Mounts

[nauta]

Let me give some caveats, first:

1. I could be really wrong about this due to limited experience.
2. Please do not reveal code details, as discovering which mount is good at what IG is a fun and rewarding thing to do, IMHO.

That said:

It would seem that there are two mounts that are worth a hoot (maybe three) -- and by hoot I mean you can get from one end of the known to the other, zipping past monsters, without needing to rest.  

The other mounts -- while awesome for style -- put you in hard mode, either due to low stamina or slowness.

I'd like to see diversity in mounts, and 'hard mode' is pretty fun.  

So... my suggestion: can we make these amazing mounts (without naming them) really expensive (so as to make them rare)?  Or perhaps we might even consider nerfing them a bit?

ETA:

While on the topic, there are a few tricks that would be fun to implement (if these are implemented, then even more awesome -- I know the lore and mdescs suggest that at least two mounts are capable of this, but I don't think it is codedly implemented):

1. A mount type that blends in with the sands -- like certain tents, you would only be able to see it from one room away.
2. A mount type that can climb with you riding it.
3. A mount type that can sneak/hide in line with your sneak/hide skill.

[Riev]

There was a cheap mount available to the Legions in Tuluk, and it was the WORST. You could walk faster that it could run on normal roads.

I like the flavor, but really... there's only so much you can do. Either you're fast, but low stam... or high stamina but can't outrun a thing.

There's some middle ground but its generally worthless. I agree, some mount tweaking could be nice.

[nauta]

True.  Would be cool to have mounts do better in certain terrain -- e.g. beetles on sand, lizards in rocks, etc.

So if I had to tally things to make it clear.

1. Nerf the best mounts in the game (unnamed, but let's call them: Schmorses) so as to be a bit slower and a bit less stamina.
2. Special tricks (climb, hide).
3. Some mounts do better in some terrain than others.

[path]

Special tricks! This would be really fun. I really want a mount that climbs. Terrains make nice sense, also.

[evilcabbage]

beetles are the best in terms of endurance, sure.

they aren't the best in terms of speed. that's left to other animals.

[nauta]

[foobar] are the best in terms of endurance, sure.

they aren't the best in terms of speed. that's left to other animals.

I'd rather people discover which is best inside the game.

But to the point, in my view, there are a couple mounts that are fast enough to avoid most (if not all) NPCs from route A to B (where A and B are on almost opposite sides of the Known) with enough endurance to make the trip a little too easy.

[Delirium]

How about making other mounts worth a damn rather than nerfing the ones people choose out of necessity and practicality.

You weren't around for kanks, I don't think... kanks made beetles look like wussies.

[WarriorPoet]

Make a larger variety of mounts but scale initial price AND the rent-fees accordingly. Ragged old kank that eats little and barely moves? 40 sid to rent. Monstrous war-plated inix that can shoot a bow? 300 coins per stabling.

Who is gathering tons of fodder and feeding these things for months at a time for 20 coins a pop?!

[nauta]

How about making other mounts worth a damn rather than nerfing the ones people choose out of necessity and practicality.

You weren't around for kanks, I don't think... kanks made beetles look like wussies.

I suppose my reasoning for either 'nerfing' them or making them more expensive (and so rare) is this.  You can ride, in walk mode, from one city to the next, with a minimal rest in Luir's, and (almost?) no NPCs will reach you, unless you are unlucky, or go afk, in which case you can flee once, and continue on your way.  Other mounts require you to at least run (and potentially tire) from mobs.

Where they stand now, in terms of price and power, obviates the need to, say, hire an escort, since all you need to do is buy a 450 Schmorse.  It also rewards spam-walking, but that's its own issues.

Making it more expensive would also mean that having such mounts (if left un-nerfed) in your clan, say, would be a benefit of clan membership.  So the Byn and Kurac and Salarr can have a full stable of Schmorses, but joe grebber will just have to make due with a kank (or whatever).

[Delirium]

More expensive stabling fees I'm fine with. I don't know about "minimal rest" - especially on the trip between Allanak and Luir's, that's a rough go. There's also plenty of creatures you can't get away from or have difficulty getting away from in just walk mode. You gotta run, or you're going to be fighting them.

I get that everyone's trying to push everyone into clans these days, but again, you weren't around for the kank days of yore. Kanks you literally could go from Allanak to Tuluk in one go without stopping; the two most popular mounts now were considered the crappy substandard mounts. Our range is already far more limited.

Making it more tedious to travel is only going to do that, make it more tedious to travel. The mounts that get ignored, get ignored for very practical reasons.

