PTS Update 45 – Feedback Thread for Mount Speed Changes

ZOS_Kevin · January 12

This is the official feedback thread for the new mount speed changes. Please note to feel the full benefit of the changes to mount speed, you will have to play a lower-level character. The most impactful change is when you first acquire a mount and ride before CP or mount training. However, you can use any mount in testing. Specific feedback that the team is looking for includes the following:

When you first acquired and used a mount, did this feel meaningfully faster than running?
Did you interact with the new Gallop minor skill? How do the changes to Gallop feel to you as a player?
Do you have any other general feedback?

Morvan · February 5

Might be unrelated to the change, but if your mount is fully upgraded + having the Gallop passive unlocked, Heavyweight and Feline mounts start using their running/sprinting animation while walking on PC. This makes them look like they're sliding on ice as the animation was obviously not intended for walking speed.

All the other types of mounts still use their walking animation just fine with these same upgrades.

xyphrum · February 5

Major Gallop is now Gallop, and counts as a Minor buff instead of a Major buff

I'm just wondering why isn't it called "Minor Gallop" then?

virtus753 · February 8

xyphrum wrote: »

Major Gallop is now Gallop, and counts as a Minor buff instead of a Major buff

I'm just wondering why isn't it called "Minor Gallop" then?

@ZOS_Kevin

Tagging you here and quoting this because this change in nomenclature will create unintended friction, and I’m not sure if the devs see that yet.

The problem:

If Gallop counts as a Minor buff, then it must be clearly labeled as such in game. It would not be fair for people not to be able to understand how this buff works with the Major and Minor system if it does so but its name omits that (especially here alone while other things are labeled properly). The game would be saying “no, this isn’t a Major or Minor buff” while at the same time treating it as one. That would cause very understandable and foreseeable confusion, and I can guarantee bug reports would be written about it (for good reason). This isn’t just a matter of verbiage — the number of Minor buffs we have actually plays a role in combat, like with Oakfather’s Retribution. Withholding essential information from players when it impacts their in-game experience is very problematic.

I see that labeling it just Gallop would presumably help avoid confusion for those who are led to presume the existence of another version of it. (I have actually seen people ask how to get Minor Gallop, assuming from the name Major Gallop that it has a minor counterpart.) But if this buff is going to be counted as a minor - including especially in situations where that is a detriment, like with Oakfather’s - it is imperative that players be given that information in game. It would be so much easier to explain to players that there is no Major counterpart than to attempt to explain the devs’ choice to make the game say one thing but do another, especially when the omission makes people dismiss something that can hurt them.

Follow-up question:

Why is this buff even on the Major/Minor system in the first place? What’s the purpose of keeping it in this system when doing so has an (honestly to my mind) illogical downside for players? Why can’t it be its own unique buff?

If it must be kept on this system, though, its place in the system must be clear from within game. Calling it Minor Gallop would be best, for consistency with everything else. If the devs absolutely insist on removing the qualifier, a note in the tutorial would be the very least that could be done, imo (and actually I’m not really sold on that when every other major or minor buff is clearly labeled). Including the info only in one patch note on the forums (and in this thread) but nowhere in game would not be enough.

Fischblut · February 19

1) When you first acquired and used a mount, did this feel meaningfully faster than running?

On new character, it is faster than on live, but not much faster.
On old characters with full mount training, I sadly feel no change.

I personally find the basic slow mounted speed (which we have on live) very cute and fitting

Those slow majestic hops of Feline mounts are especially cute! There is something hilarious about brave little character hopping on their slow mount to conquer Tamriel

2) Did you interact with the new Gallop minor skill? How do the changes to Gallop feel to you as a player?

I removed this passive to see the change to basic speed of fully-trained mount. With increase to basic speed, Gallop feels very weak

I prefer to have very fast mounts (when all speed buffs are applied). Long time ago, Ward of Cyrodiil set granted +15% mounted speed. Major Gallop granted +40% mounted speed. Legs of mounts moved fast, and riding was enjoyable, like a super fast car (but safe, because it's in the game)!

Now legs of all mounts move slow (I think it was introduced with Update 44?), and I don't feel the change between regular run and sprint (when mounted). Riding a mount is not enjoyable to me anymore

The only way to feel faster is to have a shortest character (such as male Bosmer) riding a bobtail Feline mount. Little mount with shorter legs + lack of tail = the illusion of speed

3) Do you have any other general feedback?

I wish to highlight another aesthetic problem...

On live servers, if you remove green CP star (+10% mounted speed increase), remove Alliance War passive (which gives permanent Major Gallop), and equip any of the tallest polymorphs (such as Wraith of Crows), you can see very stylish and amusing walking animation for Canine mounts

On live, it can be used for enjoyable experience even of fully-trained mounts. It looks so good in my opinion, compared to clunky default walking animation!

Here is my very old video which shows this walking style:

https://youtu.be/Sa7r_do30l0?si=sJ0Tq5PhGCxu8HoN

It's difficult to use Youtube where I am currently, but I can try to upload more videos later if needed.

On PTS, with increase of basic mounted speed, this special walking style can be seen only on new characters without any speed training bonuses for the mount. If all your characters have trained their mounts, you will never be able to see this animation anymore

Might be unrelated to the change, but if your mount is fully upgraded + having the Gallop passive unlocked, Heavyweight and Feline mounts start using their running/sprinting animation while walking on PC. This makes them look like they're sliding on ice as the animation was obviously not intended for walking speed.

Canine mounts also have special slow running animation, in addition to Feline and Heavy-weights. But for me these special animations are awesome and smooth, so I would be sad if they were removed... Thankfully, it's easy to access them both on live and on PTS

And for walking animations (instead of slow run), you just need to remove green CP star and Gallop passive on a fully-trained mount. I specially saved a build in Armory without putting a skill point in Gallop passive - so I can use different mount movements depending on the mood.