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[TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=20 border=0] <TBODY> [TR] [TD vAlign=top] <DIV class=breakWord><SPAN class=blue>Here is the response from the meeting I had with the developers. While I did bring up everything on The List, I did not get answers to all; in general, if you do not see something that was on The List in this post, the developers are happy with the mechanic as it works currently. I Look in the Mirror, and What Do I See... One of the primary questions asked regarding this class is a seemingly simple query: where does the Hunter fit in the grand scheme of things? What is the Hunter meant to be? The Hunter class is designed to be a high-damage class. Unlike some other classes with this designation, they are relatively low-risk. They are able to control a given situation well with use of traps and their pet. With this control of threat and creature behavior, they can dole out sustained DPS with little worry to their own well-being. They are very self-sufficient and thus low-maintenance. They are nearly unparalleled when soloing, and in groups they provide DPS and encounter management. My Better Half - What Is It? Much speculation has surrounded one of the major aspects of the Hunter class: the pet. In many situations, such as PvP and raids, its worth is questioned. Often times you simply don't see it out and running about. The question then remains: what is the pet to the Hunter? What should it be? The pet is both off-tank and additional damage output. The damage done by the pet is indeed factored into the overall damage balance of the class, and because of this, is integral to the class overall. I know there are some players who have expressed the desire to play a Hunter without a pet - this is certainly the choice of the player, but the pet is part and parcel of the class. If a Hunter wishes to operate without their pet, they may not be able to fight monsters around their level. We have no plans to make a pet-less Hunter just as viable as one with its boon companion. However, the Hunter's trusty friend has been having some problems, notably in the high end game. The following changes are on the table: My Better Half - Better, Faster, Stronger As mentioned earlier, the pets will receive more customization based on training points. (Note that this is in addition to anything on the Beast Mastery tree.) Malleable traits will include: passive enhancements such as armor, resistances (good for surviving mass AEs), and attributes; active abilities such as poison, increased speed (part of which is seen with Dash/Dive), and damage mitigation; AI abilities such as the pet becoming enraged, etc. These are just examples of what we plan to add to allow for a more robust and diverse pet. There have been some pathing and AI issues that have caused some problems in certain dungeons, thus making pets undesirable. The development team is fixing the remainder of these problems, which should hopefully resolve those concerns. We also plan on giving pets some sort of group buff option that should make them and, by extension, Hunters more attractive to groups. My Better Half - I'll Bite Your Kneecaps Off What about the function of a pet in PvP? It provides decent harassment and extra damage in a fight, and the additional enhancements coming up should help considerably. In addition, there are plans to create a "Free Master" ability that allows the pet, if alive, to break its master out of, say, a root effect. It's still in a rough design stage so I have no further information on it right now, but this should aid the pet's utility in PvP. Okay, This White Kitten Isn't Really Effective One of the prime complaints for Hunters when it comes to getting a new pet is the time it takes to level that pet up from its base level. If the level gap is large, the Hunter is hard-put to fight things that will give experience efficiently, since the pet is so underpowered in comparison. The developers do acknowledge this as an issue and will be working on ways to make this mechanic easier for the Hunter. Dodge This - Wait, You're in the Dead Zone The Dead Zone (the area between ranged and melee attack range where no attacks can damage your opponent) has been a source of frustration for all Hunters alike. The developers acknowledge that this is a problem, and while they have no specifics yet, they will be working on alleviating the problem with this aspect of the class. Oh No, Not I - I Will Survive One of the top talent tree revisions on the designers' to-do list is the infamous Hunter tree, Survival. There have been numerous complaints about this tree in the past. The team will be going through it carefully and working to make the Survival tree a more viable option for Hunters. Guns Don't Kill People - I Do The age-old discrepancy between the support of Guns and that of Bows and Crossbows is acknowledged as an issue by the development team. You've seen the beginning of the changes with the ability to trade in Thorium Shells, but they'll be working to give all ranged options diverse choices and support. When Will it Be? These changes to the Hunter class will not be coming in one large "Hunter love" patch, but will be brought to the game over time as we add them in. Keep your eyes open - they're on their way. <SMALL>[ post edited by Caydiem ] </SMALL> - Caydiem - Assistant Community Manager</SPAN></DIV>