Fix the absolute uselessness of those mounts (I can think of one that I consider "not useless" besides the two most popular ones, despite its more limited range/capacity) and you will see people using them. Until then, if you "nerf" the two most popular mounts, that will just make it absolutely irritating to get anything done within a reasonable timeframe that requires being able to travel from point a to point b within a playable amount of time.

[Hauwke]

I think nuata is saying in walk mode while mounted.

[Jihelu]

Make mekillot tamable.

[Kankman]

Make mekillot tamable.

They are. Go try!

[Hauwke]

Its fine, everyone just go club the every loving shit out of it with their HG fists.

And wait for it to wake up and spam: Mount Mekillot.

Also pray to the shit pants god.

[Lizzie]

I agree with Delirium.

Also there's no reason to be secretive about which mounts are faster/have more/less stamina, it's spelled out clearly in the help files. And - your characters show up in the game as adults, you can assume that during the last 14+ years of your character's virtual life, he or she has been exposed to a variety of mounts and has at least heard people mention which ones they prefer and why. It's nothing you should feel the need to "find out IC." your character should already have some general idea.

Kanks were the "gold standard" of mounts, because they could move almost as fast as an erdlu, and last longer than an inix or war beetle. What we have now, is "second best" followed by "mostly useless for anything involving a coded risk."

[path]

Make mekillot tamable.

They are. Go try!

Also salt worms and rocs. Have fun, kids!

[Bahliker]

omg roc

Spoiler alert, best mount in the game. Go get one. Allanak to tuluk in like fifteen seconds.

[gotdamnmiracle]

Tarantulas, dawg.

All joking aside,

It would be cool to have animals that "don't do well in captivity" and have to be bought from the guys who can tame them in the wild.  I'm totally fine with giving those mounts super stats, because at least there's some interaction there. Also plenty of creatures in game that would work for this already, I think.

[Riev]

I would be fine if there was just 'useful' variety. One is high enough in endurance to get from Storm to Morin's without stopping, if just barely. Another can get you from 'nak to Luirs in as much time as it takes to get to the Gaj, but might need to rest on the way. Then have inix as the middling "I can go fast, but not VERY fast, but I don't have to rest as often".


Where the trouble comes in, is with sunlons, and sunbacks. They're cheap, slower than it is to walk, but if you can afford the 300 coins for a Sunback, you can wait a day and afford the 500 for a VASTLY superior beetle.

Now. If sunlons/sunbacks had the ability to hide/sneak with decent success, that'd be the tradeoff.

It would be cool to have animals that "don't do well in captivity" and have to be bought from the guys who can tame them in the wild.  I'm totally fine with giving those mounts super stats, because at least there's some interaction there. Also plenty of creatures in game that would work for this already, I think.

I think it'd be great if you could -only- buy war beetles or erdlus, and in order to get an inix, or an ox, or even a sunback you'd have to find someone capable of taming them. So long as they'd be worth the effort.

[path]

So, a few of the common creatures we already have but with bonuses to certain abilities, revamped m & sdescs, released into the wild to be tamed at your own risk. I think it makes fun sense that the domesticated animals would lose their wilderskills.

And also a rebalance of current beasts. Tall order, really, but I like it.

Delirium: what would you think of a shmeetle nerf if other beasts with differing abilities were added to the outlands?





Pro tip. White ox is leet.

[Delirium]

Inix already have advantages that beetles don't. Beetles are a bit more enduring but not as useful in raw combat/speed.

I'm fine with things as they are for beetles/inix. I'd want to see the other mounts improved so they're actually worth a fart.

[Jihelu]

I want mounts that help you fight in ways that arent:
Charge mount into enemy
It'd be cool

[Feco]

I want mounts that help you fight in ways that arent:
Charge mount into enemy
It'd be cool

This would be a great way to make Erdlu usable, and I think would force people to think in a more situational way. 

[Riev]

mount sunback

use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;use tail;

[Jihelu]

I think it'd be cool if there was some inix like creature that was mega hard to tame, super aggressive, but thankfully super loyal to whoever tames it/raises it as a child (Maybe you can buy a pet item that ages over time idk) and is a general douche to anyone else.
Meaning it has a flag to only be mounted by one person, you, and stuff.
Maybe you'd have to give it a certain herb to even stable it because of how hostile it is, or not be able to at all and have to find other ways to stable it.

But the upside would be whenever you charge/trample you'd get the message (Your whatever lizard raises it claws and joins the fight!) or something.

Would be something master rangers could work on.