Starter Pets... Useful?

Disclaimer: This thread is not in any way, shape, or form, a flame thread. It does not seek to resurrect the infamous Starter Pet Flame War of April 19th. If you've come here to flame Starter Pets kindly show yourself to the exit.



Discussion time. I know we'll have mobs we can capture that will fight with/for us. So that role I don't want to see our actual pets take on. They would be much more suited to helping out with the chores that we would rather have done for us right? Small things that can be done, but I'd rather mine than take care of. Consider the following:

1. (Starter) Pets should learn from us, and become more useful as time progresses.

A. After seeing me return to my ship numerous time, to get my tools repaired, due to the durability featured planned, I can load my broken equipment into them. All of it. And they make the ship run for me? On, say, a 60 second timer?

B. Learning to follow behind me, collecting the wood from all the trees I've felled. During a massive deforestation effort. So I don't have to double back?

You get the idea.

2. I have an excavator in one hand taking out this mound of rock, and a blaster pistol in the other to keep the creepy crawlies away. Who's holding that flashlight!? Starter pet.

3. What's that exclamation point over your head? Oh, there's a trap nearby... thanks for the warning!

4. My inventory is full, bring these to market!

5. I'm a sniper, go agro so I can get a clean shot!

6. Flip that switch! Pull that lever!

7. Every time I come home make sure the door closes behind me.

I want them to appear to learn these things, as they spend time with us as we do them. So they start of seemingly useless but learn to be quite useful.

Discuss.

 

I like this. They should be useful, not just some annoying sprite that follows you around and stares at your bumhole all day...

Though as long as starter pets are an option to select when creating a character I'll be happy
Cause I might use them and I might not.

 

I like a lot of these. Maybe not the crafting, I mean, don't we have enough hard labor these days! haha

But, yeah, great ideas, I hope that in updates after the game launches, these get added!

 

It sounds cool. But i think the starter pets have been added as a stretch goal because Chucklefish wanted something interesting yet very easy to implement as a reward. They were worried that too many complex stretchgoals would delay developement and release of Starbound even further. If the starter pets would become a big feature like you suggest it would be complex... and delay Starbound. I guess.

 

Starbound 1.1 - Starter pets update

 

I'm admired of how often you suggest good stuff, really!

On the other hand part of your suggestions are rationally linked to the race of the pet: some might not be able to hold stuff and this kind of system might drive players to chose pets only by their capacities and not by "appeal". (I would totally do that kind of choice)

 

Games like this are very aesthetic, so of course there are going to be a lot of seemingly "useless" things. This thread does give some interesting ideas, though. I think that pets should serve mostly non-combat purposes (but still be there for a rumble).

 

These are really good ideas, good job mate!

 

With a little imagination anything is possible. I wouldn't handicap any pet. They would be able to do all chores.

 

The three tamed mobs have combat purposes, our starter pets should be cute and handy. Maybe some combat buffs, but that's all. They're value should be in how helpful they are.

 

Ok, but the issue is a matter of physical capacities: creatures who dont' have opposing thumbs may have their hard times collecting stuff or activating buttons/levers, this is what i mean

 

I don't think it's a good idea. Why should a starter pets be able to do such things? Starter pets. They are supposed to be purely cosmetic. I don't see why a cat should close a door behind me.
Those would be very nice things to apply to normal pets anyway.

 

Because the community hated useless vanity pets, everyone raged, the forums flooded with flame posts on April 19th, and the world almost ended. These little chores are just that. Small little things they can help out with. Sure you can do them yourselves, and you don't have to feel like your missing out by not wanting a starter pet. But, if you rather focus on building your fortress instead of making 999 wooden planks to build with... just give your pet the wood, and focus on another project and grab the planks when their ready.

 

I really like 2 and 3 I'm not such a big fan of the others, but to each their own

 

Hold on a second, I thought there wasn't going to be any durability for tools and such.
Did I miss a memo?

 

I love the idea of them doing market or inventory runs, but personally would not like them to do too much else. Awesome idea and awesomely presented post though! I think it would be awesome if you could have 'mules' like in dungeon siege. They could be animals or robots or anything!

Edit - also I hope we can leave our pets to hang out in the base or the ship if we like, I don't want them with me all the time!

 

Low tier equipment/weapons... so basically don't expect that wooden pickaxe to last forever. And that stone sword forget about it!

 

It would be great for pets to have a progression. Upgrade pets with items or put them in robot-suits would be great. But I don't expect them to have more commands than a simple "guard here" or "follow me". Just that would be awesome I think.

 

Their basic functionality would could be pack mules. But that first time they collect some mined ore for you, reward them somehow. They close the door behind you, reward! They flip a switch and flood half your compound, scold! They're only capable of what you enforce and train. If you don't train them to do a thing but carry, they'll only carry. I'd have mine doing everything!