Mount Up!

[Steel Wolf]

I've posted a thread elsewhere about "dream mounts" for this game...but this time I want to open discussion regarding the mounts we have now, and perhaps how they can tie in to RP.

 

I've seen many people in many of the mounts out now,and I always question to myself "How deep does their motivation lie?"  Do people ride a mount due to specific characterization and consideration, or because sitting on top of a tamed goobue is just hilarious?

 

Personally, I maybe think too hard on this.  Steel rides her chocobo almost exclusively, or will hop into her Magitek mount simply because the machinery is fascinating to her, but I don't ever see her riding the courel or ahriman or drake mounts.  Actually, if she were a stronger magic user (or if she becomes a Dark Knight), I'd have the little Beady Eye pet follow her around, and use the ahriman mount exclusively, RP'ing it as being given a magical boon to increase its size and be used as a form of transportation.

 

....in short, I think about this stuff a bit too much.  In my defense, though, these minor details form a more complete character in my view.  One should consider all the little quirks, preferences and proclivities when thinking up an RP avatar.

 

So, what about you folks?  Why do you ride what you ride?  Or should I just shut up and ride whatever?

[Illira]

My Roe rides the Ahriman simply because I find it incredibly ironic, given what background I know of her. She would never ride it ICly (I don't think anyway... ).

 

Besides that I normally use my coeurl, simply because I really don't like Chocobos, OOCly. If I had any RP scenes where my characters were to need a mount, they would use the Chocobo though, as they are what are commonly used to get around, and make the most sense for general use cases.

 

So I guess my real answer to this is that I really just seperate IC from OOC in the case of using mounts to get about the world. If RPing though, its best to abide by what makes sense for the scene/character!

[Nebbs]

Chocobo "Blinky" Nebbs rescued from gient killer crabs and they are best friends. Mainly now Blinky fights with her rather than be her mount.

 

She tamed a Coeurl that she road for a while, but since gaining a Drake she is set.

[111]

My character rides a chocobo, because chocobo's are cool. It also gives some explanation to leveling lancer. Theoretically sultansworn would sometimes fight mounted (they are knights of a sort after all), so my character is training to fight better on chocobo-back.

[Rosekitten]

Actually IC'ly from back in the beta when they showed a teaser image of a player character on a drake.. I had it planned out that my character would have a drake (so to say the least returning back home to Ishgard is out of the question for the simple fact she likes her head where it is...).

 

Though mount wise I have a bit of a back story with my character and her chocobo Zeek, A giant yellow bird who I describe more or less as a feathered puppy. More often then not the bird gets over excited in greeting people and ends up tackling them or scaring the poor sods. 

 

The drake on the other hand I have not given a name to just yet, and IC'ly it is still in the process of growing so riding it wouldn't happen quite yet. Soon though... I've had both Zeek and the drake be useful in a few little rp skits to say the least so my character is certainly happy to have them around.

[Naunet]

Antimony doesn't own any mount or pet or whatnot, so everything of that nature that I have is strictly OOC.

 

I prefer the couerl (or the drake, as I have it on Anti) over chocobos though in an OOC sense, so that's usually what I'm riding on any of my characters. I would love to have a wolf mount though - especially the model in Coerthas. D:

[Sophia_Grave]

Sophia doesn't ride anything. Magitek armor is too wtfhuge and she'd never trust an animal with its own mind to get her around.

 

If SE decides to release some sort of motorcycle, it would suit her perfectly, though!

[Maril]

If any of my characters mount up, it'll be on a chocobo, because they seem like the 

only type of transportation that is about as common as drinking water. I might be wrong in that, but that's how I take it given how the world looks and all. And it would likely be a rented one as well. 

I'd be reluctant to use any of the other mounts because they all seem "special" in some fashion that is out of reach for all of my characters. And I cringe a bit when I see people icly use the unicorn, but that's mostly because it's questline goes along the lines of it being like the only unicorn left in the world. It's a shame cause they're awesome, but oh well. 

