I was mulling over the subject of how a hunter and their pets are connected, and how everyone must have a varying idea on the relationship between them.
I think of hunters as having an innate gift for communicating with animals. They are able to project their own energy, and they have the ability to sense the emotions of their pets. I don't see it as a form of telepathy, nothing complex enough to have a full spoken discussion or reading one another's mind. I see it as more of a heightened observation of mood and emotion...when a hunter establishes a bond with a pet, they are linked in a way that they can communicate on a base level through feelings. The bond allows for a sort of two-way empathy.
When taming a beast in game, we use a channeled spell where little hearts float up until suddenly the creature that was attacking you is now your best friend. Obviously I don't really see that happening in a true sense of things. xD Earning the respect of a creature, to me, can come in a variety of ways. The hunter may have saved it from peril or injury, perhaps they raised it themselves, or there was a trying ordeal of building up trust and friendship. Regardless, I certainly don't think of any of my pets as having instantly bonded and befriended the hunter in question.
To me, pets in WoW are more intelligent than a real world pet would be. They have a wider understanding of language (again, not speaking a language, but just along the lines of knowing what their owner is saying most of the time). The pet will always know if their master is stressed, excited, angry, scared...the same way that dogs in the real world can sense moods, only on a higher level.
My hunters don't see their pets as minions or a means to an end. They are friends, guardians, companions...loyal creatures who accompany the hunter out of mutual respect and trust. Either one would risk their life for the other. Some individual pets may be more or less devoted than others, but the respect is always there, even if not outwardly obvious.
Well, that turned out a bit more rambly than I was meaning for it to, but hopefully I illustrated my own views in a somewhat understandable way. I'd be really interested to read what other people think of this subject and how they might envision this topic. :)
It varies from hunter to hunter, really. Some hunters have a tightly-knit bond with their pets, while others just use them. In my opinion, a hunter and his pet are one. If the pet dies, so does half of the hunter. He is incomplete.
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect, a Goblin character I have, Skeeto, doesn't share that bond. He tames exotic creatures and sells them to the rich for a pretty penny. The only pet he keeps is his red crab, Satlick, who he has a bond with.. That, or he could make a nice emergency meal one day.
Either way, it's great food for thought. xD
It's interesting to ponder. My hunters are that deeply bonded with their pets, but I myself am withdrawn from said bond out of necessity. If I felt that deep pang of loss in the midst of a raid or PvP combat the way I used to, I'd shut down worrying about my pet. The living must live, lest the loss be in vain. But afterwards, I always take special care in bringing back whichever pet had fallen and pampering them to get them back on their feet, the same as I would do for any player who had fallen and needed a jumper cable res afterwards. They are equal.
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's such a great spin on it Razzy! Perfectly for a Goblin of course, but really interesting. ^^
ReplyDeleteKalli, I think for any sort of Dungeon/PvP situations (though I rarely partake in the latter), I find myself sort of removed from the action where I'm not necessarily viewing it on the same in-character way that I would at other points in the game. I don't necessarily process a pet's death when in a group setting where the priority is not my inner roleplay (Not that I'm RPing while playing WoW really, but I do have a sort of in-character mood in the game that's usually there in my mind), but rather a challenge where we have to focus on our goal.
You're right in the fact that if I were to involve myself too deeply in that and see my pets really die it would be too disturbing on a level so I don't dwell on it. x)