Water Strider Discussion

[Kyraz-galakrond (Kyraz)]

that is some garbage, if you are herbing you use the herbing mount. if you run up on a lake or a river… hop off and grab your water strider. why would you think nerfing the water strider is a good idea. removing stuff that people took months to farm the rep for is terrible idea. working towards a goal to have it removed just gives less incentive to work towards anything else in the futre

Ten times this.

[Ooma-gurubashi]

Exactly. Farming what you want is a long tradition in this game.
Going to the trouble of farming anything with the present team in charge would just be stupid.

[Hardwire-velen (Hardwire)]

Also, just out of curiosity, how often would you estimate that you have you used the water strider mount in the 6+ years it’s been available?

Since the water strider is “too strong” and clearly the “best choice”, forcing us to forsake all other mounts, why do you need to ask this question? By the reasoning of “strider is dominant, everyone is forced to use it!” the clear answer is “100% of the time.”

It’s almost like you realize the whole “forced to use water strider always” argument is a load of elekk poodoo.

[Skamora-silvermoon]

Telling us there is a wrong choice is the wrong choice.

I have 171 mounts unlocked. I use a randomizer add-on when I mount up that picks from a customized list based on whether I’m in a flying zone or grounded or swimming. I hardly ever use the Water Strider unless I want to and need to.

I don’t understand this fear the devs seem to have that some vast majority of people are going around everywhere on the Water Strider… is that really happening?

I never see people on their Water Striders unless I’m in a zone with lots of bodies of water like Nazmir.
The really bizarre part about this is that it’s coming at the same time as BfA Pathfinder Part 2, which means about two weeks after it goes live it will be pointless for a lot of players.

Why, if the bug is so dominant… why not just add water walking to other mounts that would make sense to have it like the Dreadwake maybe. We have a selection of at least 10 swimming mounts and the reasons I prefer the Water Strider over them is 1) they are slower than ground mounted speed 2) the camera behaves poorly when swimming near the water surface and 3) the mount casting time. (I mean, if I’m in the water already and it takes 3 seconds to switch mounts what do you think I’m gonna choose, a mount that runs on water at full speed or a mount that swims only marginally faster than running and makes me remount again when I get to land?)

This whole thing could have been handled a lot more creatively. Mounts could have been improved, diversified… the mount equipment abilities could have been applied to families of mounts making them more interesting and giving us meaningful choices…

But no, Blizzard’s answer is to make all mounts just another cosmetic item with one socket they all share to drive yet another gold sinking system.

[Aaku-zuljin]

do you feel that alts should have every single thing that the other characters have?

Another thing I would like to point out is that MoP is the expansion you made mounts account wide. Meaning, you knew when you designed this mount and put it on a vendor that it would be giving players account-wide waterwalking. And players knew it when they put the effort into earning it.

This isn’t some case of new systems changing the old intent, the item was always meant to be account wide waterwalking. You shouldn’t be trying to pull the “Oh, well your alt hasn’t really earned it” card because it being an account-wide unlock was literally the way it was designed from the start.

[Kyraz-galakrond (Kyraz)]

that is some garbage, if you are herbing you use the herbing mount. if you run up on a lake or a river… hop off and grab your water strider. why would you think nerfing the water strider is a good idea. removing stuff that people took months to farm the rep for is terrible idea. working towards a goal to have it removed just gives less incentive to work towards anything else in the futre

Ten times this.

By the way, for the conspiracy theorist out there. You may note a post from Malania Belf Mage above. This is my alt, but until I posted the message, I did not realize that I was logged in as her.
I changed it so I am logged into my main main so no one would think I was trying to buff up my opinion with a ringer.

[Irkkal-nagrand]

I think the water strider is an ugly mount and too many people are forced with that skin for the utility. Time for some new mounts that can water walk, and is another thing we gain.

I think the Mighty Caravan Brutosaur is an ugly mount and too many people are forced with that skin for the utility. Time for mount equipment that provides an AH and vendor, and remove the Brutosaur’s utility that make it a “compulsory” mount! While you’re at it Blizztavision do the same for Sky Golem, Mechanized Lumber Extractor & Grand Expedition Yak as well - can’t unfairly penalise Water Strider owners for having a mount that does something different can you?

