Favorite MMO things: Mounts

I was never a big mount collector in MMOs, the way I am/was for gear or companion pets in the past. There was a time in WoW when I belonged to the top pet collectors on my realm, long before Pokémon became a thing in WoW. I remember when Blizzard started adding more and more of everything, halfway through TBC everyone was farming Stratholme, Zul’Gurub and Kharazan for mounts and then the whole protodrake-this and that trend kicked off, the rest is history. Today, players own literally hundreds of mounts and pets in WoW.

Me and my bud in LOTRO

Me and my bud in LOTRO

Very early into the mount mania, I was put off by the sheer amount of often sameish or else ludicrous mount design that bugged me for its silliness. Giant chicken and fetish polar bears are funny for a split second before they become eyesores. I realize, I am a conservative when it comes to picking my own transport companions though; I like horses, adored my horse in LOTRO for its realistic riding feel and sound effects. When it’s not a horse, I’ll most likely choose something that feels either natural to theme and setting or at least part of an established race (or else device) from fantasy fiction. So my favourite mounts are generally –

  • Horses
  • Dragons
  • Wildcats / Lions
  • Gryphons / Eagles
  • Magic/Mechanical devices

Oh and I don’t enjoy switching mounts frequently, either. You know those randomization macros for mounts and pets in MMOs? Yeah, don’t like them! Makes me feel as if I was a zoo-keeper rather than adventurer. Where am I keeping all those animals, Hermione’s bottomless handbag?

That’s not to say I don’t understand the collector’s drive, I do! I’ll check out whatever mounts come my way, sometimes I’ll even get a goofy one (usually for seasonal events) as long as it’s either free/cheap or easy to acquire. I won’t spend any cash on all the mounts however and I certainly wouldn’t grind any, unless the game forced me to. Still, no matter how many I own, I end up using the same one or two most of the time. I like thinking of my mount as companion, the way they are named in FFXIV. When MMOs give you a naming option for your mounts or pets, that’s a big plus in my book. Oh and taming your own mount, what ever happened to that feature?

Speaking of which, I currently own about 15 mounts in FFXIV, most of which were given to me as quest rewards or else as subscription deals. FFXIV doesn’t come with an awful lot of serious horse options, so I actually acquired Odin’s steed via the cash shop, which was money well spent. I also like my Chocobo because it belongs to Final Fantasy the same way mogs do. They are treated respectably in FFXIV with tons of cosmetic options similar to LOTRO’s horses. And the dragon mounts from the current expansion are just fantastic, I’d happily trade 20 different WoW protodrakes for my Midgardsormr and Twintania!

mountsffxiv

My favorite FFXIV companions

There are plenty of ludicrous, huge and nasty looking mounts in FFXIV too, in case you were wondering. Some of them are mind-bogglingly large and one or two, like the Bomb Palanquin, make me laugh whenever I see them. Yet somehow they still feel more natural within the Final Fantasy setting, maybe because this franchise has always had its frivolous, bizarre moments. Either way, I’m sticking to my horses and dragons – I am boring that way.

7 comments

  1. I enjoy collecting, but very often I’ll choose the mount that “feels best” and plonk that on my bars. In FFXIV, I use my chocobo, SWTOR I use the speeder I got for subscribing pre-KOTFE, Rift I mostly use my squirrel or fox, WoW it’s my Nether Faerie.. sometimes I get bored and switch it up, or maybe something else comes along, but mostly I collect because I enjoy collecting and just go with the mount that suits me most. 😀

    1. I really liked riding in LOTRO, I thought it was very well done motion-wise, haha…..all my RL encounters with horses were like that, awkward and slow to navigate! But the great feel in the game probably was mostly down to the SFX.

  2. In FFXIV, there are the primal horses. They are easier to get now. And it seems a winged steed is on the way. I glimpsed it in one of the patch 3.1 trailers. Also, don’t forget the white mage unicorn you get at lvl 20 or so as part of the quest line. If you can stomach 30 min plus PVP queues, 100 wins with your grand company gets you the Grand Company Steed.

    1. Yeah the thing is, I find the primal mounts all rather awful! 😀 Silly colors, silly manes, silly unicorn looks all of them including the WHM model. Thanks though! 😉

  3. Ay the dragon in FFXIV is goegeous! And I agree with Ysharros, ArcheAge horses are both beautyful and moves like RL horses. I appreciate that as i had my own horses in many years irl so I can tell they r good. And i like the way they dont despawn when i jump off. Instead they start following me 🙂

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