Only Skyscale in SoTO? No Gliding or other mounts?

[ShadowCatz.8437]

From looking at blog news and ads it looks like the only mount that we will have access to in SoTO maps will be Skyscale. There is no mention about Griffon, Jackal, Beetle, Skimmer, Raptor or Springer and no artistic picture that show any mounts at all. Will we at be able to use Gliding or will we be stuck with Skyscale?

The only mount that we can sure about so far is Skyscale.

Have anybody here on forum information about other mount will be available while playing in SoTO or that we can use Gliding those times our mount is getting too wounded to survive and we need to get off our mount and use Gliding to get down to ground?

[Fueki.4753]

In the blogpost they specifically showed the new skin to promote it. On that website, they specifically showed the default Skyscale to promote the fact that people can now get the mount itself in another (possibly a lot quicker) way.

There's no reason to promote any of the other mounts with the "mini" expansion announcements, so there's no need to include them in the promotion material. But them being absent from promotional material that doesn't mean we can't use them.

Even the gallery on the website just focusses on new things, like Hammer on Mechanist and Axe/Pistol on Virtuoso, as well as new places and these weird eye-shaped rifts.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Fueki.4753

[Linken.6345]

There was that  picture of the wizard griffon to

[Danikat.8537]

I know some MMOs lock features from previous expansions in new maps, or make you unlock them all over again but I don't think GW2 has ever done that. Early on HoT had the opposite problem - gliding only worked in the new maps, but they changed that, probably because so many people kept throwing themselves off cliffs.

Since it's not something they normally do there's no reason to specify that they're not doing it this time either. It would also be pretty impractical to list all the features of previous expansions which will carry over to the new one, it would be a very long list.

I think the skyscale will be the only mount you can unlock in the new expansion (unless there's ones they haven't announced yet, like how they didn't tell us about the griffon in PoF). But there's no reason to assume all the rest won't be usable in the new maps if you've got them from PoF or EoD.

[Randulf.7614]

Of course you will be able use gliding or other mounts. The skyscale is just linked to masteries in the expac. 

[Gehenna.3625]

They tried new mounts in EoD and it didn't go well. I think they are better off not making new mounts anymore.

[Witch Engine.2305]

I'm a new player from FF14 so maybe my perception as new player is flawed, but clearly to me this skyscale change is completely motivated by profit.

They are selling skyscale access for $24.95, because that's far easier than playing the game, literally this collection is a tough one. I think it would look better if they just gave everyone access to it next patch for free regardless if they bought SOTO. If you truly care about new players not feeling left out in metas and in the open world, just make it an open world core collection that everyone has access to when they hit max level.

However, there isn't as much profit in giving out a skyscale though, it makes far more sense to sell it for cash money, and if that just happens to help a few players then that's  a plus. Also, they created an entire new consumer base, who paid $24.95 for the mount access, but need to pay another $24.95 (unless it's on sale) to unlock PoF masteries, after all is said and done the same people who gave them money so they won't feel left out will now give them more money for skins. There is nothing wrong with Arenanet making a profit, but damnit this the most predatory capitalistic behavior I've seen in an MMO in a long time. I also never played BDO so maybe they have Areananet beat.

Say what you will about Blizzard and SE, but at least they have the decency to suck you dry slowly in small increments over the course of years or even decades.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Witch Engine.2305

[Danikat.8537]

6 hours ago, Witch Engine.2305 said:

I'm a new player from FF14 so maybe my perception as new player is flawed, but clearly to me this skyscale change is completely motivated by profit.

They are selling skyscale access for $24.95, because that's far easier than playing the game, literally this collection is a tough one. I think it would look better if they just gave everyone access to it next patch for free regardless if they bought SOTO. If you truly care about new players not feeling left out in metas and in the open world, just make it an open world core collection that everyone has access to when they hit max level.

