Do Vollem (in Crystal) need to be fed ??

[popps]

Sorry for posting this here, this is not really a post for tamers since the pet is really for all characters to have and use, not just for tamers, but I thought that the Tamers' Forum might be more appropriate than any other Forum on Stratics given the type of the question.


I have a question about Vollem (in Crystal).

On Stratics' page Vollem (in Crystal) - Hunter's Guide - UO Stratics , other than indicating that the preferred food is meat, it does not really say whether one may be required or not to feed it to prevent it to go wild.

I am asking, because a few special issues about this pet make it particular and not the same as other pets.

First, one important element is that they require ZERO Taming (and so animal lore...) to own and control. They are for everyone to have and use.

Second, they insta-bond when taken out of the crystal. No other pet that I know of, insta-bonds.

Third, when taking it out of the crystal, the gump clearly states that "if released" it will vanish and therefore, be lost forever.

I am incline to think that feeding this pet to keep it loyal would not be required because of the First and the Third points, mainly.

Since it is a pet intended for everyone even with zero skills to have and control, it would be hard, without Animal Lore, to control the status of the loyalty to verify if there was any need for feeding.

On top of that, if it ever went wild, it would disappear outright because of the third point.

So, I am incline to think that these pets are 100% loyalty no matter what and require no feeding, period.

But this is only based on my logical analysis on the basis of the informations at hand. I really have no idea how it was coded, in the end.

But since I cannot find any official informations on this particular pet, I thought to ask on the Tamers' Forum. Perhaps someone knows first hand or can refer to developers' posts where this was clarified.

Thank you very much.

 

[Anira Cuilwen]

Any pet needs to be fed. Of course not whilst in the crystal

 

[Farsight]

I don't feed any of my pets. They gain loyalty from successfully following commands, so feeding after bonding isn't really needed unless you want to be absolutely certain (or if they hit a bad streak, they disobey more when they've disobeyed already, and thus lose loyalty).

 

[Wenchkin]

No problem discussing any kind of pets here, pets are pets, even if they're mechanical

I don't believe a dev has said if they need feeding or not. A quick search isn't turning up anything definite either.

The fact that it can be owned by anyone doesn't mean a vollum can be starved and won't *poof* All pets can lose loyalty, particularly if they aren't successfully commanded on a regular basis, or if they are left out of sight by the owner for a while. Some tamers have decided they can "wing it" and not feed pets, and as long as they command successfully the pet won't abandon them. I think this is a silly risk to take for the cost of a piece of meat. I'd suggest you feed your vollums regularly and treat them like any other pet.

Wenchy

 

[popps]

Any pet needs to be fed. Of course not whilst in the crystal

I thought I explained that the vollem in a crystal is no pet like any other....

Perhaps I phrased myself not well enough to make myself understood.

I will try again.

The Vollem in a Crystal requires NO SKILL WHATSOEVER IN TAMING OR ANIMAL LORE TO OWN AND USE.

If a player has no skill in Animal Lore, they cannot verify the loyalty status with the pet.

Not even if a human with Jack of all trades, it is not enough.

Therefore, a pet intended for anyone to use it has no way whatsoever to make the owner see the loyalty status and, therefore, decide when it would be time to feed it.

THIS IS BY DESIGN. That is, the pet was designed to WORK IN THIS WAY.

No skill required = no chance to check the loyal status = no possibility to feed it at proper time.

Again, this per precise and punctual DESIGN of this particular pet.

But there is more.

If the pet goes wild, it cannot be retamed because it would go "poof", DISAPPEARS.

Again, THIS IS BY DESIGN AND NOT A BUG.

It is intended for players NOT TO EVER HAVE IT RELEASED OR GO WILD BECAUSE IT DOES NOT GO WILD, IT JUST PLAINLY AND SIMPLY VANISHES.

All the above, I will say it again just to make sure that I am clear this time, IS BY DESIGN.

All of the above, makes me conclude that this pet was not intended to be fed any food because it was not intended to ever be released or go wild (we know that pets requiring to be fed, if they receive no food, they WILL eventually go wild....).

But this is only LOGICAL ANALISYS I am trying to get confirmations to my thinking.

 

[popps]

I don't feed any of my pets. They gain loyalty from successfully following commands, so feeding after bonding isn't really needed unless you want to be absolutely certain (or if they hit a bad streak, they disobey more when they've disobeyed already, and thus lose loyalty).

The problem here, is that the Vollem in a crystal is a pet like no other.

With regular pets if they go wild no big deal, just loose the bonding, retame it and wait a week.

With a Vollem in a Crystal if they ever went wild, they would just vanish, disappear, go "poof", no longer exist. Total loss on the spot.

So, clearly, the issue whether or not they need to be fed is of the outmost importance with these pets in order not to loose them for good.

By logic analysis I concluded they were designed not to be fed, but that is only my thinking, I am trying to get confirmations.

 

[popps]

No problem discussing any kind of pets here, pets are pets, even if they're mechanical

I don't believe a dev has said if they need feeding or not. A quick search isn't turning up anything definite either.

