Creature Handler (Game Mechanics)

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Game Documentation - Creature Handler Mechanics

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Mechanics This document is about game mechanics.

Creature Handler This document is related to the Creature Handler Profession.


Creature Handler Messages


Pets

New info from the Creature Handler Designer: emote-triggered pet animations!

You can: /pet, /reassure, /nuzzle or /hug a pet and it will either perform a "happy" animation, or it will sit, or it will lie down.

Some pets have a "sit trick" or two. Telling a pet to do trick1 or trick2 while it is sitting will make it do the sit-trick instead, if it has one.

You can /bonk, /whap, /scold, /bad or /slap a pet and it will perform an "ashamed" animation.

You can /pointat or /tap a pet to make it perform the 'alert' animation.

Using /summon or /beckon on a pet will either make it look confused, or will make it follow you.


Training & Naming Pets:


The training of creature pets begins at novice creature handler with the following commands:


Attack: Makes the pet attack
Follow me: Makes pet follow you
Store: Stores pet back into datapad

Training is done through a series of radials and/or spatial commands used in conjunction with a tamed creature. Tamed creatures give the novice creature handler 3 radial options to choose with these being Store, Feed, and Train. With the exception of droid and faction pets, Of these, Train and its properties is the only one that is exclusive to creature handler. To begin training a creature, a player must begin with these steps:

Click on the pet and open the radial, you'll see 3 new options, Store, Feed, and Train. Lets click Train. You'll see those 3 commands I mentioned. Click one of them. You will see a '?' appear in your text. this means the next thing you say will trigger this command. In other words if you click the 'Follow me' then say 'lets go' your pet will begin following you from then on when you say 'lets go' (Capitalization is important as it is case sensitive). You cannot name your creature them until you can teach them 4 commands - meaning you will need either 'Creature Empathy I' or 'Creature Training I' or 'Creature Management I.' Once you get one of these, to name them you will need to re-teach them the commands, but this time with a Name in front of the command. 4 learned Commands are necessary because it takes 4 instances of using the pet's name to trigger the renaming process.

For Example:
'Tiny lets go'
'Tiny attack'
'Tiny you're free'
'Tiny do a trick!'


This will replace the creature's original name with 'Tiny' and will also give you some Creature Handler experience. When you teach a pet a command, what you're doing is binding that action to a particular spoken phrase. Once you bind "Attack" to the phrase "Sic'em, Fido!" you can make your pet attack your lookat target simply by having your character say that phrase aloud (in this case: "Sic'em, Fido!").

To do this, choose the "Attack" sub-option under "Train" on your pet's radial menu. The radial menu will disappear, and a little question mark (?) will float off your pet's head. This indicates that it's waiting for you to speak the phrase you want to associate with this command. At this point, just make your character say "Sic'em, Fido!"

If you're successful, you'll gain a little Creature Handling XP and you'll get the message "You have trained your pet a new command." If you fail, you'll get the message "Your pet doesn't understand you." In this case, choose "Attack" from the "Train" menu again, and then speak whatever phrase you wish to bind to the command again. Keep repeating the process until you're successful (it shouldn't take more than a few tries in most cases). The success rate at training seems to be determined by creature taming skill for that particular creature type. As soon he's learned the 4th command with his name, he'll get a little thought bubble over his head saying "Tiny?" and his name will change from "a X type (baby)" to "(Tiny)". It's simple and counts as another command for another 100 plus Creature Handling exp.

Once a pet has learned its name, you can teach it again to assign different strings to those commands without causing it to lose its name (as long as you don't start four commands with the same word - unless you want to change its name). Keep in mind that there is a name filter in place, so you cannot have a pet named "Obiwan." The name filter doesn't provide feedback to the player, so if you're not seeing a name change after four commands, you might need to try something different.

Once you've bound this particular command to a spoken phrase, there's no need to use hotkeys or radial menus to issue the order to your pet. Now and in the future, simply speak the phrase (i.e. "Sic'em, Fido!") to command your pet. You can see the phrase that has been bound to each of your pet's commands by looking at its Pet Control Device in the Datapad (CTRL+D). This is the exact same system used for Droids and Faction Perk pets (like storm troopers). Rather than having to earn extra commands for Droids and NPC pets, however, you'll have access to all possible commands right away.


