Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Female vs Male Mount riding pose/positioning animation
Frosty Coffee
Member, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
Now while I haven't really dived deep into this (research wise) but immersion wise; will we as the player be able to see different Male vs Female character poses for each mount or will it be generically be all the same or similar? I have seen different games do this differently and was wondering what Intrepid's take on this would be?
However, this could also be a discussion as to what others think of different poses for immersion could be. Such as while in combat or riding into a war situation. The situation could be more heated so the player could have a more aggressive pose while riding a mount animation wise. Please share your thoughts.
Female Example:
Male Example:
However, this could also be a discussion as to what others think of different poses for immersion could be. Such as while in combat or riding into a war situation. The situation could be more heated so the player could have a more aggressive pose while riding a mount animation wise. Please share your thoughts.
Female Example:
Male Example:
0
Comments
I don't have a strong opinion on this. I don't see an issue with allowing players to ride their mounts side-saddle.
Its not as simple as having a 'sit side saddle' toggle. New models, designs and animations would need to be created to allow this.
I live in a ranching area (high desert rural Arizona) and there aren't any side saddles. Perhaps they still use them in England for pleasure riding, but I doubt they would in a working scenario.
This is exactly my thought as well.
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.
I'm not sure if there will be a proper solution for characters with skirts to avoid clipping. We'll have to wait and see.
This! There's no way you could stay on the saddle at a gallop if you were side-saddle.
When in doubt: magic!
I'm interested to see how they solve this too.
Especially that Victorian dress in the recent cosmetics pack - how do you put a crinoline on horseback?
Maybe the fabric magically multiplies and the character just pokes out of a cushion of material?
Maybe the character just stands on the saddle like a circus act. Maybe on one leg. Add a pirouette. Some juggling balls.
Edit: Copy these guys! Hide the legs
[]s
And, what about when that character enters the water? That dress is going to floof up something shocking!
There is nothing sexy about not understanding how to correctly and safely ride a mount. To me it doesn't come off as modest, but more an unwillingness to learn correct riding. Which is not an attractive feature.
Also I have all of alpha and beta to argue anything and everything.
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.
Rather than as a toggle, since they do plan to implement different kinds of saddles, it would be cool if side saddles were part of those options. Not every kind of saddle needs a side option, but I'm sure there's room in the world for it. Once it is available, the player economy can decide whether it becomes widespread or just an option for heavy roleplayers who don't want to see their skirts clipping.
Would you be happy, from an RP perspective, for the side-saddle pose to only allow a slow trot, since you'd just fall off a horse if trying to side-saddle at a gallop?
Sorry, but that is just perpetuating a silly stereotype. Here's an example of a rider not only galloping, but jumping in sidesaddle:
This is my personal feedback, shared to help the game thrive in its niche.
But none of that matters anyway, it's splitting hairs at best. It's a viable form of riding. Who cares if I can't joust in sidesaddle? Nobody asked for that.
She's not unsteady, that's just normal riding form.
From a little online research, riding side saddle fell out of practice 1900-1950. The Queen of England rode side saddle for ceremonies principally because her formal clothing is a dress. She is an accomplished horse rider and still rides in her 90s (try telling her not to!), normally astride a horse. Other than that side saddle only gets used for period dramas or historical re-enactment. I love that you thought we might still be using it in England. Classic! Props to Downton Abbey for that one!
There are many reasons for that, not the least of which are cars and bicycles replacing animals as the most popular way to get somewhere, the fact that horses required more room/money than regular working and middle class were willing to spend, and the popularisation of trousers for women. The invention of pants (as in underpants) also played a role, because if you're clothed in 5 skirts but not wearing pants and do the splits, you'll still have your bare bottom on the saddle.
I do get the impression that it's less practical though.
For mounted combat, maybe. I don't see why it would be less comfortable/practical than other forms in general use though, especially since the invention of the more specialized sidesaddles.
Granted, these are all newer designs from the 1830s, but sidesaddles have been a thing since the 14th century, sidesaddle riding since even earlier, and had it been a priority, I'm sure "saddles that allow people in skirts, dresses and robes to ride comfortable" would've been invented far sooner. The usual solution would've been a carriage, which is far from independent.
As mentioned above, the sidesaddle as we know it wasn't invented until the first half of the 1800s, and was really only done prior to that by royalty and women who needed to "prove their virginity". However it was still acceptable at this time for a woman to ride as a "passenger" on the back of a horse behind a man, straddling it. There's really no recorded use of a sidesaddle prior to the end of 14th century, which is pushing Renaissance Era rather than Middle Ages. These truly were "sideways facing" saddles, basically a stool with a C shaped back rest, so you could sit with both legs on one side of the horse.
Interestingly enough, this method was impossible to control your own horse until 200 years later in the 16th century when they added the pommel to hook a leg over, allowing side saddlers to control their own horse. It would have been fairly impossible until the Tudor Era for a side saddler to even be by themselves on a horse.
They also weren't as safe as you'd think, as the need to rely on stirrups was increased for balance, and that increased the chance of being dragged by your foot being caught in a stirrup if you fell.
So for a full "immersion" aspect of it, you'd need a groom to lead your mount around for you as you sat sidesaddle, unless Intrepid wanted to anachronize a modern saddle into their game.
It's not even a question of the saddle itself, just being allowed to put your leg to the side. I brought up sidesaddle saddles specifically because saddles ARE an item, and I'd find it neater to have riding animations tied to the saddle than having a toggle button pop up while on a horse. That stuff always looks like rough and unfinished design to me.
In general though, with how wild and diverse the mounts are, I find it a bit silly when people are unquestionably opposed to allowing people to ride a little fancier by putting a leg to the side. It's really not that outlandish to sit sidesaddle while riding my really cool fantasy mount.
However, if you really want to show off your awesomesauce pixel sidesaddle skills, maybe the aoc team could make a skin that does exactly that. Know that if I'd see you hobble by on my server, I'm willing to get corrupted over that.