Riding Skill Fee Significantly Reduced in 3.2.2aSep 26th, 2009 at 9:03 PM by WaxPaper

It's not often that WoW players figure out a major patch change before a developer, but that seems to be exactly the case according to a post on the official Blizzard forums last night [via WoW.com]. Around the same time, Blizzard forum rep "Mumper" confirmed that the Expert Riding Skill has been reduced to a measly 225 gold in patch 3.2.2a, down from the previous 600 gold in patch 3.2.0. "We also changed the faction discounts for the riding skill vendors in Honor Hold and Thrallmar to use Stormwind and Orgrimmar faction," Mumper said in the post.

The new cost of 225 gold is a further reduction from an original price of 800 gold, making it easier than ever for players to get their first flying mount. There's no word yet whether or not the cost of other riding skills will be further be reduced from their current prices, but if the current trend continues, we might not be surprised to see dirt-cheap epic flying by the time Cataclysm launches. Mumper's full post can be found after the jump.

Re: Did they lower Riding Skill costs again??   09/25/2009 05:57:11 PM PDT

quote reply
You guys are correct, we reduced the expert riding skill price in 3.2.2 to 225g. We also changed the faction discounts for the riding skill vendors in Honor Hold and Thrallmar to use Stormwind and Orgrimmar faction.

There are a couple reasons we made this change. First off, we wanted expert riding to be available to more people at level 60. 600g just did not seem like a reasonable expectation for most level 60 players to have when they roll into Hellfire Peninsula. Especially after purchasing your level 60 skills. The second change, regarding the factions just made a lot more sense this way since you will not have any Thrallmar or Honor Hold faction when you enter Hellfire.

Finally, I want to apologize for this change not making the patch notes. We strive to get every change we make into the notes but this one somehow slipped by. Once again, my apologies on that, but hopefully the lower price will help make up for it. ;)

Tags: WorldofWarcraft, News

Comments

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Refund pls?
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# Sep 29 2009 at 7:23 PM Rating: Decent
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I really think players who've already purchased their mount should be refunded the difference in costs. Blizzard is just doing this so lowbies don't feel like they have a mountain to climb since it's obviously not getting any harder to make gold. We've been playing the game longer and have sunk more money into it, just saying it'd be nice to get something back.
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If you seek a challenge...
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# Sep 28 2009 at 8:12 AM Rating: Excellent
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...go get a hard-to-get mount. If a new mount gives you a sense of fulfillment, instead of simply being transportation, there are numerous mounts that require city raids, heroic drops, or just plain hard work. Instead of whining about the training cost - which really only speaks to your ability to amass gold - why not go and get a mount that truly says something about your game?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go feed the undead horse I stiole from The Baron :)

Cheers,
Jorge
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If you seek a challenge...
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# Sep 28 2009 at 11:16 AM Rating: Default
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You're confusing mounts that require work with mounts that require luck. I've sunk thousands of gold on chopper, mamoth etc and got other mounts through long rep grinds. That's a sense of achievement. I've also done strat nearly 50 times with no mount (similar story with other places like kara, seth etc) while other people get it on their first run. Not really something that rewards a lot of work.
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If you seek a challenge...
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# Sep 29 2009 at 6:35 AM Rating: Excellent
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Really? I guess going through Strat 80 times to get the mount wasn't work? Man, I must not understand the complex work required to do dailies every day to sink gold into a mount.

A cursory check of Wowwiki reveals a dozen mounts available from achievements alone. Then there are PVP mounts, Tourney mounts, mounts from other factions acquired via the old fashioned rep grind (which was indeed work - I've done it), and other rep-based grinds. My point is that there are dozens of ways to obtain a sense of achievement with your mount aside from "hey, I ground dailies for 6 weeks to get this uber-sweet mount!" Even then, it's not like those mounts are being made cheap - just the cost to ride them.

Being able to ride a Harley does not grant you esteem with the local biker gang. It's your ride, the story behind how you got it and how you've wokred for it, your attitude, and your willingness to work hard that is impressive. Same applies here.