However, there isn't as much profit in giving out a skyscale though, it makes far more sense to sell it for cash money, and if that just happens to help a few players then that's  a plus. Also, they created an entire new consumer base, who paid $24.95 for the mount access, but need to pay another $24.95 (unless it's on sale) to unlock PoF masteries, after all is said and done the same people who gave them money so they won't feel left out will now give them more money for skins. There is nothing wrong with Arenanet making a profit, but damnit this the most predatory capitalistic behavior I've seen in an MMO in a long time. I also never played BDO so maybe they have Areananet beat.

Say what you will about Blizzard and SE, but at least they have the decency to suck you dry slowly in small increments over the course of years or even decades.

That interpretation - that they're charging the full price of the expansion just for the skyscale - only works if you want nothing else that's included, and then only if the most extreme example of "a more streamlined collection" is accurate and people who buy the expansion are effectively given the skyscale just for owning it. Otherwise why single out that one feature and not other things you'll unlock by playing? Why not say they're charging $24.95 for legendary armour? Or to mix and match elite specs and weapons (a commonly requested change), or the new masteries, or whatever else interests you?

Also if you do see buying an expansion which includes a mount as buying the mount then they're actually making the skyscale significantly cheaper, because currently you need to own PoF and all of Season 4 to get it.

But I think it's a mistake to assume the skyscale will be effectively given away to people who own SotO and therefore you're just paying to unlock it. The announcement says "Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure will grant you a more streamlined collection to unlock a skyscale of your very own." So you're still going to have to complete a collection to earn it and the only change they've mentioned is making it 'more strreamlined'. I'm not sure what that means specifically, but I think it's significant that they haven't said it'll be easier or quicker or cheaper.

[Tuna Bandit.3786]

I saw the concept art of the city. 

ArenaNet is not stupid, they will at least allow Griffon in there - people gonna make stunt videos - exposure! 

On a serious note: I purely think they are putting Skyscale a bit more in the spotlight, also promoting the easier aquisition method. But I highly doubt they block other mounts/masteries.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

From official Press Release:  Two of the Secrets of the Obscure skyscale masteries - in-combat mounting and updraft use - will also apply to the griffon mount.

[Dark Red Killian.3946]

So…. Raptor is already unlocked on paid accounts at level 10. You will get that if you just buy SOTO. Other mounts you have to have PoF (with exception of Skyscale)

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

3 hours ago, Dark Red Killian.3946 said:

So…. Raptor is already unlocked on paid accounts at level 10. You will get that if you just buy SOTO. Other mounts you have to have PoF (with exception of Skyscale)

You get Springer with End of Dragons.

[Hsanrb.1570]

13 hours ago, Witch Engine.2305 said:

I'm a new player from FF14 so maybe my perception as new player is flawed, but clearly to me this skyscale change is completely motivated by profit.

They are selling skyscale access for $24.95, because that's far easier than playing the game, literally this collection is a tough one. I think it would look better if they just gave everyone access to it next patch for free regardless if they bought SOTO. If you truly care about new players not feeling left out in metas and in the open world, just make it an open world core collection that everyone has access to when they hit max level.

However, there isn't as much profit in giving out a skyscale though, it makes far more sense to sell it for cash money, and if that just happens to help a few players then that's  a plus. Also, they created an entire new consumer base, who paid $24.95 for the mount access, but need to pay another $24.95 (unless it's on sale) to unlock PoF masteries, after all is said and done the same people who gave them money so they won't feel left out will now give them more money for skins. There is nothing wrong with Arenanet making a profit, but damnit this the most predatory capitalistic behavior I've seen in an MMO in a long time. I also never played BDO so maybe they have Areananet beat.

Say what you will about Blizzard and SE, but at least they have the decency to suck you dry slowly in small increments over the course of years or even decades.

You are slightly incorrect, ArenaNet is saying "You will need skyscale to complete this expansion... if you ONLY buy Secrets of the Obscure, we want to make sure you can complete this expansion and therefore Skyscale will be part of the unlock tracks. They state on the webiste "A self-contained story with its own resoultion will play out at launch" meaning they are intending the entire expansion is completable without ever stepping foot in HoT/PoF/EoD or the attached Living World episodes.

