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It's time to talk about the cat, devs. It's time.

netch_a_sketch
netch_a_sketch
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(PSA: This doesn't belong in crown store suggestions, it's a lot more than a suggestion)
Alright, so there are words to be had. But first, a refresher.
The elusive black cat from ESO is a now discontinued item that was available for Japanese players for 4 days, 4 years ago. I believe it was also brought back for valentines day one time.

Now, I don't know if you were aware-- and that's fine. But ~30% of all cats and dogs are black. And black cats are sadly the least adopted from animal shelters.
But this isn't an animal shelter, ZOS. This is a video game. With players. Thousands and thousands of players. With CATS. Black cats. (I should know, I have a black cat. And so do lots of my guild mates)
The crown store has seen several black dogs, amazing! But black (house)cats? One. And it's discontinued with seemingly no chance of return. A tragedy, really.

And it's not just the black cat owners that are being done an injustice! Witches of Tamriel also are lacking an iconic black cat. I'm sure necromancers and assassins too would adore a spooky little feline. In fact I'm astonished that the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary it's self doesn't have a furry little assassin among its ranks to keep the vermin from chewing up the tapestries and rugs.

Okay, onto practicality.
Of course the red ribboned black cat is special. You can keep it, Japan, as a thanks for making Kiki's Delivery Service.
But a potential black cat pet does not need a ribbon! A plain black cat is nothing to ask. You take the model from the game, then plop it in the crown store, take one of your nice little screenshots and write a small description. Job done. I'd wager it would take one person less than an hour. It's basically free money for minimal effort. And it would increase player satisfaction. Everyone wins! Nobody loses!

Halloween, I mean er, the Witches Festival is coming up. What a perfect time for a little black cat to pop up in the crown store... *wink* I also know you're capable of adding a suggested pet in less than 3 months *cough* baby netch pet *cough*

So there we have it. My plea, for a black cat. If you promise to at least pass along my little petition here, I'll never bring it up again.

Thanks for such an amazing game, and thank you for taking the time to read this.

So, players. Black cat? You want? If you've got a black cat, tell me about them! Would you name a black cat pet after your real life cat? Do you have a character that would love to have one?

(This thread is not for anyone to complain about ZOS 'wasting time on pets' or how much you don't want pets, or complaining about people who do. I see you there, seething at me for taking up forum space. Go away you spoilsport.)
  • Jaimeh
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    Jazzius wrote: »

    And it's not just the black cat owners that are being done an injustice! Witches of Tamriel also are lacking an iconic black cat. I'm sure necromancers and assassins too would adore a spooky little feline. In fact I'm astonished that the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary it's self doesn't have a furry little assassin among its ranks to keep the vermin from chewing up the tapestries and rugs.


    There's another black cat that wears a witch's hat, I think it was released alongside the witches festival a while back:

    J1K9MmS.jpg

  • netch_a_sketch
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    Jaimeh wrote: »
    Jazzius wrote: »

    And it's not just the black cat owners that are being done an injustice! Witches of Tamriel also are lacking an iconic black cat. I'm sure necromancers and assassins too would adore a spooky little feline. In fact I'm astonished that the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary it's self doesn't have a furry little assassin among its ranks to keep the vermin from chewing up the tapestries and rugs.


    There's another black cat that wears a witch's hat, I think it was released alongside the witches festival a while back:

    J1K9MmS.jpg

    That's absolutely adorable and I love it. Shame I was on a break when it was released
  • Jaimeh
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    Jazzius wrote: »
    Jaimeh wrote: »
    Jazzius wrote: »

    And it's not just the black cat owners that are being done an injustice! Witches of Tamriel also are lacking an iconic black cat. I'm sure necromancers and assassins too would adore a spooky little feline. In fact I'm astonished that the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary it's self doesn't have a furry little assassin among its ranks to keep the vermin from chewing up the tapestries and rugs.


    There's another black cat that wears a witch's hat, I think it was released alongside the witches festival a while back:

    J1K9MmS.jpg

    That's absolutely adorable and I love it. Shame I was on a break when it was released

    They might bring it back with the festival in a couple of months, or maybe you could try messaging support and see if they could help with buying it out of season.
  • colossalvoids
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    Pretty sure I'm not Japanese but I have this red ribbon black cat somehow, maybe there's a way still to get it as it's just sitting in my collection probably for years. Also there's a "haunted house cat" which is almost all black also, but again I have no idea where it came from to be honest.
    Edited by colossalvoids on August 18, 2021 6:50PM
  • netch_a_sketch
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    Pretty sure I'm not Japanese but I have this red ribbon black cat somehow, maybe there's a way still to get it as it's just sitting in my collection probably for years. Also there's a "haunted house cat" which is almost all black also, but again I have no idea where it came from to be honest.

    As I said, I think it was released on valentines day too a few years ago
  • colossalvoids
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    Jazzius wrote: »
    Pretty sure I'm not Japanese but I have this red ribbon black cat somehow, maybe there's a way still to get it as it's just sitting in my collection probably for years. Also there's a "haunted house cat" which is almost all black also, but again I have no idea where it came from to be honest.

    As I said, I think it was released on valentines day too a few years ago

    Are you sure it's not tossed in some crown crate? As I've never bought any pets but ones that grant inventory space, so it should come from some other source.
  • netch_a_sketch
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    Are you sure it's not tossed in some crown crate? As I've never bought any pets but ones that grant inventory space, so it should come from some other source.