 

If they ever add actual horses, I might see about having one of my characters icly save up to get one.

[TheWizard]

To be honest, I'm dissatisfied with the current available selection of mounts in game. None really jump out and grab me so I normally just use my chocobo.

 

I would really like to see more magically-themed mount or ones based on the ancient civilizations of Nym or the Allagan Empire. Although an Allagan mount would probably look like something out of Tron... which would be pretty cool in my opinion.

[Erik Mynhier]

Erik rode a Unicorn he "summoned" from a ring his mother left him, but he IC lost the ring awhile ago after a big fight. He has been looking for it with no luck. He has been making due with one of the chocobo from his FC stable recently, but he misses Fortemps, his unicorn.

 

That's a bit of background, but I would add barding and companion abilities to our existing, non-chocobo mounts before add another. But that's just me.

[KBdeni]

Yehn'a found a baby Coeurl pup not long after he began studying to become an arcanist. He decided to keep it, and now it's become his mount. 

 

 

OOC I tend to switch between the Chocobo and Coeurl randomly. IC, the Chocobo is mostly a battle companion to Yehn'a.

[S'maia Rahz]

OOCly, I want a morbol mount. NAO.

 

ICly, Janna does not ride, and is in fact a bit nervous every time she's had to hitch a ride on someone else's chocobo. The way she grew up, anything that big was either for eating or running from.

[Dravus]

I'm not opposed to the use of unusual mounts provided it makes sense, though all too often role-players acquire something shiny or interesting and then feel the need to make some weird and contrived reason as to why their character has access to something that doesn't make all that much sense to begin with.

 

I was lucky enough to acquire a very sought after mount back when I played WoW actively. I wouldn't dream of riding it around IC, though. Mostly because not everything I achieve OOC needs to affect my role-play in the first place.

 

As for what I'd like to see? I'd settle for different coloured chocobos - especially since they're the most iconic steed in the franchise.

[Nykkus Trachspyr]

Nykkus rides a Coeurl IC - for one it fits her personality better than any other currently available option, and I do have a bit of backstory for it. Since she currently doesn't remember that time period, it'll be something revealed as things move along.

 

On very rare occasion she will summon her Chocobo, Sheol, to fight alongside her, but has no true connection with it.

[Almil]

Looks like I'm only one that thinks all other mounts should be removed from the game and just keep the chocobo? :chocobo:

[Ildur]

Keeping only chocobos is a terrible idea. Variety is important, specially on aesthetic choices.

 

My rule of thumb is that if it's in the game and can be obtained, it should be available for RP. However, that doesn't mean you do not have to come with a reason for why your character has that and not a common mount. Ideally, the game itself will cover that with the lore. But we all know how Squee is.

 

With that said, none of my characters owns a mount in-character. They use rental chocobos or just pop out of existence thanks to the aetherytes. Though Ildur might or might not have a magitek armour hidden in his basement. And he may or may not have a basement. I cannot deny or afirm any such rumors.

 

The mounts I'd like to see are: normal horses, because right now we have those nightmares and unicorns that are weirdly thin and have the most hilarious hairdo. And then I'd like to see a paper whatever, only because one of my characters is into making paper golems.

[TheLastCandle]

Looks like I'm only one that thinks all other mounts should be removed from the game and just keep the chocobo? :chocobo:

 

Won't happen, and even if it were put to a vote I would still say keep 'em and let people have their fun. For myself, though, I'm with you - I ride a chocobo, or I ride nothin' at all. Mostly because I'm a long-time FF fan, but also because Goliath, Yvelont's bird, is actually a fairly important part of his character.

[FreelanceWizard]

Like the OP, I consider mounts part of my character, so the ones I use ICly have specific reasons and stories. For instance, L'yhta's magitek armor is something she stole and has been working to reliably convert to Aetheric (as opposed to ceruleum) drive. She prefers it to her chocobo (Shera, a gift from her former master) because it's a big middle finger to the Garleans, because it doesn't care about extreme weather conditions, and because she doesn't have to worry about it getting hurt. She'll ride Shera from time to time, though, particularly around La Noscea when the weather's nice.

