While MMO non-combat pets (or “vanity” pets) may not be everyone’s thing, I absolutely love mine. It’s a small dose of artificial companionship during my adventures, as well as a way to express my tastes and maybe show off a treasured possession.
But it’s kind of bugged me that these pets really do very little other than cycle through animation sequences. I think there’s a missed opportunity for MMOs to inject some fun utility into pets the way that, say, ARPGs often do. For example, pets could drag your stuff into town to sell or put in your bank, or they could be sent out on small fetch quests, or they could provide a useful buff.
Should MMO pets feature more utility? Would that be too difficult for devs to do or too tempting for studios to over-monetize? And if you’re a “yes” on utility pets, what would you like them to be able to do?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