[Nilson-wyrmrest-accord]

Tons of people said this once I would be inclined to agree. Instead of removing water walking from a mount that was introduced as a water walking mount, just don’t have it able to be modified as per a different mount that was also introduced in the same expansion. I don’t have a water strider, but I would find it extremely unfair and unjust for several other players that actually worked to get that thing have it being taken away because someone thought it was a dumb idea several years later, and whose players base are competent enough to understand that not making that adjustment for the water strider was not at all outside the realm of possibilities.

[Aaku-zuljin]

Please don’t give them ideas.

[Truthspeaker-alleria (Truthspeaker)]

if the character who earned the Anglers reputation along with the mount gets the water walking item for free, what would a fair price be for the alts to get it?

Well, since I currently have that functionality immediately and at no cost, anything else is a downgrade and means I’m losing something rather than gaining. There is no fair price to ask me to pay to give something up. Sorry. How much would you pay to lose something that you utilize and value and worked hard to get?

If that character who earned the reputation and mount has the option to water walk (but might choose something else), do you feel that alts should have every single thing that the other characters have?

Yes. The mount is account bound; the mount’s ability is also account bound.
I’d find it acceptable to have the mount equipment items be account bound and apply to all characters. That means I actually could ditch the bug and still have water walking on all of my characters. It means the system won’t be any more of a benefit than what I have now since I wouldn’t be able to customize and, say, have my squishy cloth wearers use the anti stun and have my tanks use water walking. But also means I’ll only be slightly inconvenienced and won’t lose any functionality.

A really excellent system, in my opinion, would have the items work at the mount level across all characters instead of the character level. That would really increase player choice and provide a much wider range of mount functionality. It would, though, allow players to use more than one ability at a time on each character. I still don’t see why that’s a problem, though.

Also, just out of curiosity, how often would you estimate that you have you used the water strider mount in the 6+ years it’s been available?

There’s no way for me to quantify that. What I can tell you is that as soon as one of my characters hits level 20, the water strider mount goes on the action bar and stays there forever.

I don’t care for the appearance of the bug so I don’t use it for long periods of time if I can help it. But if I come to water that needs to be crossed, it’s right there ready to be used. I hop on, cross the water, and then switch back to whatever mount that character usually uses.

Edited for clarity and to fix typos.

[Hardwire-velen (Hardwire)]

Just something I’d like to get your perspective on, if the character who earned the Anglers reputation along with the mount gets the water walking item for free, what would a fair price be for the alts to get it? If that character who earned the reputation and mount has the option to water walk (but might choose something else), do you feel that alts should have every single thing that the other characters have?

I feel like this paragraph is probably revealing more of the dev intent in these changes than they really want us to know. I mean, really, do we DESERVE to have account wide mounts, toys, and pets?

[Ooma-gurubashi]

Does this imply you’re going to change the pet, mount, toy, heirloom and transmog journals to be character specific and no longer share these things across an account?

If so, goodbye.

If not, you have your answer as to what we expect all our alts to have access too.

[Gwaeniiha-shadow-council (Gwaeniiha)]

I have 171 mounts unlocked. I use a randomizer add-on when I mount up that picks from a customized list based on whether I’m in a flying zone or grounded or swimming. I hardly ever use the Water Strider unless I want to and need to.

Same only I have 402 mounts. Gasp If I NEED waterwalking I use my strider, but most of the time I’m on something else.

PRoblem is, allies NEED waterwalking because of SoB. Even as a tank I’ve zoned into an instance and half the group has already taken the short cut. Unless you plan on making the allies start in the same entry point as the horde, who get to skip the horrible packs at the start, you are limiting any ally choice to waterwalking.

So tell me blue, WHERE IS THE CHOICE?

[Swizitch-stormreaver]

You should not have the choice of having water striding AND anti-daze/parachute because you did a reputation grind. No other reputation grind mount offers a special ability, the strider should be no different.

We earned it - anyone can earn it. Just like the sky golem. Anyone can herb while mounted AND have anti-daze/parachute. You just have to earn the golem.

