San Diego Comic Con - Q&A & Video Materials

[Jupiter_on_Mars]

Buying a new horse would mean going to a place to get a horse. If I'm going somewhere and this happens, I'll have to go back to get another horse(assuming I have the money), "train" it assuming it still has the horse training that was mentioned and then go back on my path. And then losing a horse which I've invested so much into is a really cheap shot, it's the same as losing your weapon suddenly.

Tying to a post or tree would mean having to such add scripts to every post and tree in the world, making sure the scripts don't spazz out if two trees are too close and which one to choose should such things happen and adding exceptions for trees where this function will not work.

A 'magical horse' materializing out of nowhere is quite simply because it's a videogame as it should be. The industry is immature and in its caveman days which is why you hear things like "this is too videogame-y". You don't hear things like this in an industry that has had time to mature. "This movie is too movie-like", "this music is too music-y" that doesn't happen.

How on Earth did you come up with such a convoluted scheme?
I'm sorry but a game with non magical mortal horses would be no less a video game. That should be blatantly obvious.

As far as I can tell, you do not train horses in TW3. That point is moot. Signposts already have some sort of script associated, as they double as instant Fast Travel points, which, by the way, would make them especially convenient when recovering your horse. I, for one, am in no position to discuss how hard it would be to code that feature in. I am however claiming it would be worth it.

Should your horse perish, then you'd go buy one, if you so desire. Can't afford it? Why, in that case you're in the exact same position as not having the money to buy a piece of gear. Should you also be provided with gear you cannot afford? You might not even have anything in those saddlebags or at least not anything worth going back for.

It'd be your call.

It's obvious games have to make compromises. That's never been the issue.
It's whether or not there are better viable alternatives.

 

[gregski]

For me this is a compromise without better viable alternatives. I prefer the game to have core mechanics that I can be challenged with than some secondary - or even tertiary - ones making the game a mundane, tiring experience. So I hope for really polished horse riding and fighting mechanics than for necessity of tying my horse to a signpost or walking for several minutes because I got off it and it ran away.

 

[sidspyker]

I'm sorry but a game with non magical mortal horses would be no less a video game. That should be blatantly obvious.

Didn't say otherwise.

As far as I can tell, you do not train horses in TW3.

Based on what?
One of the little info-drops that came out which mentioned that horses have stats and they can be trained and we have no clue whether it is still present or removed/replaced.

Signposts already have some sort of script associated, as they double as instant Fast Travel points, which, by the way, would make them especially convenient when recovering your horse. I, for one, am in no position to discuss how hard it would be to code that feature in. I am however claiming it would be worth it.

You're only addressing half of that, SIGNPOSTS will be few and far between and most definitely will not be in the middle of a forest for example where you mention using TREES, which would be a huge number and definitely not viable in the slightest.

Should you lose your horse, then you go buy one, if you so desire. Can't afford it? Why, in that case you're in the exact same position as in not having the money to buy a piece of gear. Should you also be provided with gear you cannot afford? Anyway, if you deem your inventory precious then you go back and reclaim it. But you might not even have anything in those saddlebags or at least not anything worth coming back for.

Yes I'd have to go back to a place where I could buy a horse which could be anywhere in the world and not necessarily near me or at least locate one wild one in the world.

It's not the exact case at all, gear can be had later but without a horse I cannot traverse such a huge world on foot that's been made redundant by the sheer size. If I need to earn money to buy said horse I'll need to do some quests and for that I'll need to travel.

 

[Jupiter_on_Mars]

For me this is a compromise without better viable alternatives. I prefer the game to have core mechanics that I can be challenged with than some secondary - or even tertiary - ones making the game a mundane, tiring experience. So I hope for really polished horse riding and fighting mechanics than for necessity of tying my horse to a signpost or walking for several minutes because I got off it and it ran away.

Oh come on!
Who said anything about «horses running away»? No one suggested anything even in the vicinity of that.

Quite simply, the need to tie your horse to a signpost would arise when travelling from the mainland to the Skellige, since it won't be accompanying you. There, you'd have to find yourself a new one. That's it.

If one has to so much whistle for a horse to magically pop into existence, then that might help explain why horses are immortal, which, again, is an abysmally unfair advantage handed out to Geralt on a silver platter. If your horse were to die mid battle, you'd simply have to whistle and voilá! a new stallion would suddenly materialize. That would be awkward indeed.

Anyway, I'll wait for news on this from Gamescom.
So far it's right up there in the same category as self-refilling potions.


@sidspyker,

1) I will just point out to you that if you watch Gamspot footage indeed there was a signpost near where Johnny lives.
Yup. Right In the middle of a swamp.

2) Granted. I think restricting it to signposts would be a reasonable compromise. I'd take that.

