Zarhym Announces Big Mount Changes for 3.2
Posted by 
pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 94 Comments Tags: Mount, Patch, Zarhym, apprentice, artisan, blue post, call of the crusade, epic mount, expert, flying mount, forums, journeyman, patch 3.2, riding, speed, summoning time
pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 94 Comments Tags: Mount, Patch, Zarhym, apprentice, artisan, blue post, call of the crusade, epic mount, expert, flying mount, forums, journeyman, patch 3.2, riding, speed, summoning time 
Blue poster Zarhym on Wednesday night announced some pretty huge mount changes coming up for the next major content patch, 3.2. You'll be able to learn your apprentice, journeyman and expert riding skills all considerably earlier than before and at a reduced cost. As an added bonus, regular flying mounts now will fly at 150% speed, instead of 60%. All of this, Zarhym said, is "to further improve the leveling experience in World of Warcraft."
Here's the breakdown of changes to cost and level requirements, according to what Zarhym posted, with my own notes in italics:
- Apprentice Riding (Skill 75)
- 60% land mount speed
- Requires level 20 - a whole 10 levels earlier
- Cost: 4 gold - way down from 35g
- Mount cost: 1 gold - instead of 10g
- Mail will be sent to players at level 20 guiding them to the riding trainer
- Journeyman Riding (Skill 150)
- 100% land mount speed
- Requires level 40 - OMG 20 levels sooner!
- Cost: 50 gold - currently 600g
- Mount cost: 10 gold - down from 100g
- Mail will be sent to players at level 40 guiding them back to the riding trainer
- Expert Riding (Skill 225)
- 150% flying mount speed instead of 60%; 60% land mount speed
- Requires level 60 - Previously level 70
- Cost: 600 gold (faction discounts now apply) - currently 800g
- Mount Cost: 50 gold - down from 100g
- Can now be learned in Honor Hold (Alliance) or Thrallmar (Horde)
- Artisan Riding (Skill 300)
- 280% flying mount speed; 100% land mount speed
- Requires level 70
- Cost: 5,000 gold (faction discounts now apply)
- Mount Cost: 100 gold - instead of 200g
And, after getting lots of questions from other posters about Cold Weather Flying, Zarhym replied that at least that much will "remain unchanged."
It looks to me like these changes will help leveling go quite a bit faster, especially when in many of the wide, open spaces common throughout Azeroth. Not to mention the zones in Outland, too! AND the huge price slashes will mean that it's much less of a hardship for players to pay for mounts, especially for those poor alts. Most people in the forums seem to be pretty ecstatic about the announcement, but there are plenty also who are starting to say that the changes are catered toward the casual player (or that they should have been implemented xx months ago!). But these changes will affect everyone across the board - and in my opinion, it's all for the good. It's not about being lazy when leveling - it's about enjoying the game. And I think for a lot of us, mounts are fun.
Zarhym also announced that the casting time for summoning all mounts will go from its current 3 seconds down to 1.5 seconds. Which, to me, equals a greater chance that I'll be able to get my mount out in time after breaking stealth and before getting attacked. And maybe you also can successfully escape any other baddies heading your way before entering combat. I guess that would "improve the leveling experience" in my book.
Add this to all the other changes coming for Call of the Crusade, and a new battleground, and I'm just giddy. So what does everyone else think about these upcoming changes? FTW? Or FTL?
Reader Comments (94)
OMFG That is going to be awesome. I'm sick of having to run around so slow with my alts. Im really happy they are putting the beginner flying skill trainable at lvl 60 and with a 150% flight speed. 60% was just stupid anyway, and its all gonna be cheaper!! I only wonder if you will be able to get class specific mounts earlier too (ex: Felsteed and the Paladin mount). But like you said its all gonna be for the good! Big Mount Changes for Patch 3.2 FTW!!!
my goodness, i chose the perfect day to decide to level an alt( going away for a huge part of summer, pretty sure the patch will hit by then)
Awesome! And first
Dude thats awesome. 150% speed at expert. finally my alts that dont have enough money for epic flight have some speed
Gotta admit. I love it. Yeah, sure, I'd like retroactive discounts on all my current characters, but alts can still benefit!
