Pet Visual Progression

[Renevent]

Just wanted to throw something out there...it's not my idea but something in the Underlord Mod. They had a really good idea with the skeleton pets where basically the higher level the player was (and depending on act, I think), the higher level armor the skeletons would wear. This is a seemingly simple thing but I think it's a really great idea that gives the player some great visual feedback.

I would like to see this implemented in Grim Dawn and expanded on...

In TQ, wolves are wolves are wolves regardless of character or skill level...it would be so much cooler if the wolf would change somewhat based on skill choice. So maybe the higher level a wolf is they grow a bit in size. Then if you choose maul their teeth grow or something. With survival instinct (makes them tougher) maybe throw some animal armor on them.

Titan Quest did a really nice job with pets giving them additional active skills, but I think with some visual progression added in it would give the player a lot more feedback on the power of their summons.

Wolves should go from this:

http://howlingforjustice.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/wolf11.jpg

To this:

http://www.blackfive.net/main/images/2007/09/28/angry_wolf.jpg

To eventually this:

http://images.epilogue.net/users/megaflow/direwolf.jpg

[Coridan]

I think that is a great idea, personally. It'd also be awesome if the same could be applied to your character. I think back to older games like Neverwinter Nights with little touches that made your character look that much more powerful. Monks would gain glowing eyes at level 20, Red dragon disciples would grow dragon wings after a few levels. 1) it made your character look amazing and 2) it was easy to identify what class the character was by just looking at it.

I do, however, realize that'd be more difficult to do having more than one mastery, but I still think it'd be a great idea. Thoughts?

[Renevent]

Yeah, the Red Dragon Disciple thing is NWN was pretty awesome...I was REALLY surprised they actually took it out in NWN2.

Not sure how that could work in GD, though. But there's some potential things they could do...maybe with the Mastery skill level of each class. So maybe a Necromancer class once the Mastery bar is filled up could get some kind of aura around him and a passive life leech bonus (or whatever).

Actually, I think that would be pretty cool. There should be a cool bonus (both visually and stats) for maxing a class's Mastery bar.

[Coridan]

Adding a passive skill when a mastery is maxed would be sweet. Furthermore, there could be a skill and effect added when two masteries were completed. It could be a combo of both masteries' completion bonus plus a little bit more, like a 3rd effect. These effects wouldn't have to be super amazing, but just to add a little zing to your character.

Crate, what do you think? Are we completely off our rockers?

[Shinrou]

I'm totally supporting this idea. Bring out the new looks at set intervals at Pet Summon -skill. It isn't really that much work to do, but it certainly makes a difference even if it is just for looks.

People do wonders just for the looks!

[Malpheas]

This is kind of a take on how Dungeon Siege II did pets. You could help them grow. Mind you, they didn't have skills, just skills based on how much you fed them with passive bonuses based on feeding.

But I mean, if you provide them with something they should grow... or maybe I was thinking Monster Rancher and it somehow transcended into a relevant thought about pets in GD (DS2 / TQ:IT:UL).

[Renevent]

So I wonder if this kind of stuff would be possible or if you guys have enough resources to do this?

I think these are the type of simple but logical kind of improvements that can be made to a game.

[MadWasp]

Just wanted to throw something out there...it's not my idea but something in the Underlord Mod. They had a really good idea with the skeleton pets where basically the higher level the player was (and depending on act, I think), the higher level armor the skeletons would wear. This is a seemingly simple thing but I think it's a really great idea that gives the player some great visual feedback.

I would like to see this implemented in Grim Dawn and expanded on...

In TQ, wolves are wolves are wolves regardless of character or skill level...it would be so much cooler if the wolf would change somewhat based on skill choice. So maybe the higher level a wolf is they grow a bit in size. Then if you choose maul their teeth grow or something. With survival instinct (makes them tougher) maybe throw some animal armor on them.

Titan Quest did a really nice job with pets giving them additional active skills, but I think with some visual progression added in it would give the player a lot more feedback on the power of their summons.

Wolves should go from this:

http://howlingforjustice.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/wolf11.jpg

To this:

http://www.blackfive.net/main/images/2007/09/28/angry_wolf.jpg

To eventually this:

http://images.epilogue.net/users/megaflow/direwolf.jpg

Underlord's necro's skeleton example is an extremely cool one! If anyone didn't look yet try it immediatelly(Devs too). It worth a look. Million Thx MunderBunny. (Best pet in underlord TQ:IT mod- better than core dweller too!!!!

I would like something similar in GD. Level 1 pet should look differnet form level2, etc....

[Renevent]

Yeah I love the Underlord mod, and the skellies look fantastic. Love how their armor upgrades as they/you gain levels.

[TECHNOmancer]

Those pictures certainly illustrate your point effectively, Renevent!

I agree that a visual representation of a pet's progression would be a great touch! Perhaps it could occur at break points, just as pets gain access to new skills at different tiers in a given mastery.

TECHNOmancer

[Haaznahnuf]

In TQ, wolves are wolves regardless of character or skill level...it would be so much cooler if the wolf would change somewhat based on skill choice.
I agree, but it would be cool if that change (visual, audio) would not only be based on the level of the pet, but on the player's other class too.
I am thinking about a TQ's mod which manually changed the wolves' texture (black, brown, white).

In TQ world, I missed it *a bit* that I could not summon a more fiery dog as a Summoner, a kind of spirit wolf as a Soothsayer, and (in a less extend) a polar wolf as a Storm-build Druid.
It could have be done by weighting each class:
Prominency in Nature --> brown wolves
Prominency in another class --> the special ones:
Earth --> black, groaring, smoking, with red eyes
Storm --> white
Spirit --> blueish, transluscent, with overworldly howl
Warfare, Defense --> brown, with spiked collar
Rogue --> brown, looking rabid
Hunting --> brown (normal)

And more, what about a small resistance according to the player's class combination ?

The point is not, that I wanted little Orthus (cerberus) or Anubites (skel) frolicking around, it is just a matter of "illustrating" why animals could follow a guy technically surrounded by a nefarious aura and spamming similar AOE attacks everywhere in the screen.