New Mount: Frostmare

drschplatt · June 2015

I don't know if it's lore breaking or not, but I know what happens when you lick a flagpole at winter time, so can you imagine running around the tropical forests or desert zones in game that have caused you to sweat? You then jump on your frozen horse and your nether regions are all frozen stuck to it. Ouch....

Gidorick · June 2015

@Iluvrien, preaching the truth.

A bit of context goes a long way....

ZeroInspiration · June 2015

Iluvrien wrote: »

Preamble: While the following post/rant is in reply to ZeroInspiration's post it is not entirely directed at them. Some of it is also directed at ZOS (the majority) and some of it is directed at the parts of the community who don't see the issue with just parachuting in Strange New Creatures with no explanation (lore or otherwise) before/during/after doing so.

ZeroInspiration wrote: »

Easy lore explanation:

It's a frost atronarch bound to a horse.

Enjoy your lore appropriate mount.

Great. So what other creatures are bound in this fashion? When do we get our Frost Guars and Frost Senche? Can we bind them to ourselves to take on some of their aspects?

What? They didn't specify? You don't know?

That's right. They didn't.

...what we are now doing is coming up with lore explanations that ZOS should have presented with the items in question (Fire Horse and now Ice Horse) at the same time or before they went in, but they didn't.

...these creatures should have been integrated into the world, but they weren't.

...these animals should have been made available through a quest, or daedric bargain or in fact any damn thing that was actually in-game at that point in time, but they weren't.

Instead they were just dropped into the world through the Crown Store as the first Kewl Shiny Mount (with others to come) and left to overflow into the game experience of all and sundry with no explanation whatsoever.

ZOS could have saved themselves a fair amount of backlash from threads like this had they actually bothered to try and make these things in the world. They didn't. They haven't. They aren't.... so here we are again.

It is a feasible explanation that a mage specifically breeds these horses by binding them with a frost atronarch. It's not enough but it covers the lore. You can't expect them to create a quest for everything they add to the crown store, either the items would be too expensive or the crown store would remain stale.

Gidorick · June 2015

ZeroInspiration wrote: »

Iluvrien wrote: »

Preamble: While the following post/rant is in reply to ZeroInspiration's post it is not entirely directed at them. Some of it is also directed at ZOS (the majority) and some of it is directed at the parts of the community who don't see the issue with just parachuting in Strange New Creatures with no explanation (lore or otherwise) before/during/after doing so.

ZeroInspiration wrote: »

Easy lore explanation:

It's a frost atronarch bound to a horse.

Enjoy your lore appropriate mount.

Great. So what other creatures are bound in this fashion? When do we get our Frost Guars and Frost Senche? Can we bind them to ourselves to take on some of their aspects?

What? They didn't specify? You don't know?

That's right. They didn't.

...what we are now doing is coming up with lore explanations that ZOS should have presented with the items in question (Fire Horse and now Ice Horse) at the same time or before they went in, but they didn't.

...these creatures should have been integrated into the world, but they weren't.

...these animals should have been made available through a quest, or daedric bargain or in fact any damn thing that was actually in-game at that point in time, but they weren't.

Instead they were just dropped into the world through the Crown Store as the first Kewl Shiny Mount (with others to come) and left to overflow into the game experience of all and sundry with no explanation whatsoever.

ZOS could have saved themselves a fair amount of backlash from threads like this had they actually bothered to try and make these things in the world. They didn't. They haven't. They aren't.... so here we are again.

It is a feasible explanation that a mage specifically breeds these horses by binding them with a frost atronarch. It's not enough but it covers the lore. You can't expect them to create a quest for everything they add to the crown store, either the items would be too expensive or the crown store would remain stale.

I would love a quest for each mount... but like you said, they can't add quests for everything they add.

They could just add quests for the super special mounts. Senche mounts, elemental mounts, etc.

IcyDeadPeople · June 2015

Winter is coming!

Heromofo wrote: »

Zos atleast put in some effort like :

His whole body needs to emit an instense aura of cold.
If he truly is a popsicle horse then he would have shards of ice forming over his skin and breaking each time he moved.
He should look closer to an undead horse think of it in the way the Lich King "Arthas" Brought sindragosa (his dragon of bone and ice) into the world.

What you are describing sounds great, but we have some issues with particle effects in Cyrodiil.

Heromofo wrote: »

The Maormer practice a powerful form of snake magic, and with this they have tamed the sea serpents of their island for use as steeds and warbeasts.[1] These sea serpents serve as King Orgnum's guards and occasional mounts.

Sure, why not! Riding a sea serpent is like one step less awesome than riding into battle on a dinosaur, no?

IcyDeadPeople · June 2015

*duplicate post

AlienSlof · June 2015

Iluvrien wrote: »

ZOS could have saved themselves a fair amount of backlash from threads like this had they actually bothered to try and make these things in the world. They didn't. They haven't. They aren't.... so here we are again.

^ This, pretty much.

I don't mind having these things to ride on, but seeing them wild within the game itself would be better. At least senches are seen everywhere in the game in a wild state. Would have been so much better to see herds of wild nightmares when in Oblivion, or frosty horses up in the highest highlands of Skyrim, in a free and wild state.