Unlike FFXIV or WoW, ArenaNet has tried to make sure if you need something to complete an expansion, it is available to you without playing other expansions. GW1 each expansion was self-contained and completable without playing anything else unless you want to play Eye of the North. So if I wanted to start with GW1: Factions, I can make a level 1 character, and am not hampered in any way because I didn't play Prophecies. When you buy an expansion on GW2, you are given a level boost so you can start a brand new character that is level 80 with usable gear and walk right into an expansion without having played anything else. Boosting your 1st character isn't prefered, but you will never go "I just bought End of Dragons and I gotta get a character to 80 and do this that and the other to play content I bought." Unlike XIV where if I buy Endwalker I have to play through StB and ShB before I can enjoy content that I bought.

[AgentMoore.9453]

20 hours ago, ShadowCatz.8437 said:

Have anybody here on forum information about other mount will be available while playing in SoTO or that we can use Gliding

Mounts:
- Griffon skin presented as a Wizard's Vault reward
- Raptor skin available as a pre-order reward
- No mention of mount restrictions

Other Travel:
- New masteries for leylines & updrafts 'you'll unlock the ability for flying mounts to use leylines and updrafts (including those in previous maps). '
- Updrafts (and possibly ziplines?) visible top-leftish in SotO promotional screenshot
- Heart of the Obscure and Astral Ward masteries are said to 'allow you (to) explore the world more freely' and may be movement abilities (or access to portals of some sort)

It'd be awfully odd to have updrafts, leylines, and a high risk of falling in the new aerial-themed maps and not include gliding. And with nothing saying mounts will be restricted, I'd say it's safe to assume you'll have access to all of your usual mounts and movement abilities. Just maybe don't use a Springer to try and jump the gap between sky islands; it won't be pretty.

[voltaicbore.8012]

14 hours ago, Witch Engine.2305 said:

I'm a new player from FF14 so maybe my perception as new player is flawed, but clearly to me this skyscale change is completely motivated by profit.

They are selling skyscale access for $24.95, because that's far easier than playing the game, literally this collection is a tough one. I think it would look better if they just gave everyone access to it next patch for free regardless if they bought SOTO. If you truly care about new players not feeling left out in metas and in the open world, just make it an open world core collection that everyone has access to when they hit max level.

However, there isn't as much profit in giving out a skyscale though, it makes far more sense to sell it for cash money, and if that just happens to help a few players then that's  a plus. Also, they created an entire new consumer base, who paid $24.95 for the mount access, but need to pay another $24.95 (unless it's on sale) to unlock PoF masteries, after all is said and done the same people who gave them money so they won't feel left out will now give them more money for skins. There is nothing wrong with Arenanet making a profit, but damnit this the most predatory capitalistic behavior I've seen in an MMO in a long time. I also never played BDO so maybe they have Areananet beat.

Say what you will about Blizzard and SE, but at least they have the decency to suck you dry slowly in small increments over the course of years or even decades.

Yeah you're off the mark here. There's A LOT in SoTO that people have been asking for (elite specialization weapons now usable across the entire class, open world legendary armor, WIZARD'S TOWER, etc) in the same category as "skyscale access." Also, as @Danikat.8537 pointed out, you already have to buy into the expansions to get skyscale as it is now, and if anything, unlocking skyscale with just SoTO is actually cheaper. If anything, I think Anet is touting the skyscale as just a higher-profile "hey guys we're giving you something a lot of you complained about" move.

Far be it from me to defend a lot of what's been going on with Anet, but the one thing Anet has been almost 100% consistent on is giving the consumer a good deal. Dollar for dollar I consider GW2 the single best value in current gaming. The one notable exception is the way they handled build/gear templates.