The fact that it can be owned by anyone doesn't mean a vollum can be starved and won't *poof* All pets can lose loyalty, particularly if they aren't successfully commanded on a regular basis, or if they are left out of sight by the owner for a while. Some tamers have decided they can "wing it" and not feed pets, and as long as they command successfully the pet won't abandon them. I think this is a silly risk to take for the cost of a piece of meat. I'd suggest you feed your vollums regularly and treat them like any other pet.

Wenchy

The thing is that this pet was given by DESIGN to all players even with ZERO Animal Lore skill to have and fully use.

Now, if you tried, with ZERO Animal Lore, even as a Human with Jack of all Trades, you do not get to see the loyalty status.

So, per design CHOICE, this particular pet has been given to character who CANNOT check their loyalty status and, therefore, are NOT ABLE to determine the proper time when to feed them.

Again, this is by DESIGN PRECISE CHOICE.

Also, while with other pets that they go wild is no big deal, one can re tame them just fine (it actually is easier to re tame a pet already owned...), in the case of a Vollem in a Crystal this is simply not possible since they VANISH. The very second they are realeased or go wild which is the same thing, they will go the way of the dodo.........

All this makes me think that if they were designed this way, AS A LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE, they must have also been designed not to ever go wild and so, to NOT NEED any feeding at all.

But that is only a logical analysis on the basis of the available informations, I would like to have some confirmation by an official source.

 

[Wenchkin]

I thought I explained that the vollem in a crystel is no pet like any other....

You did...

The Vollem in a Crystal requires NO SKILL WHATSOEVER IN TAMING OR ANIMAL LORE TO OWN AND USE.

Yes, as do an awful lot of other low end pets. Remember, you're in the animal taming forum, we do know our profession

If a player has no skill in Animal Lore, they cannot verify the loyalty status with the pet.

Therefore, a pet intended for anyone to use it has no way whatsoever to make the owner see the loyalty status and, therefore, decide when it would be time to feed it.

THIS IS BY DESIGN. That is, the pet was designed to WORK IN THIS WAY.

Wrong. Using JOAT and a bit of patience you can get a lore gump up. Or use a few skill boost items with lore on and voila. My miner has a boura, he can lore it with JOAT when he needs to.

No skill required = no chance to check the loyal status = no possibility to feed it at proper time.

See above. Just because anyone can own a pet, doesn't mean it functions differently to other pets. All it means is you can control and bond it with 0 skill. This is how these pets have always been.

But there is more.

If the pet goes wild, it cannot be retamed because it would go "poof", DISAPPEARS.

Again, THIS IS BY DESIGN AND NOT A BUG.

Yes that's how they're designed. However, many times when "normal" pets go wild, they can die...so any pet owner risks losing the pet completely if it goes wild. You *might* be able to retame a normal pet safely, but a wild pet of any sort is bad bad news.

It is intended for players NOT TO EVER HAVE IT RELEASED OR GO WILD BECAUSE IT DOES NOT GO WILD, IT JUST PLAINLY AND SIMPLY VANISHES.

All the above, I will say it again just to make sure that I am clear this time, IS BY DESIGN.

Yes, I haven't tested vollums, but if they go wild then they poof.

All of the above, makes me conclude that this pet was not intended to be fed any food because it was not intended to ever be relased or go wild.

But this is only LOGICAL ANALISYS I am trying to get confirmations to my thinking.

Well my thinking is different to yours. I also believe that you should err on the side of caution. If you don't know for certain whether a pet needs feeding to prevent it going wild - it's safer to presume it does need feeding. But it's your choice Popps, listen to other experienced tamers suggesting you should feed vollums or risk being wrong and starve em.

Wenchy

 

[popps]

Thank you for the replies.

Wrong. Using JOAT and a bit of patience you can get a lore gump up. Or use a few skill boost items with lore on and voila. My miner has a boura, he can lore it with JOAT when he needs to.

See above. Just because anyone can own a pet, doesn't mean it functions differently to other pets. All it means is you can control and bond it with 0 skill. This is how these pets have always been.

Well, that still does not convince me.

I mean, a pet intended for characters to be used with zero skill, I do not think the Developers may have designed it with the intention of then having players with zero skill have to trigger Animal Lore 50 times each time they need to check if it needs to be fed or have to change up their jewellery each and every time they need to check if it is lunch time for their Vollem......
Besides, only Humans have Jack of all Trades, Gargoyles and Elves do not....

It is too ackward to want to have players have to go through all that each and every time they need to check if it is lunch time for their pet and so, I cannot possibly think that they designed this particular pet, given the circumstances, as requiring any food.

Yes that's how they're designed. However, many times when "normal" pets go wild, they can die...so any pet owner risks losing the pet completely if it goes wild. You *might* be able to retame a normal pet safely, but a wild pet of any sort is bad bad news.

But there is a difference here.
"Normal" pets once wild can die and get lost but this is a "chance" that it happens, it won't necessarily happen 100% of times that a pet goes wild. And infact, it is pretty much a minority of instances that this actually happens. Most of the times the pet is retamed just fine.

