Guild Wars 2

This thread is not a suggestion, but more of a open debate for why we do or do not need mounts. It is intended to focus all our arguments into one thread to view how the community feels about Mounts.

lets keep it clean, simple, and professional.. No insulting others and no using “just because we don’t want this” excuse.

ill start
Reasons For Mounts
-Easier exploring
-Faster Travel
-Looks Cool
-Anet can make money on Mount “Skins”
-It can be balanced properly
-Do not see how it hurts lore
-can be useful in World v World if balanced correctly

Reasons Against Mounts
-We have waypoints
-We are already going 25 MPH with Swiftness
-Unnecessary for Proper Gameplay
-People will complain if some mounts cost Gems
-Exploitable if not balanced
-Will make exploring TOO easy.
-“we dunt want WoW stuffz” (people comlaining that this game is turning into WoW)

Please fuel the fire, but do be professional and nice to others.

ok I don’t believe my eyes. I am pro mount and would love to have discussion on this topic where both sides listen and compromise, but you literally just started a new thread while one sits right within a few inches of this one. Shame on you.

Furthermore you are not gonna CONTROL how people respond to this topic as it really is a passionate affair for both sides.

I know all the SAB threads that are popping up, had you feeling that maybe a couple more mount threads would not hurt…

It’s an absolute waste of resources. Add that to your list please.

I loved having mounts in wow. But then I realised how they effected the game in a negative way (especially flying mounts). You rode past content so quickly, no threat from mobs, I felt like I just charged around in my invulnerable untouchable bubble.

I’m not even sure why I’m replying to this thread, it’ll never happen.

Just tired of Mount threads flooding the forums. Its a cheap tactic. Keep them consolidated, please.

Now you have SAB people using the same tactic.

Don’t know why people feel the need to flood their opinions everywhere. In fact I feel it degrades every word you say when you do it. Personally I was not for or against SAB, as an example, but now with people spamming it in threads I’m no longer going to support it. If people childishly spam something, then I’m going to view the topic as being equally childish.

While this is about mounts, not SAB, I view it the same way.

@Thobek, realy? if you want to bring up something please let it be a valid reason. Waypoints let you just jump from one end of the map to the other! Take that for ‘skipping content’.

@OP, I do hope you intend to keep that list updated, so in the future we can just link to it for any new thread.

Nay:
- They might do something like WoW with flying mounts, or pixelated sparkle poneys for $20,- … really, the bow is already stretching it.
- Blocking NPC’s

Yay:
- They could use animals native to the world of Tyria, and really do something cool with mounts. There couldn’t be horses though, they don’t exist on Tyria, but riding a Yak or Minotaur would be just as cool.
- They could remove all those content skipping waypoints, that make a couple of days worth of content to hunt for location, a couple of hours worth of content, because you can simply ‘flash’ there in an instant. People might actually be tempted to do some Events as they pass bay, where now they don’t even see the events…

Skipping content? You know, when I first explored the world most of the map was a blurred mess, I didn’t have access to any waypoints, and I had to make my way through the content to get to them. Why does it seem like people forget that you didn’t automagically have access to all those waypoints right from the start, and if anyone just ran straight from one waypoint to another to unlock them, how anything would change if you threw some flying mount in there, or a horse, or whatever, because people would still just be speed running/flying past everything. It’s not going to change how people approach the game; if they want to skip content, they will, one way or another.

The argument of mounts is already over as far as I’m concerned. You already have the kites, the broomstick and now you have the new kites with the movement boost, which are fundamentally mounts. You can be technical about it, but let’s be true and real and call it for what it is, hm?

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Reasons Against Mounts
-We have waypoints
-We are already going 25 MPH with Swiftness
-Unnecessary for Proper Gameplay
-People will complain if some mounts cost Gems
-Exploitable if not balanced
-Will make exploring TOO easy.
-“we dunt want WoW stuffz” (people comlaining that this game is turning into WoW)

Please fuel the fire, but do be professional and nice to others.

• Skyrim has both mounts and fast travel. Why does one have to choose one or the other?
• It depends on how ANet balance the speed. 25% speedboost is reasonable as players can just equip speedboost traits, signet, or runes. 25% is less than 33%.
• What is proper gameplay?
• People will complain if there is anything in the gemshop.
• Then it better be balanced.
• Not really, if 25% become standard for mounts, then it is no different than equipping a signet.
• Then Skyrim is a WoW clone.

Arghore.8340:

Nay:
- They might do something like WoW with flying mounts, or pixelated sparkle poneys for $20,- … really, the bow is already stretching it.
- Blocking NPC’s

• There is tonics, why haven’t I got an Zhaitan Tonic yet?
• A cluster of Charr and Norn already blocking the NPC. What do I do? I press f.

So really, the nay sayers are just shrieking: No no no no no.

runeblade.7514:

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Reasons Against Mounts
-We have waypoints
-We are already going 25 MPH with Swiftness
-Unnecessary for Proper Gameplay
-People will complain if some mounts cost Gems
-Exploitable if not balanced
-Will make exploring TOO easy.
-“we dunt want WoW stuffz” (people comlaining that this game is turning into WoW)

Please fuel the fire, but do be professional and nice to others.

• Skyrim has both mounts and fast travel. Why does one have to choose one or the other?
• It depends on how ANet balance the speed. 25% speedboost is reasonable as players can just equip speedboost traits, signet, or runes. 25% is less than 33%.
• What is proper gameplay?
• People will complain if there is anything in the gemshop.
• Then it better be balanced.
• Not really, if 25% become standard for mounts, then it is no different than equipping a signet.
• Then Skyrim is a WoW clone.

