Author Topic: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...  (Read 10294 times)

Rex

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #25 on: August 07, 2008, 04:00:30 PM »
Coconuts?  But this is a temperate zone!   :lol:
The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land? ;)

Seriously though, we're evaluating it. On a positive note, we won't have to redo all of the transitions in the module if we put horse riding in, just any custom ones (like the ring of choking fog near the Village of Barovia).

1 vial of Vistani goodness for you, 10 gallons for the horse.  There is a vistani money maker.

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archonzero

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #26 on: August 07, 2008, 05:17:41 PM »
  :lol:  What.. disliking coconuts!  It's a staple supplement for all those who would be horse riders who canna have them.

  Well on an uber geek note, I do recall hiring a henchman to bang coconuts together once with that group of players who had the hatred for all things mounted.  Since I couldn't actually have my own horse I just paid a hireling to follow us around banging them together.  That didn't last long either, well more like he didn't last long!  They ended up eating him after chopping off his limbs as well.  Poor hireling squire and bloody morbid bastards!   :twisted:

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #27 on: August 07, 2008, 05:39:56 PM »
I'm not sure why everyone is so against horses. We already have familiars and animal companions. Many folks take those seriously and RP with them as if they were live animals. Heck, I have Kurgh talking to even his undead summons on occasion.

Oh, and if the animals costs a goodly amount of money, not everyone will have a horse because not everyone will be able to afford one.
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Rex

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #28 on: August 07, 2008, 06:06:09 PM »
I'm not sure why everyone is so against horses. We already have familiars and animal companions. Many folks take those seriously and RP with them as if they were live animals. Heck, I have Kurgh talking to even his undead summons on occasion.

Oh, and if the animals costs a goodly amount of money, not everyone will have a horse because not everyone will be able to afford one.

That's because it's perfectly acceptable for a halfling to bend over and pop a grizzly bear out of their backside, and for wizards to reach into their hat and pull out a panther, but if a Fighter could ride a horse.....well come on that's just annoying.

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Budly

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #29 on: August 07, 2008, 07:28:14 PM »
To answer to what I said about horses is that I am a person that morely see the negative parts first then the positive parts. I am almost sure that horses won't bring for any creative RP and if they do people won't really care if you feed your horse or simular.

Like some people don't really care about the night some won't care about the horse as a living being, it will be more like a "cool" item.

Perhaps It work out here but I know many other servers I been on where horses would be disasterous for the feeling to It.

And seeing people "giddeup" around Barovia In my view will be a big boring flaw to It. The escape from werewolfs won't be the same, Now you can practically also ride through areas much faster, even in night not caring much since the horse do raise the movement speed?

ethinos

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #30 on: August 07, 2008, 07:50:48 PM »
First, you really need to be more optimistic. :)

The only horses I've used were from awhile back, but they were as fast as a normal hasted human. So a hasted barbarian, or monk would actually have been faster on foot than on horseback.

For me, the LACK of horses has always been a thing that ruined my immersion with persistant worlds like this. My PC's in PnP always had horses, because only a poor fool would walk for miles on end when a horse could increase your travel distance by exponential numbers and allow you to get there without being winded or sore.

No horses ruins part of what it is to be a noble, a knight, and other archetypes that some folks may want to portray. Wirth would most definitely not walk to von Zeklos Keep if he had a horse to ride, but not having them available means he's doing actions contrary to what his basic character concept entails.
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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #31 on: August 07, 2008, 08:21:37 PM »
To answer to what I said about horses is that I am a person that morely see the negative parts first then the positive parts. I am almost sure that horses won't bring for any creative RP and if they do people won't really care if you feed your horse or simular.

Like some people don't really care about the night some won't care about the horse as a living being, it will be more like a "cool" item.

Perhaps It work out here but I know many other servers I been on where horses would be disasterous for the feeling to It.

And seeing people "giddeup" around Barovia In my view will be a big boring flaw to It. The escape from werewolfs won't be the same, Now you can practically also ride through areas much faster, even in night not caring much since the horse do raise the movement speed?

