The mounts from older expansions are in dire need of a brush-up!
If we look at all the racial mounts, they still have their old pixelated look and some of their limbs look like they’re from the Tomb Raider game that came out in 1996, looking at you, Nightsabre!
The ridiculous thing is, all these mounts have an updated version already in the game. We got updated models from BFA and some gladiator mounts, yet these have never been applied to the ‘‘vanilla’’ and TBC racial mounts.
This tells me that there isn’t a lot of care for early game, and so for newer players. The first mounts new players will see are their racial mounts, and then they can literally count the number of pixels it has. The same goes for Warlock and Paladin (human and blood elf) class mounts from old.
The TBC Gryphons. Hippogryph (and Cata) and Wyvern got an update in Pandaria which is never applied to the two faction flying mounts that started it all.
I know the counter-argument to this is, is that players feel nostalgic for these old-looking mounts, and to them, I say this: Let go of the past, the game needs to evolve in both mechanics and graphics, and there are always the classic servers.
New and current content is what the major focus is about, but please don’t forget old content as this is one of the first experiences for new players. We, the older players wont stick around forever, so it is as important that you keep new players in as it is keeping current players.
17 Likes
While I agree that they should update the models for racial mounts, I see no need to remove the old ones. Simply move them to another vendor or make it so you unlock both versions if you have one (those of us who bought them get the new one and those who buy the new one get the old one).
Having updated racial mounts would even seem like a resonable change considering they made riding auto-unlock. They could give a quest at level 10 that guides you toward the stables (on new accounts) in their race capital where you get to pick one of the ground mounts as a reward (as it is now for the flying mount).
While not necessarily related to this, I’d love to see unique flying mounts for each race as well. The gryphon is getting a bit “overdone” at this point (and the horde got the Pterrordax instead of a wyvern).
7 Likes
Very good idea, fully support updating the racial mounts. I know that they are not as prestige as the PVP mounts but still I enjoy them a lot.
My suggestion would be to move them to the unobtainable category like the unarmored epic mounts from vanilla. Anyone who feels nostalgic can still use them because they will remain in their collection.
New players can buy their updated models from the vendors. It’s great to be able to access old content but it’s great to be able to acknowledge players that have been longer in the game.
3 Likes
New racial mounts are fine, but don’t totally replace the old models for those of us who like them. I’m still salty they removed my Low Poly Cheetah on my druid and replaced it with one that doesn’t at all capture the spirit of the original without me being able to use the old one.
But why?
5 Likes
+1 for this.
-
Keep the old, 1996-looking mounts as you put it. A lot of us love these for nostalgia. 
Allow people to buy them off the mount trainer NPC still.
-
But also enhance the new player experience by giving them mounts that match their higher-resolution characters. 
These old mounts are working off the old texture resolution, which doesn’t align with the player character and looks wonky upon your first mount acquisition as a new player.
Win-win.
12 Likes
I’m just here to say that removing any game content (even old mount graphics) needs to only be done for a good reason.
If Blizzard decided to redo the old mounts I’d highly suggest adding ‘updated’ new mounts instead of removing old models/mounts.
There’s so many strange and jarring ‘holes’ in the game’s story/setting/art due to stuff being removed all willy nilly.
10 Likes
Because old models will be fully replaced with new better-looking ones. New players won’t have to do Google research to find out which are the modern better-looking ones. Removing the old ones will prevent vendor overcrowding. The removal can happen with plenty of notice. I am sure everyone already has them in their collection.
2 Likes
My sentiments exactly.
Give players remastered mounts that match their character in terms of polygons and texture dimensions. Leave the retro ones on the NPC to sell, versus removing. Literally no reason it cannot be win-win.
4 Likes
Originally, I was fine with replacing old, low-res models with high-res ones — look at the kodo revamp! They look great!
…and then Blizzard updated the wind serpent model — and RETIRED some color combinations.
I tamed a white wind serpent with brilliant blue eyes back in… WotLK or Cata, I think? I named it “Ororo” after X-Men’s Storm.
That model was gorgeous. I loved the brilliant white with the bright eyes.
And Blizzard changed it. Now “Ororo” is an ugly, rust-mixed-with-white wind serpent with dull eyes!
I was very, very disappointed with that change — and it taught me that Blizzard will change colors at their whim.
SO, now? I say either stay absolutely, totally, 100-percent faithful to the original models’ colors or don’t get rid of the old models when adding new ones.
3 Likes
I think it would be a great idea to do a new cycle of racial steeds as part of a 2nd wave of heritage quests. Maybe flying mounts to differentiate them from the OG racial mounts?
6 Likes