Some counterpoints:

• Skyrim is actually a very poor example in this case, for a couple of reasons. First of all, Skyrim is a sandbox style game, and it can take a substantial amount of time to get from one end of the map to the other. This is not helped by the fact that at any given point, you can get jumped by enemies such as sabercats, bears, and giants which can very easily wreck your face during the early levels of the game. On the other hand GW2 is a zone-based game, where all of the zones have an appropriate level range, and so long as you’re within that range, you can make it from one end of a zone to the other without any real threat in a very short amount of time. Also, because Skyrim has a fast travel system, and worse, because there are just SO MANY points that you can fast travel to, it makes horse travel completely unnecessary after a certain point. The only people who prefer to use a horse in late-game Skyrim are people who have placed a self-imposed rule on themselves to not fast travel. It’s also worth mentioning that fast travel in Skyrim is only “fast” from the perspective of the player. To the Dovahkin, fast travel is just as slow as regular travel, which is why if you fast travel from Solitude in the middle of the day, you’ll arrive in Riften after nightfall. This is the opposite of GW2, where the fast travel systems are implemented into the game’s lore, and are basically instantaneous.
• Even if mounts only offered a 25% bonus to movement speed, making them equal to signets, you’d still be opening up a bunch of balance issues. For one, Guardians and Warriors with a mount would now be able to move at a speed equal to the classes that actually have access to those signets, with the added benefit of not having to give up a skill slot to do it. In addition, the Active effects of most movement signets are pretty subpar in comparison to other skills, so the classes that actually have access to them would just use the mount and swap out those signets for better skills, pretty much removing the need for those signet skills entirely. If we consider the possible ramifications of this in WvW, it would mean that players with mounts have a notable advantage over those that don’t of the same class.
• In regards to adding it to the gem store, if it functioned identically to the Enchanted Broom and offered no bonus to movement speed or other special abilities, and was lore friendly, I don’t imagine anyone would have a real problem with it, other than the fact that the time and resources spent working on those mounts could have been spent working on truly worthwhile improvements to the game. If however the mounts did offer some kind of significant benefit to their owners, people will get upset, and rightly so. The only items on the gem store that offer any kind of gameplay advantage have always only offered a minimal benefit at best and were always obtainable quite easily via regular play. Making a cash shop exclusive item like that is how a game becomes “Play2Win,” and no one wants that.

I’m neutral about mounts, I personally don’t care if we get them, but its alright if I never get that armored Moa.

If Anet wants money we’ll see it happen.

Somebody said mounts? Again?

Dat necroposting….

I would have to vote no. My poor ancient computer just could not handle it lol. Runs surprising well cept for wvw massive zerks.

No thanks !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTOXwwKoz0c

inb4 merge

Hmm well i like mount just to give some extra in pve..

Sometimes its boring out there.

But only ground mounts with a very minor speed increase..

No 280% like wow!! and NO SUPER DUPER ULTRA dragons so all you see is dragons in lions arch.. kitten that is so ugly in WoW..

Just normal mounts

And i like this for every class:

Human:
A Horse ofc..

Charr:
Rock dog (ofc bigger):
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Rock_dog

Norn
Minotaur
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Minotaur_concept_art.jpg

Asura:
Raptor
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Raptor

Sylvari:
A bigger Sylvan_hound
A bigger http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sylvan_Hound

There is no debate. Accept the mounts that are in game.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Reasons For Mounts
-Easier exploring – we already have waypoints
-Faster Travel – we already have swiftness + waypoints
-Looks Cool – matter of opinion
-Anet can make money on Mount “Skins” – they can make money off anything
-It can be balanced properly – anet doesn’t have a good track record for that
-Do not see how it hurts lore – its nonexistence doesn’t hurt lore either
-can be useful in World v World if balanced correctly – wvw maps are already too small

Way I see it, ANet already had a huge backlog of things they have to do now without adding mounts to the mix, which will be a rather significant effort to implement and balance; if GW2 was in a better place I wouldn’t mind seeing a mount project starting, but as it is I just want to see them get their house in order before even horsing about with new features.

I’ll update

Pro

• Their usage can be limitated to where theycan be used, going so far that you could make them invisible.
• They can be used for new and GW2 unique Content in PvE and WvW (Mounted Combat like Siege Golems, Supply Support in WvW, Lifesaver Function for Downed Allies. Useable for Raid Content in the future perhaps)
• They are a good Money Sink
• They are a QoL Improvement, as you don’t have to constantly swap your builds and skills anymore to keep up your maximum travel speed.
• They offer an alternative for everyone who dislikes legendary weapons, but wants still to collect something prestigeous.
• ANet could remove some obsolete Waypoints and exchange the removed waypoints with new Vistas, Skill Points ect. (not really neccessary, but possible)
• Anet could change some traits, runes and skills to receive some more interesting effects, oder than giving only Swiftness/Passive Speed Boost, make those traits, runes and skills generally more useful. (not really neccessary, but possible)
• ANet can make Profit with them through selling Mount Skins via Gem Store.
• They let you travel faster in Maps and make exploring them more fun whenever you can use them, without forcing you to use Waypoints, especially useful/neccessary/compelling/benefitial for players whenever WP’s are somewhere contested.
• Games like Skyrim are a perfect proof, that both systems can absolutely coexist without harming each other
• They could be used for exploration to bring you to new places in all of the existing Places, which you wouldn’t reach normally on foot. Mounts could jump higher and wider than a player could at specific designed for it spots.
• They improve the immersion for traveling the vast lands of Tyria, especially if you want to travel between multiple Maps from A to B and you have to cross for that tour far more than just 1 Map, what would take you on foot for sure easily 10+ Minutes, can be reduced this way maybe to 5 Minutes, while always being inferior to waypoints.
• There’s lore for Mounts (Wild Horses) inside the second Guild Wars Novel Book Destiny’s Edge as also in the Factions Lore manuscripts.

