Would you mind if Zenimax added these items for free?

FabresFour

Imagine this: Horses being sold at the stables in breton capital cities for gold. In Sentinel and other Redguard maps, you could acquire camels. In Deshaan and Morrowind regions, you could get Guars. In Reaper’s March/Elsweyr, a Senche… and so on.

I’ve bought many of these mounts, but I was thinking… I don’t know if I’d mind them making simple versions of these mounts available for players who can’t afford to pay.

It would also help with immersion. For example, Guars in Vvardenfell make way more sense than horses. Ideally, they would add new mounts with simple skins for these creatures.

Would you mind? If so, how would you handle it differently? I’ve always thought ESO could offer more mounts for gold, and I think this would be a good natural gold sink for the game.

What do you think about it?

Tandor

I'd be fine with it, but I think one or two simpler mounts could be given as rewards for early quests in the game rather than just appearing as free gifts.

Danikat

This has been suggested many times over the years, so I think it's safe to say a lot of people would like it.

You've always been able to buy the black, bay and paint horses with gold at any stable, and I think players have been suggesting adding other animals for specific regions since before the crown store existed.

sans-culottes

FabresFour wrote: »

Imagine this: Horses being sold at the stables in breton capital cities for gold. In Sentinel and other Redguard maps, you could acquire camels. In Deshaan and Morrowind regions, you could get Guars. In Reaper’s March/Elsweyr, a Senche… and so on.

I’ve bought many of these mounts, but I was thinking… I don’t know if I’d mind them making simple versions of these mounts available for players who can’t afford to pay.

It would also help with immersion. For example, Guars in Vvardenfell make way more sense than horses. Ideally, they would add new mounts with simple skins for these creatures.

Would you mind? If so, how would you handle it differently? I’ve always thought ESO could offer more mounts for gold, and I think this would be a good natural gold sink for the game.

What do you think about it?

I like this idea. As someone else said, it’s come up before. But that doesn’t make this any less of a good, immersion-promoting idea. Good post!

emilyhyoyeon

The removal in a couple days of the ''regular'' mounts from the crownstore that have been there for like the past 10 years made me think of this. I totally agree. The bear, lion, camel, guar, and wolf should all be added to base game stall vendors after their crownstore removal IMO.

As an example
bear: orc, nord, breton zones
lion: khajiit, redguard, bosmer zones
camel: khajiit, redguard zones
guar: argonian, dunmer zones
wolf: orc, nord, bosmer zones

Destai

I think there's less than 10 mounts permanently available in-game for gold. So, yes. I definitely think there should be at least one racial mount in the appropriate zones, like @emilyhyoyeon described. There's already so much stock in the crown store, this is a prime example of where they could provide more earnable rewards.

BXR_Lonestar

I would love this. I need to build my Guarmy!

Erickson9610

It's an optional free thing that nobody's required to have. Why would people say no to this?

TheMajority

it would be cool if they were different from the ones we already got so even established players could collect it too, would like some more simple mounts

CalamityCat

I'd love to see a basic version of all the different mount animals around ESO. Guar, camels, bears, sheep, wolves, cats and of course constructs in Clockwork City, quasigriff and so on. I think that would be a really wonderful thing for newer players, as I remember seeing mounts in the stables and wishing I could buy one

VoxAdActa

"Would you like more free things?"

I mean... yes?

skyrimfantasy

I've got way more mounts than I ever will use now, but I do remember thinking when I first started playing that the couple horses you can buy for gold just seemed like - "that's it?" It would be nice for new players to have options besides horses for gold, offer a guar, offer a camel, offer senche, a wolf, etc. After all these years I doubt it will happen, but if it does hooray for new players!

ZOS_Kraken

Hello! I have removed Poll from the title as there was no poll in the post.

Lumsdenml

Basic mounts are fine to buy from stable npc. Just don't you dare put a radiant apex mount in there!

Estin

It's something that's long overdue, but with the removal of the basic crown store mounts, now is the perfect opportunity to have them available for gold depending on the region.

Erickson9610

Lumsdenml wrote: »

Basic mounts are fine to buy from stable npc. Just don't you dare put a radiant apex mount in there!

On the flip side, it'd be interesting to see how many players actually buy and use a radiant apex mount. Would the ease of access mean that suddenly everyone would switch to using a radiant apex mount out of principle, or would there still be people who wouldn't want to use them?

JemadarofCaerSalis

Erickson9610 wrote: »

show previous quotes

Lumsdenml wrote: »

Basic mounts are fine to buy from stable npc. Just don't you dare put a radiant apex mount in there!

On the flip side, it'd be interesting to see how many players actually buy and use a radiant apex mount. Would the ease of access mean that suddenly everyone would switch to using a radiant apex mount out of principle, or would there still be people who wouldn't want to use them?

