Warhorse Disappeared

[Dorn]

So, I've been leaving my warhorse out attached to a wagon and moving it a few times a day. Logged on last night briefly, warhorse gone. I checked the Outpost stables, and nothing.

I was under the impression if a warhorse died/disappeared it should be in the last stable used? Just to eliminate random chances, I've checked both Mistral Lake and the Western Coalition HQ (Where I bought it)

And while on the subject, can we get a sign with the correct syntax for using a stable at the Corvus Outpost? I actually used the wrong one, assumed the blurb I got meant I didn't have anything there, saw the sign at Mistral Lake and ended up having to double check the Outpost. (Well, triple check. Retrieve and Check'd every location)

Also, knowing whether I could get it back or not or whether I'm going to need to get a new one would be useful.. Rather need one for a lot of the stuff I do. Handcart don't cut it.

[Barius]

Been playing with this same problem for a few weeks now. Reported it and heard nothing about it for several days, then after getting a GM's attention was told to wait for Rias or Rithiel to look into it. Gave up waiting after several more days, and trying to save up for a new one now, when I can be bothered to log on to.

I realize this post sounds grumpy and that the devs are busy doing other things. But a bug like this should be looked into, especially since it keeps happening. If it IS being looked into, hearing as much would be cool, too.

[Blitz]

Mounts "disappearing" just happens if they're left unattended and unstabled -- it's not a bug; the stablehands will find it starving/exhausted and charge you extra for nursing it back to health. However, not being able to find what stable it went to is very annoying. The stablehands magically know it's your mount when you go to ask it back, so they might also magically know who to send a note to if they've taken it in saying where you may reclaim it. Alternatively, maybe give players a command to get an overview of their mount(s) and the location they're at. Doesn't sound like it'd be complicated to code up, and should save the devs a lot of time tracking mounts of grumpy people all over Arad.

[Barius]

I'm not sure you fully read each post, Blitz. They aren't in any stables at all. Every stable says "You have no mount stabled here" when checked.

[Blitz]

I did read through the entire post, Barius. Neither of you provide sufficient information to conclude EVERY stable says you've not stabled anything there. You didn't specify which locations you checked, and Dorn said he checked the outpost, Mistral and the WC Headquarters. He did not check every stable. In particular, he didn't say he checked the one at the Hanged Man, which is notorious for the zealousness with which its stablehands track down abandoned mounts. (If I'm not mistaken, disappearing mounts which have never been stabled before end up there. I too thought mounts should reappear wherever they were last stabled, but I'm not 100% certain this is the case.)

Perhaps my post would've been more appropriate at the suggestions thread. Nevertheless, I'm not sure if there is in fact a bug in play here. Leaving a mount hitched to a wagon and logging off constitutes it being unattended, so the stablehands might've gotten to it.

[Dorn]

From what I was aware, they're supposed to go to the stable last used. If for whatever reason, they're not. I'd imagine that could be a bug anyway.

Especially if a horse in the Corvus Outpost is ending up in Shadgard.

[Rithiel]

Dorn, your horse did not disappear - I found it in the first place I looked.

Barius, losing your horse was due to the fact that the server crashed, not really a bug. The next time you're on, please use report to see if a GM is around. They will give you the riln to buy another identical horse.

[Dorn]

Lovely. Thank you for checking.

Though I still do think it's a bit buggy that it ended up some place I've never travelled to.

[Rias]

The stablehands magically know it's your mount when you go to ask it back, so they might also magically know who to send a note to if they've taken it in saying where you may reclaim it.

Think of it more like, "Hey, that's my horse!" "Oh yeah? Well we found it out starving in the wilderness, so it'll be this much to get it back after what we had to do to retrieve it and keep it healthy."

I know, the messaging indicates they seem to already know it's yours currently, and we'll consider changing it up. This doesn't mean that stablehands are mount-druids who magically sense a mount's owner or anything, though.

While we acknowledge sometimes horses do disappear due to bugs and are happy to help retrieve/replace them, we generally have little sympathy for mounts being lost due to their owners simply losing track of them. Poor horsies!

[Kent]

Think of it more like, "Hey, that's my horse!" "Oh yeah? Well we found it out starving in the wilderness, so it'll be this much to get it back after what we had to do to retrieve it and keep it healthy."

I know, the messaging indicates they seem to already know it's yours currently, and we'll consider changing it up. This doesn't mean that stablehands are mount-druids who magically sense a mount's owner or anything, though.

I always believed that in Arad, something as valuable as a horse had something on it to identify it's owner, either a brand, or something engraved on a brass tag on it's bridle or saddle, etc. I put it in the same category as the subsumed tack necessary for the care of a horse, along with horseshoes, saddle, saddleblanket, bit and bridle, feedbag, etc.

I think it would be more realistic role-play if, when the horse is abandoned within a town, or within three 'rooms' of the wilderness entrance to that town, that the local stableboy will take it to the local stable rather than the previous stable sending someone to get it; however, I hesitate to make it as a suggestion, being unaware of the complexity of coding it (the cost vs benefit may be too steep).

[Rias]

We've been brainstorming better methods of employing the retrieve-abandoned-mounts mechanic for a while now.

P.S.: Be afraid.