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Mounts could be much, much more


Lonami.2987

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Mounts are awesome, but it almost feels sad they aren't used for much more. We have the best mounts in the MMO market, and they're just for running and navigating some obstacles? That's a shame, they could be much more, they deserve to be much more.


Mount Races taken further

The first step is to make all races into adventures, so you can participate whenever you want.

Second, we need a new system where the adventure is disabled, and a new competitive mode is enabled, where players will be encouraged to complete the adventure under new temporary competitive conditions. This would be the real deal, where players compete against each other, and the top racers get significant rewards for performing better than the rest. Players would also have tricks and traps to use against each other, and completion of the race track would require multiple laps instead of just one.

Each competitive race event would be different, thanks to a number of randomized conditions. Few examples:

  • Number of laps you need to win.
  • Mount types you're allowed to use.
  • Types of tricks and traps that spawn in the track.
  • Path changes for each lap.

Finally, let guilds spend favor to spawn their own races with their own chosen conditions, and you have one of the best community content any MMO could possibly dream of. This competitive mode could be retroactively applied to non-racing adventures, too.


Additional race tracks

Once we have the above system up and running, the next thing we need is additional race tracks, and the best place for that is core Tyria, in the classic zones. These tracks can focus on having less obstacles and more tricks and traps. Capital cities should be top in the list of classic zones to get race tracks, since they're so empty and useless most of the time. Guild Rushes can be partially adapted into adventures and used as templates for some of these races too.

But more importantly, each of the new race tracks can get unique mechanics (Aside from the typical obstacles) to make them stand out from each other. Few examples:

  • Black Citadel: Located below the furnace, the molten iron fills sections of the race track, forcing you to either stop and wait, or risk trying to jump over it.
  • Divinity's Reach: The merchants move around with their supply carts, dodge them or you'll crash and dismount.
  • Hoelbrak: A snowstorm hits the race track every few seconds, impairing visibility, so you need to pay attention or you'll crash against a wall or fall off a cliff.
  • Rata Sum: The race track is filled with moving portals that any mount can use, and you need to aim and jump into them to continue the race.
  • The Grove: Located in the bay below the city, the race track is floating over the water, and sometimes the waves cover it, hiding the path. Be careful or you'll fall into the sea and dismount.

Just some ideas, I'm sure you can find many more by looking at party racing games.


Prestige Mount skins

I'm kinda sad we didn't get alternate mount skins by release, and I'm talking about prestige versions of the normal mounts, not gem store stuff. I think it's really important that we get mount skins ingame aside from the gem store, at least one per type. Few examples:

  • Raptor: Awakened Raptor, mummified, golden jewelry armor.
  • Springer: Elder Springer, with beard braids, dwarven armor.
  • Skimmer: Ghostly Skimmer, translucent, forgotten ornaments.
  • Jackal: Forged Jackal, made of metal and fire.
  • Griffon: Crystal Griffon, a cleansed branded griffon.

These mount skins should be rewards for playing the game, including participation and competition in races, scavenger hunts, collections, and more. They should take a long time to unlock, but not be too expensive. The point is to play the game to unlock them, not to go to a vendor and spend money. Ideally, you shouldn't be able to work forward all of them at the same time.


Racial Mounts

Now, this isn't happening any soon, but it could be good to have eventually. Racial mounts would be available at core Tyria, before level 80. This means new players who buy Path of Fire would be able to experience mounts before advancing the story and missing all the previous lore. They wouldn't have very strong mechanics, and they would focus on simple travel instead of specific tricks.

  • Asura: Wheel - can speed up, but becomes harder to maneuver.
  • Charr: Devourer - can teleport to nearby locations by burrowing.
  • Human: Moa - can double-jump using his wings (jump in the air a single time after leaving the ground).
  • Norn: Dolyak - doesn't get slowed down by hazards, and has more health than the other mounts.
  • Sylvari: Stag - can crush obstacles and knock back enemies in his path with his antlers.
  • Bonus - Heart of Thorns: Beetle - can glide, and use gliding options like updrafts and ley lines.

I hope at least the dolyak makes it, it's a pity new players are missing on mounts until they reach level 80.


