So ground mounts...

[OMEGA_HACK]

and move half speed compared to just flying

But you can still get aggro when flying low to the ground. And who knows maybe the heavy penalty will slow you even more when flying or maybe it will make it where you cannot fly. We just don't know all the details yet.

[Hiruke]

I'm much more concerned that when I try to cast a mount, it takes 1 second or whatever instead of just being instant. Plus if I move a little too soon (after 1 second has passed and I've actually done the "whistle" to make the mount come out but before the mount actually appears) then I waste the cast and keep on walking. Great!

For example, in Tera, you can cast mounts instantly, and, well, it's amazing. Instant cast mounts. The best thing ever.

[Gilraen]

The reason for the casting time is to make players sure that they don't have aggro when they call the mount. If you do have aggro, you can't call the mount and if you're attacked while calling a mount the casting time is interrupted. Not sure why they carried it over, but the notion here is that mounts aren't 'safe mode' and Heavy is meant to instill a sense of 'dread'. While this was true in 1.0, that just isn't the case in 2.0. I'm more inconvenienced than scared and if I aggro while on a mount I just keep going. While insta-cast isn't something I can get behind, Heavy needs to die.

[Imoye]

I'm much more concerned that when I try to cast a mount, it takes 1 second or whatever instead of just being instant. Plus if I move a little too soon (after 1 second has passed and I've actually done the "whistle" to make the mount come out but before the mount actually appears) then I waste the cast and keep on walking. Great!

For example, in Tera, you can cast mounts instantly, and, well, it's amazing. Instant cast mounts. The best thing ever.

Yup, Tera could've been a really good game if it weren't for such obvious huge flaws, instant mounts were amazing though.

Also, getting aggro while casting the mount is nothing but an annoyance. As long as you can't use it while in combat, I don't see a reason why we can't have instant cast mounts. Another alternative, like in Rift, is to make mounts castable while in combat, but interruptable if hit.

Flying mounts pretty much makes ground mounts obsolete, unless in a restricted area. For me flying doesn't add any noteworthy benefit. It's not like AFK queueing in cities isn't widespread enough. Nah, we need R/Numlock AFK flying as well to make the world beneath completely dead and barren with zero interaction.

/sigh.

[Sinsain]

just fly close to the ground?

[Felis]

With that expansion, there probably won't be much need to be in 2.0 open world areas unless we're forced to for the new Relic Questline

Even now there are still enough lv 50 people running around in lv 40 areas. And not every new mainstory quest will be in the new zones. There will be still enough which send you back through the old zones.

Flying mounts pretty much makes ground mounts obsolete, unless in a restricted area.

Just teach your companion to fly. Then you have a flying mount and ground mount in one.

While insta-cast isn't something I can get behind, Heavy needs to die.

Yes. They should instead raise the chance for auto-dismount.