Cataclysm mount changes
by Matthew Rossi 
Apr 16th 2010 at 9:30PM
Bashiok - #BlizzChat Developer Chat on Twitter 4/16Q: Do you intend to have all 280% flying mounts scale to 310% when a 310% mount is earned, or will only purchased mounts do so?
A: Our current plan, is that in Cataclysm, you can learn a new rank of flying that lets all flying mounts move at 310% (even current 280% mounts). That will probably be as fast as mounts will ever get. We don't like it that when you get a 310% mount that you stop using your old ones.
Q: If 310% speed is becoming trainable, does that mean we'll be able to fly in Azeroth from the get-go?
A: We have considered the concept of "Old Weather Flying." Just kidding. More than likely, you'll just be able to fly from the beginning.
A: Our current plan, is that in Cataclysm, you can learn a new rank of flying that lets all flying mounts move at 310% (even current 280% mounts). That will probably be as fast as mounts will ever get. We don't like it that when you get a 310% mount that you stop using your old ones.
Q: If 310% speed is becoming trainable, does that mean we'll be able to fly in Azeroth from the get-go?
A: We have considered the concept of "Old Weather Flying." Just kidding. More than likely, you'll just be able to fly from the beginning.
No word yet on if players with current 310% speed mounts will still have to learn this new rank of flying skill or not. Previously, 310% speed mounts were seen as status symbols and prizes to be gained via achievements, PvP, rare drops or so on. Personally, I'm hoping people with 310% speed mounts are at least grandfathered in as it would be annoying otherwise to not even be able to ride your mount once the change went live.
On the up side, at least we'll be able to fly in Azeroth right away instead of having to train yet another rank of flying.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Blizzard, News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
XTabbyX Apr 16th 2010 9:37PM
So I guess I should stop saving up for my 5k flying skill?.
awall Apr 16th 2010 9:40PM
No. If any new skill level is added, you will still have to pay for artisan riding first. Whether they drop the price for that is another issue.
Jamesisgreat Apr 16th 2010 9:47PM
I'd save up more! I'm sure you'll still have to cough up 5k gold, and then another 1k and then however much they charge us to upgrade to 310%. And I get the feeling it won't be cheap - Bliz knows that most people are going to start off rich thanks to months of grinding with no big gold sinks.
As an aside, I thought the celestial steed was going to be the next big gold sink. I guess it is though, just a different type of gold....
Task Apr 17th 2010 2:39AM
There'll probably be a faction related discount by the time Cat. Comes out or in a future patch.
Zalvi24 Apr 16th 2010 10:00PM
i think that having all your %280 speed mounts to behave like they are %310 should be a reward for already having a %310 mount, and not something everybody and their mother to buy
Noah Apr 16th 2010 10:12PM
"and then another 1k"
I don't think you have to pay the 1000g for Cold Weather Flying unless you want to fly in Northrend. You can just skip it, because rather than being a step of the training ladder, it's actually just a passive skill that allows flying in the WotLK continent.
Elmouth Apr 17th 2010 1:29AM
Flying shouldn't be learned before 60 really or ground mounts are gonna become extinct
Muse Apr 17th 2010 6:49AM
I get the feeling that this has been very misunderstood by most everyone. It will work just like druid's flight form does now. If your fastest mount is 280% speed, then that's what your flight form will fly at. The moment you get a mount capable of 310% speed, your flight form automagically upgrades to that speed.
The idea here is that, once you get a 310% mount, say the violet drake, then ANY MOUNT you already have, will also do 310% speed.
nclay Apr 17th 2010 6:53AM
Not sure if its been addressed anywhere else but would this boost to 310 also apply to druids flight form?
nclay Apr 17th 2010 6:54AM
hah muse asked afew minutes before me :)
Ophelos Apr 17th 2010 10:32AM
epic flying cost like 4000g if your exalted with warsong or the ally faction in northrend.
brothernature22 Apr 16th 2010 9:37PM
NOT FIRST
Ishammel Apr 17th 2010 3:09AM
Upranked this. I think he'll learn his lesson better from the humiliation he'll receive, rather than from being downranked.
Alaskan Apr 17th 2010 8:50AM
@ Ishammel
Ironic :P
Lohkie Apr 16th 2010 9:37PM
as someone who hasnt yet earned a 310 mount im looking forward to being able to "learn" this speed. i just hope for the sake of ppl who put the effort in to get the truly awesome 310 mounts that either they dont have to pay to learn, or maybe get a little extra benefit
awall Apr 16th 2010 9:38PM
I imagine that anyone with a 310 speed mount will be given the new riding skill level. Even if they aren't, the special mounts should still work at 280.
paradox176 Apr 16th 2010 9:39PM
Personally, I am looking forward to the change. However, I do empathize with those people who put in a lot of hard work and dedication to obtain these rare flying mounts. Luckily for those people, the natural 310% flying mounts look way better than just about any other flying mount in the game.
Falcon6 Apr 16th 2010 9:39PM
I like this. There are so many varieties of mounts these days. Being limited to just two or three because of the faster speed does kind of suck. This way, my Bronze Drake, my Nether Rays, and all these other varieties of mounts can be brought out again, even while I have my Violet proto and my steed.
devilsei Apr 16th 2010 9:41PM
"No word yet on if players with current 310% speed mounts will still have to learn this new rank of flying skill or not."
I don't know why they wouldn't keep that. It would be kind of a kick in the teeth to have your hard-earned Rusted/Violet/whatever-proto drake get nerfed to a 280% mount. It's simply just to remove that small advantage of 310 versus everyone else. They should still have to pay to get their 280s though up to 310, otherwise the introduction of this skill and needing to pay for it would become redundant, since a large chunk of people probably already have the violet one from the holiday meta.
Then again, I wouldn't put it past them. They made Cold-Weather flying a paid skill instead of a quest reward as it originally was during the beta, and for no reason at that.
Nicholas Tam Apr 16th 2010 9:42PM
Given that going from 150% to 280% is already a "gold check", it would be nice if the upgraded flying skill from 280% to 310% depended on something more creative than spending more gold. Perhaps all existing 310% mounts can automatically grant the upgrade, and future methods of obtaining the upgrade to 310% will be comparable to raid and holiday achievements like what we've seen so far.
It would also be nice if high-end raiding rewards continued to include mount that are not merely cosmetic, but are functional improvements like the current 310% proto-drakes. If they want to get away from the design where attaining one high-speed mount makes you abandon the other ones, then either make the reward unlock a high speed for all mounts or offer unique mechanics like the sea turtles, motorbikes, and mammoths.
Their intentions are sound, but there's a certain danger here of over-homogenizing rewards (or ways to get rewards).