Now that we are getting swimming pets, do you think we will get functional boats?

Hygiliack · August 2025

I mean, they are adding water mechanics... IDK if it helps the case for boats or not but I'd like to think it does.
It would sort of not be needed because we have the pets and we can just swim with them, but it would make sense to have both options right? (Well, considering there are zones that have the slaughterfishes, maybe not, but one can dream right? haha)

loosej · August 2025

I wouldn't count on it.

Swimming mounts, the way they're being implemented, probably were possible with minimal dev time. Add extra animations for the mounts and remove the automatic dismount behaviour when entering water and you're pretty much there.

Boats on the other hand would only be able to be summoned on water, wouldn't (or shouldn't) be able to leave the water, and wouldn't be able to make use of the existing mount types that just get reskinned over and over. It would be a brand new thing, which means a lot more development time...

ArchMikem · August 2025

Not to mention back at High Isle, when they introduced moving boats as scenery, they had to force players to slide off them, as they found if you tried to stand on one it straight crashed the game.

I wouldn't even exactly call Mounts that can swim a water "mechanic".

Orbital78 · August 2025

I don't think it is really feasible, unless they totally changed the game design. It isn't that kind of game, it has artificial barriers as walls. Similar reason flying mounts wouldn't function well. At least from my understanding of what I have seen in the game design.

I have played games that do allow these things, and it can be really cool. I get nostalgia thinking about older MMO's like (I think it was) Vanguard that had sloops and caravels.

LunaFlora · August 2025

they could make some kinda Boat mount.

MGRza · August 2025

Hygiliack wrote: »

I mean, they are adding water mechanics... IDK if it helps the case for boats or not but I'd like to think it does.
It would sort of not be needed because we have the pets and we can just swim with them, but it would make sense to have both options right? (Well, considering there are zones that have the slaughterfishes, maybe not, but one can dream right? haha)

Unless they add more fishing nodes deeper into the bodies of water where you can stand on your boat and fish, which would be really cool. I, for one, think ZOS should spend some time adding to some of the smaller things we have in the game, like fishing. For one, perfect roe is never going away; thus, fishing will never fall out of fashion. If ZOS spends some time adding more to fishing in general, I for one would welcome it.

Fishing is just one example I brought up now, but there are a few pre-exsiting mini games and features that can only do the game good if ZOS spends some time adding to them.

Mathius_Mordred · August 2025

They don't want you reaching islands that have nothing on them, hence the slaughterfish once you get out a few hundred metres, sometimes less. Having boats would require that those places are mostly reachable otherwise you'd hit a glass wall which would be pretty much pointless. I would absolutely love this but I can't see it happening for some considerable time if ever.

duagloth · August 2025

Let's not get crazy, they're just now introducing decade+ old mechanics.

Tandor · August 2025

I can imagine it already:-

"Now we have boats, why can't I stay mounted while on the boat?"

!

MGRza · August 2025

Mathius_Mordred wrote: »

They don't want you reaching islands that have nothing on them, hence the slaughterfish once you get out a few hundred metres, sometimes less. Having boats would require that those places are mostly reachable otherwise you'd hit a glass wall which would be pretty much pointless. I would absolutely love this but I can't see it happening for some considerable time if ever.

Yeah, there are so many smaller things they can do to add to the game's overall experience, but it never happened with the full staff, so now with MS dropping so many people, I doubt there will be time or labour for most things that aren't deemed high priority.

JemadarofCaerSalis · August 2025

Mathius_Mordred wrote: »

They don't want you reaching islands that have nothing on them, hence the slaughterfish once you get out a few hundred metres, sometimes less. Having boats would require that those places are mostly reachable otherwise you'd hit a glass wall which would be pretty much pointless. I would absolutely love this but I can't see it happening for some considerable time if ever.

Yeah, ESO doesn't really have all that much water that is 'boatable' except the oceans, and you aren't allowed to go that far out into the oceans.

I think this would be something that would be VERY neat, if ESO had been set up with it in mind, so that there could be little hidden nooks on small islands that could only be reached by boat (they wouldn't even have to remove the slaughterfish mechanic) but it would require some very creative explaining why you can only go to one island but not another, why can't you sail out past the islands, why do you hit a wall when you sail to far from the island in one direction etc...

FurryCandyHearts · August 2025

all boats will now be pets so that they can be mounted and used the same way house guests are all furniture that gets set on a path?

Gabriel_H · August 2025

Hygiliack wrote: »

I mean, they are adding water mechanics... IDK if it helps the case for boats or not but I'd like to think it does.
It would sort of not be needed because we have the pets and we can just swim with them, but it would make sense to have both options right? (Well, considering there are zones that have the slaughterfishes, maybe not, but one can dream right? haha)

Slaughterfish bite hits your boat for 5000 physical damage
You drowned

SaffronCitrusflower · August 2025

Now that we have swimming pets and mounts will slaughterfish eat and kill our mounts and pets and we'll have to purchase them again from the crown store?

zaria · August 2025

ArchMikem wrote: »

Not to mention back at High Isle, when they introduced moving boats as scenery, they had to force players to slide off them, as they found if you tried to stand on one it straight crashed the game.

I wouldn't even exactly call Mounts that can swim a water "mechanic".

Back in TES 4 Oblivion some made an mod with workable boats you could move around on while moving.
Now boats just moved in one direction until you took control of them and could change direction or stop so I guess they just modified player position with the boat.
WOW had boats you could walk around on, even fly out to and join while underway.
We even boarded the Horde airship in an air assault as Alliance.

In ESO you slide of lots of surfaces like roofs you are not supposed to stand on.

I don't see any real practical point of boats, an moving boat could be a bit fun as part of an quest or something