That's it! I hope they keep expanding mounts, they have a lot of potential and it would be really sad to see them abandoned like gliding. They need to keep growing and they need to become a permanent feature of the game.

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  • 1 month later...

I feel like the Sylvari racial mount would be the Sylvan Hound.Also... okay, there are a LOT of human players out there, and while a Moa would be incentive not to play a human.... it... it's a Moa...Would a Norn even fit on a Dolyak?

I agree with most of these!! But the racial mounts would definitely need to be underpowered and not allow access to extra areas that can't be accessed on foot. It would be a terrible, terrible shame for players to be able to complete world completion for the first time without the puzzle solving that vistas bring.

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I really love all these ideas. I very much enjoy races in PoF at the moment and I definitely want more, especially with the zones and themes you've outlined.

The only problem is that this would only be available to PoF users and it seems like quite a large project - the way you've imagined it. I doubt Anet will be able to do this and not have all the non-PoF users screaming for blood.

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Hi, I am new to GW2. I I think I understand, that to get a mount you have you get to level 80, my confusion is, once you get to level 80 and you can access mounts, is it unlocked for any other character you have or will make in the future? not matter the level. Or do you have to get to 80 w/ each character. I appreciate any helpful information.

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@SENPAI VESPACHI.5417 said:Hi, I am new to GW2. I I think I understand, that to get a mount you have you get to level 80, my confusion is, once you get to level 80 and you can access mounts, is it unlocked for any other character you have or will make in the future? not matter the level. Or do you have to get to 80 w/ each character. I appreciate any helpful information.

To get a mount you need the path of fire expansion. You dont need to be level 80 to get mounts but path of fire is designed for level 80's so it makes it alot easier if you are.To unlock mounts you need to press H, go to the story journal tab, choose path of fire and then begin this story. If you play through the first 2 instances you will be given a raptor mount.

This mount will be unlocked from then on for all your characters on your account, whatever level they are. The other mounts are bought from heart NPCS in the path of fire maps. Once you have bought them on 1 character, they are unlocked for everyone on your account.

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I wouldn't have an issue with buying mounts being sold if were 'rare' once in a blue moon skins. Currently every mount has been locked behind the same ridiculous cost, and In terms we can't get these mounts unless we either gold farm or spend $20 and above.

I strongly agree about the content part. What ever happened to playing a game for its content, and being rewarding for you know.. playing the game. Why can't some mount skins be linked to low percentage drops of raid bosses, or new world bosses/elites? I'm actually shocked that nobody has brought this up, surely it would be more rewarding to receive a 2% drop chance mount skin, than buying a mount skin that anyone else can simply buy??

Just to summarize: I wouldn't have a problem if we were given the choice between earning mount skins through past/future content, and/or simply buying them.Because as it stands, we are locked behind a gem wall in order to get any kind of mount skin. This isn't the case for armor/weapon skins, so why should mount skins be treated any differently? I seriously question anet's motives, as it seem's like if you aren't willing to feed them money, or grind 500g in time for the mounts expiry, you won't be getting any mount skin progression.

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@Ronek.7408 said:...as it stands, we are locked behind a gem wall in order to get any kind of mount skin. This isn't the case for armor/weapon skins, so why should mount skins be treated any differently? I seriously question anet's motives, as it seem's like if you aren't willing to feed them money, or grind 500g in time for the mounts expiry, you won't be getting any mount skin progression.

Firstly, anet needs money to pay for the game on a basic level, aesthetics are a huge portion, if not the majority of anet's income. You're right in that it's not the case for all armor/weapon skins - i say all because... >outfits >gemstore weapon skins definitely exist. Why should mount skins be treated any differently...? I wouldn't compare them to armor/weapons. Compare them to gliders- HoT's movement mechanic. ALL glider skins are gemstore only (except for basic, ofc, and some older players may have been able to get white/black feathered wings another way but it is certainly gemstore only now) so why should mount skins be treated differently to gliders?

You don't need aesthetics (mount skins) to progress in the game), so tbh i'm happy to pay for them.

-

I agree with mount races for the most part, though the hoelbrak proposed additional race feels too punishing to fail - something like falling off a cliff is likely gonna be an instant out of the race.