Mounts

Certain types of pets can be trained as "mounts," which will allow the pet's owner to ride around on it. Normal mount walking speed is faster than a player's running speed, and the mount equivalent of burst run (called "gallop") is faster than a player's burst run (and tends to last longer).

You can't make just any pet into a mount, however. At this time, the only creatures that can be mounted are: Dewbacks (Tatooine), Bantha (Tatooine), Cu Pa's (Tatooine), Bols (Dantooine), Kaadu (Naboo), Carrion Spats (Corellia), Falumpasets (Naboo), Humbabas (Corellia/Talus), and Brackasets (Dathomir).

All variants of a mountable species will work (i.e. dewbacks, lesser dewbacks, mountain dewbacks). Entirely different species that are similar in appearance will NOT work (i.e. NOT bagerasets, bolmas, mawgax, etc).

Anyone can own and use a mount (if they have enough skill to control it as a pet), but only a Creature Handler can teach it the "Mount" command. Non-CHs are limited to creature pets CL 10 and below, but fortunately each currently mountable species has such a variant in the wild (lesser dewbacks, lesser plains bols, motley kaadu, carrion spats, plodding falumpasets, and lowland brackasets).

A pet has to reach a certain size (which varies by creature) before the Train As Mount command becomes available in its training menu. In most cases this will be around 50-75% of its total adult growth, though some of the larger variants (like giant carrion spats and savage humbabas) may be mountable much sooner. Giant carrion spats in particular can be made into mounts immediately after taming, making them a popular choice among Creature Handler salesmen. When a giant carrion spat reaches a certain size, it can even become too large to be used as a mount. When this happens, the owner will receive a one time pop-up box asking if he wishes to stop its growth, or no longer have it function as a mount. This is your only chance to decide, so make sure you choose carefully.

You can climb aboard a mount by choosing "Climb On Mount" from its radial menu, or targeting it and typing /mount. You can dismount by choose "Dismount" from the creature's radial menu, or typing /dismount. You can still engage in combat while mounted, but you will be unable to use any of your special profession moves. In addition to being limited to default attacks, your mount will drastically slow down to prevent you from attacking while keeping out of your target's range (a.k.a. "kiting").

While mounted, you can give your mount a momentary boost of speed by typing /gallop. You cannot attack while galloping, but you can still be attacked. Since you cannot attack, however, the normal speed restriction while in combat is not in effect (making this a handy way to escape from tight situations). After a few moments your mount will become "winded" and return to its normal running speed while it rests (just as with a player's burst run ability). You can end the gallop earlier by using the /gallopstop command (for example, if you are already galloping and wish to stop to engage in combat).

Availible Commands

Training The complete list of commands is as follows (not all commands are usable with all pets):

. attack (current target)
. befriend (current target)
. clear patrol point
. column formation
. embolden pet (player requires ability, cannot be taught to pet)
. enrage pet (player requires ability, cannot be taught to pet)
. follow (current target)
. follow other
. get patrol point
. group (group leader must be in range)
. guard (current target)
. patrol
. ranged attack (current target)
. special attack 1 (current target)
. special attack 2 (current target)
. stay
. store
. transfer (ownership to current target)
. trick 1
. trick 2
. wedge formation


With most commands, you must manually train your pet. Some commands will be listed in your Command Browser under the combat tab.

Here is a list of other commands that can eventually be taught to pets:


Attack: This command will enable you to cause your pet to attack your target.

Ranged attack: Makes your pet used its ranged attack (if it has one).

Special Attack One: This command makes your pet use its primary special attack. (if it has one)

Special Attack Two: This command makes your pet use its secondary special attack. (if it has one)

Guard: Makes your pet attack anything that attacks you or that you attack.

Stay: Makes the pet stay where you tell it.

Patrol point: Adds a Patrol point to where you stand.

Patrol: Makes your pet roam between patrol points, attacking any aggressive creatures that come close to it or PC's of the Enemy faction.

Clear Patrol Points: it clears all current patrol points, be sure to do this after your finished making your pet patrol.

Follow Other: Makes your pet follow your target.

