[Suggestion] Add a vanilla/free game mount for new players. (before steam release if possible)

[Mickey.4207]

9 minutes ago, mythical.6315 said:

 

I've played on a character without mounts while doing meta events or event dailies.  I've had no issues.

"No issues"

That's a lie. 

[loregnum.3619]

I'm a fairly new player and can share my experience with and without the mount while levelling.

I put in around 64 hours running around on my main without the mount and enjoyed it. I eventually created another character (thief) and as I didn't want to just run around again doing the same stuff, I decided to use my boost on my necro (original character I made before moving to ranger for my main) since I tested out a necro using an elite spec and enjoyed it so I knew it would be worth using the boost on. Unlocked the raptor while just skipping all the story/dialogue stuff so as to not spoil it for me with my ranger/main playthrough. 

Equipped the mount with my thief and kitten, so nice! I still had the plan to just walk using my ranger for the rest of the story/levelling up to 80 (she was around 65 at this point) but I then did a bit of farming a couple nights and used it on her even when I went to a couple new areas and I now don't know if I can go back to strict running.

My view is the mount is good even as a new player rather than a bad thing. I am still exploring a lot on foot yet have the luxury now of quickly getting to another event if it pops up on the mini map and I am a decent distance away on foot or if I want to backtrack/go somewhere I have visited and do so fairly quickly but don't want to spend the ever increasing waypoint cost to do so. It's also fun to leap off high places on the raptor like after unlocking a vista.

Do I think new players need the mount? No. Would I be against it if they added in some basic mount for them? No. I find the game/levelling to be better and more fun with the mount than without since this game has the best mount design I have ever experienced in a game. I think it'd be a bit silly if someone quit the game simply because they didn't have a mount early on while at the same time, I don't think having a mount early on would be a disservice for them to experience this wonderful game. Perhaps the best thing about how it is currently is that it gives people even more incentive to buy the expansions and to look forward to getting them. 

[mythical.6315]

2 minutes ago, Mickey.4207 said:

"No issues"

That's a lie. 

 

It's not.  I've tested this numerous times over the past several years.  The time it takes to get to an event isn't what's causing players to miss getting credit.

[Xelqypla.6817]

2 minutes ago, Mickey.4207 said:

"No issues"

That's a lie. 

Naw, it's the truth.

 

I run through maps on foot, grinding enemies and gathering. Not excellent gold making, but it's mindless fun.

 

In theory, mounted players come and finish events before you arrive. In reality, most events are ignored. 

[Labjax.2465]

1 hour ago, mythical.6315 said:

 

I've played on a character without mounts while doing meta events or event dailies.  I've had no issues.

That's not what I said. I said play on a new character in core tyria on a new account, i.e. level them up the way a new player would. Not do meta events or event dailies like a veteran. 🙄

[kharmin.7683]

Give it a rest.  The only way this will happen is if it is in Anet's best business interest.  Selling expansions for mounts makes profits.  Giving away mounts, even "starter" mounts, may well affect that margin.  Only Anet knows and since this has been requested numerous times (yeah, use the forums search function and you can find the threads) and not yet implemented should tell us that Anet doesn't see the profit in implementing this type of suggestion.

Good luck anyway.

[mythical.6315]

17 minutes ago, Labjax.2465 said:

That's not what I said. I said play on a new character in core tyria on a new account, i.e. level them up the way a new player would. Not do meta events or event dailies like a veteran. 🙄

 

There's no difference between a new account that doesn't have mounts and an account that chooses to not use mounts. 

What does leveling up a new account, without doing events, have to do with this thread?

Edited May 1, 2022 by mythical.6315

[Klowdy.3126]

14 hours ago, Ironhide Wolf.3275 said:

TLDR: Suggestion, add a mount to the vanilla game that you can get in a starter city ASAP, no masteries required. (maybe even before steam release if possible.)

 

Long version:

I know development is going strong in so many areas, and dev-power is likely in short supply, BUUUUTT...
First impressions to a new player need to be GW2's/Anets/Community's best foot forward, especially when taking a steam launch into account. Starting areas have received very little attention since launch. Would be great to see this content get some polish love, and a super early mount is this topics suggestion on one way to do that.

I've been seeing new players having done some research into the game use their level 80 boost strictly to get a taxi to PoF for a quick raptor mount. I've also watched quite a few "Im new to GW2" YouTube videos and Twitch streams lately and noticed those who didn't grab a mount feel like the game is a bit slow traversing Tyria on foot. some say they may have quit if they were not "Surrounded by such an awesome community"(love you guys, community and dev's). But, the vast majority of new players won't be streamers or content creators. So, I feel like this might be a hard but possible thing to do to keep a higher new player retention count upon a steam release. 