I disagree however with the notion they should be made into adventures - 99% of the time i've done adventures, i've done them alone, the only time i've done adventures with others was if that was a daily. Few people participate in races as they are, I feel this would make that even less (collections & achieves are probably the biggest incentive to do the races, if i can do them instantly then i will and i won't care about competing with others anymore). If only one person participates most of the time, what's the point? Might as well make them into a time gated achievement much like the HoT race-like adventures that already exist (e.g. the one in the egg chamber in tarir). Unless that IS what you're suggesting and i'm just dumb, and if it is, then i support it.

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@Lexi.1398 said:

@Ronek.7408 said:...as it stands, we are locked behind a gem wall in order to get any kind of mount skin. This isn't the case for armor/weapon skins, so why should mount skins be treated any differently? I seriously question anet's motives, as it seem's like if you aren't willing to feed them money, or grind 500g in time for the mounts expiry, you won't be getting any mount skin progression.

Firstly, anet needs money to pay for the game on a basic level, aesthetics are a huge portion, if not the majority of anet's income. You're right in that it's not the case for all armor/weapon skins - i say all because... >outfits >gemstore weapon skins definitely exist. Why should mount skins be treated any differently...? I wouldn't compare them to armor/weapons. Compare them to gliders- HoT's movement mechanic. ALL glider skins are gemstore only (except for basic, ofc, and some older players may have been able to get white/black feathered wings another way but it is certainly gemstore only now) so why should mount skins be treated differently to gliders?

You don't need aesthetics (mount skins) to progress in the game), so tbh i'm happy to pay for them.

-

I agree with mount races for the most part, though the hoelbrak proposed additional race feels too punishing to fail - something like falling off a cliff is likely gonna be an instant out of the race.

I disagree however with the notion they should be made into adventures - 99% of the time i've done adventures, i've done them alone, the only time i've done adventures with others was if that was a daily. Few people participate in races as they are, I feel this would make that even less (collections & achieves are probably the biggest incentive to do the races, if i can do them instantly then i will and i won't care about competing with others anymore). If only one person participates most of the time, what's the point? Might as well make them into a time gated achievement much like the HoT race-like adventures that already exist (e.g. the one in the egg chamber in tarir). Unless that IS what you're suggesting and i'm just kitten, and if it is, then i support it.

I agree with what you are saying to an extent. I for one have supported the game since beta, with regular purchases from the gem store. Why not considering that the game is free right? Well I wouldn't compare them to just gliders, everything is fashion wars at the end of the day, but why should people not be allowed a flashy mount because they refuse to spend 2000 gems? (even a flashy glider)

My point is, buying things from the gem store isn't wrong.. it never has been. What's wrong is that mount skins are locked behind a gem wall. We as players have always had two options; 1. To buy skins, or 2. To access skins through content (dungeons, crafting, rare drops etc). Right now this isn't being offered with mounts, which will be used a hell of a lot more than gliders. I think it's wrong to basically lock something solely behind a pay to fashion wall, when they could easily add a few mounts into future/past content. At least if they added mount skins to world/raid bosses, the content would be worth repeating over and over. (It works, ask the people who farm WoW raids 400+ times in hope for a rare skin)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Updated list of ideas

  • Asura - Wheel: Can speed up, but becomes harder to maneuver.
  • Charr - Devourer: Can teleport to nearby locations by burrowing.
  • Human - Moa: Can double-jump using his wings (jump in the air a single time after leaving the ground).
  • Norn - Dolyak: Doesn't get slowed down by hazards, and has more health than the other mounts. Can travel through quicksand, but not jump while inside of it.
  • Sylvari - Stag: Can crush obstacles and knock back enemies in his path with his antlers.
  • Heart of Thorns - Beetle: Can glide, and use gliding options like updrafts and ley lines.
  • Living World Season 4 - Saltwater Crocodile: Amphibian, can dive in quickly and get fast underwater.