People have been requesting all kinds of creatures that are already in the game in a wild state, yet those requests are going unheeded. A camel or bear would likely receive a more positive response.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · June 2015

My biggest problem with it is that it screams "lack of creativity!"

I'd also like to second that there should be a quest or SOME kind of background explanation for where this thing came from.

Pallmor · June 2015

Gidorick wrote: »

BBSooner wrote: »

nimander99 wrote: »

The bottom line is this... as this game takes place before every other game in the series then ZoS could literally add TERA Cop Cars to the game, say they are from Sheogorath's Mad Realm and then BAM!!! It's LORE for the rest of the series!

Which, again, is the problem. Lack of continuity and terrible explainations is not something I particularly enjoy. ESO is already the "Phantom Menace" of the series, I really don't mind being vocal when things get added that contradict the previous (RE: better) games.

If ESO is the Phantom Menace, are Redguard Adventures and Battlespire the expanded universe?

Ah, Redguard and Battlespire, the Halo Wars and Dust 514 of the Elder Scrolls universe.

Xendyn · June 2015

AlienSlof wrote: »

People have been requesting all kinds of creatures that are already in the game in a wild state, yet those requests are going unheeded. A camel or bear would likely receive a more positive response.

Agreed, but here's the difference.
Reskinning a horse is easy, they are already here. Doing a camel, bear or wolf would require them to actually make new anims, sounds and models.

Maybe after console? lol

UrQuan · June 2015

Xendyn wrote: »

AlienSlof wrote: »

People have been requesting all kinds of creatures that are already in the game in a wild state, yet those requests are going unheeded. A camel or bear would likely receive a more positive response.

Agreed, but here's the difference.
Reskinning a horse is easy, they are already here. Doing a camel, bear or wolf would require them to actually make new anims, sounds and models.

Maybe after console? lol

Well, all three of those already have existing models in the game, though, so adding them as mounts may or may not be much work. It's possible that they could reuse the existing models, sounds, and animations. Or not. It really depends on whether the existing models and animations could translate properly to a mount. It's possible they mostly would, in which case it wouldn't be that much work to add them, or it's possible that they would basically have to start from scratch with them.

Either way, though, you're right that it's less work to reskin an existing mount.

Vizier · June 2015

Ice horse? That's one of the stupidest things I've seen for ESO yet. GAWD

AlienSlof · June 2015

Xendyn wrote: »

AlienSlof wrote: »

People have been requesting all kinds of creatures that are already in the game in a wild state, yet those requests are going unheeded. A camel or bear would likely receive a more positive response.

Agreed, but here's the difference.
Reskinning a horse is easy, they are already here. Doing a camel, bear or wolf would require them to actually make new anims, sounds and models.

Maybe after console? lol

Exactly this - it means they'd have to actually do some modelling work instead of simply adding another layer to their Photoshop texture files! It's much more work to start modelling saddles and adding them - I know, I made my modded outfits in several colours - just add another layer in the working file, recolour it, hey presto, new outfit!

ZoS are currently just showing us how lazy - and greedy - they are by offering simple reskins that they can make in a matter of a few minutes at most.

Gidorick · June 2015

OK.. I admit.. it looks better in motion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYchKLP-IwA#t=30

Enodoc · June 2015

Gidorick wrote: »

OK.. I admit.. it looks better in motion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYchKLP-IwA#t=30

Yeah that does look pretty good. As I said, I have no particular problem with it being there, as long as ZOS have a good background for it. I particularly like the Frost Salts suggestion.

coryevans_3b14_ESO · June 2015

Raash wrote: »

They should have changed the blue color to red and called it "Skinless Steed"

I want a skinless steed, bad. I can say I was stuck in the mountains of Rift and had to remove my horses skin for warmth and he survived. He's still pretty mad at me though.

Lorkhan · June 2015

it sucks

BigM · June 2015

This mount belongs in WOW not ESO!

filsingerjon · June 2015

Im loving the mount. I role play ever character and take alot of time naming them. This mount will go awesome with one of my characters. I say keep adding stuff. The more in the crown store the better. Now they just need to add some armor thats appealing to me.

coryevans_3b14_ESO · June 2015

filsingerjon wrote: »

Im loving the mount. I role play ever character and take alot of time naming them. This mount will go awesome with one of my characters. I say keep adding stuff. The more in the crown store the better. Now they just need to add some armor thats appealing to me.

P.T. Barnum had a really good quote about this...

AceTrainerBean · July 2015

The mount is awesome the price is terrible. 3000 crowns is a bit over 24 euro isn't it? for what is essentially a skin. I feel like they really need to lower the prices on the crown store as they are so unfair considering we need to buy the game (which on consoles is between 60 and 75 euro) and then you need to subscribe for online (with ps plus or xbox live) and finally you are already paying for internet from your service provider. This is one expensive game to run. It would be nice if at least the vanity items were a affordable. I would love if the horses were around 500-600 and the vanity pets were 200-300.

starkerealm · July 2015

AceTrainerBean wrote: »

The mount is awesome the price is terrible. 3000 crowns is a bit over 24 euro isn't it? for what is essentially a skin. I feel like they really need to lower the prices on the crown store as they are so unfair considering we need to buy the game (which on consoles is between 60 and 75 euro) and then you need to subscribe for online (with ps plus or xbox live) and finally you are already paying for internet from your service provider. This is one expensive game to run. It would be nice if at least the vanity items were a affordable. I would love if the horses were around 500-600 and the vanity pets were 200-300.

