[Benanov]

One thing I noted a few pages ago was the idea that Necros have to research all their pets, too. I don't know the era, but the ones that they don't have to research but can instead find in say, Grobb, or Oggok, or (eventually) Paineel?

Those are also Shadowknight pets. Shadowknights cannot research so they must purchase their spells. The Necromancer piggybacks off of this concession.

Mages have no equivalent, and as other people have stated - the research for pet at 34 requires the pet at 29, and that requires the pet at 24. That's 3 combines that can fail.

While in a few months the pet spells were added, it's only one per spell level.

This is still the case on blue. I had friends searching for Words of Dimension for the pet spells they couldn't purchase at that level. Some people just want to have options.

Research is hard. People know it's hard. It gets better, but it's part of the game.

This is why ALS even on blue allowed vendor mining for research components.

Classic WoW is --> that way.