Other ideas:

  • Goat: Halfway between the raptor and the springer, useful to travel quickly across difficult terrain.
  • Horse: Can gallop, and change direction 180º easily even at top speed.
  • Squid: Amphibian, can become invisible, can glow in the dark. Based on GW1 kraken.
  • Wyvern: Slower than the griffon, but can use its wings to fly in place to get some height, so you don't need to climb somewhere high to fly effectively.
  • Lynx: Let's you see in the darkness, and bounce against walls while in mid-air.

I don't think these or any other mounts will be happening any soon, but the dolyak should be included for core players urgently. You can't sell an MMO for its mounts, and then have them locked for level 80 and PoF owners only. That's a big disappointment for F2P players.

The beetle would also be nice to have, as an unlockable reward for owners of both Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire.

Also, as for mount skins, there should be an awakened set, earned ingame, one for each mount type, earned separately and with a collection for the 5.

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I doubt we’ll get any more mounts.

A Mario Kart adventure with mounts may be okay if it’s instanced. I don’t think using open maps would be okay for it and having the open map version as an adventure defeats the purpose of the races.

Racial mounts, if only accessible if playing the race, are bad as it force players to play a specific race.

Don’t disagree about earnable skins.

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I would like to see a huge cross-country race with lots of obstacles, and a finish line, but no checkpoints, so people could get through it with any method they liked. (Obviously, the finish line would have to be far from waypoints, or using a waypoint would have to disqualify you if that's possible to code.) There could be narrow tunnels and bridges where being on foot would be best, updrafts and mushrooms in places, other places where mounts could give you an edge, etc.

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@Lonami.2987 said:Mount Races taken further

The first step is to make all races into adventures, so you can participate whenever you want.No thanks; I like that I can race against my friends in real time. I don't care for leaderboard-style competition in PvE.

Second, we need a new system where the adventure is disabled, and a new competitive mode is enabled, where players will be encouraged to complete the adventure under new temporary competitive conditions.We really don't need this.That sounds an awful lot like activities, e.g. Keg Brawl, which have turned out not to be very popular.

Finally, let guilds spend favor to spawn their own racesIf they were adding more guild content, this is a fine idea. Although not my top choice.

Once we have the above system up and running, the next thing we need is additional race tracks, and the best place for that is core Tyria, in the classic zones.I'm not against more race tracks, I'm just not convinced that all that many more people would participate. It sounds like a lot of extra work without much benefit to the majority of players, not even indirectly.

I'm kinda sad we didn't get alternate mount skins by release, and I'm talking about prestige versions of the normal mounts,Skins are an entirely different matter and worthy of their own thread. And hey, there already are several such threads.(I do think the game ought to include at least one premium mount skin available from grind-content and at least one available via skill-based content, but again, that's a topic for its own thread.)

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  • 2 weeks later...

@Kingkiller.9645 said:I feel like the Sylvari racial mount would be the Sylvan Hound.Also... okay, there are a LOT of human players out there, and while a Moa would be incentive not to play a human.... it... it's a Moa...Would a Norn even fit on a Dolyak?

I agree with most of these!! But the racial mounts would definitely need to be underpowered and not allow access to extra areas that can't be accessed on foot. It would be a terrible, terrible shame for players to be able to complete world completion for the first time without the puzzle solving that vistas bring.

The sylvari hound could be a racial skin for the jackal.

@Demented Yak.6105 said:I really love all these ideas. I very much enjoy races in PoF at the moment and I definitely want more, especially with the zones and themes you've outlined.

The only problem is that this would only be available to PoF users and it seems like quite a large project - the way you've imagined it. I doubt Anet will be able to do this and not have all the non-PoF users screaming for blood.

They could add some mounts with the other expansions, too, and maybe even some for F2P players as well, with or without the masteries available.

@"Cragga the Eighty Third.6015" said:I would like to see a huge cross-country race with lots of obstacles, and a finish line, but no checkpoints, so people could get through it with any method they liked. (Obviously, the finish line would have to be far from waypoints, or using a waypoint would have to disqualify you if that's possible to code.) There could be narrow tunnels and bridges where being on foot would be best, updrafts and mushrooms in places, other places where mounts could give you an edge, etc.

So, races with multiple paths, and various obstacles, so it's not just a glorified straight line.

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