Critters!

[Electroely]

Now, we all know critters. Those useless-but-adorable creatures we were expecting a use for in this last update. If Klei is ever planning on adding a use to these pets (I really hope so), I suggest they put it this way:

Different pet traits make pets behave differently. (No, I don't mean animation-wise.)

Affectionate: Makes the pet give off a sanity aura (to pet owner only).

Combat: Gives the pet ability to fight other mobs.

Crafty: Allows the pet to use it's "special ability" (see spoiler below for more info).

Spoiler

A pet with the "crafty" trait would be able to do something special no other pets could do. Suggestions I made:

Vargling: Being a baby Varg, it would be able to neutralize any aggressive hounds as long as they don't come from hound attacks or other Vargs.

Kittykit: Being a baby Catcoon, I believe it would be nice giving it the ability to kill critters by jumping on them, allowing easy Krampus farming and stuff.

Glomglom: Being a baby Glommer, It would be fitting if it would make goop every 4-5 days.

Ewecus: Being a baby Ewecus, I think it would be able to either stick your enemies (which would cause them to aggro on it) or make it brushable for easy steel wool.

Broodling: Being a baby Dragonfly, I think it should either be able to cook food for you or spit out a fire for you (the kind Red Hounds and Lavae drop when killed) when commanded to do so.

Playful: Since this trait is the one that requires paying the least attention to your pet, I think it should be the least useful trait, simply making your pet play more with itself or with others.

Wellfed: I think this trait should be removed, and instead used as a passive trait that increases your pet's max health and health regen and slows down food consumption.

 

I also thought of a few more pets that I can think would be really enjoyable:

A baby Chester, one that everyone can have, has 4 inventory slots. Can be upgraded with nightmare fuel on a full moon to a 9 slot Chester, doesn't get the "Combat" trait and the "Crafty" trait would make it work as an icebox as well.

A baby Hutch, being just like baby Chester, but can't be upgraded. The "Affectionate" trait would turn him into Music Box Hutch (without light), the "Combat" trait would turn him into Fugu Hutch (Again, without the light) and "Crafty" would allow him to make a small light radius, maybe equal to a Magiluminescense.

A baby Voltgoat. The "Crafty" trait would make it's horns slightly longer, allowing it to function as a Lightning Rod (but not with as much priority) and aggroing on every non-allied mob that comes near it.

 

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to criticize my suggestion or modify it in any way you'd like. I'd be happy to read the comments. As long as they support my suggestion :).

[sealedpenumbra]

A baby deer!

Spoiler

Spoiler

but with their unique sounds, not volt-goats' sounds

[gabblox]

I don't think I'd like to see unique pet abilities because then the decision becomes less about which cute companion I want and more about what kind of utility they bring to the table. I have a feeling pets will end up doing a little more than they currently do, but I hope nothing has game changing abilities.

[Rily]

I think that would be interesting if they have some kind of ability or utility, but as gabblox says then we would choose our pet based in the unique ability, however, I how about the ability to learn from us, we could train them to learn new (probably wortless) abilities like helping with koalefant tracks for a vargling, or a kittykit that can grab one item for you, or even we could teach them the same ablities, then any pet could do the same depending on our prefferences and how we train them. Some of them are quite expensive, sometimes the people don't choose them because their prefferences, the steel wool and the chilled larvae are not the easy to get, so why not?, anything to make them more like a living creature

[John]

I think pets really need utility and some sense of fragility, right now they kind of go against Don't Starve's vibe of living in a bleak world.
We've got custom skins, I think having pets as window dressings is a bit much, like some sort of cute anime bond creature.

"Teaching them" is perhaps a bit too advanced, I think broad & simple utilities with a nice sanity boost is best. Infrequent relevant drops, combat use (quick attack & flee), storage, fetching, would be great, and maybe tie it with how well fed they are.

But I will say that at the very least if they were to flee/hide from harm behind the nearest bush/foliage/rock they would at least feel less ethereal.

[Electroely]

14 hours ago, gabblox said:

I don't think I'd like to see unique pet abilities because then the decision becomes less about which cute companion I want and more about what kind of utility they bring to the table. I have a feeling pets will end up doing a little more than they currently do, but I hope nothing has game changing abilities.

I can see where you're coming from with the decision part, but I'm kind of basing the idea of special abilities on the fact that even IRL you have people choose pets because of what they can do. 2 examples would be dogs and cats. Some people like dogs because they can protect one's living place, and they can help blind people navigate or just fetch stuff. Some people have cats for the sole reason of getting rid of mice. Plus, there are 2 other possible traits, and I think the "Crafty" trait is the hardest to get. Also, I don't think these abilities would be game changing all that much. The most effective one would probably be the Broodling, but that thing needs a rare Boss drop. Doesn't that balance it out?