Dev Blog – Mounts in Neverwinter
By TrailTurtle @ February 22, 2013 at 6:00am
When a peasant militia sets off for a fight, they’re stuck with sandals and shoes. When a hero of Neverwinter challenges an orc warband, though, she’s riding a giant armored spider. With the next Beta Weekend not too far away, we’d like to showcase what makes mounts so good in Neverwinter: all the ways to get them, some development stories, and a sneak peek at our mount plans.
The Basics & Getting Mounts
The mounts of Neverwinter are speed and status symbols combined, and we’re drawing on D&D lore for all kinds of spectacular mounts.
When Neverwinter launches, mounts are going to be one of the key midgame rewards, and we’re tentatively planning special mounts for dedicated PvPers and Foundry authors. When you hit Level 20, you’ll unlock the ability to get mounts. (Make sure to save up gold from quests, though, as mounts aren’t cheap.)
At high levels, zones are larger, so you’ll be riding to locations and hopping off for combat. These zones are every bit as epic as we could make them, so having a mount will save a ton of time in Icespire Peak and Mount Hotenow.
You’ll be able to get several mounts just with gold, but you can also pick up some mounts through the Founder’s Packs and the C-Store. We’re hoping to get horses, bears and wolves in the C-Store. Remember that you’ll be able to get C-Store currency with Astral Diamonds from events, so keep an eye on the in-game calendar.
It’s important to note that mounts are not limited by race or class. As long as your character’s unlocked a mount, you can use it. This might end up looking a little incongruous (say, the spider mount being ridden by a bite-sized halfling), but we want players to have the flexibility to define their own characters.
Dev’s-Eye View:
Mounts are a genre staple, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to program – especially for halflings. Because of the height difference, halflings sunk partway into the horse’s back, so they looked like centaurs. We eventually modified the animations to account for this, but it was a running joke for a while.
Speaking of running, before we had mounts or mount animations, you’d still get the speed bonus, but the mount was invisible. For a while there, every adventurer was a sprinter.
Looking Ahead:
Right now, the best way to get a snazzy mount is through the Founder’s Packs, both a warhorse and an armored spider, but there are going to be other ways as well: We’re looking at mounts as a major reward. If everything goes well, we’d like to have them in the Invocation system (rewards for staying online), PvP system, and even the user-driven Foundry system.
We’d love to have it so that if your quest in the Foundry is cool enough, you’ll get a mount. Star Trek Online has done Foundry spotlights, and the creativity we’re already seeing in Neverwinter’s Foundry is spectacular. We’d like to encourage that with mount rewards.
Speaking of which, yes, you can use mounts in Foundry maps. Foundry authors can tag maps as interior or exterior, so we’ll probably see some quests designed around chases or other mount-centric excitement.
We’ve also got a few mounts we’re hoping to have as PvP rewards, including bears and a Howler – dig through your D&D Monster Manual to see what those look like. These plans are all still tentative, so stay tuned for exact details.
Get your beta access in the Founders Packs and make sure to join the Beta Weekends in Neverwinter!
Click here to register for Neverwinter, the upcoming free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG. The best part about Neverwinter: it's free to play! Prepare by becoming a Hero of the North today with a Founder's Pack purchase!
Want more game details, screens, and videos? Like Neverwinter on Facebook for more fan-exclusive content and follow us on Twitter – tweet us your questions! And, subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest Neverwinter videos.
daroska @ Mar 1st, 2013 2:29PM
Reminds me of World of Warcraft's mounted system, although, I'd like to see some mounted combat. Like found in Mount
ashah78 @ Mar 1st, 2013 5:42AM
Flying Pigs as mounts .... LOL
argantis @ Feb 28th, 2013 8:56PM
From what I have seen the mounts look cool, however I have no real feel for it myself until the beta weekend. One thing that I have noticed is all of the talk about how it would be cool to change up the typical, already done, mount and dismount animations. You know clicky poof your mounted, clicky poof your not mounted, poofy mounts! Anyhow, I have a suggestion about that. It would be cool if the mounts fade away effect. You dismount and your mount stands around for a few seconds, somewhere between 3-10 and as the time passes it slowly fades away while it meanders around grazing or looking menacing or whatever it is that mounts do. Also, on a side note, here is my plea for lurker above and mimics to be in the game :)
skittletalk91
When is the next beta weekend?
mok33
Mimics are in the game.
argantis
Next Beta is on the 8th this coming weekend. http://nw.perfectworld.com/news/?p=805541
bighalsy @ Feb 28th, 2013 12:30PM
I'd like some really weird and different mounts. I'd like a Gelatinous Cube mount! :)
argantis
Might be tough not sinking into it....
bighalsy @ Feb 28th, 2013 12:29PM
Lissiel, you're not supposed to state you're in the Alpha.