Contra

• We have waypoints (Thats right and it will stay so as the superior travel method, nothing speaks against alternatives, when they don’t force you to use them)
• They require time, ressources and effort (What the hell doesn’t require this??)
• They would create screenclutter and grief (Make them invisible for you!)
• I don’t want to see them in Towns (They get limited to be useable only outside of Towns)
• They are lore breaking (Thats not true and a cheap excuse and player manipulated wiki texts that don’t show the full complete interviews of developers won’t hide this fact)
• They are immersion breaking for me (if you think so, then make them invisible for you)
• People ask for 185% Speed Boosts (Nonsense, the true non-trolling majority wants what is already there, 25-33%)
• People will skip everything with them and don’t help others (Pure Assumption and people already skip whatever they can on feet either with or without Stealth and also help not others, if they aren’t in the mood for that)
• They will make exploring too easy (First get one, by the time you own a mount, you mostly have explored the world anyway 100% on feet. Many people already have explored this game with multiple characters 100%, also 100% exploration could be part of getting a Mount at all, no 100% explorarated = no option to get a Mount)
• GW2 could become WoW 2.0 with Flying Mounts
• NPC’s get blocked (We can already still talk with NPC’s, even if they are visually body blocked by countless of Norn/Charr players stacking over each other and we still are able to talk with all NPC’s)
• They cause Lag/ Performance Reduction (Make them Invisible for you! What the game hasn’t to show and calculate for you, can’t cause lag to you, or why do you thinkl do we have multiple graphic card settigns with that you can significantly reduce the amount of player characters that get shown for you??? )

/SarcasmOn

• They are not compelling for a special person, regardless of what we say, because she just don’t wants them and is still in believe, that something, that Anet said over 2 years ago counting for the momentum of “on game release” is meaning for her automatically a “no forever” rolleyes and to show us all, how serious she is about this as self proclaimed Anti Mount-Queen, she repeats herself permanently every 1-2 postings she makes.

/endsarcasm

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

This thread is not a suggestion, but more of a open debate for why we do or do not need mounts. It is intended to focus all our arguments into one thread to view how the community feels about Mounts.

lets keep it clean, simple, and professional.. No insulting others and no using “just because we don’t want this” excuse.

ill start
Reasons For Mounts
-Easier exploring
ALREADY HAVE MORE PORTALS THAN NEEDED IN GAME – mounts add nothing

-Faster Travel
ALREADY HAVE SPEED BOOST SKILLS IN MOST PROFESSIONS – Will not get more than 30% speed boost – A.Net has says so and that is why is you use a speed boost from the TP and use your 30% speed boost skill, you only get 30% and that speed boost you bought is negated

-Looks Cool
Looks stupid to me – this is a nonsense argument

-Anet can make money on Mount “Skins”
The so called skins are not in game currently and there are plenty of protests out there already about stuff that was in game for a short time – SAB

-It can be balanced properly

No it can’t and not easily – since a speed boost is part of the build balance one has to make, having an automatic speed boost negates some of the builds currently present in the game. You are making the game have fewer builds this way.

-Do not see how it hurts lore
Since they are not in lore currently, how will you balance the LORE HISTORY currently out there?

-can be useful in World v World if balanced correctly
No – WvW already slows to a crawl with big groups, having mounts will just exacerbate the problem. Would not be useful in such a small map. Would prevent more battles and WvW would end up being another KARMA train area

Reasons Against Mounts
-We have waypoints – There are plenty of WAYPOINTS – most areas are a small walk away from one

-We are already going 25 MPH with Swiftness – it is actually 30% speed boost and they said that will be the max speed boost in game

-Unnecessary for Proper Gameplay – This game was designed without mounts so YES it is the way the game was meant to be played

-People will complain if some mounts cost Gems – not going to worry about this one*

-Exploitable if not balanced – every game I have played with mounts, it is the most uninvolved play – they break immersion for me

-Will make exploring TOO easy. Exploring is already too easy. What you want is a kitten experience
-“we dunt want WoW stuffz” (people comlaining that this game is turning into WoW)

NOT in LORE
Would be hard to add in as the game was NOT DESIGNED TO HAVE THEM

Mobs are not designed to deal with mounts – they would all have to be redesigned to have an anti-mount skill

Please fuel the fire, but do be professional and nice to others.

None of your pro-mount arguments mean anything. I have countered each one and unless you can come up with ways to take those into account – this is not a discussion.

The pro-mount people have to come up with better arguments than the tired ones stated above. As stated about debates, the side trying to change or sway has to have amazing reason as to why it should change. None of the above come to the level above stupid and egotism (the ’HEY LOOK AT ME, I HAVE A MOUNT! phrase comes to mind)

Also, in Dry Top, how are you going to deal with all the jumping with a mount?

As far as wild horses in the 2nd GW novel – they were being used as food by the Charr. So there are horses? That means nothing. Horses were here on earth way before they were used as a mount for soldiers – that is a nonsense argument again.

To the OP, You said be civil and yet you have not been civil at all. All you do is belittle people who disagree with you. So much for your rules you set out.

Dusty Moon.4382:

Also, in Dry Top, how are you going to deal with all the jumping with a mount?

Aspect infused mounts!!!! Neeeeiiiiighhhhh!!!
Skill 1: [Assisted Leap]
Skill 2: [Light Dash]

BlueZone.4236:

Dusty Moon.4382:

Also, in Dry Top, how are you going to deal with all the jumping with a mount?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUAsLSPIy2c

Aspect infused mounts!!!! Neeeeiiiiighhhhh!!!
Skill 1: [Assisted Leap]
Skill 2: [Light Dash]

As was stated, how do you propose to design a mount, make sure EACH profession and race does not clip with it?

