Before you lynch me, let me preface this by saying that the Beastmaster perk a.k.a. Steeve is by far my favourite perk in the game right now. I use it in all my dwarfs (even driller) and I really enjoy playing with it... BUT I have come to realise that it has to go.

Allow me to sidetrack a bit. I decided to post this here after the devs' explanation for the removal of Jump boots perk. I also liked that one (not to the extent of Beastmaster though) but I can see why the devs didn't think it fit into the game both thematically and gameplay-wise. Personally, I am a sucker for game related lore but ultimately what draws me into a game is its overall feel (esp. gameplay). So when Steeve was first announced I didn't like it all. I didn't think much of it then, just was against it. Then I tried it and fell in love with it.

Until my game-buddy brought to my attention how lore-breaking it can actually be. He is way more against it than I am although both of our favourite classes in games is that of the Beastmaster/Necromancer/etc.

If you put aside your enthusiasm for an extra pet, as cute and patable as it may be, then what you are left with is a glyphid. One glyphid that moments ago wanted to kill you. One of many that have layed waste to your previous missions, that you have sworn to endlessly and mindlessly slay in a kill or be killed environment. One of those that caused Karl's untimely death and that continue to kill your fellow Miners on a daily basis.

Do you still think petting Steeve is funny? Is it so cute that you can also afford to give it a name? To the point where people prefer it over your trusty sidekick B.O.S.C.O. ? In a game where the moto is DANGER DARKNESS DWARFS I personally don't think so.

And since the devs mentioned how (rightfully) important it is to maintain the proper thematical atmosphere for the game, I ask you this: "Is Steeve an intended, lore-compatible feature or is it another oversight that we chose to ignore due to both the joy of having minions, and its (un)intended cuteness?"

Sorry if I bored you with all of this text, but I would really like to hear your opinions, especially from the side of the developers. As always, ROCK AND STONE brothers!

TLDR : Steeve == Glyphid, Glyphid == bad, bad == no pet

P.S. We could always substitute Steeve with an once in a mission orbital-droped (40k Terminator-esque) damaged B.O.S.C.O. that is worse than the one we use (it has functions like rockets, mining and lighting completely or mostly unavailable). Lore wise: Management recovered it from past missions or it was a defective product and so they intended to scrap it. But they let us have it instead of dumping it so that we can make the most out of it.