somthgelse @ Feb 27th, 2013 8:55PM
K so I've played a lot of other games and flying mounts are not that rare in fantasy games. But this being a new game and all I'll have mercy on the devs and simply thank you for the efforts you're already making. The mounts sound great. I'm very fond of wolf mounts and am easy to please that way. Spiders make me go ick, but I suppose I can see the attraction for others. I'd really much rather dispense with the "disappearing mount" and just stay on the mount during combat. It's a real hassle in some games to have to dismount before attacking something. It's unrelated, but can we please dispense with the silly there and back again quests? What I love most about Star Trek Online is the com system, finish a quest and they just contact you by com, no need to travel back to the quest giver to complete the quest and get the reward, just move on to the next quest. I guess it is related to mounts in that it's related to travel. Annoying travel turns me off.
lissiel @ Feb 27th, 2013 2:24PM
any chance i can keep my wolf mount i got in alpha testing when i startted and have it in the real game when it launches please?
elromon @ Feb 27th, 2013 6:01AM
Hippogriff please, I have had my loyal Hippogriff as a mount on my ranger in tabletop for 20 years now! It dosen't even have to fly!!!!!!
fritzdesu
yeah i hope there will be more variety of mounts . so no one will have the same mount as the others have.
kuthber @ Feb 26th, 2013 3:42PM
I hope this game is as good as everyone says I stopped playing wow and really don't wanna go back.
scruzo @ Feb 26th, 2013 10:47AM
A Wife Mount... that way i can get her mounted each night, with no fights..... =P
jaecern
LOL-TH!!! Would love to have one too. XD
zarkaz123 @ Feb 25th, 2013 1:14PM
Turtle mount please!
slambit @ Feb 24th, 2013 8:39AM
bears and howlers as pvp rewards only? that stinks :(
kondrat4kondrat @ Feb 23rd, 2013 4:42PM
it would be really nice to be able to mount two people on one horse or spider, the mastrer of the animal and his friend
breadandcircuses
Or 4 halflings or svirfneblin, given the size difference. I miss seeing gnomes in DnD. Jan Jansen was a great character from the Forgotten Realms, though he turned up in Amn...
bboyjno @ Feb 23rd, 2013 1:07PM
Okay I can't resist anymore x( Please start the open beta or launch the game out. I have a mini-website in my country "Romanian" and I want to make a preview to Neverwinter. I f*cking love this game :(((. I'm tired of World of Warcraft and this game lock more fun is 100% free. Please CRYPTIC, have mercy on me !
anvilrock @ Feb 23rd, 2013 7:29AM
i want to be able to tame and orc and use him as a mount.
benwolfers @ Feb 23rd, 2013 6:38AM
Great Work Team!
thelickingtoad @ Feb 23rd, 2013 1:49AM
I want a nightmare. I've seen there's a unicorn available, but I want a nightmare.
psychicslug @ Feb 22nd, 2013 9:16PM
If you don't think flying mounts belong in D
psychicslug
your an idiot
mok33
You call someone an idiot and spell you're as your? Smooth.
psychicslug
sorry spell check hows this you're a complete moron, that better for you?
averith
I think it's "how's". Usually, the first letter of a sentance is capitalized too - but that's getting a bit picky.
mok33
You teach him, averith.
gwenzelthar @ Feb 22nd, 2013 5:01PM
Wow a Howler?..kool a chaotic evil mount, sounds wicked!
epochrasite @ Feb 22nd, 2013 4:41PM
In regards to the idea of having a mount stay after you've dismounted... I think the idea of having a few special mounts in the game that double as companions would be very interesting. It would obviously replace your normal companion and level the same, but also be use-able as a mount. Just a cool thought I had. -Epochrasite Lovebringer.
ashah78
I love your Idea ... so I can mount my cleric and when I dont need a mount she can heal me hahahahaha.... A dwarf mounting a human woman cleric that be funny.
syberghost @ Feb 22nd, 2013 4:37PM
Anybody who thinks we'll get flying mounts, make one Foundry mission in STO. Then think about how that would have worked if players could fly over your trigger circles.
breadandcircuses
Flying forces a lot more work in level design; however, falling damage defiitely makes Web and Hold type spells an effective teaching tool for players that like to solve every problem with an airborne mount, shapechange, or their own wings. Dispel and Antimagic can make Fly spells equally... uncomfortable. The setting is one that allows for some priceless "teachable moments".
noelynot @ Feb 22nd, 2013 1:54PM
Umber Hulk mount. Because I am evil.
jogoskanindragon @ Feb 22nd, 2013 12:09PM
I want a Succubus as a mount. It will be funny.
ironzerg79
In D
foolishlobster @ Feb 22nd, 2013 10:07AM
BEAR MOUNTS
ehrlich @ Feb 22nd, 2013 9:50AM
If it's not to much to ask, could we have the mounts not just vanish when you get off of them, and have them run away as part of a cool down until they become out of site or something? There is nothing more unattractive about a mount system if they mount just vanishes as soon as you get off of it.
noelynot
Agreed.
glumm66
Also, I've always been annoyed by mounts only being a taxi. We need a game to finally introduce mounted combat! I always feel so dumb charging on my warhorse towards an enemy, then DISMOUNTING to fight. Is my character retarded?
breadandcircuses
Agreed, especially for Halflings; I had a knight waaaaay back in 2nd edition that was a Lance specialized Halfling Fighter. He was still shorter than the party Barbarian, even when mounted, and could actually reach the top shelf when looting. That, and it was funny.
Showing 43 of 72 Comments