How do you propose to balance the mobs, such that a mounted rider can be stopped. This is not done I most games is would be part of the balance here – that means EACH mob would have to have a new skill to deal with that. The AI would also have to be tweaked to deal with that. That is just not a simple (CLICK BOX, MOUNT ADDED) type of programming. That would be basically redesigning the game for mounts.

Sorry – I can’t see it being done. Besides, you would have the SAB people breaking down your doors as to why their precious SAB did not get put back in but mounts did.

Dusty Moon.4382:

BlueZone.4236:

Dusty Moon.4382:

Also, in Dry Top, how are you going to deal with all the jumping with a mount?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUAsLSPIy2c

Aspect infused mounts!!!! Neeeeiiiiighhhhh!!!
Skill 1: [Assisted Leap]
Skill 2: [Light Dash]

As was stated, how do you propose to design a mount, make sure EACH profession and race does not clip with it?

How do you propose to balance the mobs, such that a mounted rider can be stopped. This is not done I most games is would be part of the balance here – that means EACH mob would have to have a new skill to deal with that. The AI would also have to be tweaked to deal with that. That is just not a simple (CLICK BOX, MOUNT ADDED) type of programming. That would be basically redesigning the game for mounts.

Sorry – I can’t see it being done. Besides, you would have the SAB people breaking down your doors as to why their precious SAB did not get put back in but mounts did.

Have you been to Dry Top yet? Have you light dashed passed a mob?
Have you ever had a ranger and use a pet to distract the mobs while you run your merry way? Ever played a guardian to use aegis, judge’s intervention, spirit weapons, greatsword leap?
Great balance there, mate.

Also, professions are irrelevant. Different races have clipping issues already with armor.

Serbianwolf.1652:

Somebody said mounts? Again?

Dat necroposting….

^this, we already have way points, maps are small, lode incompatibility, unless your a dwarf ridding a doily, wvw mounts still slower than some classes.

p.s theres already a witch broom.

BlueZone.4236:

Dusty Moon.4382:

BlueZone.4236:

Dusty Moon.4382:

Also, in Dry Top, how are you going to deal with all the jumping with a mount?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUAsLSPIy2c

Aspect infused mounts!!!! Neeeeiiiiighhhhh!!!
Skill 1: [Assisted Leap]
Skill 2: [Light Dash]

As was stated, how do you propose to design a mount, make sure EACH profession and race does not clip with it?

How do you propose to balance the mobs, such that a mounted rider can be stopped. This is not done I most games is would be part of the balance here – that means EACH mob would have to have a new skill to deal with that. The AI would also have to be tweaked to deal with that. That is just not a simple (CLICK BOX, MOUNT ADDED) type of programming. That would be basically redesigning the game for mounts.

Sorry – I can’t see it being done. Besides, you would have the SAB people breaking down your doors as to why their precious SAB did not get put back in but mounts did.

Have you been to Dry Top yet? Have you light dashed passed a mob?
Have you ever had a ranger and use a pet to distract the mobs while you run your merry way? Ever played a guardian to use aegis, judge’s intervention, spirit weapons, greatsword leap?
Great balance there, mate.

Also, professions are irrelevant. Different races have clipping issues already with armor.

Yes – those skills replace yours. How would they replace a mounts skills, not you have mounts, that replaced yours, and those skills would replace mount skills? If you have ever tried to use 2 different potions , each with their own skill set – you lose both in game. I don’t think this type of complexity is setup in game.

Sorry – that is why I asked. Obfuscation is a way to debate.

Well, I’ll add this one here too:

Very likely, mounts are gonna be like the Mechanic Devourers in EotM. They’re transformations with advantages that are limited to specific maps, due to design that they’re part of.

They possess same limitations as Junundu and Siege Devourer in GW1, replaces player model and gives skills associated with the transformation.

Dusty Moon.4382:

BlueZone.4236:

Dusty Moon.4382:

BlueZone.4236:

Dusty Moon.4382:

Also, in Dry Top, how are you going to deal with all the jumping with a mount?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUAsLSPIy2c

Aspect infused mounts!!!! Neeeeiiiiighhhhh!!!
Skill 1: [Assisted Leap]
Skill 2: [Light Dash]

As was stated, how do you propose to design a mount, make sure EACH profession and race does not clip with it?

How do you propose to balance the mobs, such that a mounted rider can be stopped. This is not done I most games is would be part of the balance here – that means EACH mob would have to have a new skill to deal with that. The AI would also have to be tweaked to deal with that. That is just not a simple (CLICK BOX, MOUNT ADDED) type of programming. That would be basically redesigning the game for mounts.

Sorry – I can’t see it being done. Besides, you would have the SAB people breaking down your doors as to why their precious SAB did not get put back in but mounts did.

Have you been to Dry Top yet? Have you light dashed passed a mob?
Have you ever had a ranger and use a pet to distract the mobs while you run your merry way? Ever played a guardian to use aegis, judge’s intervention, spirit weapons, greatsword leap?
Great balance there, mate.

Also, professions are irrelevant. Different races have clipping issues already with armor.

Yes – those skills replace yours. How would they replace a mounts skills, not you have mounts, that replaced yours, and those skills would replace mount skills? If you have ever tried to use 2 different potions , each with their own skill set – you lose both in game. I don’t think this type of complexity is setup in game.

Sorry – that is why I asked. Obfuscation is a way to debate.

I dunno. What happens when you run into an aspect crystal while in costume/potion now?
Could always automatically dismount when you run into a crystal anyway.

Here is another reason not to have mounts. WE ALREADY HAVE THEM! Just because they do not give speed boosts does not mean they are not mounts. For everyone that complains about wanting mounts suck it up buy a broom and go riding.

Azhure.1857:

Just tired of Mount threads flooding the forums. Its a cheap tactic. Keep them consolidated, please.

Now you have SAB people using the same tactic.

