12.1. Creature Taming

To tame a creature as a pet, you must approach it very slowly (to avoid scaring it away), and then access its radial menu and select Tame. If you do not possess the skills to tame a creature, Tame will not appear on the radial menu. As you gain new skills, you' ll learn how to tame new types of creatures.

After selecting Tame, remain close to the creature while your character performs a series of actions to calm and befriend the creature. Taming is not automatic: the type of creature, its age, and your taming skill all affect the outcome.

NOTE: If you fail an attempt to tame a dangerous creature, the animal might attack you.

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I'M NOT MUCH FOR KEEPIN' ANIMALS. I' M AT HOME SURROUNDED BY POWER CONVERTERS AND STRIPPED HYPERDRIVES, AND PETS ONLY GET UNDERFOOT. BUT I DO KNOW THAT CREATURE TAMING IS AN ART, NOT A SCIENCE. IF YOU' RE LOOKIN' FOR A PET, START WITH SOMETHIN' SMALL AND PEACEFUL. A GNORT ISN'T LIKELY TO TEAR OUT YOUR THROAT WHEN YOU STARTLE IT ....

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PET COMMANDS
Once you have successfully tamed a creature, a new set of commands will be available via its radial menu:

• Store: Puts the creature in your Datapad for later use. Select Call from the creature 's radial menu to remove it.
• Train: Allows you to teach your pet verbal commands. Just clicking the Train button does nothing. Instead, you must first click on Train, followed by a pet command (such as Follow) . After you click on the pet command, you must type a verbal cue in your Chat Input bar that your pet will learn to associate with that command.

For example, if you want your pet to follow you every time your character says "Heel," you would first select Train then Follow from the radial menu. Immediately afterward, type "Heel " in the Chat Input bar. From that point forward, your pet will follow you every time you say "Heel."

You can use any words you want as verbal commands for your pet. If you possess multiple pets, you can train each to recognize different cues, allowing you to order them about independently; or, you might decide to make them all obey the same word so that they can act in concert.

You can also name your pet using the Train command. To do so, add any name to the verbal command. Select Train then Follow from the radial menu, and finish up by typing "Bobo Heel " in your Chat Input bar. Your pet will learn to recognize its name after you include it in three or four verbal commands.

• Follow: Makes your pet follow you.
• Stay: Tells your pet to stay in one spot. Most pets will sit still for a short time, and then begin loitering around the area. Pets remain in the world when you log off, but if left alone for too long, they revert back to a wild state and you will lose them.
• Attack: Commands the pet to attack your current target.
• Guard: Commands the pet to guard your current target (another player, NPC or creature). Your pet will attack anyone who attacks the guarded target. Guard is a toggle; you can command your pet to stop guarding by using the Guard option when you don' t have anything targeted (the ESC key clears all targets). Pets automatically guard their master, and can guard one other entity (including another pet).
• Befriend: Adds another targeted player to your Friends list (if the player is already on your Friends list, this will remove him or her) . Friends are able to give verbal orders to the pet.
• Get Patrol Point: Establishes a patrol route for your creature. Use this command wherever you are standing to add it to the pet' s patrol route, then move to the next spot in the intended route and use the command again. A route can have up to ten patrol points.
• Patrol: Commands a pet to start patrolling along an established route. Only usable once you have patrol points set.
• Clear Patrol Points: Erases all patrol points for your pet.
• Group: Commands your pet to join your group or, if already grouped, forces the pet to leave your group.
• Trick: Encourages your pet to perform a trick. You have two slots for a pet's tricks. Tricks are used to heal a pet' s Mind wounds. When wounded the pet will ask you to play; command it to perform tricks to heal the creature.
• Transfer: Transfers ownership of the pet to another player. You can only transfer the pet to a player who has the proper skills to tame and control the creature.
• Release: Releases your pet back into the wild.
• Feed: Gives your pet food to heal Action or Health wounds. Remember, the radial menu options are really only used for establishing verbal commands. Once you have the verbal commands set, you won' t use the radial menu very often.

If your pet receives a Mind wound, use the verbal Trick command when it asks you to play to heal its Mind.

If your pet dies in combat, it is gone forever, so be sure to heal pets often.

PET GROWTH
With proper care and feeding, your creature will grow to full size over time. In fact, given enough effort, your creature can grow even larger than a normal member of its species. This growth process can take days or even weeks. As a creature grows, its attributes increase dramatically.