With the Vollem in a Crystal, instead, this would happen any and ALL times. It is a 100% occurrancy.

Again meaning to me, that this pet was simply NOT designed to ever go wild.
But then, if it was designed not to ever go wild, as a consequence thinking this leads me to think that it would not be required to be fed simply because it cannot and should not go wild, period.

Well my thinking is different to yours. I also believe that you should err on the side of caution. If you don't know for certain whether a pet needs feeding to prevent it going wild - it's safer to presume it does need feeding. But it's your choice Popps, listen to other experienced tamers suggesting you should feed vollums or risk being wrong and starve em.

Well, for the time being I will feed them, that's a given but still, I would like to have an official answer to this question which, I think, might be of importance to all Vollems in a Crystal owners......

 

[Wenchkin]

Well, that still does not convince me.

I mean, a pet intended for characters to be used with zero skill, I do not think the Developers may have designed it with the intention of then having players with zero skill have to trigger Animal Lore 50 times each time they need to check if it needs to be fed or have to change up their jewellery each and every time they need to check if it is lunch time for their Vollem......
Besides, only Humans have Jack of all Trades, Gargoyles and Elves do not....

It usually takes my miner less than 1 minute to get a lore gump. Non humans can use jewels as I suggested. I actually suggested that because I just knew you'd bring up the gargoyles and elves. The alternative is to feed those pets regularly, then you'll know you've bumped up their loyalty. Non tamers have done this for many years, so I somehow doubt the developers have coded these any differently.

It is too ackward to want to have players have to go through all that each and every time they need to check if it is lunch time for their pet and so, I cannot possibly think that they designed this particular pet, given the circumstances, as requiring any food.

Again, non tamers have done this for years. If it's too awkward for you, just feed the pet. Petfood isn't expensive y'know....

But there is a difference here.
"Normal" pets once wild can die and get lost but this is a "chance" that it happens, it won't necessarily happen 100% ot times that a pet goes wild. And infact, it is pretty much a minority of instances that this actually happens.

With the Vollem in a Crystal, instead, this would happen any and ALL times. It is a 100% occurrancy.

Something tells me you're just arguing for the sake of it here. Risk to a wild pet depends where it is and who is around. Most sane tamers treat a wild pet as a very bad thing and consider it a very risky situation for that pet to be in. Even in a "safe" location, another player running on screen can result in a guard whacking or the player themselves killing your pet. But you're entitled to think differently

Again meaning to me, that this pet was simply NOT designed to ever go wild.
But then, if it was designed not to ever go wild, as a consequence thinking this leads me to think that it would not be required to be fed simply because it cannot and should not go wild, period.

You're presuming the devs think the same way you do. I think a safer presumption is that these vollums function in a similar way to existing pets. Err on the side of caution, rather than making up assumptions to suit your own way of thinking. After all, the fact they poof when they go wild suggests quite strongly that they can go wild...

Wenchy

 

[popps]

You're presuming the devs think the same way you do. I think a safer presumption is that these vollums function in a similar way to existing pets. Err on the side of caution, rather than making up assumptions to suit your own way of thinking. After all, the fact they poof when they go wild suggests quite strongly that they can go wild...

Well, unless some player has kept a Vollem in a Crystal (which is different to the mechanical Vollem...) unfed and it went wild at some point, the only information of it going "poof" is from the gump that comes up when double clicking the crystal and it actually mentions "releasing" it.

Now, one might argue that "releasing" a tamed pet equals to it going "wild" but as I said, unless there is a player out there who actually saw a Vollem go wild for being unfed, so far the information about it going "poof" is referred to the Vollem being "released" and there is no clear mention about it going into a "wild" status.

My understanding, is that the Vollem when released, does not even enter "wild" status as the very second that the player issues the "release Vollem" command, the vollem vanishes from the screen. But I have never tried it so this is only an assumption I have of how it might work.

As I said, for safety I will keep it fed but still, I'd like to actually know if, by design, they actually have been designed to require food or not.

 

[Wenchkin]

Well, unless some player has kept a Vollem in a Crystal (which is different to the mechanical Vollem...) unfed and it went wild at some point, the only information of it going "poof" is from the gump that comes up when double clicking the crystal and it actually mentions "releasing" it.

Yup. Unless you wanted to try it out and tell us

Now, one might argue that "releasing" a tamed pet equals to it going "wild" but as I said, unless there is a player out there who actually saw a Vollem go wild for being unfed, so far the information about it going "poof" is referred to the Vollem being "released" and there is no clear mention about it going into a "wild" status.

Well you can argue that back and forward with yourself if you like.

Wenchy

 

[Cirno]

Vollems can go wild, in the same way as other pets from crystals do, when their loyalty drops to that low.
An example of this can be found here.

From this, you can conclude that they obey usual pet loyalty rules, since they have the ability for the loyalty to drop to a point where they go wild.
From that conclusion, you can conclude that they have the same nommery requirements as other pets.

Also, why not just feed it tasty treats?
That would render the question of whether they need feeding moot, as a collateral effect of the stat boost.