Your opinion on mounts?

[hideo kuze]

I was going for a poll but I'll wait for some feedback first, as also to see on what you think on what the possibilities could be.

So let's see how it goes, and if it's worthwhile I will start a poll.

 

Would you like mounts to be present in the game?

A -- Yes, but they are only present conceptually (you don't ever see your party mounting one) and only serve as fast travel and mules.

B -- Yes, you get to see PCs and NPCs mounting them and enter combat while ridding them. They also serve as fast travel and mules.

C -- Yes, but only if it's implementation costs are under 100k

D -- No.

E -- NO! (kill it with fire)

F -- Other. Tell me what goes on your head.

 

Maybe some of you are getting the "y u wanna do that?" reaction, so I'll tell you my reasons for wondering about this:

 

1) combat is RTwP and there was mention of trying to explore its mechanics

What better way than considering kinetic energy equations and Newton's laws of motion?

And what can be more fun that ridding across the plains with a polearm (or a gleave) and impaling (or slicing) hordes of minions?

 

2) there was mention of fast travel and skills

So at the very least this could be a way to fast travel as long as you have the appropriate tame/ride skills.

 

3) this was what planted the seed and made me wonder about it. You can blame it on Justin Sweet

 

 

 

 

I hope I don't regret starting this thread...

 

Disclaimer: I never played WoW nor Mount and Blade. (two opposites, I know)

[alanschu]

I think they are overrated for the most part. They made sense in Mount and Blade, but I never found myself missing them in games like the Infinity Engine games.

[Ieo]

No, I think the related mechanics would be far too much trouble to implement. Perhaps there might be magical ports, or something silly like Boots of Speed, or a toggle for walk/run speeds, but I don't feel mounts are necessary or enhancing at all for a 2D fixed camera experience.

[Chunkyman]

Meh, I don't really see the need. I'm not opposing their inclusion, but I don't see how they would make the game funner.

[TCJ]

I think horses would be interesting to have and would add other elements of strategy to combat. More use of polearms, "trick" weapons like caltrops, and other stuff like that. That said, I don't know if they would be able to add enough to the game to make the effort worthwhile. I couldn't see them in BG2 because 1) the areas were much too small and could be traversed quite quickly on foot and 2) there were not that many outdoor areas and horses didn't make sense indoors.

[Thulean]

I like the idea of mounts better than I do some kind of transit system which I find cheesy in fantasy games. Obviously not as fast though. I think they might clutter things up and you would also need to possibly implement a separate mounted combat system. I think it could be a nice touch though.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Thulean

[Nakia]

Oblivion and Skyrim both had them and I seldom used them.

1) Yes, if doesn't cost too mucj and they are useful. Can carry stuff, run from opponents, everyone can use the, that means if the player gets a mount companions get one too. You can cast spells while mounted as well as do archery and melee combat.

2) No if it is costly

3) No if they are mainly just eye candy

[Erollisi Marr]

I think their existance is acceptable. I don't see the overarcing need for them to be purchaseable or necessary however. Something guards in town are seen ontop of and maybe a few random battles you fight NPC's on them. Little more.

 

"CERTAINLY" not a resource drain to more important better features. But added yes. Thats appropriate, They add a level of brutality to the front line of any battlefield, look at movies and battlefield art, Ive drawn art based off of battlefields, Its my favorite subject to portray(dare I say specialty). Its probably infact ingrained on your head to be intimidated and afraid of a man with a large weapon on a horse.

 

Games these days use horses as "MOVEMENT SPEED INCREASE LOL". Inappropriate to use them alone for that. Anyways, I stick to original statement. add yes, drain resources on, no.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Erollisi Marr

[Monkcrab]

I choose.....A)!

 

I like mounts in games like Skyrim, but I just don't see the point in stuff like PE. Mounts and beasts of burden ARE a crucial aspect of any culture, though, so there should be some mentions of it in the lore and perhaps some use as mules. Maybe even something like Ultima VII, where you can buy a carriage/wagon for your party to ride and strategically place chests on. But only if implementation costs less than an average in-game building.