I think for a lot of people the answer would be 'it depends'.

I wanted the flower senche but couldn't get enough to buy it when it was available. (think it was endeavors), if that were offered, I might use it for a while depending on how I looked actually riding it (sometimes the motions are just too jarring for my tastes).

I am sure there have been a few horses as radiant apex mounts I would add to my roster of favorites (I use the 'random favorite mount)

Other mounts? It would heavily depend, leaning towards 'probably not outside once or twice just to check it out' because I just prefer the horses in the game (wouldn't mind some of the foxes, but I hate the vocals they use and how frequent they are)

As for the original post, I would love this, no matter whether they were 'basic' mounts or radiant apex mounts. I would likely buy most of them even if I never plan to use them as well :P

FabresFour

VoxAdActa wrote: »

"Would you like more free things?"

I mean... yes?

I asked because I've seen some people a bit dismayed by the idea of "things that were once paid now being made available for free." That's why I was wondering, haha.

ZOS_Kraken wrote: »

Hello! I have removed Poll from the title as there was no poll in the post.

I forgot to remove "poll" from the title. I was going to make a poll, but I thought twice and figured it wasn't necessary LOL, thanks!

said no one ever

dont you already get a free mount when you hit level 10? sorrel horse? i didnt pay for it i got one. it works but for now its faster to run invisible as vamp and uses less stamina.

FabresFour

said no one ever wrote: »

dont you already get a free mount when you hit level 10? sorrel horse? i didnt pay for it i got one. it works but for now its faster to run invisible as vamp and uses less stamina.

Yes, the point is that we get one horse for free and can acquire more 2 horses with gold. In other words, there isn’t much variety. And whether we like it or not, variety is something that attracts new players. Being able to acquire mounts, pets, and similar items is always a positive thing, and I believe that permanent ways to obtain mounts for free would be very beneficial for the game.

Currently, mount speed is low… But in three days, its base speed will increase by 30%, making it MUCH more usable at lower levels. With 30% base speed + 30% from the PvP passive, a level 10 player will already have 60% mount speed.

VoxAdActa

FabresFour wrote: »

show previous quotes

VoxAdActa wrote: »

"Would you like more free things?"

I mean... yes?

I asked because I've seen some people a bit dismayed by the idea of "things that were once paid now being made available for free." That's why I was wondering, haha

OH! Yeah, that makes sense. I didn't think of that. Probably because I don't buy a whole lot of things, and rarely if ever get anything good out of crates. XD

Amottica

I do not understand the point of this thread as there have been and are mounts available for free.

First there are the ones that can be purchased in stables. They fit the mold of what is suggested in the OP as they are simple versions of mounts. They cost a little bit of gold. That is all.

• Then there is the Ebon Dwarven Mount that cost nothing, just getting leads for the various parts. It is not a simple mount. It is fairly nice.
• Indriks, which were earnable via tickets.
• Dagonic Quasigriff, which was earned via a string of events.
  
• Durzog mount via the daily login rewards on day 2. WOW
• Iron Orc Welwa Mount via daily login rewards

More have been given away over the years, including via the daily login rewards. I'm pretty sure a guar, a specific type mentioned in the OP, was given.

Then there are a couple mounts that are a little challenging for the average player to obtain, but they are there and are free.

• The Champion Senche Mount comes from specific achievements in Sunspire.
• Sul-Xan Fleshripper after completing specific achievements in Rockgrove trial.

There is more, and there are the Endeavor seals where we can get fancier mounts for free.

Amottica

Erickson9610 wrote: »

show previous quotes

Lumsdenml wrote: »

Basic mounts are fine to buy from stable npc. Just don't you dare put a radiant apex mount in there!

On the flip side, it'd be interesting to see how many players actually buy and use a radiant apex mount. Would the ease of access mean that suddenly everyone would switch to using a radiant apex mount out of principle, or would there still be people who wouldn't want to use them?

Well, there would be people who would still refuse to use them. That is a simple question to answer as some players absolutely hate them.

Further, the OP suggests a simpler version of the mounts people have paid for. As such, an Apex mount would not be an Apex mount; it would be much simpler. Zenimax would never give away top mounts that some people have spent hundreds of dollars to get. It would kill revenue.

Danikat

Erickson9610 wrote: »

show previous quotes

Lumsdenml wrote: »

Basic mounts are fine to buy from stable npc. Just don't you dare put a radiant apex mount in there!

On the flip side, it'd be interesting to see how many players actually buy and use a radiant apex mount. Would the ease of access mean that suddenly everyone would switch to using a radiant apex mount out of principle, or would there still be people who wouldn't want to use them?

