Lone Wolf option for Hunter

[Rudyraccoon]

Now, I have to say that I do love the Hunter class, they're a very mobile and well-rounded ranged dps class, but I've never really liked the pet part of the class, they do require some maintaining and multitasking, even taming beasts just to get a new pet ability while having to use that pet for a bit until the random learn of that pet ability level in Vanilla is so really daunting. So, while I was chatting on the Discord chat and being unsure what other class to play, someone mentioned how they wished Vanilla WoW had the Lone Wolf option for Hunter and that's where I got the idea for this suggestion.

So basically, Lone Wolf is a feature in later editions of WoW that allow the Hunter to receive a buff while they don't have a pet active, so in other words, a buff that greatly buffs the Hunter to make up for not having a pet, in this case a huge increase in DPS and maybe health as well. I think it would make for a really interesting new way of playing Hunter in Vanilla, and I would definitely play Hunter on a heartbeat.

One way this could work is if it worked just like how Hardcore mode works, perhaps starting at level 10, go to an NPC like a Hunter Trainer and select an option to get the ability from there, and if you feel like you want to use pets again, just go back to any Hunter Trainer to unlearn the ability. The glyph method could work as well but I think that method could get exploited, so my first idea would be best.

What do you folks think? Do you think having the Lone Wolf option for Hunter would be a fantastic idea, or would this be better off staying out of Turtle WoW?

[Hardwelsam]

Not bad idea,but vanilla originally have and require hunters to use pets.
Because,some of the pets are can give u buff (like wolf).

And the other part,u talkin about,bonus for a hunter who no have pet,is shame.

Hunters the 2nd (?) class which have very Good aoe abilities.
This mean,hunter is a Good overskilled class,if players are know how works,can become 3nd,2nd or top dps.

So,if u have a pet ,like wolf ,give u bonus.
Thats just a point, hunters need pets.
Others,who's really well know hunters can tali about that,why Good if hubter have pet and why bad if not have.

[Rudyraccoon]

Sigh, fine, I guess that's just how Hunter is.

[Balake]

Melee weapons for hunters were removed in MOP, allowing ranged weapons at melee range. Lone Wolf was added in WOD. I'd say these two things happened in that specific order for a reason.

As long as 80% of the toolkit is only usable when far away from enemies, Lone wolf will simply not never fit the hunter class fantasy. Depending on the balance in how the numbers are tuned, adding it will go in one of two ways (assuming players pick options based on strongest, not preferred playstyle)
1) Either the damage boost is less than the damage a pet would deal, in which case they simply don't pick it
2) Or the damage boost is more than the damage a pet would deal, in which case they'll take it in group content where someone else tanks for them. In solo content a pet is just too valuable because it allows them to actually stay far away from their target.

Now why do warlocks get Sacrifice but hunters don't get Lone Wolf... thematically hunters are just more attached to their pets than warlocks are to their minions. It's in their names, pet vs minion. And gameplay-wise, warlocks can cast all their spells in melee range. The lack of a tank does not disable most of their abilities, so it's fine to play without demons in solo content.


An argument in favor of adding this though, is that hunters don't scale with gear as well as other pure dps classes. In Naxxramas, they fall off hard. Adding a bonus when without a pet and tying it to some raid set bonus can be a buff that allows them to compete in with warlocks, rogues, mages and fury warriors (who aren't even a pure dps class *cough*).

[Rudyraccoon]

Yeah, I can see that, and do understand what you say about its purpose there for the raiding scene, rather than from a casual player's standpoint. Yeah, you pretty much made a valid reason for it, as it is true that Hunters do indeed fall off in performance in the later Vanilla raids.

[Hardwelsam]

There so many view why hunters need use pets.
Im try set some,but im not really a casual hunter Player.

1. If u have a pet,u dont have need to worry about the close combat (melee) fights.
2.some of the pets emable u tanking with the pet.
(bear),which is very Good in leveling progress and later ,probably,with the pet u can do harder dungeon too.
Some tank players arent know how to tank.
And thats make the gameplay uncomfortable.
When a tank loosing his aggro,and mobs heading to Kill the most threat/dps maker,kinda sad.
And here in twow no have option to spawn nearby the dungeon entrance,which is make more worse the whole thing,i think.

Pets not just the hunters most very top 1 friends,they also gives u buffs.

Since vanilla hard,and
(lvl 10-40) the leveling is hard,and in this levels u can easily die,u need pet,he can protect you.

[Augustfenix85]

I had leveled my hunter to 40 doing melee survival spec. It’s wasn’t hard. Had a wolf pet for for buff. I tanked for my pet. Having an option for one would might be interested, but it might be hard to balance

[Hardwelsam]

I had leveled my hunter to 40 doing melee survival spec. It’s wasn’t hard. Had a wolf pet for for buff. I tanked for my pet. Having an option for one would might be interested, but it might be hard to balance

Survival is Good at questing.
But when u going raid ,survival is rekt there.
Mm is the better One.

[Scaryna]

Would love to play hunter without a pet, my dream.

PS in Dragonflight Lone Wolf has been added again.

[Snakeman]

nice necro

I'm against it, purely because MM is already the go-to hunter spec for most of the level 60 endgame, and historically Lone Wolf has been the metagame option for best DPS and has never been properly balanced so that using a pet or not using a pet is an actual choice you can make when playing MM

Really, if anyone wants to not play with a pet they can just not. Half the hunters on this server never call their pet again after hitting 60 (insert FFXIV playdead icon here)

[Ugoboom]

+1

For raid content, Ideally I see BM being a pet focused build, Survival a pet-having meele/trap weaving build, and MM a no pet ranged build, with a MM/Surv or MM/BM hybrid build providing the gameplay we know now.

This assumes rebalancing with pets actually scaling from gear, and avoidance working correctly, and trueshot being fixed to actually have a proper cooldown instead of being scuffed TBC steadyshot.

[Scaryna]

There is a whole game before 60, I'm mainly talking about leveling.

But I don't hope for that kind of change to be implemented. I just recently tried retail and I really liked the hunter there. Only one weapon is the bow. You can shoot at close range, and you can also not use a pet. That's exactly how I saw hunters/long range dps in mmo. I still like classic more though.