[molarBear]

mounts can only be the justification for travelling long distances (like in fallout 2(the car), arcanum (the train))

otherwise NO!

Edited September 23, 2012 by molarBear

[Knott]

Even in table top games mounts never really amounts to anything more than a novelty that carries you or your loot overland.

They become too cumbersome to take into certain areas and terrains and if only one player character is any good at mounted combat, then its usually a waste of xp.

 

Mounts can be really awsome though, if the campaign itself revolves around them. A full party of mounted heroes in a story driven by the elements that makes mounts fun and interesting is quite rewarding. Such a campaign will be refreshingly different from ye olde dungeon crawl.

 

A and C

[Stiler]

I would like to at least see mounts in the world. See peopel riding them on roads, have them stabled in front of taverns and what not.

 

PErhaps even have story elements where you ride them (but don't do combat), just where it makes sense and adds to the fact that mounts exist in the world and are a part of it.

 

Doing combat from mounts would be the hard part. Since it's an isometeirc party-based game I think it would be a bit wonky myself. A few isometeric style games have done combat ok (IE Sacred games) but they were more hack and slash style not really tactical combat.

[Dragoonlordz]

The issue I have with mounts is you have to remember that you have a party so you would either need mounts for them all or a single mount in the form of a large beast of some sort that can carry you all. In respect to combat it also defeats the point of having a party if single large mount (think along the lines of formation mechanics). Overall regarding mounts I have to say I am not in favor. What I will say is that I am in favor of forms of transport in the game but only from town to town as fast travel. Think trains, airships and such but personal mounts no thanks.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Dragoonlordz

[nikolokolus]

I'm ambivalent about mounts in most games, most of the time they feel like a novelty and unless they are a central gameplay mechanic, they often feel tacked on. I just don't think they're going to matter all that much in a game like this.

[molarBear]

The issue I have with mounts is you have to remember that you have a party so you would either need mounts for them all or a single mount in the form of a large beast of some sort that can carry you all. In respect to combat it also defeats the point of having a party if single large mount (think along the lines of formation mechanics). Overall regarding mounts I have to say I am not in favor. What I will say is that I am in favor of forms of transport in the game but only from town to town as fast travel. Think trains, airships and such but personal mounts no thanks.

 

maybe you buy a gigantic beast that can bear all your party on its back. purely for transportation purposes (and carry extra loot). but still overkill.

Edited September 23, 2012 by molarBear

[AwesomeOcelot]

I don't think it makes much sense to have mounts in an isometric squad based real-time + pause RPG, it makes a lot of sense in an action adventure type game or a FPS sandbox game like Skyrim. I can't see myself having fun with mounted combat in this type of game, if I wanted that I'd stick to Mount and Blade.

 

If they go into in-depth world map play, the car in Fallout 2 being a good example. Another example being an early game by Naught Dog (Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted) an RPG by the name of Rings of Power released on MS-DOS and Sega Mega Drive in 1991. You had boats, ships, a giant bipedal lizard, and dragon to traverse the world map, and they had different consumption rates of food and water, e.g. water was consumed quickly on boats in the sea, and food was consumed quickly when flying on a giant dragon.

[Dianjabla]

In the games I've played that had them, I've only ever used them as a means of faster travel. Sanctuary, for instance. But really they were much less useful in combat because half or more of your skills you couldn't use while mounted. Oblivion had a fast travel system, why would I need to keep running back to a horse? But if they had a map system like BG or FO, then nuts to horses as more screen clutter and wasted resources.

[hideo kuze]

I think they are overrated for the most part. They made sense in Mount and Blade, but I never found myself missing them in games like the Infinity Engine games.

The reason for that is that no encounter was made with that setting in mind. And I don't remember any game having mounts back then.

Also they would be a million times more expensive since they were using sprites.

 

 

I think horses would be interesting to have and would add other elements of strategy to combat. More use of polearms, "trick" weapons like caltrops, and other stuff like that. That said, I don't know if they would be able to add enough to the game to make the effort worthwhile. I couldn't see them in BG2 because 1) the areas were much too small and could be traversed quite quickly on foot and 2) there were not that many outdoor areas and horses didn't make sense indoors.

