Water Strider Discussion

[Darkynhalvos-whisperwind (Darkynhalvos)]

It’s because they claim that players are “forced” to use the Strider over all other mounts because of the utility it has

What they fail to see, or refuse to admit, is that water striders were ONLY in heavy use on water, which they were designed for.
On land, you see FAR more sky golems, and I’ll go so far as to say there’s WAY more sky golems on land than water striders on water.

[Darkynhalvos-whisperwind (Darkynhalvos)]

Would it be possible to have the water strider be like the sky golem. It can have innate water walking but is not effected by mount equipment?

I will check but my personal opinion from my play experience is that the water strider ability is just much stronger than the sky golem herbing. We nerfed the water strider once and if we leave it with the ability there then it’s more in the line of getting everything and less of making a choice for what you want. We want there to be a choice based on your play and interests. If herbing on the run provides too strong of a benefit then there might need to be changes there but currently I don’t think that’s the case.

Direct question:

Why was the mount equipment implemented as one piece for all mounts instead of us being allowed to choose a piece for each mount we want to use?

[Kiwì-dentarg (Kiwì)]

It’s because they claim that players are “forced” to use the Strider over all other mounts because of the utility it has and they don’t want there to be a “wrong choice” when it comes to mounts.

I will add that they did have the option of adding more mounts to walk on water (like the boat), but they CHOSE not to.

[Kiwì-dentarg (Kiwì)]

Why was the mount equipment implemented as one piece for all mounts instead of us being allowed to choose a piece for each mount we want to use?

Because if it was per mount, then you’d set up a mount for water-walking, a mount for anti-daze, a mount for falling from the sky, and a mount for 10% speed bonus. They do not want that to happen. They want you to equip and un-equip the mount equipment as you travel.

[Lillyann-llane (Lillyann)]

They want you to equip and replace the mount equipment as you travel.

Fixed that for you. I’d have less problems if it was just an un-equipping.

(And yes i know you meant this, I’m just kinda drilling the point home for everyone.)

[Elestial-moonrunner (Elestial)]

What they fail to see, or refuse to admit, is that water striders were ONLY in heavy use on water, which they were designed for.

The current development team at Blizzard doesn’t like short cuts or convenience. Waterwalking speeds up the game for the player which is a no-no now in blizzard’s eyes. They need those more time played metrics to report to stock holders.

What those in the “yay this equipment is great” camp fail to see is none of this equipment will work in the next expansion. You won’t be able to walk on water at all which is blizzard’s goal. You will need new equipment made for that expansion and it will takes months to get. I’d bet money on this.

[Elestial-moonrunner (Elestial)]

The boat that doesn’t float which everyone got for the 6 month subscription was done on purpose. This should have been a huge hint to everyone that blizzard doesn’t want anyone walking on water.

plus all of this wonderful equipment will be obsolete as soon as you get your flying.

everyone will forget about water walking until the start of the next expansion when equipment doesn’t work because it is tied to BFA.

I want my striders left alone with no equipment slot just like the sky golem.

I earned the rep and paid for the mount because it WALKED ON WATER.

Speaking of flying, waiting almost a year to fly is unacceptable.

Eventually there will be a last straw.

[Darkynhalvos-whisperwind (Darkynhalvos)]

I’d also bet money they eventually remove ALL water walking items and abilities.

Including class skills, potions, hunter pets, Angler’s raft, etc.

Sad to see this once amazingly awesome game devolving more and more into a “play OUR way or get the phuque out!” state.

[Atenara-lightbringer]

I was occasionally using it on land just cause of that little tippytoeing animation and its cheery chatter. “Hey, let’s bumble around together!”

It had times it was practical or fun to use. I will be using it more often now to just to annoy whoever wanted it gone.

It’s really sad to consider, a Water Strider unable to stride water.

Now if you had one enhancement per mount, the enhancements wouldn’t all have to be “advantages”. We could see cosmetic fun things, like modifications to prints or sparkles or ribbon trails and stuff like the visual enchantments. I always wanted to use Rivendare’s hoofprints on other horse mounts, or the Ulduar pony’s star trail on another horse. Put a sense of Whee! on a water mount by giving it a ribbon of bubbles or something.

I would like mounts to get 2 individual enhancement slots: one “practical”, where the strider’s is fixed to Waterwalk, and the second is cosmetic. Even the travel mode transformations of some classes. The golem is a special case, but it could also be handled with 3 slots 2 cosmetic, and two of its are locked. Oh, the fun we could have stacking 2 FX! It’d have the same issues as particle density on high, but if your computer can handle spell FX flying around on a 25m boss, it can handle standing around in a busy hub city.

[Kiwì-dentarg (Kiwì)]

(And yes i know you meant this, I’m just kinda drilling the point home for everyone.)

Not a problem, that’s what I meant but for some reason my brain couldn’t think of the word.

I earned the rep and paid for the mount because it WALKED ON WATER.

Speaking of flying, waiting almost a year to fly is unacceptable.

Eventually there will be a last straw.

It does seem to get closer every time they mess with this stuff. The one that still irritates me is the graying out of Ra’sha’s Sacrificial Dagger. That thing came in handy when I got stuck in places (which was and is often). But it was too fun, so they had to grey it out

I was occasionally using it on land just cause of that little tippytoeing animation and its cheery chatter. “Hey, let’s bumble around together!”

I too loved that. I think the developers of the mount did a really nice job with it. I love how it talks to me while we travel, and I love it’s special. It is fun to find a fellow strider lover and say hello to each other using the special.

I too will be using it more often. It is sure a lot better than all the recolored horses on alliance side.