Don’t know why people feel the need to flood their opinions everywhere. In fact I feel it degrades every word you say when you do it. Personally I was not for or against SAB, as an example, but now with people spamming it in threads I’m no longer going to support it. If people childishly spam something, then I’m going to view the topic as being equally childish.

While this is about mounts, not SAB, I view it the same way.

The bottom line is the MODS are failing to stay on top of these issues (SAB/MOUNT) are merge them. It’s funny how they stayed on top of Megaserver threads (and other ANET chnages from the same patch) and controlled them until they disappeared and only appear the odd time now. MODS need to be as dilegent with all of these Mount/Housing/SAB threads.

Add this to cons:

ANet has stated they don’t want Guardians constant access to swiftness because they believe the class brings too much to a fight; their lack of 25% speed boost sigil/traits and long CD/short duration on symbol of swiftness/retreat is a balancing decision. If we have mounts with built-in 25%/33% speed boost, ANet will have to nerf guardians.

tl;dr: introducing mounts will force nerfing of guardians (and possibly mesmers).

I’m against it because it’s unnecessary and just screen clutter.

Pros for mounts:
1. New way of exploring
2. Would allow ANet to make larger WvW maps, without having to worry about the travel time across it.
3. New mechanics for WvW. Dolyak mounts for transferring supplies to keeps and towers that need to be upgraded.

Cons for mounts:
1. Most likely will cost gems.
2. In WvW you could out run or be out run while trying to fight.

Rules for mounts:
1. When put into combat you dismount.
2. You can not randomly summon your mount from thin air. Waypoints would act as a mounting area. If you dismount or get put into combat, you have to run to a wp to get another.
3. Mounts run off an energy bar. There is no constant speed for your mount. when mounted there would be a skill bar with different speeds. (trot, gallop, sprint). trot would cost no energy, gallop would slowly drain your energy and sprint would drain faster. Once energy is depleted you return to trot.
4. Mounts can be equip with small extra bags for things such as extra armor sets, boosters, siege, tonics.

On a side note. How can there be centaurs if there are no horses? Are they not half horse? What is with all the carts in cities and in the world, yet no animals around to pull them?

Seems like the game needs more traveling animals in general.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Reasons For Mounts
-Easier exploring
-Faster Travel
-Looks Cool
-Anet can make money on Mount “Skins”
-It can be balanced properly
-Do not see how it hurts lore
-can be useful in World v World if balanced correctly

• You say “easier exploring”, I see “Uguu why can’t I run up this 90 degree angled mountain on my horsey?”
• You say “faster travel”, I point to Swiftness
• You say “looks cool”, I say “subjective opinion is not a valid reason”
• You say mount skins, I see “LOOK AT THIS PINK HORSEY!”
• You say it can be balanced properly, I say “It shouldn’t affect profession balance in the first place”
• You say it does not hurt the lore, I point to waypoints as a more advanced, more convenient form of travel.
• You say it could be balanced in WvW, I say “it should not be useable in WvW in the first place.”

The thing is, the only way that I would be able to accept mounts would literally make them redundant. You see, the mounts that I see are like this:

• Not useable in combat
• Not useable in cities
• No speed boosts
• No special properties of other type
• Racial

Before I get to your points, I just want to draw attention to the fact that you could take most of your arguments in favour of mounts and apply them to any game. You are basically taking a feature you enjoyed in other games, and assuming it belongs here just as much. But no one ever bothers to ask: Why do mounts belong in Guild Wars 2, specifically? How would they make THIS game better?

The reality is, we don’t need to pile up reasons why mounts are “bad.” Not having mounts is simply the default. Not needing mounts is obvious. There are an infinite number of ideas and features that could be put into the game, and they can’t do all of them. You need to demonstrate how they are a good thing for GW2, and why ArenaNet should spend their time and money creating mounts instead of other content.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Easier exploring

• Care to explain this one? I don’t see how exploring would be “easier” with a mount. If anything, it would be slightly inconvenient to have to open your inventory and double-click your mount item (or however you imagine the interface would be).
• Then there is the conflict with combat. I assume you could not mount while in combat, and would be dismounted upon entering combat? So that right there doesn’t seem “easier” than simply moving around on your own. Riding past an enemy or through an AoE risks getting hit, and dismounting. And I don’t think you’d be able to dodge-roll, stealth, or use an ability like Ride the Lightning while on a mount either.
• Do you think jumping puzzles or vistas will be “easier” on a mount? Quite the opposite. Any mount large enough to ride is going to have a much larger model than your character, and probably have four feet most of the time as well. Trying to land on narrow platforms is going to be a headache for you, not to mention people on mounts can easily make platforming annoying for everyone else by obscuring their view. Of course you can just dismount when you encounter this kind of situation, but I fail to see how mounts are making things any “easier.”
• Do we even need — or want — “easier exploration”? What is easier exploration, anyway? It seems pretty “easy” the way it is. You move around where you want to go.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Faster Travel

• I assume this is what you meant by “easier,” so I don’t see why you treat it as two points.
• I don’t think faster travel on mounts is a good thing. We have plenty of fast-travel options right now, whether you’re talking about waypoints or running around with speed buffs, swiftness, signets, etc.
• If you move faster while mounted, then you’re basically pressuring those who don’t want mounts to use them for the practical benefit. And if they don’t move faster, then your point is moot on this issue.
• Other MMORPGs have mounts because they need them. The gameplay is designed for them. Map size and game mechanics require mounts. And often, there are no waypoints (or very limited versions of them). This is not true of GW2. Mounts serve no practical purpose in this game.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Looks Cool