I don't think ZOS would sell radiant apex mounts for gold, but if they did I assume they would be far more expensive than the normal mounts we can buy now, which would go some way towards limiting how many people have and use them. (Like the difference between the inn rooms and apartments and the biggest houses.)

But also you can currently get radiant apex mounts without spending real money or gambling by using endeavours. It's very slow, but the system has been in place long enough that it's possible for people to have a few of them unlocked that way. So I think the current situation can give you some idea of what it would be like.

For what it's worth my answer is 'it depends on the character and how I'm feeling'. I have one radiant apex mount (the purple psijic horse) and I've had enough seals saved up to buy another one for a long time, but I haven't because I just don't like most of them. Either the effects are excessive or they don't suit any of my characters. Even the one I've got only gets used occasionally when I'm in the mood for it and I'm on a character who would ride a glowing purple horse. I've never thought of it as a matter of principle, like any mount I got it because I like it and I use it as and when I want to, not because of what I imagine other people might think about me using it.

FabresFour

Amottica wrote: »

I do not understand the point of this thread as there have been and are mounts available for free.

First there are the ones that can be purchased in stables. They fit the mold of what is suggested in the OP as they are simple versions of mounts. They cost a little bit of gold. That is all.

• Then there is the Ebon Dwarven Mount that cost nothing, just getting leads for the various parts. It is not a simple mount. It is fairly nice.
• Indriks, which were earnable via tickets.
• Dagonic Quasigriff, which was earned via a string of events.
  
• Durzog mount via the daily login rewards on day 2. WOW
• Iron Orc Welwa Mount via daily login rewards

More have been given away over the years, including via the daily login rewards. I'm pretty sure a guar, a specific type mentioned in the OP, was given.

Then there are a couple mounts that are a little challenging for the average player to obtain, but they are there and are free.

• The Champion Senche Mount comes from specific achievements in Sunspire.
• Sul-Xan Fleshripper after completing specific achievements in Rockgrove trial.

There is more, and there are the Endeavor seals where we can get fancier mounts for free.

Complex mounts to obtain, either time-limited or meant for a VERY small portion of the community in a highly advanced endgame—and practically all of the permanently available ones, aside from daily reward and ticket mounts, are primarily acquired through real money, since you need to buy their respective DLCs/expansions to obtain them.

The Ebon Dwarven Mount requires leveling up a slow skill line, which is locked behind an expansion. It’s not free if it’s part of an expansion.

Indriks are seasonal mounts. In fact, one of the most common things I see with new players is them spending their tickets on Indriks, only to fail to complete them because after a few months, they disappear from the store. (That is, of course, except for the base Indrik.)

The Dagonic Quasigriff is also a seasonal mount that appears from time to time.

The Durzog was a time-limited seasonal mount (literally tied to daily login rewards).

The point is: we need permanently available mounts for new players.
Interesting, engaging mounts that make them feel immersed. At least, that’s my perspective on the matter. It’s a way to get more people interested in the game.

There are also the two expansion mounts (Gold Road and Necrom), but again—they are expansion mounts, meaning they are not free. You objectively have to pay real money for something to even be able to acquire them.

Now, let’s say you just started playing The Elder Scrolls Online this week. You already have the horse from your second day of playing. However, you’d like another mount. The ONLY option you have is to spend money—whether on expansions, DLCs, or other costly content—to get a mount that isn’t a basic, outdated-texture horse.

And I’m sorry, but generic, simplistic, outdated-texture horses were fine in 2014. We’re in 2025.

Oh, and about ticket mounts: What does a simple ticket mount require? Three months of daily logins, completing activities every single day? And that’s assuming the content doesn’t rotate out in the meantime. After all, crates are seasonal. (and not all have cheap mounts)

This post is about permanently available mounts, mainly for new players to access immersive, engaging skins and improve their customization options from the very start of the game.

It’s not about experienced players who already know how the game works—I mean, I already have all the mounts I wanted. My collection is probably over 80 mounts. I’m not thinking about myself here. This is about newcomers. People who are just starting and need the motivation to keep playing.

That’s what the game needs—new players. Who keep playing.

JavaRen

What if the free level 10 mount varied by race?

FabresFour

JavaRen wrote: »

What if the free level 10 mount varied by race?

this is neat, really

spartaxoxo

I like this idea

JemadarofCaerSalis

JavaRen wrote: »

What if the free level 10 mount varied by race?

I would honestly far prefer to just have a selection of mounts rather than having it be based upon the race I chose at the beginning.

JavaRen

The free level 10 mounts could be added for gold in the capital zone for that race.

katanagirl1

I would love to be able to buy a plain, simple guar mount like you see in the game from stables somewhere - Vvardenfell, Stonefalls, Deshaan.