Curse

Rites · Dec 18, 2010, 05:01 AM // 05:01

ummm, don't know whats wrong with your pet, but if it is beside me and i am attacked my pet attacks on its own. BUT from what i have seen, it will only protect you (its master) and wont help a henchie or hero that is being attacked.

Anyway, from my experiences with my pet (look at purple fission's post above since most beastmasters nowadays use those for their pets) they just need time for you to learn how to properly use them. Unlike heroes and henchies, they don't just run around attacking mob after mob, you actually have to give them a target. Personally i send my pet off to either tank (when i'm using bear mostly) or I'll have my pet target a spellcaster/healer while i spam my barrages. Pet attacks are considered shouts, and the AI does actually give about 5 seconds between mobs to complete an attack if the targeted mob was killed before it can get its attack off. (5 seconds is an estimate, not really sure, but i have watched the skill stay while my pet aquires a new target)

@Brett
I have been running pet/barrager for a while, and I do not agree that splitting between 2 weapon types (pet + whatever) causes the player to suffer. Actually from what I have seen, adding my pet has actually made my ranger alot better and has made soloing quite a bit easier. It is all about making sure that your build synergizes with your pet attacks.

PurpleFission · Dec 18, 2010, 06:40 PM // 18:40

@Rites, I wouldnt say 5 seconds, but when you give your pet an attack skill and an ias, they attack almost instantly.
I normally make my pet attack the same target I do, it makes spiking the target much quicker and you can synergize your attacks with your pet attacks. Deep wound and brutal strike, any condition applying attack + scavengers. etc, you get the idea

Amy Awien · Dec 18, 2010, 11:10 PM // 23:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleFission

...since there is no programmable hotkey to target your pet, you end up clicking all around the screen to find your pet ...

You can use the partywindow to select the pet. Getting your target back is harder, unless you call it beforehand.

Rites · Dec 19, 2010, 04:36 AM // 04:36

Umm... actually you can create a hotkey for party members. Hit F11 and go through the controls. I almost never use it (cuz i forgot that i set it up, lol) BUT it can be done so you can have hotkeys to target pet or other party members.

BTW there are alot of hotkeys you can set in there, be careful not to accidentally overwrite the default hotkeys if you are comfy with them.

PurpleFission · Dec 19, 2010, 07:00 AM // 07:00

Yes, but there is no specific button for your pet, and the amount of party members you can take in different areas makes it confusing. I'd like to control my pet from my keyboard instead of clicking guard, heal, lock etc...

Voodoo Rage · Jan 17, 2011, 06:27 PM // 18:27

I'm really trying to give this beast master thing a try but it really seems like a broken mechanic to me. My pet just keeps running back to me if I am not actively auto-attacking the next target. Also not being able to stack his attacks is insane. I'm trying to give him skills that I can visibly see the effect when they go off but I'm noticing that even Enraged Lunge, despite him being under the call of a shout to make him unblockable doesn't seem to cause the deep wound every time like it is supposed to. Yes, his damage is pretty insane when he is focused on a target but when you need to bounce target to target when working on a larger mob, he really is ineffective; just not doing much. I'm having a hard time watching his little effects monitors to manage his attacks, it would be so much better if they did something on the main skill bar showing that my pet has an attack order in progress that hasn't be carried out yet.

I'll keep practicing, and yes, I know this is not a very optimum way to play the game but it is kind of frustrating.

Fay Vert · Jan 17, 2011, 07:55 PM // 19:55

Don't bother, pets are broken and useless.

Amy Awien · Jan 17, 2011, 08:10 PM // 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voodoo Rage

...I'm having a hard time watching his little effects monitors to manage his attacks ...

I managed just fine before there even was a monitor for it with just keeping an eye on the damage numbers, it's a lot easier then trying to watch the tiny effect-icons.

If (not) auto-attacking is a problem, try giving your pet a target through it's control-panel.

Voodoo Rage · Jan 17, 2011, 08:50 PM // 20:50

So I want to be a "pure" beastmaster (hey it worked for Marc Singer enough to land Tanya Roberts... :movie reference

, what is the best type of bow that has the right range for initiating combat?

Roen · Jan 17, 2011, 08:55 PM // 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voodoo Rage

So I want to be a "pure" beastmaster (hey it worked for Marc Singer enough to land Tanya Roberts... :movie reference

, what is the best type of bow that has the right range for initiating combat?