I don't wanna sound pesimistic but this is honestly my opinion entirely as well. While I see horses being cool in plots etc, I don't think adding them to such a limited space would be a good idea, had the server covered bigger areas and the like I would have loved it. But as it is atm... No I don't want to see public usage of them.

But I wouldn't worry, I think some other people on the dev team are more cheerful about them ;)

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #32 on: August 07, 2008, 08:23:11 PM »
  I have no issues with or without horses.  *shrugs*  I hope my posts didn't come across as such.. I was merely sharing the humor that came to mind at the time.  Maybe it was poorly timed, just thought we could all use a chuckle is all. 

  So -Crank- up the movement speed of the shapeshifters, since werewolves have always been incredibly fast moving, no one on foot should be able to run and get away anyways.. unless hasted/speed potion.   :twisted: 

Budly

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #33 on: August 08, 2008, 03:40:22 AM »
And to put another note in!

Horses wasn't cheap in our mediviel days I believe. Not everyone had a stead that was ready to go into battle, was combat trained and so on. And in Barovia I believe with all those vampires,werewolf attacks the horses would cost quiet a lot? Specially to outlanders and so on. I don't really think there Is that many horses?

That Is of course not a reason to not have them on the server, only perhaps away to keep them down in numbers so we do not end up as a stocked up highway by morning time around 7:00 AM
« Last Edit: August 08, 2008, 03:42:53 AM by Budly »

Ellana Twiggy

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #34 on: August 08, 2008, 03:58:28 AM »
this is very true, horses and barding were incerdibly expensive. . .not sure if it is compatable, but olander had a really nice barding system, where you would have to make your own, and it cost a pretty penny too.  Maybe something similar would be nice, spend a few k on a horse, then spend mor eon the armor to try and keep it alive. :-p

And still get it eaten. . .hehe

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #35 on: August 08, 2008, 04:19:00 AM »
  Regardless if they are being added or not being added.  I won't be using them, not for want or not wanting.  It'd better be bloody well expensive to say the least.   Or perhaps as a reward if it's something integral to their character.. like..  :roll: say a paladins special mount (  :twisted: knowing full well how that turns out in Ravenloft ).  That could make some wild RP moments.. if not horrifyingly hilarious to say the least, almost campy horror, but that would be fun.  :mrgreen:

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #36 on: August 08, 2008, 07:05:27 AM »
When I was referring to people not considering the immersion-breaking aspect they could have when using their horses, I was actually thinking mainly of how they control when sitting on a horseback. Moving when being mounted on an animal is much different than just moving around on your own feet. Games like Mount&Blade manage to portray this very well, and in those games, horseback riding increase the immersion rather dispersing it - but NWN's engine just doesn't support anything that could remotely live up to that.

ethinos

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #37 on: August 08, 2008, 05:01:10 PM »
Another thing about horses, is there anyway we can prevent folks from using large weapons from horseback, like two handed swords, long bows, and the like?
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Rex

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #38 on: August 08, 2008, 05:19:49 PM »
Some Longbows were designed to be used from Horse back.  I expect to see Yoshi charge us with one one day.

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #39 on: August 08, 2008, 05:23:46 PM »
A true longbow is nearly as tall as a man which wouldn't work well from horseback. That's why shortbows were the rage with those horseback archers.
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Rex

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #40 on: August 08, 2008, 05:31:12 PM »
A true longbow is nearly as tall as a man which wouldn't work well from horseback. That's why shortbows were the rage with those horseback archers.

Composite Recurves.  Go Mongols!

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #41 on: August 08, 2008, 06:08:52 PM »
and the chinese used  the nodachi, i think thats what it is, which is a great sword, from horse back.  as were spears used in various cultures and later lances.  I would find it very interesting if there was a jousting tournament at some point hosed by the minor noblility, if they were even into that in ravenloft. Not sure on that though.

ethinos

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #42 on: August 08, 2008, 06:44:28 PM »
Barovia is too backwater for things like jousting.