I was thinking it would be neat to add a mount to vanilla/free GW2 that a player could obtain as soon as they get into their racial starter city. No mastery points required. Maybe even have a little mission to retrieve it, IDK. It doesn't have to be as fast as a raptor or be able to jump like a springer. Maybe give it a little extra movement speed on use of its Endurance bar skill like a sprint button for a mount. Just something that is fun to ride and moves the player around Tyria quicker than a Herald blasting the Facet of Elements for 24/7 swiftness. Maybe even add the ability to mount up in early missions.

I know Anet is playing around with the speed at which players level up. IMO, I don't think the leveling speed is the game speed issue that new players experience, its traversal speed compared to the GW2 Veteran they see flying by on a raptor or even a siege turtle. "Awesome! When do I get a mount!?" ... "2 expansions in, kiddo." ... *Watches the excited glimmer in their eyes dry up on stream*

IMO this would do a few things.

- This would increase new player retention, resulting in a higher possible customer pool for the Anet and a higher player count for the rest of us to game with.

- This would allow new players to retain their level 80 boost and use it on a character they really want to use it on rather than blowing it just to get a mount asap. Or allow players to experience the game spoiler-free but also have the speed that a mount offers.

- This would also give Anet another mount to monetize skins from for a higher revenue gain.

A win-win depending on how much dev time and resources this could take.

 

__________________ End of suggestion__________________

I have a couple other suggestions like every other player out there, but I wanna see where this specific one goes. 

Hope a dev gives this a little skimming over if the 'tldr' elevator pitch was good enough xD.

 

Been playing Guild Wars since early GW1 days, but this is my first time using the forums. So im sure I did something horribly wrong.

I tried searching for a topic like this but couldn't find any after searching a few pages, so sorry if this is a double-post, or if I messed up some other forum etiquette.

 

PS. For the love of the legions, don't make it a Horse. #TeamHorsesAreNOTReal

- Felan.

Mounts were created to pass through specific barriers in the game. The game functions beautifully without mounts pre PoF. Mounts are there to intice people to buy PoF (though I'm not sure what draw HoT has anymore outside of easy, initial gliding). F2P players should have the perks of something meant to draw in money. There are many F2P games on steam that have a perk to paying money. SWtOR, and FF14 are  the first to spring to mind.

 

F2P is meant to be a starting place for the game, not an end. Mounts are far from neccessary to progress through the F2P part of the game, since they didn't exist until an entire expansion past the F2P content. It WOULD make things faster, but the point is to make people consider paying for the extras everyone else had to wait for for years. It's not to bring everyone onto equal footing. Simply being on steam does not mean everything needs to be available for free. The F2P version of GW2 has a ton of content, and does not need more to make it worth while. 80 levels of hearts and exploration, plus the original story, is a lot of content.

 

The last thing we need is a ton of bots following TACO around on mounts, reducing the value of map completion, and mounts in general. There are already mounts that don't see much representation. Adding a new mount for the base game not only takes away from the PoF purchase, but also diminishes the point of buying expansions for the perks added with it, or prior. The mount you are suggesting isn't a neccessary part of traversing g the world, and only serves to take away from the open world, new player experience of GW2, for a simple convenience of doing everything faster.

[RoastedBloop.9817]

1 hour ago, Xelqypla.6817 said:

Naw, it's the truth.

 

I run through maps on foot, grinding enemies and gathering. Not excellent gold making, but it's mindless fun.

 

In theory, mounted players come and finish events before you arrive. In reality, most events are ignored. 

 

As someone who does daily events and tags up using my mentor tag. I can empirically say, mounts only get you faster to events on this instance. It isn't mounts, it's actually players zerging down event(s), I do the minimal to get credit i.e hit the mob once or twice, or kill 1 mob to ensure I get credit for that event. Players on the other hand kill everything insight, they zerg down mobs a lot quicker. If I get to an event, I have to be quick just to even get a hit on a mob, so I don't miss out and leave enough health on a mob so someone else can get credit too.      

[Labjax.2465]

1 hour ago, mythical.6315 said:

 

There's no difference between a new account that doesn't have mounts and an account that chooses to not use mounts. 

What does leveling up a new account, without doing events, have to do with this thread?

What does pretending like your anecdotal perspective as a veteran speaks for new players have to do with this thread?

[mythical.6315]

40 minutes ago, Labjax.2465 said:

What does pretending like your anecdotal perspective as a veteran speaks for new players have to do with this thread?

 

Veteran or not doesn't matter when making the determination as to whether not having mounts has a significant impact on whether one gets credit for an event.