    Yeah I checked. It was never in a crate
    Edited by netch_a_sketch on August 18, 2021 6:58PM
  • colossalvoids
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    Jazzius wrote: »
    Are you sure it's not tossed in some crown crate? As I've never bought any pets but ones that grant inventory space, so it should come from some other source.

    Yeah I checked. It was never in a crate

    Black magic indeed.

    Nwm, just found it in the frost atronach crates on UESP: https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Frost_Atronach_Crate
    Edited by colossalvoids on August 18, 2021 7:02PM
  • netch_a_sketch
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    Nwm, just found it in the frost atronach crates on UESP: https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Frost_Atronach_Crate
    Seems I didn't look hard enough!
    Why does the nice stuff release on my health breaks lol

    Anyway my case was for a PLAIN black cat ;) maybe a fluffy black cat... oooh...
  • ghastley
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    There was also a black senche cub. I forget which mount it went with. There were black lion and panther mounts.
  • nightstrike
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    The larger issue here is why things rotate out of the store at all. It's a digital store, there's no physical constraints of shelf space. Of course, we know that they create artificial scarcity to boost sales, but this is a case of bad metrics. People tend to buy limited time items more frequently because they exist. The conclusion that total crown sales overall would be lower without it is without merit.

    If we could just buy every item all the time, then people could just buy whatever they wanted. Why is that bad, ZOS?
    Warning: This signature is tiny!
  • M_Volsung
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    There's also the haunted house cat.

    ON-pet-Haunted_House_Cat.jpg

    Though, honestly, I'd love to see a tuxedo added to the mix too so I could have my favorite goofball with me on adventures.

    ODnho9p.jpg
    "In the Deep Halls, Far from Men;
    Forsaken Red Mountain, Twisted Kin;
    Hail the Mind, Hail the Stone;
    Dwarven Pride, Stronger than Bone"

    —Dwemer Inquiries I-III, Thelwe Ghelein
  • FrancisCrawford
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    Cats are my favorite pets.

    However, now that I have real cats ... one of them black! ... and both of them delightful ... I've cut back on using cats as ingame pets. Why? Because when I hear a meow, I want to be sure where it's coming from.
  • netch_a_sketch
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    The larger issue here is why things rotate out of the store at all. It's a digital store, there's no physical constraints of shelf space. Of course, we know that they create artificial scarcity to boost sales, but this is a case of bad metrics. People tend to buy limited time items more frequently because they exist. The conclusion that total crown sales overall would be lower without it is without merit.

    If we could just buy every item all the time, then people could just buy whatever they wanted. Why is that bad, ZOS?

    It's gross tbh but it's not gonna change sadly
  • netch_a_sketch
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    M_Volsung wrote: »
    There's also the haunted house cat.

    ON-pet-Haunted_House_Cat.jpg

    Though, honestly, I'd love to see a tuxedo added to the mix too so I could have my favorite goofball with me on adventures.

    ODnho9p.jpg

    Aww your cat is so cute! What's their name?
    I just noticed they have a little white moustache, my cat is white with a black moustache hehe :D
    Edited by netch_a_sketch on August 20, 2021 3:48AM
  • oterWitz
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    It seems there are a few more black cats that haven't been mentioned yet, just at a glance from scrolling through here: https://eso.mmo-fashion.com/category/database/item-type/pet/felines-pet/.

    And UESP has a slightly longer list which includes ones that haven't been released yet, including this fluffy black cat :)https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Prong-Eared_Forge_Mouser. Get your crowns/gems/seals of endeavor ready OP, and keep an eye out for it!
    PC NA
  • netch_a_sketch
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    Amazing. What if they brought *all* the black cats back this year for Witches Festival.
    I can dream...
  • NotaDaedraWorshipper
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    oterWitz wrote: »
    It seems there are a few more black cats that haven't been mentioned yet, just at a glance from scrolling through here: https://eso.mmo-fashion.com/category/database/item-type/pet/felines-pet/.

    There's a stray dog in that list :D
    [Lie] Of course! I don't even worship Daedra!
  • Dojohoda
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    UESP has some info about the black cat
    https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Black_Cat
    Fan of playing magblade since 2015. (PC NA)
    Might be joking in comments.
    -->(((Cyrodiil)))<--
  • whitecrow
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    Bite-size Khamira is black too, although she was very limited time.
  • MornaBaine
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    While I have the black cat with the red collar I would very much like a black housecat without a collar. A long haired version would be pretty cool as well! Shrink and recolor the banking and merchant alfiqs and get rid of their clothes and they would be perfect!
    PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!

  • MornaBaine
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    azS7UBs.jpg

    I need this cat yesterday ZOS!!!!
    PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!

  • MagicalLija
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    MornaBaine wrote: »
    azS7UBs.jpg

    I need this cat yesterday ZOS!!!!

    I wish they fixed the models of these cats, theres a void of no texture on the cats tail. It's such a shame.
  • Minyassa
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    Yes yes yes, a thousand times yes. They already have the most perfect setup for naming this cat...what do internet folks call black cats these days? VOIDS! What did we just go through with the whole Markarth chapter? Void stuff! There are so many ways they could make this connection, and we know a lot of devs love puns. It is definitely time to let us bring home a void of our own in-game.
  • oterWitz
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    Hey @Jazzius I'm pinging you because the black cat with the red ribbon that you talked about in the OP is in the crown store right now. Just a heads up :)

    Didn't see the datamined black fluffy cat in the crown store showcase but we can hope it will be available soon.
    PC NA
  • Syrpynt
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    Jaimeh wrote: »
    There's another black cat that wears a witch's hat, I think it was released alongside the witches festival a while back:

    J1K9MmS.jpg

    This one returns in store at the end of the October 2021!
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