Due to our inability to give allies orders, many pirates have always had a love/hate relationship with our pets.
We love their ferocity, loyalty and courage; but many pirates currently choose to keep their pets in their backpack. With advanced pets, it looks as if this option will be less attractive because pets will become so much more powerful; however ally behavior, while predictable, still makes us tear our hair out.
My suggestion is to allow us to be able to temporarily restrain the enthusiasm of our pets and it is twofold.
1. This idea is for you to allow the player to left-click on the pet or summoned ally's unit image on the battleboard. Clicking once toggles on an order to "Stay". Clicking again toggles off that order, leaving the default order to "Sic'em", which is currently always in effect. When in the proposed "Stay" mode of behavior, the pet would not move, but would still attack if an enemy unit ends his turn adjacent to the pet. All Epic talents would still function normally in "Stay" mode. Every round, during the Ally action phase, the pet would have a chance of breaking free anyway, and that chance would be modified by threat to the pet (shooting the pet might very well make him break loose and attack the shooter). The better trained the pet is, the smaller that chance of toggling off "Stay" mode. Every planning phase, the PC would be able to give the "Stay" order again or toggle it off. A pet in Stay mode would have a special border color around the unit image in the planning phase.
2. I still don't know what pet gear is, but perhaps it will confer talents or powers to the pet or pirate. Here are some Ideas:
a) A leash. Leashes could be 1, 2 or 3 spaces long. allowing the pet to go no farther than that many spaces away from the pirate. There would be no chance of the pet breaking free of the leash, but the pirate could toggle the pet released during the planning phase. Once released, the leash would have no more effect in that combat. Optionally, any unit that passes between the pet and the PC while leashed together could incur a stun penalty or suffer -2 movement in that round.
b) Pet Armor War dogs were fitted with armor in ancient times, Why not our pets?
c) Lucky Charms Not the cereal. These would give magic resistance, display the pet's name, and address of the owner.
d) A Whistle that signals the pet to return to his master. This order could be toggled on or off during the planning phase. Once the pet reaches his master, the pet would stay one space away until released from the compulsion. A pet on recall would still attack an enemy unit between him and his master, but that pet would be compelled to move at least one space toward his master every round until defeated or released from recall. A pet on recall would have a special border color around the unit image in the planning phase.

Row4n412 on Apr 1, 2014 wrote:

Due to our inability to give allies orders, many pirates have always had a love/hate relationship with our pets.
We love their ferocity, loyalty and courage; but many pirates currently choose to keep their pets in their backpack. With advanced pets, it looks as if this option will be less attractive because pets will become so much more powerful; however ally behavior, while predictable, still makes us tear our hair out.
My suggestion is to allow us to be able to temporarily restrain the enthusiasm of our pets and it is twofold.
1. This idea is for you to allow the player to left-click on the pet or summoned ally's unit image on the battleboard. Clicking once toggles on an order to "Stay". Clicking again toggles off that order, leaving the default order to "Sic'em", which is currently always in effect. When in the proposed "Stay" mode of behavior, the pet would not move, but would still attack if an enemy unit ends his turn adjacent to the pet. All Epic talents would still function normally in "Stay" mode. Every round, during the Ally action phase, the pet would have a chance of breaking free anyway, and that chance would be modified by threat to the pet (shooting the pet might very well make him break loose and attack the shooter). The better trained the pet is, the smaller that chance of toggling off "Stay" mode. Every planning phase, the PC would be able to give the "Stay" order again or toggle it off. A pet in Stay mode would have a special border color around the unit image in the planning phase.
2. I still don't know what pet gear is, but perhaps it will confer talents or powers to the pet or pirate. Here are some Ideas:
a) A leash. Leashes could be 1, 2 or 3 spaces long. allowing the pet to go no farther than that many spaces away from the pirate. There would be no chance of the pet breaking free of the leash, but the pirate could toggle the pet released during the planning phase. Once released, the leash would have no more effect in that combat. Optionally, any unit that passes between the pet and the PC while leashed together could incur a stun penalty or suffer -2 movement in that round.
b) Pet Armor War dogs were fitted with armor in ancient times, Why not our pets?
c) Lucky Charms Not the cereal. These would give magic resistance, display the pet's name, and address of the owner.
d) A Whistle that signals the pet to return to his master. This order could be toggled on or off during the planning phase. Once the pet reaches his master, the pet would stay one space away until released from the compulsion. A pet on recall would still attack an enemy unit between him and his master, but that pet would be compelled to move at least one space toward his master every round until defeated or released from recall. A pet on recall would have a special border color around the unit image in the planning phase.

I do like some of these ideas, Charles and it would be interesting to see them in action. I don't know if I would necessarily need to have that much control over them (though, I can see the benefits), but I would like to say that I would at least like to be able to control them and issue orders to them as if they were a member of my pirate's crew.

Maybe we could pay for them to go to obedience school- a pet friendly, reward for effort, caring obedience school of course. But yeah, often they do interfere with you planning your next set of moves. I have had many an occasion where I had a perfect 2 or 3 move battle plan (at least in my mind), only to have a pet move into a spot and nullify it. Sure, the outcome of the battle may not have been altered but my adeptness as a general in battle was not able to be fully realized and displayed. But I like to keep them equipped (most of the time) just so they can take the heat away from my crew and distract the enemy. Plus they often finish off a low health enemy, so my crew can attack elsewhere (although sometimes they pass right by that low health enemy to attack one even further away, which can be a bit annoying at times).

So, I definitely agree that it would at least be beneficial to be able to select them and give them directional/advancing orders, like we do with our companions.

Row4n412 on Apr 2, 2014 wrote:

Come on now, Chrissy. I think I remember you suggesting someone unequip pets when fighting the satyrs.
Pets can definitely get out of hand at times. The worst problem is when they run headlong into the enemy when the rest of my team is preparing a reception for the bad guys. Then we must wait for them to finish off my pet before the trap is sprung. In PvP a pet can already be helpful if he is held up in time for the main force to attack with him. But he is nearly useless most of the time in PvP these days, because pets cannot be controlled at all by their masters.
I'm not asking to be able to fully control my pet like a companion. I'm just asking for a little control over the pet. It seems logical to me that our pirates would be able to teach these very smart pets a few simple commands, or at least put them on leashes!
The latest update seems to be a move toward realism. And with the effort the PC must put into training pets, these real pet tricks seem like a reasonable request.

Ok, Ok, lol. Like I said I was missing the obvious. I forgot about Satyrs and generally that fix is to kennel them but I totally forgot Valkoor's point about how pets get right into where we want to stand. I stand corrected, *Concedes with a graceful bow & impish flourish of the plumed hat* There are times where a little control would be nice.
That being said , I still like the free spirit aspect of them and had just learned to deal with it.