Edited July 4, 2023 by voltaicbore.8012

[Danikat.8537]

5 hours ago, Hsanrb.1570 said:

Unlike FFXIV or WoW, ArenaNet has tried to make sure if you need something to complete an expansion, it is available to you without playing other expansions. GW1 each expansion was self-contained and completable without playing anything else unless you want to play Eye of the North. So if I wanted to start with GW1: Factions, I can make a level 1 character, and am not hampered in any way because I didn't play Prophecies. When you buy an expansion on GW2, you are given a level boost so you can start a brand new character that is level 80 with usable gear and walk right into an expansion without having played anything else. Boosting your 1st character isn't prefered, but you will never go "I just bought End of Dragons and I gotta get a character to 80 and do this that and the other to play content I bought." Unlike XIV where if I buy Endwalker I have to play through StB and ShB before I can enjoy content that I bought.

That's a good point, I forgot there's some MMOs which require you to do everything in order. (The other one I play is Elder Scrolls Online which I think actually makes it easier than GW2 for players to do things in any order they like.) I can see why that might be confusing for people who are new to GW2.

[Tere.4759]

On 7/3/2023 at 6:07 AM, Danikat.8537 said:

I know some MMOs lock features from previous expansions in new maps, or make you unlock them all over again but I don't think GW2 has ever done that. Early on HoT had the opposite problem - gliding only worked in the new maps, but they changed that, probably because so many people kept throwing themselves off cliffs.
 

That made me laugh so hard and yes, I am necro'ing the thread because that last line made me LOL.

[ugrakarma.9416]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:23 AM, Gehenna.3625 said:

They tried new mounts in EoD and it didn't go well. I think they are better off not making new mounts anymore.

Turtle is fine, why didnt go well? I have seen ppl using turtle in metas that involve breakbars or siege like Drizzlewood.

The failure is that meta themed for turtle(fort aspenwood) is underdeveloped.

Edited August 9, 2023 by ugrakarma.9416

[Therac.6431]

No new elites.
No new mounts.
No new assets (they are reusing old work to create generic maps)
The new legendary armor is a myth.
The wizard's tower looks like a new lounge.

Welcome to the new age of expansions, nothing new with a price of a new real expansion.

[Thron Stal.9367]

On 7/3/2023 at 3:07 PM, ShadowCatz.8437 said:

From looking at blog news and ads it looks like the only mount that we will have access to in SoTO maps will be Skyscale. There is no mention about Griffon, Jackal, Beetle, Skimmer, Raptor or Springer and no artistic picture that show any mounts at all. Will we at be able to use Gliding or will we be stuck with Skyscale?

The only mount that we can sure about so far is Skyscale.

Have anybody here on forum information about other mount will be available while playing in SoTO or that we can use Gliding those times our mount is getting too wounded to survive and we need to get off our mount and use Gliding to get down to ground?

Turtle

[ShadowCatz.8437]

35 minutes ago, KarlMarx.5910 said:

No new elites.
No new mounts.
No new assets (they are reusing old work to create generic maps)
The new legendary armor is a myth.
The wizard's tower looks like a new lounge.

Welcome to the new age of expansions, nothing new with a price of a new real expansion.

You do at least get one more Shared Inventory slot now when Arena Net are selling this deal as an expansion instead of a Living World extension/DLC (which is important for us with which have bought HoT+PoF as one package which will only give you one Shared Inventory instead of one for each expansion[2]). The same happens when one might buy EoD collection (Elder Dragon Saga) which now includes HoT+PoF+EoD and Standard Edition of this package where this will be delivered with 2 Shared Inventory slots.

With all Shared Inventory that is possible to buy for newer accounts there is only this way to get one more Shared Inventory as long Arena Net will not make it possible to buy more then 25 in Gem Store  (and 3 from each expansion + SoTO's 1 SI) which now make it to a max of 29 SI slots for accounts that bought each expansion on release.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shared_Inventory_Slot