Thats awsome..... after I spent the last couple of weeks busting my a$$ to buy epic flying for my alt ... /rawr
@ Rulaberry: Fail.
It's nice for alts, but I want my fucking money back.
sweet my lvl 20 rouge alt is happy now...but my lvl 80 hunter wants some refunds lol
I want a talent or spell for ghost wolf to increase my speed by 100% instead of 60 in lieu of a gold refund for mounts and riding skill purchases. KTHXBAI.
No, really. I'm glad I haven't bothered to level my alts, because I'd be right on the cusp of these new changes. It happened to me the first time with my main. Not...fun. Yay for everyone else though.
Well, the drop in gold costs is nice... and the 150% flying speed instead of 60%... but I have mixed feelings about the level being dropped yet again for apprentice riding. I can understand the level for basic riding being dropped to 60 since by the time you hit 70, you ought to be in Northrend (where you can't fly until you're 77 anyway).
Just as a sidenote question, what'll it mean for Ghost Wolf? Learn it at level 10?
"...the level for basic riding being dropped to 60"
Sorry, that should've said "flying" not "basic riding".
a 150% flying mount at 60....woah, if we'll be getting another expansion we might get 60% mounts at level 10 :P .
Flyingmount at lvl 60??? Hip-hip hurray!
As much as I love the changes, I'm still unhappy about the class specific mounts/flight form quest chains being thrown by the wayside. Let us enjoy some of the lore Blizz, for the love. You people are getting paid mucho bucks over there. Throw in a new quest line at corresponding levels for Paladin and Warlock 100% land mounts and druid's Flight Form.
Warlocks could go through Desolace and Orange side of Maraudon, or even Blasted Lands. Plenty of Demons there.
Doesn't seem to be any Scourge ridden area at level 40ish for the pally quest, but I'm sure something could be thought up. Maybe Scarlet Monastery.
Druid Flight form could be a chain through Cenarion Expedition in the beginnings of Zangar, taking you through Slave Pens. Possibly even starting in Azeroth with Cenarion Circle Quests. Could work.
Ah come on, you have to be kidding me.
Why are they now making these changes :\ I now have tons of 80 with Artisan Riding and now they are gonna say that i could have save tons of gold >.> laaaameeeeee
This is stupid. I have paid over 15000g over my alts for training for mounts. I don't care about getting a refund but this will just turn the game into easier-mode. I thought blizzard wanted people to still see old content? Don't know about you, but i'm still leveling on my alts in Outland using ground mount.
All I have to say is: FTL.
This is good but very lame since i just spent the full price on Epic riding for my rogue alt and its soon very cheap and with the money i could of bout normall riding skill ;/
Awesome. I love this idea. I just wish I could get a refund on my main's epic flight. Well, hopefully the patch will hit before I have the gold for my hunter alt's epic flight. Could save me a ton of gold if I grind her reps fast enough.
Oh come on, you got to be kidding me... if you change the lvl for 60%mounts then you have to change the lvl of travelform for druid and shaman or the speed. What use do these spells have if that isn't changed?
And don't drop flying to lvl 60 but to lvl 65.
I'm all for faster lvl'ing but that is what the BoA items are for.
Leave the lvl's the same but the drop in prices are just fine :)
Holy moly. Like half the people here I also paid the full amount for epic flying, but I'm liking the reduction in the prices for mounts. I want my red dragonhawk :(.
I'm ok with the level changes as well, pretty much insta flying in Outland and faster riding at 40 when it really starts to get tedious crossing zones on the slow mount, but the druid and shaman travelform speeds need to be increased to match. I like seeing cheetahs and ghost wolves running around.
I like the fact all the people who are voting in the "FTL" column only complaint is "I paid full amount, it's not fair that other don't pay the same!!"
Heck I've done the same bought most of my characters epic riding and epic flying and I do NOT begrudge newer players or alts this change. Grow up people!.
I'm speechless....
Although I think this is a great change, I just bought epic flying training on both my 80s yesterday... >.<
looks like I'm going to have to level another character just to take advantage of these changes =P
likewise, awesome idea just wish it came a little sooner before I dumped most my gold into it lol
God dammit. FTL I want my money back lol.