Life without Mounts

[Game of Bones.8975]

Could you go back to playing without your favorite mount? For fun I just went back to read some of the posts from people who said that mounts would ruin gaming as we know it.

I know the current maps and story content is based around the Raptor, Skimmer, Springer and Jackal with the optional mounts in there for fun. There are few Waypoints on new maps so getting around quickly requires a mount.

Have they become so ingrained in our game-play we would be lost without them?

[Turkeyspit.3965]

I started playing shortly after POF, and while many advised me to use a LV80 boost to get a raptor, I opted instead to run my Ranger on foot from 1-80, and after defeating Zhaitan, only then did I skip to POF to get the raptor and springer, then went and started HoT.

I'm glad I did that at least once, but frankly, this game is much more enjoyable with mounts. The main reason why the first toon I leveled to 80 was a Ranger, and not my Guardian (which is now my main) is because the Ranger has a 25% movement speed signet I could equip.

Been there done that. Once you've seen the content on foot, why not just expedite the process for future run throughs.

Your second question is interesting. Would we be lost without them? The very first thing I remember thinking when I started WvW was "man, we have to walk everywhere???". Of course now with the Warclaw, that isn't the case, but I think we get used to the QoL improvements give, so trying to live without them can be challenging.

Think of it this way: how many times have you caught yourself trying to mount up in a Core/HoT story mission, or then forgotten to do the same in PoF missions.

[Sarge shot Grif.6450]

Hell no. They implemented the mounts almost too well to the point that they're basically essential for me.

[Ashen.2907]

Not lost without them. Still dont think they add much other than a source of revenue.

[VDAC.2137]

No, it’s really no problem to do core Tyria and HoT on foot, but mounts make it much more fun! :) PoF would become a dreadful slog, not only because of the few WPs but all the aggro, it would take forever to get anywhere on foot alone.

[Hashberry.4510]

Mounts are OK. Made a lot of jerks into bigger jerks though. And wish Anet would channel their talents elsewhere.

[Maria Murtor.7253]

Well, I did recently. I played my latest character to Level 80 without Tomes, Mounts and Gliding and enjoyed it very much.

[RoseofGilead.8907]

I do enjoy the mounts, but I still don't think GW2 needed to add mounts. My two alt accounts are core-only, so I frequently play without the mounts. Obviously, getting through PoF and the Living World 4 maps would be very difficult if not nearly impossible without mounts, but that's just because they were made to use mounts.

[Westenev.5289]

Personally, I could never go back to not using mounts. Doing so would be like lopping off my legs before a compeditive footrace.

That said, sometimes it is more fun to travel on foot. It adds suspense.

[Danikat.8537]

Outside of the new maps which are designed to require mounts I'm pretty confident in saying I could go back to playing without them. In fact I do already - if I'm playing on my second account (which only has the core game) I have no access to mounts and I tend to not use them much when I'm playing in core maps.

Partially it's because I'm one of the people who didn't think GW2 needed mounts and I still don't think they're needed for core maps so I'm perfectly happy playing there without them, and partially it's because I know there's some 'bad' habits which are really easy to slip into if you get too used to relying on mounts and I want to avoid that. For example if I'm trying to get to a vista which isn't actually a jumping puzzle but does require some jumping and figuring out the route to reach - I know I could just hop on my springer and get there in one jump (or maybe 2), but I also know sooner or later I'll find myself in places where I can't use the springer and I'll have to figure out an alternative so I want to keep in practice. Also there's a sense of satisfaction I get from figuring out the path which doesn't happen when I just bypass it with mounts or gliding.

I do use mounts sometimes in core maps, but that's more because I think they're fun and I enjoy using them than because I feel like I can't do it without them.

[Tarlonniel.6534]

Nope. In fact, if mounts weren't around, I probably wouldn't be playing the game anymore.

[Teratus.2859]

I did for a while.

I bought a friend the expansions a while ago and he streamed his first time run through LWS2 onwardsI decided to join him in his adventures each week as he did that, helping him out and getting up to random shenanigans just having fun etc :)

He went through the story normally and didn't rush ahead to PoF to get the mounts so during the time we were playing together pre PoF I went back to only using the mastery's available in the content we were playing.I would occasionally pop on the Raptor while off screen to catch up with him if I fell behind but aside from that I went out of my way to avoid using them, partly because I didn't want to rub it in that I had them and he didn't and partly because it made the playthough more fun for both of us.

[Dami.5046]

Kinda moot don't you think? We have them, they aren't going anywhere and you don't have to use them or even do the collections! wow.

[Chingalling.1208]

There is definitely a lot that is lost when you fly by on a mount. Sometimes I choose to walk instead just for the experience, especially when i'm leveling an alt. But I personally really like mounts, for the aesthetics and flavor mostly but also for the mechanics. It of course cannot be avoided that it incentivises a different playstyle though.