• Your subjective taste is not an argument. There are lots of things I think “look cool,” but it doesn’t mean they should be implemented in GW2. How do you know they look cool, anyway? We don’t even know what ArenaNet would design. Maybe mounts will be put in the game, and you’ll think they all look horrible.
• Not being able to see the merchant, NPC, gathering node, etc., that I’m looking for because a cloud of dolyak-riding trolls are crowding around in one spot does not “look cool.”
• My system chugging along at 10 FPS at anything other than the lowest settings because everyone in a zerg is mounted and now the game has to essentially render an extra character model per player? That doesn’t “look cool” either.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Anet can make money on Mount “Skins”

• ANet has to spend money to develop an interface for mounts, figure out the mechanics of how they’ll work, develop all the designs and animations, and work out all the clipping issues for each race and character size. Don’t underestimate how much work this will be. ANet will have to make a lot of money on gem store mounts, for this to be worth it.
• ANet does not need to make mounts, to make money on the gem store. They are already making money there, through perks, skins, and items that aren’t as labour-intensive as mounts.
• Again, this is no more true for GW2 than it is for any other MMO. Except, in a lot of other games, you can earn a variety of exotic mounts through gameplay. Unless there are a lot of free mounts (if any) to complement the gem store ones, I think players will be annoyed.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

It can be balanced properly

• I actually had to laugh a little at this one. “It can be balanced properly” is not a reason to put something in the game. I assume anything going in the game can be balanced properly, otherwise it does not deserve to be there.
• Yet again, you can say this about basically any idea, class, skill, or feature you can dream up. It doesn’t even have to do with mounts, specifically. You are basically saying “It could potentially be implemented so that it won’t directly harm the game.” Well, whoop dee doo. I am excited now.
• If players can simply use mounts to move around faster, then they’ll opt out of taking traits or skills to increase movement speed in favour of more damage. Swiftness will be a far less appealing boon. Movement speed signets and mobility skills are a real advantage for some professions — you’re taking them away from them, and replacing it with… what? Please don’t tell me this won’t affect class/skill/trait balance.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Do not see how it hurts lore

• I don’t think the lore conflict is that big a deal, but for the sake of argument — just look around. See anyone riding mounts, ever? No one in Tyria rides mounts, ever. Nobody keeps horses. There are moas, but no one rides them and none of them are big enough to ride anyway. Even dolyaks are used to carry heavy loads, but never ridden on.
• Tyria has Asura Gates, and Waypoints. People use these as their primary way method of travel. Asking for mounts in a world like that is basically like trying to convince people in our world to go back to riding horses.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

can be useful in World v World if balanced correctly

• NO WAY. WvW’s mechanics and scale was designed for a known degree of mobility. Like in the “balance” point, you will now be altering players’ strategies regarding mobility skills and movement speed buffs. If you want the advantage of speed, you have to sacrifice something for it — that’s part of the strategy. It was not intended for everyone, regardless of profession, to have a flat speed boost available at all times.
• “Allowing” mounts in WvW is the same as requiring them. If there is a speed boost associated with mounts, they will essentially be mandatory.
• WvW is bad enough on framerate — now all those huge zergs are going to be rendering extra mount models too.

Screen filling on a game otherwise artfully designed, where the designers want you to notice the time it took to put the landscape together

World bosses tend to have ~80 character models at a time swinging elaborate effects at its legs, mounts would tax that even further

Mounts would only be viable in PVE. for that matter~

We can port anywhere in the world for dirt cheap

[Swiftness]

Blude.6812:

Azhure.1857:

Just tired of Mount threads flooding the forums. Its a cheap tactic. Keep them consolidated, please.

Now you have SAB people using the same tactic.

Don’t know why people feel the need to flood their opinions everywhere. In fact I feel it degrades every word you say when you do it. Personally I was not for or against SAB, as an example, but now with people spamming it in threads I’m no longer going to support it. If people childishly spam something, then I’m going to view the topic as being equally childish.

While this is about mounts, not SAB, I view it the same way.

The bottom line is the MODS are failing to stay on top of these issues (SAB/MOUNT) are merge them. It’s funny how they stayed on top of Megaserver threads (and other ANET chnages from the same patch) and controlled them until they disappeared and only appear the odd time now. MODS need to be as dilegent with all of these Mount/Housing/SAB threads.

Mods of forums are different than developers. If you don’t know the difference, I think you need to go back to school. Anyone can be a mod on a forum, if they are allowed and follow the mod rules. I was a mod on an audio forum, for a while, and it is not a fun job. On many forums, the mods are volunteers not paid, not saying that is here.

Developers are much higher up in the food chain.

Hi. I may be a bit too late to provide some input, but I’ve been pondering the concepts of mounts in GW2 for a while.

My background for MMOs includes RuneScape and Guild Wars 1. I also played Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim— never tried World of Warcraft though.

I think mounts— as long as they are not fly-able and still force the driver to intercept mobs— are a great idea! They can be very stylish and introduce new bosses or activities.

Anyways, that’s just my input. I think the concept of mounts would need to be tested and debated more thoroughly before applying it to the game itself, but it’s still worth considering!

EDITED: After reviewing some of the replies, I just want to add— Dolyaks were COMMONLY ridden and whomever says differently has clearly never played GW1. The Stone Summit healers and menders would ride on those cutie cows.

. . . we need another thread about this?

Mounts are an interesting concept, however I expect there are a few thematic snags to get in the way.

First, waypoints still exist as the best form of quick-travel rather than mounts. With Taimi’s breakthrough being taken to be applied to the current network, it’s less likely there’s a lore reason to break that network down. However, it’s now lore they exist and function only where ley-line energy is strong enough to support them. This means it is likely some zones may see reduced waypoint availability if there aren’t ley lines nearby . . . and may make mounts plausible in those regions. This has been done before. (See: Requiring the Junundu in the Desolation due to terrain difficulties.)

Secondly, there is not a lot of mounts plausible for all races to use. I don’t think I’ve seen a horse (dolyaks seem to be the beast of burden here), despite there being skeletons of them in the past. Golems are generally built as asuran answers to ‘powered armor’ rather than mounts, sort of like Tony Stark’s lovely creation. While we did see dolyak mounted dwarves, I don’t think we saw humans riding anything to really tug on for letting it fit thematically.