Most people like flatbows best. Either a flatbow or a longbow will have the range, though. I typically use a longbow just because it's what I started with and I'm used to it. Check GW wiki on bows. (Seems to be down right now or I'd post a link.)

Oh, and Tanya Roberts was *fine* in that movie. I watched the one scene probably a hundred times as a teenager. You know the one.

RedDog91 · Jan 17, 2011, 08:57 PM // 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voodoo Rage

~snip~

Use the pet interface and call his targets if you don't want to auto attack the same target. Or you can also target a foe and hit SPACEBAR, then cancel your own attack; the pet will still attack the target, provided it wasn't attacking anything else.
I recommend the interface option, as you can also use it to keep the pet from over aggroing by using the Heel command.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fay Vert

Don't bother, pets are broken and useless.

Or perhaps we can try to be constructive instead of just saying "it's broken" over and over when there are more posts proving you wrong than agreeing with you?

NerfHerder · Jan 17, 2011, 09:52 PM // 21:52

I hope pets are included in the Melee update that was announced. Improved pathing would help both Pets and Melee Heros. Even when I tell my pet who to target, the pathing is so useless sometimes he gives up and attacks whatever is closest. It usually happens when he gets bodyblocked and/or switches targets, and cant find the obvious route behind him. I have found that if I set him to heel, wait for him to pull away, then tell him which target to attack, he has a much better chance of actually hitting the selected target.

Even with that being said, I have found that pets are far from useless in PvE. The +33/-33 is a huge bonus. The only downside, is that you have to dedicate at least half of your bar to the pet. However, when its all said and done the damage is comparable to most ranger builds out there as far as DPS is concerned.

With NRA, Otyugh's Cry, and Call of Protection(even at only 10 BM), my pet rarely dies, even in HM dungeons/WiK. NRA gives you a mending effect to counter degen(#1 killer of pets in PvE) and gives you and your pet a perma IAS. Those 3 skills are staples in all my PvE pet builds. And as a Ranger I always bring a pet with me. That still leaves you with plenty of room to bring whatever elite you want and even more room for a weapon of choice. Sure there are no Meta Pet builds, but according to PvX, there are no Meta Ranger builds either.

Fay Vert · Jan 17, 2011, 11:20 PM // 23:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDog91

... there are more posts proving you wrong than agreeing with you?

There are indeed many posts expressing a different opinion about pets to mine, visitors are at liberty to read these, but posts of people's opinions are not proof and I was replying to a post from someone who was frustrated at the broken nature of pets.

If I were to be more constructive then I would phrase it like this:

Some aspects of beast mastery relating to pet control are quite fiddly and can be frustrating. There are ways to minimise this annoying behaviour and make better use of pets but for many players the mechanics appear to be too broken to bother with and so no longer play beastmaster builds since the introduction of pet controls. I am one of these people, you (person I was replying to) may well be another. Perhaps if enough people express this opinion then ANet may get around to fixing the mechanic, or at leasts not repeating the problem in GW2.

However, I generally prefer to be concise

Voodoo Rage · Jan 23, 2011, 07:48 PM // 19:48

Playing more of my beastmaster. No doubt the pet can pull off some really insane damage and is tough as hell. I'm also finding that my 0-spec'd bow attacks are actually helping considerably because I'm getting things like Splinter Weapon and Orders cast on me so I'm not as entirely out of the battle as I had expected. Again, the gameplay is still cumbersome because of the issues already addressed in this thread. My wishlist for pet AI:

- Allow up to 2 attacks to be ordered at a time. Show the skill as "activating" on your skill bar until the attack happens.

- Improve the AI so that the pet does what it can to not get bodyblocked on the way to a target.

- If a target dies, the pet does not run back to the master but rather attacks the nearest enemy in aggro range.

RedDog91 · Jan 23, 2011, 08:51 PM // 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voodoo Rage

- Allow up to 2 attacks to be ordered at a time. Show the skill as "activating" on your skill bar until the attack happens.

- Improve the AI so that the pet does what it can to not get bodyblocked on the way to a target.

