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.
Flying Mounts - Are they relevant - Is it worth to fight to achieve one -
BKPopica
Member
Hey hey everyone o/ I am opening this thread as I've only seen a few talking about this (there might be more but I might need to search differently) but so far I feel quite skeptical in regards to the flying mounts. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong as I most likely will be saying things that are most likely wrong as I haven't played the game yet.
I currently have concerns regarding the flying mounts. My understanding so far is that every flying mount can be obtained temporarily, by the mayor, the guild leader holding a castle, or by getting a rare drop that will be giving a temporary mount.
While I'm usually a fan of unique items to which few players have access, giving a temporary flying mount feels like quite a bad design from my perspective. Since someone would be working hard to be getting something like a mount, even if it would act as vanity the player should be keeping that.
I feel like it would be better if getting such a reward would be limited to a few players but having them keep it, and instead of giving it to mayors, guild leaders, and drop, to be an event or competition that would reward the players with the flying mount. Something like a "hero" title. Maybe even use the Node type to award it (to the strongest fighter, highest bidder/ or richest player, most voted player, etc).
When getting something like a mount a player would get attached to that, and get it, knowing that you will just lose it, it will lower its value, instead of raising its value, by making it very rare.
If this would not be okay then I feel like simply removing it completely and maybe using the system for something else in the future would be a much better option.
This would be just my opinion, however, looking forward to seeing what you guys think as well, and would really love it if alfa testers would give some input on this one too! Love you all!!!
I currently have concerns regarding the flying mounts. My understanding so far is that every flying mount can be obtained temporarily, by the mayor, the guild leader holding a castle, or by getting a rare drop that will be giving a temporary mount.
While I'm usually a fan of unique items to which few players have access, giving a temporary flying mount feels like quite a bad design from my perspective. Since someone would be working hard to be getting something like a mount, even if it would act as vanity the player should be keeping that.
I feel like it would be better if getting such a reward would be limited to a few players but having them keep it, and instead of giving it to mayors, guild leaders, and drop, to be an event or competition that would reward the players with the flying mount. Something like a "hero" title. Maybe even use the Node type to award it (to the strongest fighter, highest bidder/ or richest player, most voted player, etc).
When getting something like a mount a player would get attached to that, and get it, knowing that you will just lose it, it will lower its value, instead of raising its value, by making it very rare.
If this would not be okay then I feel like simply removing it completely and maybe using the system for something else in the future would be a much better option.
This would be just my opinion, however, looking forward to seeing what you guys think as well, and would really love it if alfa testers would give some input on this one too! Love you all!!!
1
Comments
Flying mounts would require air combat pvp.
I completely agree, and I do see how flying mounts would be mostly vanity. But there are a lot of hardcore players (not me) that want collectibles and would like to have this type of vanity if available. When you gain something, that you know you will lose in the near future you won't value it as much as you would if you would keep it and had to take care of it maybe.
I don't want flying mounts to be permanent because 1) it means the 1/1,000 proportion will slowly rise, and 2) flying mounts eliminate the vertical scale of the environment.
Just my 2 cents though.
That's really a nice point of view. You could see this as a temporary flying buff for a certain period of time, even though I'm not entirely sure how it currently works 100% so this is why I'm looking forward to someone to shed some light on this one
But still, it's a flying mount, to which most players won't even have access most likely. How does it impact the game? What is its value exactly? If it's completely removed will it make any changes to the game itself? What is the logic behind the drop (You get an egg, you raise it into a flying mount, and after a certain time the mount is like " Yeah, nah bro, time to be free). At this point, it simply feels like it's lacking something idk. A temporary flying buff for 10-15 people in the whole server, and those people will constantly change.
It will barely have an impact. Just a prestige item to have with a little bit of convenience added on top.
Which is a very good thing, flying mounts are a cancer that shouldnt be prevalent in the game. Making them an ultra rare prestige item is fair with me.