This is why you treat them the same way. It doesn’t matter how you earn it - you just earn it like anyone else has the opportunity to.

And this isn’t even overlapping the abilities. If the concern was about overlapping - you’d want to look at Blood DK’s (tanks don’t get dazed naturally) along with the overlap of the equipment abilities.

The only valid argument I have seen about the water strider thus far is that you only get 1 free water shoes item. If you did the rep grind for anglers, the item should be bind on account and free or 1 copper from the anglers so that you aren’t actually losing anything.

Charging people to regain what they’ve already earned is a pretty rough blow - and honestly the most surprising; the most loyal players that have likely spent the most amount in the game get hurt the worst here.

Also - making the equipment slot per mount, and applicable to the entire account would address the concerns. The free piece we get goes right back into the strider (should we choose to) and we’re right back to where we started with access to it across all characters. Everyone would be at a level playing field in regards to now being able to select which mounts you’d like to have which perks - and the players who have earned the rep could still have “earned” the discounted rate to apply to other mounts. I have a few in mind I’d already like to equip with it.

[Kyokii-terenas]

Also, just out of curiosity, how often would you estimate that you have you used the water strider mount in the 6+ years it’s been available?

Out of curiosity since Blizzard and co are so offended by how often, or not, we use it why does it matter? I Use it every time I need to cross a big lake. Example, Tiragarde harbour when WQ are on opposite sides of the lake. Getting to the Sabertrons in SSV. Sometimes I used it in island expeditions when there is some ugly ugly trash I want to get past without dying.

if the character who earned the Anglers reputation along with the mount gets the water walking item for free, what would a fair price be for the alts to get it?

Oh god. That sounds exactly like the portal thread. “How much of an inconvenience in time lost are you willing to endure?” Really, how much can we screw you before we cross the line. That’s all I hear

[Wolfguide-wyrmrest-accord (Wolfguide)]

Just something I’d like to get your perspective on, if the character who earned the Anglers reputation along with the mount gets the water walking item for free, what would a fair price be for the alts to get it? If that character who earned the reputation and mount has the option to water walk (but might choose something else), do you feel that alts should have every single thing that the other characters have?

Also, just out of curiosity, how often would you estimate that you have you used the water strider mount in the 6+ years it’s been available?

Thanks folks for chatting!

The more I read these blue responses the more I understand this system isnt for us, its for you.

If the system really was for us then simply excluding the Strider wouldnt be a problem. As it stands the fact you put up so much resistance tells me the system is for control so we dont have special things and every mount is just a lump of pixels and drain ever more gold from the players.

[Maldoran-doomhammer]

I would rather see Water Striders stay unique and other mounts with water walking be added for variety. A water walking horse just seems… odd.

I use an addon called Litemount. It is smart enough to summon favorite mounts based on situation. I recommend that the developers look at the functionality of the Litemount addon and add its features into the default UI. You would likely see a much wider variety of mounts used and you could add features that summon specific abilities if desired.

[Swizitch-stormreaver]

if the character who earned the Anglers reputation along with the mount gets the water walking item for free, what would a fair price be for the alts to get it?

Oh god. That sounds exactly like the portal thread. “How much of an inconvenience in time lost are you willing to endure?” Really, how much can we screw you before we cross the line. That’s all I hear

That’s pretty much it - they’re already past the point of acknowledging that they’re going to charge us to regain the ability we earned and just want to know how much we’re willing to pay.

We.Do.Not.Want.To.Pay.Anything.

It’s that simple - that’s why the bulk of the comments in this (and various other threads) involve treating the strider like the sky golem.

[Malzero-maelstrom]

A fair price would be 5 or 10 gold each. Definitely no more than 20 gold or people might be bothered.

[Hardwire-velen (Hardwire)]

The more I read these blue responses the more I understand this system isnt for us, its for you.

I’m honestly surprised they’ve been this blatant in saying “we’re trying to remove another aspect of travel.”

I feel like I should be screen capping these replies before they get edited or removed completely, because this feels like more honesty than Blizz is usually comfortable with.