Basic pet questions

Since they're on sale today, I thought maybe I'd get a pet for looting. But I really don't know much about pets, and the "all about pets" guide seems to assume a lot of prior knowledge (or maybe I'm just too dense to understand it).

Anyway, my first questions are:

1) Is there any functional difference between different pets, in terms of looting? A pet that is described as "less obedient" will loot less reliably, or something?

2) What does pet level and/or closeness do? Does a pet with higher closeness range farther in search of loot? Does a higher level pet get hungry less often?

3) Do pets in themselves (not being equipped with meso magnet or potion pouch or whatever) have any purpose other than amusement/decoration? Do you get exp for training them, for example?

4) I understand that your pet will only pick up drops from your own kills (not party members or strangers), unless equipped with Magic Scales. Correct?

5) Is it true the pet will only pick up drops I've walked over? So for instance if I am standing on the MP3 Hummer and spamming Arrow Rain or Heal or w/e, I will still need to jump down every once in a while and take a quick dash through the sea of drops, for my pet to pick them up?

Thanks!

No to all of those, I believe.

1. Yes, but only for certain pets. Most pets loot the same, but certain pets (pretty much, as you can expect, Nexon America originals) do little animations while you're attacking that cause them not to move. I think this happens with the robopets (not the Robot), not sure about any other pets. Otherwise, every pet loots the same.
The ones that are labeled as "less obedient" are just less responsive to commands.

2. Closeness has these uses, if I remember correctly
1) speaks English at level 10
2) /pet command available at level 15
3) new commands learned at certain levels unique to the type of pet
4) more responsive to commands
5) allows you to upgrade taru weapons to suma versions at level 15
6) allows you to upgrade taru weapons to magna versions at level 30

3. No.

Thanks, Cyanne.
Regarding the closeness: (1)-(4) are sort of self-referential: you train your pet so it gains levels so it can obey more commands so it can gain closeness so it can gain levels so... None of those commands "affect gameplay", right?
About the upgrading of taru weapons, that's neat. Not that I expect to own any in the foreseeable future.

4) I understand that your pet will only pick up drops from your own kills (not party members or strangers), unless equipped with Magic Scales. Correct?
Yes, an Magic Scales will only pick up drops which only you can pick up yourself. Also, they can't pick up drops what other people have dropped (incl. yourself)

5) Is it true the pet will only pick up drops I've walked over? So for instance if I am standing on the MP3 Hummer and spamming Arrow Rain or Heal or w/e, I will still need to jump down every once in a while and take a quick dash through the sea of drops, for my pet to pick them up?
It depends. If your pet is next to you, it wont pick it up. Your pet needs to walk over the items to pick them up, and they will only move by themselves if they are equipped with Wing Boots. Otherwise they'll just follow behind you.

1) speaks English at level 10

Pointless i know but some pets always speak english from level 1.

Since they're on sale today, I thought maybe I'd get a pet for looting. But I really don't know much about pets, and the "all about pets" guide seems to assume a lot of prior knowledge (or maybe I'm just too dense to understand it).

Anyway, my first questions are:

1) Is there any functional difference between different pets, in terms of looting? A pet that is described as "less obedient" will loot less reliably, or something?

All pets loot and autopot the same. Obedience affects closeness only.

2) What does pet level and/or closeness do? Does a pet with higher closeness range farther in search of loot? Does a higher level pet get hungry less often?

A pet whose fullness reaches nil will go to its house. That means it will not autopot you or loot for you. If that happens during Zakum or Horntail, you will probably die. So you need to carry around about 200 pet food and hotkey it for when it gets hungry. A pet loses fullness at a constant pace.

Closeness "function" is to have more things to say, and unlock more commands. Cloy in Henesys has commands for all pets, and pet merchants sell command books that you can carry around. at lvl 10 and lvl 20 new commands are unlocked. At lvl 15 a pet can be made to say things using /pet message. ALSO at lvls 15 and 30, your pet gains the ability to upgrade cheap, bad iTCG items to higher lvl items. That is significant because a lvl 80 iTCG bow has the power of a Metus with the requirements of an Arund; very very few people have lvl 30 pets, so it's a good source of money.