Don't worry about them.
They are not PvP players.
They just want to reach fast and safely dungeons and raids.
Maybe years after release, new gameplay mechanics will be added.
The logic is to tempt players to become politicians. Mayors.
Do you like politicians in real life?
I can see that being an incentive for mayors and guild leaders, indeed, it's just that the part of losing that is what doesn't sit well with me. Though seeing it just as a temporary flying buff instead of an actual mount would be more accurate with what it would be.
It might also be a way to inspect the battle field during sieges. Maybe even to cause some damage.
It is not meant to be used to gain much advantage over other players.
I'm not trying to be rude...but this sounds like you are saying: "If I can't have a flying mount, then no one can"
The designers have stated before that this game won't be for everyone, and if you really like flying and specifically collecting flying mounts...maybe this game won't be for you? *shrug*
I'll probably waste a lot of time trying to get a flying mount from a boss drop, reminds me of the days I spent to get the Time-Lost Proto-Drake.
However - since Intrepid has claimed time and again through their continued development of the Corruption system that PvP on land is essentially a bad idea overall (you take a risk on getting corrupted whenever you attack someone, and no one can voluntarily flag for PvP) I really don't see flying mounts getting in the way of "healthy amounts of OWPvP" since they seem to be saying through the corruption system that OWPvP is not healthy (unless you're on a ship for some reason). With that in mind, we've got a flimsy argument of flying mounts "making the world feel smaller" which never feels justified in any MMO, a fairly invalid argument that they'll reduce OWPvP, and a valid argument of flying mounts making the transportation of goods too simple. Here's my proposed solution:
1. Make flying mounts still very hard to get. Not as difficult as only having half a dozen on a server, but very difficult. You have to really want it to get one.
2. Next, I think it's a fair argument that any flying creature needs to be fairly light-weight and delicate compared to an average land creature of similar size, especially any flying creature small enough for an average humanoid to ride on. With this in mind, I find it only realistic that one of these creatures would not be able to bear the burden of a sizeable quantity of goods. Less so than a land mount, for certain. Make it so that players cannot efficiently use flying mounts to transport goods to other places. They are used almost exclusively for leisure and personal transportation.
3. Finally, I think something that could limit the number of flying mounts while still making them accessible to "all" players regardless of their political status would be to require the mount to have a dedicated "roost" of sorts. Kind of like how the taxi-mounts in WoW all hang out on a perch or a nest of straw:
Griffons have a nest of sorts, wyverns have roosts, bats have perches to hang from, etc. This would require freehold owners to sacrifice a building spot on their homestead or renters in the city to rent space in a special building purchased and upgraded by the city to house their flying companion. I say companion, singular, because this would also limit players to only owning one flying mount at a time.
I don't see a problem with 25% or so of max level players having flying mounts as long as they don't noticeably affect the artisan systems. It's a fun, unique experience exclusive to fantasy and I see no reason to gatekeep that experience to less than a hundred players out of several thousands on a server for no realistic reason other than "No, this is for gigachads only, sorry."
I really like this point of view /o/ The mounts in GW2 are one of my favorites as well, and I really like them, but yeah, mainly I don't mind so much limiting this to fewer players, the only thing I don't like is the fact that it's limited, but yeah if it would be like the flying mounts that would be taking you from point A to point B without the player having control over it would make so much more sense (I think it was something like that in Tera too with the Griffin).
Guess we're gonna see how it will be in the game and hope for the best /o/
Thankfully this is one of the systems they can easily change at a later point if the playerbase demands it.
Hopefully, flying mounts will stay next to non-existent for a LONG time.
I want a parrot!
Especially when I am sailing on the deep sea.
Easily not, but I think the game will change 5 years after release.
Maybe if they add flying MOBs, and traversing the map will also be dangerous with a flying mount, then players will just have to fight in a different way, with different combat mount skills.
I would not demand such features in the released game but if the developers change their mind and add them, I'll not complain. Only the release date will be pushed further away a few years.
