Mount System Suggestion

[RyuRoots]

To OP: Absolutely not. I'm fine with mounts being mostly cosmetic, and being able to just go anywhere with whatever your favorite one is. It'd be an enormous annoyance to be forced to use specific ones, especially ones you need to grind rep for. Frankly, I'd start to despise those mounts rather than like them more. If anything, I'd want more mounts to be functional as Companions, especially the ones that already have attack animations finished (drake, elbst, etc).

[PArcher]

Maybe if the mounts gave extra traits for certain areas, like drakes going faster over sand rather than the drake being the ONLY mount that can cross the desert, then we'd have something going. But as of the current idea now, it's pretty silly how a giant dragon or a round floating metal ball can suddenly be afraid of some hot sand.

This is what I was thinking going along with the OP's idea. Give mounts a little bonus in certain areas. Something nice to have, but isn't necessary.

Maybe certain ones have a lesser/no chance to be Heavy'd in certain areas (like, the Elbst in Sahagan-controlled areas, or Drake in Amalj'aa territory..sorry, have to deal with it in the Sylphlands > ), lesser chance to aggro mobs in places (maybe ADS and Twintania in Azys Lla would do this, or Middy and the Wyvern to dragon-type enemies...or any mount to similar mobs)...stuff like that. Nothing game-breaking (though, maybe make the GC Horses only have a chance to Heavy when struck in Frontlines rather than 100% chance.but ONLY when you are on the correct GC. You earned the horse after all...)

EDIT: Would say no to any movement speed increases in certain areas, just because people would definitely feel like they *must* use that mount there. Blanket increases to mounts' speed, fine, but not just in certain areas.

[Craigen]

Maybe if the mounts gave extra traits for certain areas, like drakes going faster over sand rather than the drake being the ONLY mount that can cross the desert, then we'd have something going. But as of the current idea now, it's pretty silly how a giant dragon or a round floating metal ball can suddenly be afraid of some hot sand.

I like this idea. Adds the depth without taking features away which was the main inconvenience with the first post.

[Craigen]

To OP: Absolutely not. I'm fine with mounts being mostly cosmetic, and being able to just go anywhere with whatever your favorite one is. It'd be an enormous annoyance to be forced to use specific ones, especially ones you need to grind rep for. Frankly, I'd start to despise those mounts rather than like them more. If anything, I'd want more mounts to be functional as Companions, especially the ones that already have attack animations finished (drake, elbst, etc).

Fair enough. That seems to be a general sentiment is what's done is done and to not take any features away. I like some of the other suggestions of unlocking certain mounts giving bonuses to all the mounts though.

[Craigen]

This is what I was thinking going along with the OP's idea. Give mounts a little bonus in certain areas. Something nice to have, but isn't necessary.

Maybe certain ones have a lesser/no chance to be Heavy'd in certain areas (like, the Elbst in Sahagan-controlled areas, or Drake in Amalj'aa territory..sorry, have to deal with it in the Sylphlands > ), lesser chance to aggro mobs in places (maybe ADS and Twintania in Azys Lla would do this, or Middy and the Wyvern to dragon-type enemies...or any mount to similar mobs)...stuff like that. Nothing game-breaking (though, maybe make the GC Horses only have a chance to Heavy when struck in Frontlines rather than 100% chance.but ONLY when you are on the correct GC. You earned the horse after all...)

Good point with the heavy thing.

[Craigen]

one thing that should be added instantly is to increase ground mount speed in heavensward areas, or make them slightly faster than flying.

I wouldn't mind the mount speeds being increased in the Pre-3.0 areas to compensate for not being able to fly. It's a quicker and easier temporary solution than making all the 2.0 areas fly-able.