DEVs, Let the ExBirds "fly"!

[ErikMynhier]

Ok this is not a "open flying in 2.x areas" post, let me get that right out of the way.

As of now the Lanner ExPrimal birds run in ARR areas like dorks. I mean seriously all the trouble to get these things and you look like you are riding a radioactive canary. I know there are no plans to allow flight, and that's fine, I offer a compromise.

As you know most ground mounts have 3 animations; standing, walking, and running. So lets do this. In standing the Lanner stands as it does now. In the walk, let it again walk as it does now. At run though, let that bird spread its wings and use its flight animation. Like the Ahriman it would simply use the animation not actually fly. I think it would just be nice.

If you like the idea like the post, the DEVs lately have been saying they watch that. So help me out. And to any DEVs or mods out there, let me know if this is doable.

[Fynlar]

You think being stuck to "flying" just a few inches off the ground wouldn't look just as ridiculous?

[Alexander_Dragonfang]

You think being stuck to "flying" just a few inches off the ground wouldn't look just as ridiculous?

Low altitude flight is much more reasonable than eagles with weird ass long legs to run weirdly. Also, all fish enemies already float. It would be much better than that awkward running.

[Ametrine]

The Ahrimen already "fly" a reasonble height off the ground when not literally flying.

The birds could get the same treatment.

[ErikMynhier]

You think being stuck to "flying" just a few inches off the ground wouldn't look just as ridiculous?

Always one negative fella. To answer you, no, no I don't think it would be as or more ridiculous as it is now.

[SigmaOZ]

Hovering birds would look ridiculous so there's no way I would support this, SE force them to run because it's physically impossible for the birds to fly under ARR skies, be it a huge spell or whatever reason!...

Unless the dev team decides to remake old areas and support flying there's not much of a reason to do this half-baked (a***d) attempt!...

[CUTS3R]

They could "fly" as high as the Magitek ship mount we get from HW story ( forgot the name ).

This mount is almost sitting above my max height Femroe when its in 2.0 areas. So why not let the Ex birds do the same when the move at full speed ?

[Welsper59]

Hmm I can't help but think back to WoW and the Hippogryph mounts back then. They looked ridiculous as hell being in flight while moving on the ground lol. For the Ahriman reference, you gotta consider that they're not exactly something we can reference to, unlike birds. Ahriman are practically always shown to be in flight, where being hurt or dead are the only times they're on the ground. Most birds can move/run on their feet in a manner that isn't just hopping.

I dunno, I'm not against the idea in general, but I do speak from my own experience with mounts (in WoW) that can effectively be moving with their feet on the ground, but don't and just hover as they move. The only real justification I can think of is bird mobs, since I think they're always in flight. They move slowly though, which then raises the flag that a lot of winged mounts tend to extend their wings to essentially ride the wind. Gonna look pretty ridiculous seeing that at ground level lol. I'd imagine if we had smaller bird mounts, they'd be able to do it, but for the ones we do have and how large of a wingspan is there, it really does imply ridiculous a lot more easily.

[Ametrine]

Well, OP specifically mentioned flight would only be at top speed.

[Jonnycbad]

Ahrimans wings are oriented differently from bird wings too