Torchlight has a fantastic game mechanic that it borrows from its ancestor, Fate. Players have a pet that not only serves as a combat companion, but also a handy remote access to shops. Specifically, you can load the critter down with vendor trash, and send it on its way to go sell the junk. It will bring back cash and empty pockets to start the cycle again. You need never leave the dungeon whilst adventuring to take care of the “inventory management” vendor dump timesink minigame.
I want a pet like that in these MMO things that I play. In fact, I think they would be a perfect Item Shop sale. It’s an anti-timesink mechanic, so subscription games won’t likely bother (WoW’s vendor mounts and Jeeves being the obvious exception, though notably only present now that the game is older), but for nonsub games that monetize via convenience and vanity items, it strikes me that these convenience/combat pets would be a hot seller. Games like DDO already sell bigger backpacks, so the philosophy of monetizing the inventory management minigame is there.
So, icanhazpet?
Tish Tosh Tesh 
Never mind in games, I want a pet like that in real life!
EverQuest has one as a veteran reward, and Star Trek Online has the replicator. Both let you buy and sell wherever you like. So it’s not entirely unknown in the wider (non-WoW) MMO world.
Ah, trumped by Spinks and corrected by Tipa. It’s a good morning. 🙂
I actually was going to prowl around and see what other MMOs have that sort of thing, but I got lazy. Gotta do the research, man!
Of course, I do maintain that they would be perfect as an Item Shop selection for games who don’t run a subscription and want to monetize convenience.
NWN’s Underdark expansion had a rather interesting take, eventually you’d find a genie which was really just a vendor in a bottle.
Wish granted?
(I know, terribly bad joke…)
I kinda wish I’d stuck through and finished NWN and its expansions. I just didn’t have the time, and I certainly don’t now. Thanks, Sara!
The now defunct game Dungeon Runners had a pet like this. It was a little gnome that followed you around and turned vendor trash into gold.
Watch the YouTube trailer to see how they advertised it. You basically got the pet by buying the box; the game was normally downloadable and free-to-play with a “premium” subscription upgrade.
“Wish granted?”
Groan!
Also note that if it’s the same as fate, your pet fights for you – this is not just a busy work eliminator, it’s a tactical choice. You send the pet away and you lose firepower.
That makes an interesting tactical choice. Or if you want it in story terms, does your character dare rushing quite as quickly into the dungeon without his animal chum?
Brian, I really should have remembered that. The box sale plan sounds like a solid idea. Of course, being associated with a now-defunct game means it’s all too easily dismissed.
Callan, indeed, the Torchlight and Fate pets are combat support as well as vendor ferries. I was set to write something about us all being Huntards if this sort of critter was indeed a bestseller… but I’ve overwhelmed my quota of bad jokes lately.
It does make for a good tactical choice, especially the way I’ve been playing Torchlight, as a “pet master” Alchemist. My pets and summoned critters are the bulk of my offense and defense. Losing my faithful pet for a while can be a significant loss. Of course, that usually means that I just sit around in a safe spot while I send Spot home for gold, so without the pressure of impending doom, it’s not a huge tactical choice.
Yeah, I was going to write something on the ‘sit around’ aspect but it’d have made the comment bulky.
I dunno. With regenerating health and mana, after each fight you could sit there waiting as well until your at full – just in case you might otherwise die.
Same goes for the doggy.
In terms of playing to win I can see a conflict because really sitting out each time is the best move.
But it’s also a dull one and hey, with a bit of skill you could keep going getting more loot and your pet returning as well. Double reward.
Actually it doesn’t seem such a bad move to keep going when I think of it as a double reward…oops, talking more to myself now, hehe…
Yes, if you’re always pushing forward, the timing on the pet vendor run can be crucial. You have to be careful not to send it just before a boss. That can be very dangerous.
I loved the pet in Torchlight not just because it was a useful and fun mechanic but because it helped me bond with my character and immerse myself in the game. I dunno what it is but when I have a virtual pet, I feel more tied down to the world.
Gordon, I wonder if that’s part of the appeal of the pet classes like Hunters or Warlocks in WoW. Especially Hunters, since there are almost PokeMon-like collections to be assembled. Ditto for minipets.
I’d often send my pet away when I was near a fishing spot in Torchlight. Gave me an excuse to stop for a bit and grab some fish rather than charging ahead. 🙂
Mabinogi had crafting pets you could collect materials from, like silk, wool, and herbs. They fought alongside of you, held inventory, could heal you, mend wounds, and even revive you with an item when dead.
Some pets were horses or other mounted animals which you could ride, and in an incredibly awesome twist, give others rides on. I’m surprised no MMO has done that. Mabi even had an AI editor which let you program a pets combat behavior to advanced levels-a simple one I used was to command the pet to smash when I used it, and we juggled enemies between us.
All that for under ten bucks for most pets. It was pretty impressive.