[Burnfall.9573]

@Westenev.5289 said:Personally, I could never go back to not using mounts. Doing so would be like lopping off my legs before a compeditive footrace.

That said, sometimes it is more fun to travel on foot. It adds suspense

This says it all

[NanoEliteSixSixSix.8935]

It would certainly be rough, as I've proven to myself running around smacking pinatas and launching fireworks for Dragon Bash on my vanilla alt account. But we went for five years without them, so I'm sure I would adjust if they were suddenly gone.

It would definitely be rough, though.

[Ashantara.8731]

@Game of Bones.8975 said:Could you go back to playing without your favorite mount?

No, because they are making travel too comfortable to ever go back to snail speed. ;)

[Khisanth.2948]

@"Game of Bones.8975" said:Could you go back to playing without your favorite mount? For fun I just went back to read some of the posts from people who said that mounts would ruin gaming as we know it.

It did by reducing the number of waypoints. The mounts' increased movement speed doesn't make up for that.

On the other hand the claims that people would "stop and smell the roses" does not seem to be happening.

[whoeverxwins.1279]

I've run several characters through core Tyria, and even a few through HoT, without a mount. Could I go back? I mean, I guess so. Would I like to? No thank you. I enjoy not only the increased speed and missing the trash mobs, but a different view from the air. I'll even skip waypointing if I've gained enough height with my griffon or skyscale to fly across the map.

[mindcircus.1506]

@Game of Bones.8975 said:Could you go back to playing without your favorite mount? For fun I just went back to read some of the posts from people who said that mounts would ruin gaming as we know it.

I know the current maps and story content is based around the Raptor, Skimmer, Springer and Jackal with the optional mounts in there for fun. There are few Waypoints on new maps so getting around quickly requires a mount.

Have they become so ingrained in our game-play we would be lost without them?

A friend of mine picked up the game a couple of months ago and while she was levelling her first toon, in order to make sure she didnt get left behind I stopped using my mounts when I played with her.Could I go back? absolutely. The maps are so well designed and I used to love figuring out how to hit that vista or get to that POI. Now day's it's just a bunny jump.Don't get me wrong, I love the mounts and think that in the content they were designed for, they are amazing.But the game lost something when it embraced them and I could go back in a second.

[Etria.3642]

I managed to get one of the core accounts via the Kung Fu Tea and if I am any example, here is why Anet did that campaign: I /could not/ tolerate playing on that account without the mounts. I tried just using it for the daily login, but there are some dailies that are just too easy, and then it was pointed out that hitting the 5k ap marks are free gems that can buy stuff for my main, so after roughly a month of struggling at this slow slow slow walking pace I caved and upgraded it. Waited for a sale, got both POF and HOT, screamed through to get gliding and raptor.

I do not think I would remain as loyal without mounts. IE friends are always hey try this new game! And I do...for...a day...then return to gw2. Well, some I just don't even try. Mounts are so /well done/ here. Also gliding. Can't tell you how many times I kill my character in swtor by trying to glide.

[castlemanic.3198]

I'm having way too much fun with the skyscale to ever give up mounts entirely. sometimes i just hop on to just fly around on the thing because i just love the fantasy of it so much. not really doing anything else, just flying on the dragon and sometimes trying to reach higher up places. aimless wandering is fun on a dragon.

that said, could i go back to core tyria without mounts? absolutely. It wouldn't be as fun but it would still be fun and doable. there's a lot to see in core tyria and i challenge myself to just walk around some places, talk to all the npcs and sometimes if there's a no mount zone try to discover and do the jp or whatever.

Could I go back to HoT without mounts? Absolutely not. Season 3 is doable without mounts but HoT isn't for me.

and with the release of the new dragon mount, i could not go back to the core pof mounts only. I do hop on the other mounts when i feel like it but for general travel nothing beats the fantasy of riding on a dragon. this is the most fun i've had in ages with this game, and I can't wait to use it for season 5 and beyond (hopefully).

[GaijinGuy.8476]

Before unlocking the beetle I would have said yes as I use runes of speed with perma swiftness. But now that I have the beetle ... damn this thing is so fast and so much fun!

[arielwind.8921]

I think mount was mistake for GW2. Central Tyria has beautiful terrain like natural world. But after launch of mounts, ugly cliffs everywhere. It looks unnatural world made for 'gaming'. I hope this won't happen if GW3 comes.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

@arielwind.8921 said:I think mount was mistake for GW2. Central Tyria has beautiful terrain like natural world. But after launch of mounts, ugly cliffs everywhere. It looks unnatural world made for 'gaming'. I hope this won't happen if GW3 comes.

How do mounts magically make the beautiful terrain turn into ugly cliffs?