While Wikipedia confirmed the Mongols using composite recurved bows, and North Americans typically using short bows, I didn't find any confirmation that the Japanese ever used the nodachi on horseback. Spears and such are fine, but I can't see someone using a typical greatsword or greataxe or the like from horseback as the inertia from swinging the weapon properly would probably pull you right out of the saddle.

Quote
The nodachi was carried by foot soldiers and was designed as a weapon for war versus cavalry and open field engagements. Nodachi were generally used on open battlefields as their length made their use indoors or close quarters difficult. They were an effective weapon against cavalry, though they were not commonly used.
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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #43 on: August 08, 2008, 06:53:42 PM »
Japanese used a long bow called the Yumi for horseback. I'll find the link.


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Ellana Twiggy

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #44 on: August 09, 2008, 01:16:01 AM »
a quote from historical text, one should not trust everything on wikipedia, Book is Samurai, The history of:

Quote
The Nodachi
The nodachi, or Odachi as it was sometimes called, was a weapon of the calvary and foot solders of ancient Japan.
The japanese "tachi" refers to a kind of sword. The prefix "o" is an honorific which implies that a person or object has some special significance. In this case, the significance is in the size of the sword. Often near or over five feet long with a tsuka of greater than 15 inches, the nodachi were used in several ways.

One use of the nodachi was to fight from horseback. Often it was used in place of a polearm because the length of it's blade made it perfect for cutting down an enemy and his horse in one fell swoop. Because of it's weight it could not be brandished with ease and was usually discarded when the melee began. Foot soldiers would carry this sword with the flat edge against the shoulder and the fuchi, or butt of the tsuka, in the palms of the hands and the blade facing out toward the enemy. The sword would be hurled at the enemy, sometimes cutting down several enemy soldiers at once. After having thrown his nodachi away, the samurai would draw his katana for the melee.

Not all swords are used for swinging around recklessly,  and though you most likely could not swing around a great sword on a horse very well, it has some very practical applications in replacement of lances and so forth, which would be used by people who are not into the lance era.

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #45 on: August 09, 2008, 03:03:36 AM »
  It'd better be bloody well expensive to say the least.   Or perhaps as a reward if it's something integral to their character..
It's a LOT of work to add horses. I don't think it'd be worth the effort if nobody would be able to use them.

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #46 on: August 09, 2008, 03:42:52 AM »
  It'd better be bloody well expensive to say the least.   Or perhaps as a reward if it's something integral to their character..
It's a LOT of work to add horses. I don't think it'd be worth the effort if nobody would be able to use them.
WOOHOO!  Jousting for everyone!  :D

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #47 on: August 09, 2008, 05:02:35 AM »
Horses are Rare in Barovia anyway except for the hills in the eastern regeions. Oxen remain the primary mode of drawing for most people, especially in mountainous western Barovia.

Vallaki is right smack dab in the middle, but Festus probably caters exsclusivly to the many merchants that come through. Besides using horses would require EVERYONE to remake to take points in 'ride'. Is there any class that doesn't get ride as a Cross class skill? I mean, is there any class that ride is a PRIMARY skill? Paladin maybe. . .

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #48 on: August 09, 2008, 06:32:32 AM »
I say we ride dire boars:D

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Re: Horses - So now that Version 1.69 is here...
« Reply #49 on: August 09, 2008, 07:09:32 AM »
Besides using horses would require EVERYONE to remake to take points in 'ride'. Is there any class that doesn't get ride as a Cross class skill? I mean, is there any class that ride is a PRIMARY skill? Paladin maybe. . .

It would require only characters who want to ride to be remade and even then only those who are already quite high level. The low(er) level characters would still have enough levels ahead of them to invest the points.

I'm indifferent about the whole horse issue, while it would certainly allow for a few more character concepts (Ethengar Khanate riders from Mystara, riders from the Hordelands in Faerun, etc.) it doesn't make or break the mod. It's a nice to have thing, nothing more and nothing less.