The problem is that exceptions have already been made, and the argument will always be that if mount X, which is a ground mount, can fly, then mount Y, which cannot fly, should also be able to fly.
I believe the focus doesn’t need to be on the literal interpretation of each mount. In a world full of magic, where dragons, demons, and other creatures fly without strict physical explanations, the idea of a ground mount gaining the ability to fly can be justified through magic or other in-game mechanics. After all, we already have examples of mounts that logically shouldn’t be able to fly.
Additionally, the issue is more about giving players the freedom to choose the mount they like without sacrificing efficiency. With so many mount options, it would be interesting to have the flexibility to use any mount in any situation without worrying about restrictions between flying and ground travel. Of course, respecting the lore and aesthetics is important, but there are ways to integrate these changes in a way that still makes sense within the game’s universe.
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Reflection on Flying
In my opinion, the World of Warcraft made two major mistakes related to flying mounts:
1-) Allowing flying in capital cities from the Cataclysm expansion onward.
2-) Greatly increasing flying speed after the Burning Crusade and Shadowlands expansions.
Players will always choose what’s most efficient in the game, even if it contradicts the original purpose of creating certain mounts for specific terrains.
The only MMORPG I’ve played where flying mounts had the same balance of impact and efficiency in the world compared to ground mounts was Perfect World during its early expansions.
In that game, flying was much slower than ground mounts because it made travel easier by removing many obstacles ground players faced. However, players had the option to use a speed boost on their mounts, which provided a temporary speed increase, giving players control over when to activate it. It’s similar to what we see with certain abilities or when aiming a mount downward with the skyriding system in Dragonflight and The War Within.
In Perfect World, the big “advantage” of using flying mounts was the ability to engage in PvP while mounted and airborne. The mounts were designed not just for flying and increasing speed but also to enable combat between players while flying across the game’s maps.
In World of Warcraft, although the community complained about the drastic reduction in flying speed on older maps with the new system, I think they got it right. The more movement speed you provide—whether with ground or flying mounts—the bigger the gap becomes in using different types of mounts on various terrains.
This is seen in recent forum posts and feedback from veteran players complaining about how flying affects the player experience.
This discussion about flying mounts reminds me of 2015, when the WoW team announced plans to limit flying in Warlords of Draenor and future expansions. In that same year, Final Fantasy XIV was rising from the ashes after its disastrous launch, releasing its first expansion (Heavensward), which allowed players to fly and was inspired by The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King.
Ion Hazzikostas Confirms No Flying in WoD or Future Xpacs - 2015
Alex Afrasiabi on World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor - 2014
Although Ion Hazzikostas and Alex Afrasiabi were correct in pointing out the impacts that flying had on the game, players had already experienced the freedom of flight and didn’t want to go back to using ground mounts. I think any changes related to flying need to be carefully planned to prevent more players from leaving for other games.
Edit:
Today, for many retail players (though not all), an expansion is only considered good if flying is unlocked from the start. This shows how the flying mount mechanic has become central to the gameplay experience for a significant part of the community.