- If a target dies, the pet does not run back to the master but rather attacks the nearest enemy in aggro range.

point 1: I can see the 2 attack que being abused as players can stack the two attacks before a fight begins to avoid possibly losing energy in the fight and then being unable to use them. for the 2nd part of point one, you can in fact see the skill that is "activating"...it shows up on the pet's interface when you have it open (and it should be open at all times to effectively use a pet)

point 2: I would also like to see this done. However, until it gets fixed (unlikely) it is possible to manually force your pet out of a body block by setting it to Heel and then after half a second or so setting it back to Attack.

point 3: If you are actively attacking the next target (hit spacebar on it maybe twice after old target dies), your pet will attack it instead of returning. You can also lock targets with the interface, just hit tab to select new target and click Attack command on the interface.

Xiaquin · Jan 23, 2011, 10:54 PM // 22:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDog91

point 3: If you are actively attacking the next target (hit spacebar on it maybe twice after old target dies), your pet will attack it instead of returning. You can also lock targets with the interface, just hit tab to select new target and click Attack command on the interface.

Not everyone has another target queued in their mind to switch to. Sometimes I stop to re-prep, and that triggers disengage because the target died during the unholy amount of time it takes to activate. Other times I'm simply a bit clumsy tabbing through or trying to click the right target, and with attack animations, the companion can be clumsy with when it takes action.

So, there is no guaranteed way to keep the pet engaged at all times unless you stay micro'ing the control panel. Also, with testing on Master of Damage, it took no fewer than three pet attacks once switched from an alive target to a new one. Calling targets also has no effect; I'd love to be able to send a pet after my target without attacking or finding my control panel.

RedDog91 · Jan 23, 2011, 11:05 PM // 23:05

You should be micro'ing the pets interface at all times...or atleast when you plan to switch targets alot.
As far as prepping for the next target is concerned, you can hit spacebar while using your spells/preperation/whatever and the pet will more times than not go to that target (provided the old one is dead)
Locking your pet's target with the Attack causes them to stop what they are doing and instantly go to attack the new target. I've never had a pet continue with more than 1 attack before switching (and that is only if its already mid-attack when you switch)
If you simply switch your own target and wait for the pet to switch as well, it can take 3 or 4 attacks (sometimes as many as 6) before the pet switches.

Valfadr · Jan 26, 2011, 10:52 AM // 10:52

Hi there

First, all my apologize if my english is not perfect but i’m a poor french and i don't have speak english for a while

Well, i play BM and i love it. I’ve done most of the game with a BM build and I really prefere this at a barrage/splinter.

But i meet some problem with blindness on my pet. None of my heroes remove this condition. I must use mend condition and… i loose my target. You guys, meet you the same problem?

Amy Awien · Jan 26, 2011, 10:59 PM // 22:59

If loosing a target, for whatever reason, is a problem you can easily re-acquire it when done with your pet (or partymember) by first calling your target before switching to your pet and then re-acquire it using T when done.

Voodoo Rage · Jan 28, 2011, 04:16 PM // 16:16

Still dedicating myself to the beastmaster. Again, the fundamental problem seems to be getting the pet into the fight fast enough. That being said, I started playing around with the elite, "Strike As One":

Elite Shout. Your animal companion instantly moves to your target and causes Bleeding for 5...13...15 seconds with its next attack. The next time you hit with an attack, target foe is Crippled for 5...13...15 seconds.

Very nice skill to overcome the pet limitations. This skill is cheap and recharges reasonably fast (10 seconds, twice as fast as most sin teleports), so you can move your pet several times during a battle. While bleeding is a weak condition, it is useful for priming a Scavenger Strike or even a PvE skill like Signet of Infection (although I really haven't seem to find room on the bar for that skill). You also get the added bonus of cripple too, nice against melee. You want to call your first attack before you teleport your pet; also be sure you have activated your target or the stupid pet will just teleport over and stand there. Also since I'm moving my pet around a lot, I went ahead and put in Feral Aggression (+33 IAS +10 damage) instead of Call of Haste (+33 IAS and +33 IMS but no damage bonus).

The downside of course is you give up the elite Enraged Lunge so you lose that deep wound. I'm still playing around with my preferred pet attacks but it seems Brutal Strike is the most effective if you can meet the condition (it shouldn't be a lead pet attack). I'm currently using Bestial Pounce (knockdown if target is casting a spell) to see if I can smack down casters as they react to me. So like I mentioned earlier, the bar is crowded with the 3 pet buff shouts (Call of Protection, Feral Aggresion, Oty's Cry), 3 pet attacks (Bestial Pounce, Brutal Strike, Scavenger Strike), Comfort Animal, and the Elite Teleport. No room for a PvE skill unless I drop a pet attack but then they aren't really spammable.