 

On the flip side, while I have the coeurl and ahriman mounts, I don't RP her as having either one. A coeurl doesn't make a lot of sense for her, and as she despises voidsent and seeks to eliminate them from reality, an ahriman mount would be totally out of character for her. She once saw someone riding around on one IC and it sent her into quite a tizzy in the Mysterium LS.

[Darien Cadell]

I love having the amalj'aa drake mount IC. Great sort of mount for a risk taker who's been working with the Immortal Flames on occasion in efforts to become a nicer guy. Until I got that thing, I was all about the chocobo.

 

But OOC, dat goobbue. I'm still working on coming up with a reason for him to ride such a thing IC. Hilarity may be all I really need. Having a sense of humor IC is a blessing.

 

And yeah, while I have the ahriman, magitek, and unicorn mounts, Darien himself does not. That's just not gonna happen.

[SunKittyEm]

Emelie doesn't actually -own- a mount. Though IC she's going to be stealing a bunch from the Flames soon enough to outfit her group... Until then, she rents. OOC, Luxanna is my bestie. Me summon her long time. But, that's OOC.

 

I want the behemoth mount, but would not be like to give it to my character IC. See, I RP her as being pretty strong - a prodigy of the pugilistic and monkish fighting arts, largely self-taught. But I also RP her as being... uninvolved. She -can- fight against the Garleans... She -can- serve well in a GC... but generally? No, she doesn't care. I see some people IC talking about plunging Coil or some other thing like CT and I say "E... E wouldn't do that. That's other peoples' business and she doesn't care, even if she could probably hold her own there"

 

So if she ever used a mount... it would be for necessity. She prefers to walk on her own two feet, if at all possible. So it'd be a Chocobo, stolen or rented.

[ArmachiA]

Neither of my characters have permanent mounts. I'm not even sure where they would keep them? They have no place to take care of them! If they did it would mostly be Chocobos, since I'm of the mind set that unique mounts need a unique backstory to come with them.

[Therese]

Celeste would say she doesn't own a mount... but that a big Gobbue keeps following her. And she would caution ANY of you not to feed Gobbues.

 

Because they eat a lot and you'll never get rid of them. :c

[Silvaire]

OOC Raven almost only rides the Coeurl mount but I think ICly she would use her Chocobo, for the same reasons previously stated. I suppose I could come up with a reason she has the Coeurl...hmmm...

[Kage]

At this moment Kage doesn't have a mount IC. I haven't given it much thought but Kage either walks or runs on his own two small legs that tend to make it a chore... So he's probably going to have the Chocobo 'Shiron' after participating in some "fun" things.

 

OOC, I only ride on the Ahriman when I'm bored and want to be amused by how Lalafell cling to it as they fly around. I don't really use the Magitek (even though oh god do I love it) but I may also be riding the Behemoth mount... The behemoth mount won't be IC either.

 

If I ever actually finish the Amalj'aa dailies and get the gil for it I plan to rock the drake forever. I'll find some way for Kage to be able to get it. Some. Way.

[cuideag]

Both of my characters ICly only have access to chocobos. Jajara only recently came to properly own hers, having only recently actually stepped up to get a little more involved with the Immortal Flames and thus earn the right to purchase one proper. Someday she might earn a drake but, having no means to properly house or care for one, it probably won't be an IC thing. She still pays a sum of money each moon to have her precious Dinner cared for.

 

I loooove, love love LOVE the magitech mount and I thought about letting my Garlean sympathizer use it IC... buuuut I've shied away from it. I don't think I can justify it to my satisfaction. She's not a Garlean proper, generally technologically inept, and operating much less owning such a thing might just draw unwanted attention to her. So she makes do with her big ol' chocobo just like 'normal' people do. I still bring it out OOC because there is something just lovely about stomping around in it.