 

As far as your question, are you a new player?  If not, what does you posting on the forum have anything to do with the thread?  See how that goes both ways?  One cannot just simply dismiss someone's perspective because they're a veteran and not have it apply to them as well.  But it is kind of convenient for one to think that way so long as it benefits them.

Edited May 1, 2022 by mythical.6315

[mungozen.2379]

4 hours ago, Labjax.2465 said:

Ok, go play a new character in core tyria on a new account and see how you fare. You can come back and share the results with us.

It's totally fine, having done this myself several times.  The Core game plays more or less the same as it did 8-10 years ago before Mounts and Gliding.  Remember Core Tyria was built well before Mounts were a consideration, and as such it is laid out quite nicely for foot traffic.

6 hours ago, Labjax.2465 said:

No it's not. Mounts have a practical purpose of keeping up with other players for events and group events are the core of this game's open world design. New players won't even know what legendary items are or how they are different from any other cosmetic item. There is no similarity at all.

Do new players spend significant time doing group/world events that require a mount to keep up?  What events are they doing in Core Tyria that require a mount to be involved?  Almost every event in Core Tyria was, again, built around the notion that players would be walking, so they are paced accordingly.

3 hours ago, Mickey.4207 said:

As a new player you are running around in core Tyria. You see an event in distance. You run as fast the game allows. You see people swooping in on their griffons and skyscales. Even before you could land one hit the boss is dead. You are confused as to what just happened. And why are you the only one without any mount. You try to join another event on the map but same things happens. That's pretty much how it is as a new player. 

Even with a mount this is prone to happening, as was stated elsewhere in this thread, many players tend go beastmode on events rather than allowing other players to catch up.  Mounts for all would not remedy the scaling and powercreep issues this game has.

[Dante.1508]

I agree something like the Warclaw thats basic with no skills that can be rented. that would work imo.

[Labjax.2465]

37 minutes ago, mythical.6315 said:

 

Veteran or not doesn't matter when making the determination as to whether not having mounts has a significant impact on whether one gets credit for an event.

 

As far as your question, are you a new player?  If not, what does you posting on the forum have anything to do with the thread?  See how that goes both ways?  One cannot just simply dismiss someone's perspective because they're a veteran and not have it apply to them as well.  But it is kind of convenient for one to think that way so long as it benefits them.

I'm not a new player, but I did return somewhat recently actually, long after PoF, did not have PoF, leveled a new character as a way to return and felt left out not having a mount and for that and other reasons almost quit again. So... lol @ your attempt to do a "no u."

[mythical.6315]

1 hour ago, Labjax.2465 said:

I'm not a new player, but I did return somewhat recently actually, long after PoF, did not have PoF, leveled a new character as a way to return and felt left out not having a mount and for that and other reasons almost quit again. So... lol @ your attempt to do a "no u."

 

So because you took an absence, you're now considering yourself to be some born-again new player? 

 

Anyway, all of this doesn't make a difference.  I stated that I didn't believe that not having a mount is an issue for core Tyria.  It was designed during a time when we did not have them.  It's also not the main reason that players do not get credit for events as the real reason for that is the power creep.  

[mythical.6315]

1 hour ago, Labjax.2465 said:

I'm not a new player, but I did return somewhat recently actually, long after PoF, did not have PoF, leveled a new character as a way to return and felt left out not having a mount and for that and other reasons almost quit again. So... lol @ your attempt to do a "no u."

 

Then get the expansion?  Expansions tend to have features, rewards, and content not accessible to players without them.  This is how it is for practically every MMO with expansions.   I don't see why you feel entitled to have whatever features interest you just because you "felt left out" for not having them.  If you want those features, buy the expansion(s) like everyone else.

Ok.  Meant for this to be added on to my other post but made an entirely new one by accident.

Edited May 1, 2022 by mythical.6315

[Labjax.2465]

13 minutes ago, mythical.6315 said:

 

So because you took an absence, you're now considering yourself to be some born-again new player? 

 

Anyway, all of this doesn't make a difference.  I stated that I didn't believe that not having a mount is an issue for core Tyria.  It was designed during a time when we did not have them.  It's also not the main reason that players do not get credit for events as the real reason for that is the power creep.  

 

10 minutes ago, mythical.6315 said:

 

Then get the expansion?  Expansions tend to have features, rewards, and content not accessible to players without them.  This is how it is for practically every MMO with expansions.   I don't see why you feel entitled to have whatever features interest you just because you "felt left out" for not having them.  If you want those features, buy the expansion(s) like everyone else.

Ok.  Meant for this to be added on to my other post but made an entirely new one by accident.

Hmm, which should be taken seriously, your experience as a veteran player with mounts that you don't think new players need, or experiences shared about new or returning players being left behind without them. That's a tough one. I'm sure all the people who are trying out the game and are considering whether to continue are definitely going to take into account whether you think they're entitled or not.

