So, according to the Test server update notes, Befriend Animal is being removed. I dislike this change immensely. I like this AA and I have found it useful a number of times. I prefer to solo and it has occasionally made the difference between me winning and losing a fight. Also, it's a plain fun AA, in my opinion. Sometimes I like having a pet centipede or spider or crab, or a more typical animal pet like a wolf. I used this ability during the Festival of Unity role-play event to enter the pet show competition. This is no longer going to be possible. Why is this ability being removed? Is it a perfect ability? I don't think so. It's situationally useful, just like a lot of AAs. It's not overpowering. While it gives a certain combat advantage, the charmed pets are far from overpowering, and the added benefit is balanced off by the chance of them turning on you when charm randomly breaks. Please don't take away AAs because they may not be very often used. Nobody has to buy this AA. It's optional. If it isn't taken very often by other rangers it's sort of a moot point to remove it, isn't it? Please leave it in for people who use it and enjoy it. Don't take away something that is fun.
Befriend Animal is one of the worst implemented AA's of all time. The critter you befriend is dumbed down to be almost completely useless, it turns on you seemingly without reason (even before it's time has expired), and any Ranger in their right mind would never, ever pick it up if they're serious about where they spend their AA's. That being said, it's one the most awesomely FUN AA's out there, and they shouldn't remove it at all. For a solo Rangy, a befriended critter is handy if you're being attacked and don't see where from, or just for taking the heat off you for a little bit so you can run away. I use it with my crafting/harvesting spec whenever I just want to harvest a node and can't be bothered fighting a mob for it. Simply send in your newfound friend, harvest, then tell your buddy to run away when you do the same (if he's still alive, that is) More than that, the AA actually adds a little FLAVOR to the Ranger. Sure, it's kinda pointless to have, and sure, it's liable to attack someone when you zone away and forget to dismiss it, but it's a shame they've decided to remove the ability. I guess they'll concentrate more on "gamey" AA's, as they continue to drain any uniqueness out of the classes. They'd be better off concentrating their efforts into adding things Rangers can't do (I'm looking at you, pay-for-DPS), instead of ripping things away from us. Makes me sad, it really does.
i have used befriend aminal in the past just like the OP. Pure soloing at the start of expansions ten once i got to a set level/aa number i would drop it and go back to my raid/group set ups. But imho out of the 5 it was the best choice to remove.
Uncle@Mistmoore wrote: I agree completely. Guess I'm more disappointed that its a result of this arbitrary 'everyone should have 4 endlines' stuff.
I can see why they would take it, but damn give us something in return! Maybe like something where we don't use up so many damn arrows. It is crazy we have to spend so much on arrows. It'ed be def if we did craploads more dps but we don't. Yea we can pumb out some dps but we have to be buffed to the hilt to do so. Arrow relief in 2011!
The reason that they're taking away befriend animal is that they are trying to give all classes 4 endline in the sub-class tree. They added one to SKs and one to Monks to do this as well. Rangers are one of two classes to have 5 currently. They took the weakest, worst implemented of all 5 and got rid of it. They also took away one of the warlock's, the only other class to have 5. Ranger wont be getting anything in return because, frankly, the number of people who use that endline are few and very far between. Also, imo, if you need a pet to add DPS or survivability then you're playing the ranger wrong. In order to have points to get Befriend Animal, you have to take away from other, more important, dps AAs. A Ranger should be killing things before they get close, if it's not dead, then you use your trap effectively and the roots we have to back up and nuke more. I have soloed with my ranger at lower levels and this worked for me. You may not be able to take on some mobs be very few classes can solo ^^^ mobs that are even or above their level.
Jemoo@Kithicor wrote: While I agree with most of what you're saying, to see SOE telling everyone that they're going to add more options to their gamestyle, only to take options away seems fairly ordinary imo. Sure, "serious" Rangers won't use the ability, but if it's there and people ARE using it, why take the option away from people just because they feel they need to "balance" the classes in such a way? BTW, if a player is playing the class (any class) the way they want to play it, how can it be "playing it wrong"? They may not ever "win" EQ2, but they're at least having fun with what they're doing. Is that a bad thing?
IMO, one of THE coolest abilities a Ranger can get. Also, it's one of the most useless. Lore wise, Rangers are in tune to their environment, and it made since for them to be able to charm animals. This should be a low level ability period, not something the Ranger needs to spend precious AA on. That being said, I am not TOO upset watching it go, as I have not spent any points on it in a while. Looking for something to fix? Look at the Poison AA line...maybe make it useful again? Ever since they took crit chance away from poisons, nobody has touched it. Tokenki.
I'd like it turned into a fluff spell and replace the companion pet spells. That way instead of having just an eagle, bear or tiger we could have whatever we want.
Do you suppose the upcoming beastlord had anything to do with it? Though it does seem like something appropriate for rangers as well.
I don't care why they removed it, what anyone else thinks of Befirend Animal, whether it is useless or whatever. I just want it back! That was half the reason I played a ranger! The charmed pet is no comparison to what I imagine a Beastlord would have so it won't hurt the BL class. Rangers traditionally have animal companions in fantasy fiction! I liked it because it was fun, and I liked having a lion or deer or wolves hanging around with me just for fun and for RP. This makes me very sad. I'm not sure I want to stay in a game world filled with rangers who lost their traditional identities. Rangers can charm animals in DDO. Probably in Guild Wars 2.