If you're sieging a metropolis, their mayor can fly safely over the battlefield, and give orders, sight sneak attacks, and bring back reconnaissance. These mounts might be prestige, but that's a small secondary benefit. They are a powerful tactical tool which allows you to put your commander in the absolute ideal position on the battlefield.
People are thinking in terms of "the prestige being less because it goes away". That's not what it is. Earning a flying mount from high-level raid content is a way of gaining a tactical advantage to equal your opponent's and give you another powerful tool to siege the metropolis or take the castle you've had your eye on. It absolutely makes sense for that buff (like a siege scroll) to be a temporary thing. It's preparation and buildup for a server-level event, not some personal "look how cool I am" for top-end raiders.
I am not sure about that but i thought the dragons are meant to breath fire.
Even without it. Owning 1 out of 10 Flying constant flying mounts is a prestige.
Sure you lose it if you loose your caste / t6 major-ship.
But that's just one more reason to fight hard to keep it.
The same goes for Temp once.
You either beat a really hard boss and got the egg.
Or you bought it (if it can be traded) by sheer economic weight.
Again its prestige. The reason why guild bother to own a castle in the first place.
Prestige and fame.
Nothing stops you from killing the boss again and again to get another flying mount egg.
As for Having many flying mounts.
Thats a terrible idea.
Ocean commerce would die off as guilds would abuse the flying mounts to drop right on ships en mass and kill of the ship owners fast.
Same with caravans.
Its one thing to have 1 player with a flying mount capable of dropping right into the mage line.
Its another for an entire guild to do it.
PvP would turn chaotic where the only strategy involves having your tanks and other melees drop right on top of the mages and clerics making life for these classes terrible.
The world would also turn smaller.
Everyone would be able to reach every world boss in time safe, rather then having to travel around the map.
People are already complaining that the map is to small, flying mounts would make it tiny.
As for having no Flying mounts.
Thats killing of one reason why people fight for major-ship and castles for no reason.
They don't influence PvP aside from singular people being able to hot drop into the back line.
But they add a ton of incentive to fight for t5 major-ship and castle ownership.
Ashes put already a ton of work into flying mounts. So i don't think they will be removed.
However the idea of having titles with flying mounts is pretty good.
If the title are unique and highly limited in number.
In total the amount of active flying mounts should never exceed 20 - 25.
so maybe 5 unique titles that get a flying mount as long as they Hold the title.
example:
-highest rank in the pvp arena.(across all modes)
-highest amount of player kills.
-highest amount of gold owned
-highest amount of faith (if faith is a like a currency one can gather through doing specific action.)
(again total across all gods.)
-highest rank Crafter / processor / gatherer. (a point system where everything you gather, process and craft generates points for your ranking.
The highest total rank gets the title and flying mount)
These would be again prestige Mounts to show you are the best of a category.
If each of these title mounts are unique
can you fly during sieges?
I would think they deactivate flying but i can see your point if they do work.
Having the ability as a raid lead to watch everything from the sky is game changing.
Any good commander would give and arm and a leg to own one.
I wonder if guild leaders and majors can give the Flying mount temporary to someone else under their command.
After all being a guild leader doesnt make you the raid leader.
Same with the major.
Edit just checked:
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Mounts#Flying_mounts_.28Royal_mounts.29
"The guild leader of a castle can grant the use of flying undermounts (such as wyrmlings) to guild officers during a castle siege"
So not only can one fly during castle sieges (not sure about city sieges)
But 3 officers get to fly as well if:
"These may only be granted if the castle nodes are successfully established prior to the siege.[55]
Node A grants 1 undermount, Node B grants 2 undermounts, and Node C grants 2 undermounts.[56]
This system is subject to change during testing.[56]"
I would call them both prestige and C&C mounts.
Both are not mutually exclusive and i think Intrepid is doing fine with the way they plan implement them.