Lastly, unless there was only one base model for a mount and customization options to let a player make it look different . . . I don’t see how the developers could get a mount to work for all five races aesthetically. Especially considering the size differential between the shortest asura and the biggest charr (probably the highest mass of the player races).

If these can get solved or just brushed aside by the developers, I see no reason for mounts to be excluded . . . if they don’t give statistic buffs beyond movement.

I don’t “need” a mount, but it would be welcome. Not for speed obviously. What do we need speed for when we have WPs right? But the thing is, there are lots of cool things you can do with mounts aside from speed (though maybe a speed skill just like we already use).

Imagine this.

There are a variety of mounts. These mounts are treated as weapons / disguises. They replace your weapon skills (or maybe even all skills) with a whole new set of mount skills. Each mount has its own set of skills. So you might keep different mounts around, like keeping different weapons, for the different skills. It would add a lot to the gameplay and look cool doing it.

A game is supposed to be fun right? Well this is the sort of thing that increases the fun-factor, and as long as it’s done in a way where it doesn’t give some huge advantage where it’s effectively “required”, then what’s the harm? Just one more thing to do that people find entertaining. Something fun to collect that (unlike minis) can actually be used for something, and it would come with more skills that we could acquire. We’ve been wanting more skills right? Maybe add a bunch of new traits to apply to those mount skills too, or have the mounts have their own set of traits.

I think it sounds pretty win-win. No doubt Anet could easily monetize that sort of thing as well, like selling costumes for the mounts or something.

There are many things I want addressed that I think are much higher priority than mounts.

But as a simple question of pro or anti mount ..I just struggle to come up with legit arguments for why it would be a bad idea. If it’s new content that gives us lots of new options and people enjoy it, then it’s not a waste of resources. As long as it’s done in a way that compliments the game (like I suggested above), I’d have to be pro-mount.

As for flying mounts, well those can be especially awesome (play Dragon’s Prophet and tell me they’re not). But more care needs to be taken for that, like make them unusable around jumping puzzles, WvW, dungeons, etc. But other than that, I would very much love to be able to fly (or at least glide) around the skies of Tyria. It’s a gorgeous world and the more ways we can experience it, the better.

I said this on map chat but I’ll put it here too. The only way I can see ANet putting mounts in this game is if it came with an expansion and the expansion involved going to another chunk of land. Let’s say, for example, we go to Cantha.

ANet can say something along the lines of, “The Asura haven’t been able to put waypoints in this new land because reasons. So here you go, ride this thingy around if you want, but you can only ride it in this land.”

Saying that they can just as easily say that “A group of Asura went ahead of everyone, scouted around and installed waypoints around the map”.

I’m kind of indifferent when it comes to mounts. If they add them then that’s cool, I’ll work towards getting one. If not then that’s fine too. We’ve survived this long without them, right?

Deli.1302:

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

Reasons For Mounts
-Easier exploring – we already have waypoints
-Faster Travel – we already have swiftness + waypoints
-Looks Cool – matter of opinion
-Anet can make money on Mount “Skins” – they can make money off anything
-It can be balanced properly – anet doesn’t have a good track record for that
-Do not see how it hurts lore – its nonexistence doesn’t hurt lore either
-can be useful in World v World if balanced correctly – wvw maps are already too small

Pretty bad arguments. Waypoints are quite often contested – especially in Orr. And even that, swiftness isn’t really fast: it’s only 33% instead of 100% that would have a mount. Also just be cause there are waypoints, doesn’t mean mounts aren’t convenient. In FFXIV you have mounts AND waypoints. No one complains.

As already mentioned: Swiftness is only 33%, Usually mounts give you 100% speed boost, which is far superior. So, Dolyaks and other animals who could be ridden aren’t ‘lore’? OK…

It would be extremely convenient in WvW, running to the Zerg over 3/4 of the map is very annoying. I would appreicate it if I had a 100% faster travelling speed.

ProtoGunner.4953:

It would be extremely convenient in WvW, running to the Zerg over 3/4 of the map is very annoying. I would appreicate it if I had a 100% faster travelling speed.

And since they would travel as fast as you with their mounts you won’t be able to catch them and the issue would be the same.

Mounts and capes…Why?

How about bug fixes, end game content, and an overhaul to WvW? Mounts….get outta here with that.

Why? So the whiners can complain that the shiny mount is too hard to get? Travel is already easy in this game. Certain I won’t convince anyone who is ‘pro-mount’ but that’s my opinion on the subject.

My thoughts are put simply with these images.

Thegreatninjaman.5891:

[…]
-Easier exploring
-Faster Travel
-Looks Cool
-Anet can make money on Mount “Skins”
-It can be balanced properly
-Do not see how it hurts lore
-can be useful in World v World if balanced correctly

Reasons Against Mounts
-We have waypoints
-We are already going 25 MPH with Swiftness
-Unnecessary for Proper Gameplay
-People will complain if some mounts cost Gems
-Exploitable if not balanced
-Will make exploring TOO easy.
-“we dunt want WoW stuffz” (people comlaining that this game is turning into WoW)

• Mounts will not make exploring easy, because GW2’s exploration is greatly vertical.
  How often people ask where to get to that one point underground in Kessex hills? Mounts make people think flat. And to explore, you must think in 3D.
• Nothing is faster than a waypoint. And you also have swiftness and permanent speed boosts. The only professions without permanent speed boosts are mesmer and guardian. You could fix that by either giving them permanent speed boosts in some form, or making scouts give speed bonuses like the free ones in cities for a symbolic fee, like 25 copper.
• Most mounts look stupid most of the time. Look at that new game archeage. Cats riding cats? Nonsense.
• ANet can mae money on a lot of things. That’s irrelevant.
• It does not matter if you can balace it or not.
• All horses are dead. Charr ate them all. People do not ride bulls, moas or dolyaks.
• I don’t see how. Siege golems are already getting s small speed boost. You want now siege golems that run around like crazy? Because siege golems ARE mounts.