Well, then, convenient news, you can't buy it anymore. The Ice Horse was a limited time thing and it's gone now.

thunderwell · July 2015

I want a dragon mount.
/sarcasm

Thymos · July 2015

AceTrainerBean wrote: »

The mount is awesome the price is terrible. 3000 crowns is a bit over 24 euro isn't it? for what is essentially a skin. I feel like they really need to lower the prices on the crown store as they are so unfair considering we need to buy the game (which on consoles is between 60 and 75 euro) and then you need to subscribe for online (with ps plus or xbox live) and finally you are already paying for internet from your service provider. This is one expensive game to run. It would be nice if at least the vanity items were a affordable. I would love if the horses were around 500-600 and the vanity pets were 200-300.

Not like anyone who bought it has an advantage over you. It's all just a skin, so there is no fairness to the situation. If someone has it, they purchased it no means that is more fair than you who didn't buy it.

There are horses in the crown store that are much cheaper, and vanity pets that are that cheap too.

Enemy-of-Coldharbour · July 2015

This mount just seems out of place to me when I see folks riding it. Especially the noise it makes.

Korozenn · July 2015

No worse than all vanity pets in this game.

At least I know for a fact that Frostmare won't be annoying (scaring) the living **** out of people who are crafting, at a bank, or otherwise doing things in a city. I can't tell you how many times I want to bash those Imgakins in the head with my Greatsword each time I have to hear "OOO-AAAAAAA!!!"

And, lord...the Dwemer machinations are even worse.

I'll just go with the Frostmare being a mount that a talented Cryomancer made to get around Tamriel and that it doesn't melt because of the same reason: it's just magic. And, I'll leave it at that. Because that description in-game for the Frostmare is just so "oh, plz."

AceTrainerBean · July 2015

@Thymos I know people don't have an advantage over you what I am saying is that I would love to be able to buy some cool vanity items but they are just so expensive that I can't justify it. I feel that they are selling these things at an unfair price, think about the content you would usually get from DLC at that price. I have nothing against people who are able to afford these items I just wish the price point was more inclusive for people of all means.

@starkerealm I know that it is gone and that it was a limited item, but there will most likely be more limited items in the future and it would be nice if they were more affordable. The regular content on the crown store is a bit over priced as it is.

I am not trying to start an argument, I just wanted to voice my opinion. I don't see how more affordable prices could hurt the players. I doubt the developers would even get hurt by lower the prices slightly as most other company's price skins at a way lower price.

UrQuan · July 2015

AceTrainerBean wrote: »

@Thymos I know people don't have an advantage over you what I am saying is that I would love to be able to buy some cool vanity items but they are just so expensive that I can't justify it. I feel that they are selling these things at an unfair price, think about the content you would usually get from DLC at that price. I have nothing against people who are able to afford these items I just wish the price point was more inclusive for people of all means.

I've said this many times, but comparing the price of purely cosmetic items with the price of DLC is a mistake. Entirely different marketing/pricing strategies.

DLC has to appeal to a much larger portion of the player base to be successful, and as such the price point has to be somewhere that the majority of the player base considers to be good value. That's why, back before the price of IC was announced, when people were looking at the prices of exclusive mounts and extrapolating from them that DLC was going to cost 5000+ Crowns I kept on saying that they were operating on a flawed hypothesis.

Cosmetic items, on the other hand, are already limited in their market to a smaller portion of the player base, as there is a significant portion of the player base that just doesn't care enough (or at all) about cosmetics to justify spending anything on them. The people who do care enough about cosmetics to spend money on them, on the other hand, are willing to spend more on certain cosmetic items if they consider them to be cool enough to justify the price. That's why you'll note a significant difference in the price between "normal" and "common" cosmetics like the various horses and the more unusual mounts. Nobody would pay 3000 Crowns for a regular horse, because everyone's got a regular horse, so instead they're only 700 Crowns. Not everybody would pay 3000 Crowns for a Frostmare either, but that's OK because the people who do think it's cool enough to be worth spending that much are going to buy it anyway, and a significant portion of them are going to be happier for it to be relatively rare so that they feel special riding around on it. It's a luxury item, and it's priced as such.

AceTrainerBean · July 2015

@UrQuan you made some really good points, It makes a bit more sense to me. I still think it is unfair but I can see it from a different point of view now. Thanks for responding. The reality is if I am still playing this game in a year or so I will probably end up buying some stuff from the crown store.

Frozstee · July 2015

Just wait a few weeks that Frostmare will not even be re-colored but just renamed to "Lightningmare" and maybe make a crackling sound when it's summoned.
Lore < Cash