It's evident that people like you aren't actually interested in the game growing. And if so that's fine, you can feel that way if you want to, but would you at least just admit it and move on. Anet is a business and they are going to want it to grow and they need to know where the pain points are, not whether someone thinks another player is entitled because of what their experience with the game was like.

[mungozen.2379]

2 hours ago, Labjax.2465 said:

I'm not a new player, but I did return somewhat recently actually, long after PoF, did not have PoF, leveled a new character as a way to return and felt left out not having a mount and for that and other reasons almost quit again. So... lol @ your attempt to do a "no u."

You felt left out for not having content from an expansion you didn't buy?  Huh, I guess the solution is to buy the expansion so you can have that content right?

The issue with topics like these is that there has never been a really solid argument for giving mounts to new accounts.  Like, new players are really going to leave the game because they don't have level 80 Mounts?  Maybe finish leveling first, or, if you want to be level 80, use a lvl 80 boost.  Anyone buying EoD will get a lvl 80 boost that they can use to skip ahead and get a mount.  Seems like there is no issue here and that new accounts/players can get a mount within an hour of creating their first character if they so desire. 

[Labjax.2465]

6 minutes ago, Mungo Zen.9364 said:

You felt left out for not having content from an expansion you didn't buy?  Huh, I guess the solution is to buy the expansion so you can have that content right?

The issue with topics like these is that there has never been a really solid argument for giving mounts to new accounts.  Like, new players are really going to leave the game because they don't have level 80 Mounts?  Maybe finish leveling first, or, if you want to be level 80, use a lvl 80 boost.  Anyone buying EoD will get a lvl 80 boost that they can use to skip ahead and get a mount.  Seems like there is no issue here and that new accounts/players can get a mount within an hour of creating their first character if they so desire. 

There's no such issue with this topic lol. You just aren't listening and thankfully people like you aren't in charge of this game, because if you were you would tank it within a year, since you refuse to listen to people who have problems with it and instead try to say that it's their problem.

[kenny.7236]

Why do people keep saying must change this, must have that before Steam release?

[mungozen.2379]

5 minutes ago, Labjax.2465 said:

There's no such issue with this topic lol. You just aren't listening and thankfully people like you aren't in charge of this game, because if you were you would tank it within a year, since you refuse to listen to people who have problems with it and instead try to say that it's their problem.

I didn't refuse to listen to you, I read your post, and you said you felt left out because you didn't have a mount, and you didn't have a mount because you didn't have the expansion they came from.  The resolution to that issue is to buy the expansion.

[Sigmoid.7082]

1 hour ago, Labjax.2465 said:

It's evident that people like you aren't actually interested in the game growing. And if so that's fine, you can feel that way if you want to, but would you at least just admit it and move on. Anet is a business and they are going to want it to grow and they need to know where the pain points are, not whether someone thinks another player is entitled because of what their experience with the game was like.

 

So they aren't interested in the game growing because they do not agree with your position and anecdotal evidence as go why said position is relevent? 

 

Why is your position on the argument the seemingly only one that results in the game growing?  "You don't agree with me so you obviously want the game to die, since if you didn't you would agree with me" is an absolutely terrible argument...

[Sigmoid.7082]

1 hour ago, kenny.7236 said:

Why do people keep saying must change this, must have that before Steam release?

Because it's a way to try and add some weight to their argument for whatever it is. Pretty much all of the "Hey Anet, you need to do X before steam or your game will fail" can and should be taken with a huge, HUGE, grain of salt. 

[Cuks.8241]

2 hours ago, mythical.6315 said:

 

It's also not the main reason that players do not get credit for events as the real reason for that is the power creep.  

Its both. You can see it now with S1 re release when people are doing the refuge achievs. A new player has 0 chance of tagging the events in Diessa. You have a bunch of 80s moving down everything on raptors. Even if you restrain yourself you only need 1 kitten with a raptor. 

[Voltage.8027]

I don't think they should add mounts to the base game. To me, the appeal of the base game is the exploration. It's not a typical mmo where the fun happens when you rush to the end. The fun is in the journey. The exploration. That's why points of interests, vistas, and map completion exist. Just like how when you visit a national park, you are there to walk and take in the experience instead of zooming around on a golf cart. Gw2 is successful at what it does. The base game is designed with no mounts in mind and I think it should stay that way. It's fine if people go out of their way to unlock PoF, but Anet should not encourage this playstyle by adding mounts in the base game.  If mounts are ever added to the base game, that's a sign of the developers going astray, compromising the original game vision, and betraying the design philosophy.