even then I really doubt any one cares any more or if they ever really did...

Honestly I feel the bonding timer is the equivalent of asking people to wait 7 days for each piece of their suits to be insured... or their weapon...

So why do we still have it?

 

[WildWobble]

Anticipation! Its part of the game. Do not change it it works fine if they change it something will go wrong!

 

[AtlanticVlad]

I Honestly have more faith in the ability of the dev team to change a simple number be it 7 or 168 to either another simple number like 1 or 2, or 24 or 48.

I really honestly kinda wanna cry about how dexers are OP cause they can insure their stuff right away and us poor tamers have to wait 7 days...

But I won't...

Oops...

 

[Kellgory]

Just make it where if your real taming and lore skills are enough to bond with the pet then it will bond instantly, and if you have to use items then it takes a week.

 

[AtlanticVlad]

That sounds reasonable Kellgory =) although again warriors don't have t have a certain amount of skill to insure their weapon... or armor... I mean I'd be ok with the real taming and lore but its still not quite fair...

 

[Kellgory]

Warriors do have to have a certain skill level in order to perform primary and secondary specials. I just think it would be a nice little bone to throw to the tamers that worked their skills up to the point of being able to bond with their pets without items.