Cheers,
Jorge
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If you seek a challenge...
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# Sep 29 2009 at 2:48 PM Rating: Decent
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Well said, and I couldn't agree more. All the QQ about the game being ruined because they lower the price of basic things like riding skill is nonsense. There's no change how you get special mounts, just the cost to be able to ride them. Acquiring an item not everyone has can indeed make you feel good, but riding is just a skill like any other.
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it almost reminds me of my 401k
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# Sep 28 2009 at 6:07 AM Rating: Good
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Heh i spent at a total almost a good 8k gold for all my mains riding training

about a good 600-800 during vanilla

another 1100 in BC

and now 6k in Wrath

my 8k gold investment is now worth about 5,500 gold...yay!
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It's only a game
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# Sep 27 2009 at 4:56 PM Rating: Good
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It's only a game, people. Having to spend a large portion of your time trying earn money to buy something as simple as a mount is not exactly appealing to most players. Having to pay more for it does not make you "leet". And no, I'm not new to the game. I got my pally and lock mounts the old-fashioned hard way, but I don't begrudge those that don't have to do that anymore. Neither do I feel like the game has gone to hell because it is easier to afford certain things than it used to be. You people act like you're personally insulted that Blizzard is handing out the newest tier gear to noobs for free. We're talking mounts here.
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sumbitch
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# Sep 27 2009 at 8:24 AM Rating: Good
Sandinmygum
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I just bought this riding skill a few days before this patch.
Awesome...
>< Blizz, ><
____________________________
Sandinmyeye | |Tsukaremashi*a |
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Awww
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# Sep 27 2009 at 3:19 AM Rating: Decent
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I Just dropped the 600g for Expert Riding just before the patch! Any word of a possible refund for poor players like me?
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meh
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# Sep 26 2009 at 11:07 PM Rating: Good
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I remember paying 1k gold for an epic land mount at lv 60.
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Nice surprise
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# Sep 26 2009 at 10:33 PM Rating: Good
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Score! I've been putting this off on my new DK, and on my mage, due to financial restrictions in-game, but now this is much more accessible with each character being able to pay for their own flyers without relying on any other sources of income =) TBH, I wouldn't have noticed this at all til I had my 600g for training and went to buy it =d





I'm just waiting for people to start QQ'ing now ;)


Edit: Shouldn't post when drunk =d

Edited, Sep 27th 2009 8:03am by UnholyUnion
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Nice surprise
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# Sep 27 2009 at 7:47 AM Rating: Decent
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Ordinarily I would QQ about this, but long gone are the days when you had to work for anything in WOW. Finally getting enough cash for mounts used to be somewhat of an achievement. Sadly, this is no longer the case.
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Nice surprise
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# Sep 27 2009 at 1:19 PM Rating: Decent
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Agree. Only the laziest of players had a hard time getting together the gold for mount training. Really was never that hard. Most things in the game now have been watered down to the point where there's no sense of achievement. Maybe that why achievements were added. Things have become so mindless that the game now needs you to tell you you've achieved something in the absence of any sense of actual achievement. :p
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Nice surprise
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# Sep 27 2009 at 10:32 AM Rating: Decent
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Well, since this is a game and not work, grinding for money to buy a mount shouldn't really take much effort. Now, when we're talking about heroics and raids, I will say that effort should be involved, but never work. I do that eight hours a day so I can have money to play games.
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Nice surprise
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# Sep 27 2009 at 12:17 PM Rating: Decent
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well, if the remove the work one needs to achieve getting a mount, the special feeling will go away as well.

"ya, it's a mount. What gives? WANT PRPLZ NAO!"
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Nice surprise
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# Sep 27 2009 at 12:29 PM Rating: Decent
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Wortschmied wrote:
well, if the remove the work one needs to achieve getting a mount, the special feeling will go away as well.

"ya, it's a mount. What gives? WANT PRPLZ NAO!"


This.
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