Besides horses, I think monstrous mounts can make fights also more interesting through their sheer size and special skills (tail whip, fire breath, thrusting, grappling).

Yes, those are goods reasons for them not being in the game. However!, considering today's screen size which can give for a RTS scale of things http://i.imgur.com/pBoW5.jpg, and if interesting outdoor locations are added (large plains, ancient battlefields, ongoing battles with dozens of npcs/critters!), then they can have a lot of use.

Additionally, they also provide some variety to combat.

 

 

 

Goblins can look cute on worgs. n.n I support cuteness.

 

But I think a party full of horses will just cause a crowded screen? And a huge host of animations and such to do. Plus, what happens when you enter a dungeon? Horses wait outside - even if your party rests for a few days inside? ;3

It doesn't make sense to be ridding inside a town, a dungeon, or any small location.

In terms of animations, I'm not entirely sure of what is required. You have the critter movement (which will be already part of the game if you have big critters in it), you have the mount, the unmount can be the mount played backwards, the combat animations stay the same with some rotation matrix applied to the torso, with some exceptions.

And yeah, if you enter a dungeon you leave them outside and cast an invisibility sphere Otherwise they might get stolen or you get ambushed from behind.

 

 

 

The issue I have with mounts is you have to remember that you have a party so you would either need mounts for them all or a single mount in the form of a large beast of some sort that can carry you all. In respect to combat it also defeats the point of having a party if single large mount (think along the lines of formation mechanics). Overall regarding mounts I have to say I am not in favor. What I will say is that I am in favor of forms of transport in the game but only from town to town as fast travel. Think trains, airships and such but personal mounts no thanks.

Well, that is another roleplay aspect.

You can get a single mount and use as a mule first. Or decide to go with a smaller party so that you're able to buy 3 or 4 mounts.

Or just wait until you have the resources to buy 6 mounts.

 

 

 

 

About the budget required, which is the key point here, FWIW I would rather have this than a house.

 

For me it would be something cool to have, and I'm fine with:

- not having this at all

- only having it for cosmetic purposes (giving the world more realism) and fast travel

- having some special enemies using mounts (which just love to thrust, step on, and then chew off your mage's head)

- all of the above with full mounted combat for the player as well (but only if we have several battles that can make use of this)

[Kennethmk]

B

I have had positive experiences with mounted combat in several video games and table tops, when they aren't included it just feel very weird, like, why can't I do this thing even as an option, it breaks logic to a certain degree. Granted there are resources to be thought about and implementation would be tricky, but I wouldn't want to tie dev hands if they think they have a solution to this problem that would be unique and might add to the color of combat. I know that most of what rpgs have been traditionally don't include situation mounts are useful, i.e. dungeons, but if the opportunity does appear were they would obviously be of use, like an open battlefield, or were they should appear say if you are traveling and are waylaid, you would be traveling on horseback. I know my option here will be unpopular but I thought I would throw in my two cents.

[Shevek]

This is a feature that would likely...

 

...be very expensive to implement in terms of man hours.

...be implemented poorly since its never been done well in an isometric rpg

...provide little to no advantage over not having them.

 

Looking at that list, I do not see much of a positive in taking the time and money to implement mounts in this game.

[SqueakyCat]

E

 

Absolutely zero interest in this feature.

[Aedelric]

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/60826-rideable-mounts/page__hl__mount

 

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/60588-mounts-and-mounted-combat-should-they-be-added-as-a-stretch-goals/page__hl__mount?do=findComment&comment=1204362

 

How many topics do we need for a feature that most people seem to dislike?

[Keyrock]

A - I would like to see mounts used in conjunction with traveling skills to move around the world map. While I also wouldn't mind mounted combat I just don't see that realistically being within the scope of something that could be funded with Kickstarter. It would simply require taking too much time and resources away from other areas of the game.

[rjshae]

Well personally I like the idea of mounts in a RPG. But if they aren't available for party members, it still represents a big hole in a FRPG for mounts not to be available for NPCs and enemies. For example, giving bandits light mounts would make them a lot tougher to tackle since they can just ride away when the party proves a tough egg to crack.

[trulez]

No.