[Mysteren-staghelm (Mysteren)]

It’s because they claim that players are “forced” to use the Strider over all other mounts because of the utility it has and they don’t want there to be a “wrong choice” when it comes to mounts.

Actually, that’s just the hogwash they fed us.
They are trying to slow us down.
We will have to chose ONE piece of equipment.
But…
There will be dazing or dismounting things everywhere, notice those nasty fish in the water of Nazmir?
Expect more of that not only in the water but on land.
AND… at the same time you can expect higher density of mobs so weaving in and out will be harder if not nigh on impossible.
And… at the same time expect mobs in the sky that will knock you off your flying mount.
So… we have zones where we fly but get knocked off and want the parachute.
But if we go on land it will be full of just deep enough water that we will want our WW but we will get knocked off by mobs in the water so we will want no daze instead.
And if we are on land and want the faster speed we will actually need the no daze instead…
so you see, they are only trying to make travel as absolutely miserable and time consuming as possible.
Time is money, friend.

[Sibille-frostmourne (Sibille)]

I’m 10000000000% positive that if this truly becomes detrimental, then they’ll make a change.

It all depends on how you define ‘detrimental’.

My primary issue is that players will get access to a feature (water walking) by simply paying to a vendor.

1. This is another mechanism (deliberate, I think) for removing gold from the economy. I understand that this is intended to correct for the LARGE reserves of gold many players accumulated during Legion. But I feel like this has started to affect the viability of the economy on many servers.
2. I feel like it’s counterproductive for players to gain easy access to things, rather than as the result of playing the game. I feel like getting a water-walking mount (or water-walking equipment) should require some EFFORT within the game.

[Jops-zuljin]

I feel like getting a water-walking mount (or water-walking equipment) should require some EFFORT within the game.

it did.

… and trust me when I say I’m not ever going to bother making that mistake again.

[Sibille-frostmourne (Sibille)]

I feel like getting a water-walking mount (or water-walking equipment) should require some EFFORT within the game.

it did.

… and trust me when I say I’m not ever going to bother making that mistake again.

But I feel that’s an argument about the AMOUNT of effort required to get the Water Strider. Which is a legitimate argument. I’d make the same argument about unlocking flying. The idea of an unlock isn’t the problem. It’s the excessive amount of effort to achieve that unlock that’s the problem.

I’d still argue that getting anything in a game like WoW for no (or minimal) effort is seriously counterproductive in an MMORPG. You want players to be IN the world, doing stuff. Roaming around, completing quests and achievements, farming, grinding… doing STUFF.

[Jops-zuljin]

Reasonable effort for reasonable rewards is fine. Major effort for particularly special rewards… also fine.

Locking players into doing mental paralysis inducing dull drudgery to earn a reward they want is… apparently fine.

Negating the reward for that effort by replacing it… immediately or years later… is wrong.

That’s what this is about.

We made the effort to earn mounts with a special ability. LEAVE THEM THE HELHEIM ALONE.

Or, well, you know… stab us in the back and we’ll just not bother with long investment goals ever again because, hey, it’s World of “Forget the entire last expansion, we’re STARTING OVER AGAIN!”

The seasonal model may work fine for Diablo, but WoW is a very different game, and if Blizzard can’t see that this mentality is driving people AWAY… or driving people to long for what this game was 15 years ago… then it’s time for Ion or whoever to step down and let someone who ‘gets it’ take over.

ETA / p.s.: As far as “effort” goes, for someone who never had a water walking mount, does spending 5k gold for Mount Equipment on the Auction house count as “effort”? No. No it doesn’t.

[Fieryhunter-thrall]

I dont really have anything new to add to the conversation, but id like to just add another body to the mass of people who wish blizz would stop fixing things that never needed to be fixed. Ya know, just incase anyones keepin count?

Kinda just feels like im waiting for blizz to take 1 thing too many like with flying again and finally make those retail is dying posts come true.

[Elenedhel-moon-guard]

You haven’t listened to a thing anyone’s been saying.
As usual.
No hair flip!

[Raiyyn-whisperwind (Raiyyn)]

Actually, that’s just the hogwash they fed us.

Hence the reason for my use of the phrase “they claim”.

[Executioner-windrunner (Executioner)]

If they had just kept adding things into the game, we would be doing damage in the billions and every class would have about 50 abilities.

[Kiwì-dentarg (Kiwì)]

This is another mechanism (deliberate, I think) for removing gold from the economy. I understand that this is intended to correct for the LARGE reserves of gold many players accumulated during Legion.

I would argue that all the expensive items they put into the game this xpac, along with allowing twinks selling speed leveling up until now is not to remove gold from the economy but to boost token sales.

These micro-transactions are important to boost the revenue they take in. The company has to continue to show an increase in revenue quarter to quarter or heads will roll.

I’d still argue that getting anything in a game like WoW for no (or minimal) effort is seriously counterproductive in an MMORPG.

I agree with you. Take the current gearing system for example. I can gear up a new level 120 toon to 390-400 in one week with very little effort.

In the past, the dead time between patches was used to work on alts, people would raid with them to gain ilvls, etc… However, the current system you don’t have to do any work at all.

In legion my guild would continue to raid until everyone had their tier set, and then the raid would switch to an alt raid so we could gear up an alt.

Now, there is zero motivation to do this as the majority of alts people leveled to 120 are at ilvl 400, and there isn’t any purpose to raid for tier gear.

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I wonder if everyone realizes that when 8.2 patch hits next week, the only people who can use any mount equipment will be those who earned Angler Rep?

There is no other equipment available until people farm the mats. So those who dislike the “strider” will also dislike the other mounts.