My opinion and hopes for the flying system as a AH fan.

acerbuslupus

To the Intrepid Team,

I wanted to share some feedback on the current design for flying mounts. I appreciate that flight is intended to be a prestige mechanic tied to node leadership and rare rewards, but from a systems perspective, there are ways to achieve both the “prestige” goal and fair, interactive gameplay without restricting flight to political roles.

Here are some recommendations for consideration:

1. Cargo Restrictions
   • Flying mounts should be unable to carry crates, trade packs, or interact with caravans.
   • This maintains economic and logistical balance while still allowing flight for scouting and travel.
2. PvP Flagging with Rolling Flight Window
   • Accumulate 60 seconds of flight over a rolling 5-minute window → triggers PvP flag.
   • PvP flag persists 60 seconds after landing.
   • Prevents hop-abuse (landing briefly to reset) while ensuring long flights carry real risk.
   • Flagged players are fully targetable, with guards hostile and no safe-zone immunity.
3. Moderate Speed & No Dash
   • Flying mounts (~215% speed) are only modestly faster than ground mounts.
   • Removing a dash or burst ability ensures flight provides mobility, not invincibility.
   • Players must commit to flight as a choice, with risk, rather than using it as a disengage tool.
4. Death Cooldown
   • Flying mounts incur a 10-minute cooldown on death.
   • Adds a meaningful consequence for mistakes without punishing normal ground-based gameplay.
5. Combat Mechanics & Corruption
   • Attacking a flagged player or creature flags the attacker as usual.
   • Flying should not accrue corruption, preventing punitive mechanics from discouraging strategic flight and PvP interaction.
6. Mayoral Mount Exception
   • Node-leadership mounts can bypass the PvP flag system, preserving political prestige without breaking balance for regular players.

Rationale:
This system preserves the prestige of flying mounts, maintains the risk/reward dynamic of PvP and mount survival, and avoids trivializing caravans, roads, or node interaction. Flight remains a tool for mobility and scouting, but every flight is a tactical choice with real consequences.

This framework aligns with Ashes’ philosophy of player-driven risk and engagement while addressing community concerns about exclusivity and exploit potential.

Thank you for considering this feedback — I hope it’s helpful as you refine flight mechanics.

Best regards,
AcerbusLupus

acerbuslupus

Follow-Up: Player Agency and Flying Mounts

I wanted to add a follow-up thought regarding flying mounts, especially in relation to Animal Husbandry. This isn’t about personal preference — it’s about player agency and the expectations the game creates.

Right now:

• Flying mount recipes exist (e.g., gryphons).
• These mounts are effectively unobtainable through hunting or other normal means.
• Flight mechanics are heavily restricted (PvP flags, no cargo, political exceptions).

The problem is that players see a recipe and plan around it, only to discover that the choice the game presented isn’t actually available. That creates frustration and undermines trust in the system. It’s not “I don’t like this” — it’s a systems problem: the game signals agency that doesn’t exist.

Constructive Proposal:

• Allow the mounts to be obtainable through normal gameplay (hunting, bosses, etc.) while keeping the risk/reward flight mechanics intact:
  • No cargo
  • Rolling PvP flag for sustained flight
  • Moderate speed, no dash
  • 10-minute death cooldown on mount death
  • Attacking flags you but avoids corruption
  • Mayoral mounts exempt

This approach would:

• Restore player agency — players can act on the choices the UI signals.
• Keep flight prestige-based, risky, and interactive.
• Preserve Animal Husbandry as a core progression and fantasy loop, which is what drew many of us to Ashes in the first place.

TL;DR: If a mount has a recipe, players should be able to pursue it. Flight and breeding systems can be both balanced and fulfilling — we just need the mechanics to let the player engage meaningfully with them.