Mounting

[Dakhal]

Would it be possible to allow your animates to mount your own horses? As it is, it is possible to have your animate purchase a mount so it can mount it, but stabling it will result in it being lost to the voids since the animate cannot retrieve it from the stables for some reason.

[Noctere]

I would consider animates buying a horse as a bug. Animates should be used lightly as there are many things that can be done with them that are not intended. Rather than plug every hole in the leaky bucket (that is the animate feature) I would suggest just avoiding using them for them things such as, "joining a guild with your animate" or "buying a house with your animate" or anything else that doesn't feel quite right, as it is probably not. Continued and conscience exploitation will carry consequences.

[Dakhal]

I had never considered the thought of joining a guild with an animate, and perhaps.. that might have been better left unsaid. But, I suppose it may bait some less than trustworthy people into doing so. I was more saying that players not being able to mount or lead your horse was a means to keep thievery away. I don't see you worrying about your animate running off with a trusty steed.

I guess it's not that big of a deal, I just thought it would be neat to let them ride on horseback.

[Kent]

I have always disliked the unrealism in this game that prevents other persons from riding or leading your horse ever, not just animated but other PC's. Other MUDs have a t least a Permit command to allow another player to ride your horse. Add to this the faulty practice of riding your horse while it's pulling a wagon (instead of sitting on the seat of the wagon) and other unreal horse-based mechanics I have requested be made realistic over the years (and have been turned down on, just in the fashion Dakhal's request here has been summarily dismissed) ... over all the horse situation remains one of the bones of contention I have with CLOK.

[Noctere]

Animates riding on the same horse carries with it the same problems as having anyone else on a horse at the same time. Currently the code does not exist to do so. This is also some of the most intricate code in the game and would be a major project to complete. This does not mean that we haven't improved the riding code over the years. A long time ago the only way to carry large things was via handcarts but later we developed the wagons and the HITCH code so you could pull more and use your horse at the same time. Then later we also developed the lead code so you could lead you horse around without mounting it. Many of these came from player suggestions and we are still in the process of developing it.

We are continually adding more "realism" to the game but not everything that -YOU- may want be added right away and frankly given your tone Kent, you are not making a case for yourself. Basing the quality of the whole game on the small portion of our riding code or simply that, "-MY- requests are not being accepted" is a bit unfair.

... over all the horse situation remains one of the bones of contention I have with CLOK.

I am sorry if this is the way you feel however you must remember that items in the game that have a great deal of importance to you, may not have equal importance to others. We try to acquiesce to player demand but not everything can be addressed nor do we have the man power to take on every project. If you have any further concerns, as seems apparent from your increasingly bitter attitude, then may I suggest that you please take it up with us via e-mail or other personal ways to communicate.

[Dakhal]

I'm not looking for the possibility to ride the horse at the same time as my animate. I'm looking for the ability for my animate to ride a horse that I own, whilst I either walk or ride another horse entirely. I think it would be wonky for two people to ride the same horse, and in conventional practice it's only ever done for short periods of time anyhow. (Two people riding the same, that is.) If it's not a possibility, then so be it, but I think that we're having a misunderstanding in just what exactly is being sought.

[Rias]

Horses should stay dead when they get killed instead of magically re-materializing alive back in a stable somewhere. And when left alone outside towns, there should be a high chance of them getting stolen/attacked/eaten by the multitudinous nasties out and about in the Lost Lands.

/dons "Pro-Horse-Realism" shirt and stands with Kent.

[Dakhal]

I have no problem with my horse dying permanently should it fall. But.. this isn't the purpose of my thread, nor it's request. Anything additional is great, but I would like if the topic was kept on track.

I appreciate the input of others, Kent and Rias both (of which you have both made me chuckle).

And Noctere, too, I guess. But he didn't make me chuckle.

He didn't lay any traps.