Group: Makes your pet join your group.

Friend: Makes your pet accept orders from the person you have targeted when you say the command.

Wedge Formation: Makes your pet go into a Wedge formation, which is useful when you get multiple pets.

Column Formation: Makes your pet go into Column formation, which is useful when you get multiple pets.

Stay: This command makes your pet stay where it is.

Store: This command stores the pet back into your pet control device.

Trick1: Makes your pet do one of its tricks, costing you some mind points and healing its entire mind pool along with some of its mind wounds.

Trick2: Same as Trick 1 except it heals more wounds.

Enrage Pet: Makes your pet go berserk and adds 75 to their min and max damage for 60 seconds.

Transfer: Transfers Ownership of pet to the person you have targeted. Only works on Other Creature Handlers.

Embolden: This is a 60 second buff for 15% of the creatures Health Action and Mind (primary and secondaries) which cannot be repeated more often than once per 5 minutes (per pet)





Creature Handler XP and Advancement


There are three ways to gain Creature Handler XP: successfully taming a baby for the first time, teaching a new command to a pet for the first time, and having your pet contribute to the death of an NPC or creature.


The non-violent means of Creature Handling advancement is "tame and release." Simply tame a creature, teach it every command that you have access to, then release it and find something else to tame. Keep in mind that this is a form of "grinding," and is both slow and mind-numbing. Still, if you have access to a lot of commands (and only need a few thousand XP for your next skill), you might decide to close the gap with a little tame and release.


A faster (but riskier) method of advancement is using your pet in combat, which is by far the more normal method. You need to kill something that's powerful enough to be a challenge to your pet (not necessarily to you) to get decent amounts of XP this way. If the target's CL is less than half that of your pet, you'll get 1 XP from the victory.


Creature Handlers will only receive 1 xp for using a pet to kill something less than half the level of the pet.

  • Using baby high-level creatures to kill low-level creatures will result in less xp being granted than previously. For purposes of determining xp only, the creature's level will be considered to be no less than half of the creature's adult level. e.g. A baby gurreck was previously considered to be a level 5 creature even though an adult gurreck is level 50. Now a baby gurrek will be considered to be level 25 minimum, which will eventually increase as the pet grows until it has reached its adult level.


If you start using two pets at once, it's important to note that your XP per kill will be divided by the current number of active pets so if you were getting 1000 experience with one pet out, you will only get 500 if you have 2.



Pet Growth Rate


Baby pets start off with 10% of their adult form ham pools and stats. A creature that is CL 30 at adult, will be CL 3 as a baby when first tamed. A pet will grow at a rate of 10% every 12 hours beginning from after the pet was tamed. In order for a pet to grow the player must log in during the 12 hour cycle periods. It doesn't matter if you call them, feed them or anything else. It is all based on you logging in once every 12 hours.



Sources

Source Source in Context
Source 1 Source 1
Source 2 Source 2
Source 3 Source 3
Source 4 Source 4
Source 5 Source 5
Source 6 Source 6
Source 7 Source 7
Source 8 Source 8
Source 9 Source 9
Source 10 http://swgforums.swganh.org/viewtopic.php?search_id=1830557886&t=173709


Skill Modifiers

Additional Pet
Max level of pets
Stored Pets
Taming Vicious Creatures
Taming Wild Creatures

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Ability List

Command CRC Ability Details %
emboldenpets 58F5818C Embolden Pets (Ability)
enragepets DEA1F466 Enrage Pets (Ability)
tame 03F6DC90 Tame (Ability)
Pet Command: Ranged Attack (Ability)
Pet Command: Special Attack One (Ability)
Pet Command: Special Attack Two (Ability)
Pet Command: Attack (Ability)
Pet Command: Follow (Ability)
Pet Command: Follow Other (Ability)
Pet Command: Formations (Ability)
Pet Command: Friend (Ability)
Pet Command: Group (Ability)
Pet Command: Guard (Ability)
Pet Command: Patrol (Ability)
Pet Command: Stay (Ability)
Pet Command: Store (Ability)
Pet Command: Transfer (Ability)
Pet Command: Trick1 (Ability)
Pet Command: Trick2 (Ability)
Train Mount (Ability)