It used to be that the Rathskeller Inn didn't amuse your pets, it only fed them. I propose a change back to this.

NPC Babette is being run ragged with running the Inn, Angrybeard, Carl and now those baby twin anyus. Let's give her a rest.

But why wouldn't your pets be happy to be there? They are probably getting drunk all the time after all.

Maybe they're depressed drunks

But it's a den of thieves and iniquity, and and ...pirates! I was totally on the side of the Islanders during the first war, so hmph. And maybe some of my pets know better than to drink, and others just -don't- know better than to drink.

Game mechanics wise, it's useful to do Drills if you don't have to hand feed your toy-playing pet. It used to be that the Lake Resort was cheaper and made your pets happy, but took pets for less time than the Rathskeller. Now they're the same price but it's much more trouble to register as guests for the Inn, because the GA perk of registering everyone at once doesn't apply there.

Any suggestion that reduces quality of life features is a bad suggestion.

It's a small SP sink.

Instead of being "DON'T MAKE MY PETS HAPPY", I'd suggest to make it easier to play with toys when pets are at maximum happiness. Like, allow them to play with one toy when happiness is at max, with it not affecting happiness.

It is not a reduction in quality of life, because you can get your pet amused at the Resort just fine for the same price. This proposed Rathskeller change is a way to have your pet be a toy-playing pet without going through the effort of feeding it by hand. This is a labor saver.

I would find it very entertaining to live among a band of animal pirates. The food is good, the antics are hilarious, and the company is most enjoyable.

If you don't like the feature, don't use it.

No support.

A lot of people have minions attached to their pets which keep them happy anyway. I just don't really see the point of changing this, it's a minuscule thing.

No support. Just keep a pet or two out of the resorts and minion free so they can be played with. Same as with keeping a pet hungry for Gourmand.

Never noticed that the Inn didn't make your pets happy and considering nearly all of mine have minions as is... I think I'd rather have an option to mass-check in all pets into the Inn at a higher cost instead of this suggestion. :x

Besides, I doubt your pet is locked in the inn 24/7, that would be virtual animal abuse. ;) They can probably wander around and spend time with the locals and other guests, or explore the tourist areas of the island a little. They'll be plenty entertained. I doubt Babette manages the inn and the shop all by herself anyway. Carl's quests mention her having barmaids, so she definitely has some support with raising the cubs.

As for Drills, covered it. Keep a pet or two out of the resort and without minions, and you're golden. Though I wouldn't really mind 's suggestion either - make the attempt to play with a toy count for Drills and have the pet use the toy up as it normally would. That way you keep your item sink and there's no need to change Drills' quest requests.

Pet happiness is kind of a useless mechanic anyway? Minions and the resort remove any kind of need to do anything to keep your pet happy and afaik there is absolutely no penalty for keeping your pets hungry and unhappy besides being unable to battle with them.

I think I'm missing something here... Is there any practical reason you'd want a pet to play with a toy when it's at max happiness? It would just delete the item but not change anything.

The only thing I can think of is when Major Drills asks for it. I kinda like your suggestion of allowing a pet to play with a toy if they're on a Drills quest. Maybe Drills is so scary that they lose a happiness point :P

Haha I love the idea that Drills scares your pet into losing happiness! xD Can we have that?

The only way I'd support this suggestion is if toys ended up being akin to food/feeding pets (with a fun page with all the things they've played with, and achievements... and really food needs a highscore table (assuming it doesn't already... does it?) and so would toys played with).

Then, this would be a "downgrade" that'd really be an upgrade!

Because if you feed/play with your pets for achievements/stuff then you wouldn't want them in any inn! And if you didn't care about either, you could use the other resort! And if you only wanted to play, and not feed, then this would be perfect!

That said, unless/until that becomes a thing though it doesn't make sense to downgrade the Inn? If any question was to be asked, why the hell do we even HAVE two places that serve the exact same function? Like it's been stated already, Babette has a lot on her plate... how does she even have time to take care of pets? If we want to be nitpicky, why even keep this around?

I mean we've killed an extra zapper that didn't make sense... why would this be any different? Or I guess we could just leave it alone idk.

There actually is a high score table for food, it's at the bottom listed next to the one for books read. 😊

I'm not sure how I feel about having a toys played with list though. I guess it would make sense to have one, but at the same time we already have so many collections. ;~;

I wouldn't mind if it went back to not making pets happy. I liked having a difference in where you decided to stick your guys.

Put them up in a nice resort off of the lake? Every need met. Small town nearby to explore, plenty of shops and eateries, with a brewery right next to where they're staying? Happy!

or

Put them in a run down port. Smelling of ocean-and-fish foul foodstuffs (some of it's not even food anymore...). The locals holding grudges against their neighbors. Drunks in the allyway, screaming children underfoot, the only staff is a single, overworked mother? No thank you. Sure, you can eat, but enjoy yourself? Not so much. Everything's slick, yet salty. Disappointment.

If you want your pets happy, put them in the happy place. If you don't care, but just want them fed for longer, make them eat seaweed, algae, and mold, but they shouldn't have to like it . :p

[edit]ugh.