Lvl 1 commands are obeyed the easiest, lvl 10 commands less easy, and lvl 20 commands are hard to get off. The more obedient the pet, the easier it will obey. Increased lvl also makes it more likely that a pet will obey. The beauty of the porcupine is it's obedient as hell even at lvl 1, and its commands increase in potency as it levels. So, iloveyou gives 1 closeness at lvl 1, and 2 closeness at lvl 10. Not all pets are like that.

If you want a "great" pet, get the crystal rudolph. It is a Cash Shop pet which has a +3 closeness command. The orange, ordinary Rudolph has a lvl 1 +2 command, which makes it easy to train as well.

3) Do pets in themselves (not being equipped with meso magnet or potion pouch or whatever) have any purpose other than amusement/decoration? Do you get exp for training them, for example?

No, you need to have pet equips for the other stuffs.

4) I understand that your pet will only pick up drops from your own kills (not party members or strangers), unless equipped with Magic Scales. Correct?

You need that one Cash Shop item which lets you pick up others' items as their ownership over them expires.

5) Is it true the pet will only pick up drops I've walked over? So for instance if I am standing on the MP3 Hummer and spamming Arrow Rain or Heal or w/e, I will still need to jump down every once in a while and take a quick dash through the sea of drops, for my pet to pick them up?

Thanks!

One of the pet equips makes your pet run around to items; another pet equip INCREASES the range which the pet runs around at.

1. Yes, but only for certain pets. Most pets loot the same, but certain pets (pretty much, as you can expect, Nexon America originals) do little animations while you're attacking that cause them not to move. I think this happens with the robopets (not the Robot), not sure about any other pets. Otherwise, every pet loots the same.
The ones that are labeled as "less obedient" are just less responsive to commands.

2. Closeness has these uses, if I remember correctly
1) speaks English at level 10
2) /pet command available at level 15
3) new commands learned at certain levels unique to the type of pet
4) more responsive to commands
5) allows you to upgrade taru weapons to suma versions at level 15
6) allows you to upgrade taru weapons to magna versions at level 30

3. No.

skunk speaks from level 1

skunk speaks from level 1

same with the porcupine =P

also, Dragons and Robos are the only two that dont loot correctly/properly/normally. i would suggest not getting these if you are in it for the looting. (didnt see anyone mention anything about dragons)

and yea, the porcupine is VERY easy to level. Cushion and iloveyou are great for training it, seeing as they increase as your pet levels

Crystal Rudolph also speaks english from level 1.

Using "iloveyou" on Penguin gives +3 closeness from Level 1 as well. They also respond well to "poop."

My Penguin doesn't seem to speak, even at level 10.

pandas are very easy to level pets

My Penguin doesn't seem to speak, even at level 10.

LOL, maybe you're not missing anything, mine is level 11, and he's gotten pretty sarcastic:

"iloveyou"
* Really? I don't think you do, though.
* What? No WEK!

"poop"
* I just pooped.
* Turn around, this is embarrassing.
* Long way to go before I poop.
* I don't feel like pooping.

[NOTE: WHY is that command in there in the first place?]

"no"
* Umm... you're no different than me.
* And what are you trying to say?
* Don't tell me what to do!

"hug" or "hugme"
* Too hot here!
* I feel like hurling...

"talk" "say" or "chat"
* You must be lonely.
* What? Who said I was fat?
* Have you ever seen a talking penguin?
* You want to give me a kiss on the cheek?

This is just some of the responses he's given me. I must say it's pretty funny. But "iloveyou" is still your best bet for raising closeness.

LOL, maybe you're not missing anything, mine is level 11, and he's gotten pretty sarcastic:

"iloveyou"
* Really? I don't think you do, though.
* What? No WEK!

"poop"
* I just pooped.
* Turn around, this is embarrassing.
* Long way to go before I poop.
* I don't feel like pooping.

[NOTE: WHY is that command in there in the first place?]

"no"
* Umm... you're no different than me.
* And what are you trying to say?
* Don't tell me what to do!

"hug" or "hugme"
* Too hot here!
* I feel like hurling...

"talk" "say" or "chat"
* You must be lonely.
* What? Who said I was fat?
* Have you ever seen a talking penguin?
* You want to give me a kiss on the cheek?

This is just some of the responses he's given me. I must say it's pretty funny. But "iloveyou" is still your best bet for raising closeness.

Most of the sarcastic remarks come because the interval between the commands weren't long enough.

what's a good command for skunks? that gives more closeness

what's a good command for skunks?

"restandrelax" makes the skunk emit gas. (or fart)

I dont know o.o