I've got an objection with these numbers. I know, I know. It's a game, but still ... we seem to pride ourselves on the realistic representation of most things (with some caveats for the "rule of cool") so why, then, are these so far off from what is realistic? Doing some research (to have more basis than just my personal experiences with the animals), mules inherit the best parts of their parents - Typically the speed and athletic ability from the horse and the strength, intelligence and endurance from the donkey. There are some other traits that are more prevalent in mules than either of their parentage; they've a keen sense of self-preservation (often mistaken for stubbornness) that neither of their parents develop.Shadgard Stables wrote:
Mount Spd End Str Tgh Grt War Hch Unc Price
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a chestnut horse with a flaxen mane and tail 3 5 2 1 2 - 147,500 riln
a bulky brown workhorse with a coarse pale mane 1 5 5 1 3 + Y 232,500 riln
a stocky gray mule 0 3 1 0 3 + 62,500 riln
In near every instance of research on these animals, the above line keeps popping up in some form or another. To provide some differentiation between the animals, though, I think the above stats should be altered just a bit, with commiserate price changes, something like:Mule Facts from Lucky Three Ranch wrote: The mule is a hybrid cross between a male donkey (jack ) and a female horse (mare). Because the mule most often demonstrates the best traits from each parent, he possesses what we call hybrid vigor. The mule inherits from the donkey his incredible strength, intelligence, patience, perseverance, endurance and surefootedness from the jack and his equine beauty, athletic ability and speed from the horse.
I didn't make any alterations to the workhorse and so removed them from the comparison. I lowered the strength quite a bit for the horse and increased the mule's because, for an animal that can be hitched to (which doesn't matter so much at the moment), it didn't make a whole lot of sense to have it so much lower in strength than a riding horse. The speed was increased for the mule, but still lower than a riding horses, to account for their usually smaller frames and legs than a thoroughbred horse built and designed for riding and/or barrel racing (which, by the way, would be a fun past time to have return *hint, hint*). It is nice that mules portray their sturdiness by being able to hitch wagons and the like to them, but they are far more than dumb workhorses, exhibiting all the best attributes of horses and donkey in one small(ish) package.Shadgard Stables - Modified wrote:
Mount Spd End Str Tgh Grt War Hch Unc Price
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a chestnut horse with a flaxen mane and tail 3 5 1 1 2 - 120,000 riln
a stocky gray mule 2 4 3 0 3 + 75,500 riln
I don't reckon it really matters one way or the other - barring war horses, mules are the most efficient animals we've got even without the boosts to their "stats". But still, they're underappreciated and should be fixed! I shall start the Society Of Mule-ish Awesomeness to make this so!