Reasons for mounts:
- A different build within the context of particular events and missions.
This is the one and ONLY reason for mounts.

There could be events that ask you to ride a charr chopper or a tank and fight enemies, or ride a steam mechataur as fast as possible to a goal charging through enemies before the time runs out.
And there’s already hearts and story missions that ask you to ride or remote control other creatures or golems.

And there’s already things like siege golems and mecha siege devourers. Those are mounts. Mounts that hide your model and walk slower, but mounts nonetheless. There could be guild rushes that instead turning you into creatures let you ride the creatures, like a charr bike race. But leave the race, and there’s no more reason fr you to keep the ride.

So, mounts do exist, but they are nothing like in other games, and they shouldn’t be like in other games. They must be GW style: Within an area, for a specific use.

MithranArkanere.8957:

Reasons for mounts:
- A different build within the context of particular events and missions.
This is the one and ONLY reason for mounts.

Fixed. And yeah, mini games wuld be fun (rollerbeetle racing!)

Hybrid.7059:

It’s an absolute waste of resources. Add that to your list please.

how is this a waste of resources if they sell mounts in the cash shop? The Celestial Steed, World of Warcrafts first cash shop mount, earned them over 2 million dollars in the first four hours of release. GW2 does not have the amount of players that WoW did, but it should not take long for the first cash shop mount in GW2 to start earning a positive return.

Mounts could easily just be a 25% speed buff. This would give every class the option of having a passive 25% speed buff while out of combat. You get hit while on the mount and it knocks you off.

We currently have the riding broom. This functions perfectly as a mount, has the right restrictions, the only thing it lacks is a 25% speed buff.

So please explain how mounts would be a waste of resources when we already have one in the game?

illgot.1056:

Hybrid.7059:

It’s an absolute waste of resources. Add that to your list please.

how is this a waste of resources if they sell mounts in the cash shop? The Celestial Steed, World of Warcrafts first cash shop mount, earned them over 2 million dollars in the first four hours of release. GW2 does not have the amount of players that WoW did, but it should not take long for the first cash shop mount in GW2 to start earning a positive return.

Mounts could easily just be a 25% speed buff. This would give every class the option of having a passive 25% speed buff while out of combat. You get hit while on the mount and it knocks you off.

We currently have the riding broom. This functions perfectly as a mount, has the right restrictions, the only thing it lacks is a 25% speed buff.

So please explain how mounts would be a waste of resources when we already have one in the game?

WoW already HAD mounts in game. This game does not. The Pro-mount people NEVER want to admit that adding mounts is not as easy as a new weapon skin. There would be a whole lot of modeling, etc. to be put into the game.

Also, I NEVER WANT A SPEED BOOST OVER 33% – mounts with 100%? NO!!!! A.Net said that speed boosts, in game, were capped at 33%.

Mounts would just make this game chug even more, than it already does. Until more game engine optimizations are in game, mounts would really make this game unplayable.

I enjoy a world were there are no mounts. It is a nice breath of fresh air. There are plenty of games with mounts.

Dusty Moon.4382:

illgot.1056:

Hybrid.7059:

It’s an absolute waste of resources. Add that to your list please.

how is this a waste of resources if they sell mounts in the cash shop? The Celestial Steed, World of Warcrafts first cash shop mount, earned them over 2 million dollars in the first four hours of release. GW2 does not have the amount of players that WoW did, but it should not take long for the first cash shop mount in GW2 to start earning a positive return.

Mounts could easily just be a 25% speed buff. This would give every class the option of having a passive 25% speed buff while out of combat. You get hit while on the mount and it knocks you off.

We currently have the riding broom. This functions perfectly as a mount, has the right restrictions, the only thing it lacks is a 25% speed buff.

So please explain how mounts would be a waste of resources when we already have one in the game?

WoW already HAD mounts in game. This game does not. The Pro-mount people NEVER want to admit that adding mounts is not as easy as a new weapon skin. There would be a whole lot of modeling, etc. to be put into the game.

Also, I NEVER WANT A SPEED BOOST OVER 33% – mounts with 100%? NO!!!! A.Net said that speed boosts, in game, were capped at 33%.

Mounts would just make this game chug even more, than it already does. Until more game engine optimizations are in game, mounts would really make this game unplayable.

I enjoy a world were there are no mounts. It is a nice breath of fresh air. There are plenty of games with mounts.

We already have a mount in the game. The Witches Broom works perfectly as a mount. The only thing it lacks is a 25% speed buff.

The only legitimate reason they should focus a bit on mounts is to earn revenue. Mounts are a big seller in MMOs, even if the mount only gives you a 25% speed buff over base speed.

Not every class has access to a trait or skill for a passive 25% speed buff, mounts would even this field out at least for players out of combat. I don’t think we need anything faster than 25%, any faster and it would be nearly impossible for some classes to catch an enemy player in WvW

Mounts cannot have speed buffs for one reason: ANet considers character speed as part of their profession balancing.

Whether or not your class has a passive speed boost trait/signet, what do you give up for a set of speed/traveler runes, how long your swiftness lasts and the cooldowns on your swiftness-granting skills, and what weapons/utility traits you have to equip to gain access to swiftness – all of that is to dictate who gets a fight when and what they get to bring to the fight (yes, this is a WvW balancing issue); introducing mounts with a built-in 25% speed boost throws all of that out the window and it wouldn’t just be whipping up some models and adding animations, it would also require a rebalancing of every class.