3) Who says you have to travel extensively by foot to find a horse? Can't wild horses be extensively available in NML or in the archipelago? Can't tamed horse be relatively easy to find near Novigrad?
Additionaly, you always have IFT. Find the nearest signpost.

4) No. Training has not been mentioned. If I recall correctly you can tame a wild horse, but that's simply a matter of Axii-ing the hell out of it. Not really a long term process.

 

[sidspyker]

My word! No patience to de-construct my post? Hmm... I believe we may be at an impasse then but fear not I have a way to fix that! Guess what, I don't have the patience to deal with your thinly veiled aggressiveness either.

 

[Garrison72]

Such horses mechanics worked perfectly well in Red Dead Redemption and were a reasonable act of balancing gameplay in a huge open world.

I'll look up some vids but how exactly does it work in Red Dead? I assume the horse doesn't take damage in gun fights, and if you dismount it runs off a ways if you're in a fight? I was wondering how the REDs would do this and I'm not surprised st the solution. Having the horse get killed might be opening up a can of worms design wise.

 

[althrian]

As I remember right it was possible to kill the horse in RDR in many ways (gun fight, cliff jump - as far as it happened to me - just unintended; don't know about water jumps). Afterwards you had walk/run before you could tame a wild horse or get another horse in a village.

 

[Cs__sz__r]

That's your prerogative.

What with this limited info seems wonkier though is to have mounted combat against enemies on foot, as was shown in the SoD trailer, but at the same time have your horse be immortal. Now that's wonky.

And I really don't care because I won't be using horse combat unless it's forced in a situation.

 

[crimzonwarrior]

I'll look up some vids but how exactly does it work in Red Dead? I assume the horse doesn't take damage in gun fights, and if you dismount it runs off a ways if you're in a fight? I was wondering how the REDs would do this and I'm not surprised st the solution. Having the horse get killed might be opening up a can of worms design wise.

Having your horse get possibly killed, and killing other peoples horses was one of the funnest things about combat in Red Dead Redemption. Also you can summon your horse out of thin air as well as long as you own a deed to the horse. It comes riding up, but it spawns out of distance on command. Finally the horse isn't afraid of gun fire.

 

[JackalJ]

Well I guess they made the horses 'immortal' because if it dies while you are in the middle of nowhere and need to run 20 minute with Geralt to the nearest town or signpost to fast travel isn't fun either. So I can understand why they made them not take any damage. Unless you want your inventory filled with back-up horses... Bag-o-Mounts.

 

[tommy5761]

Having your horse get possibly killed, and killing other peoples horses was one of the funnest things about combat in Red Dead Redemption. Also you can summon your horse out of thin air as well as long as you own a deed to the horse. It comes riding up, but it spawns out of distance on command. Finally the horse isn't afraid of gun fire.

Not too bad I guess . Quick question though ,what`s the horse riding ?

 

[Percival_Dickenbutts]

I'm guessing that enemies won't attack your horse in the first place, so making it unkillable seems more like a measure to just ensure that no bugs will cause it to take a ton of damage and drop dead.

I don't think we'll be seeing a swarm of enemies surrounding and continuously attacking your horse while it just stands there, tanking like a baws.

 

[gregski]

I'll look up some vids but how exactly does it work in Red Dead? I assume the horse doesn't take damage in gun fights, and if you dismount it runs off a ways if you're in a fight? I was wondering how the REDs would do this and I'm not surprised st the solution. Having the horse get killed might be opening up a can of worms design wise.

IIRC the horse you owned at the moment could be killed - then you couldn't call it by whistling and you had to run around and look for some wild ones to tame. Rockstar usually balances their open world in a way that it spawns those new horses(or cars in GTA) in a reasonable distance, so even if you're running around and can't find one for some time, you won't be running for too long. But this I guess comes with the mastery of open world games that Rockstar built up.

If you dismount the horse before a fight though - it cleverly steps out of the screen which has this additional benefit that the it doesn't clutter the scene while you're goin' wild with your sixshooter. After you're finished - you whistle and it comes around running.

 

[crimzonwarrior]

Not too bad I guess . Quick question though ,what`s the horse riding ?

A bicycle obviously.
View attachment 5211

 

[EmperorZorn]

Not too bad I guess . Quick question though ,what`s the horse riding ?

What if it rides another horse ? Horseception !


edit: I just came across a picture with Kinley on it. All my questions are answered now.

 

[BroccoliSouP]

What if it rides another horse ? Horseception !


edit: I just came across a picture with Kinley on it. All my questions are answered now.

I see Kinley but who is that beatiful lady on the right? You have got lot of to answer Kinley.

EDIT: Bout horses. It would be enought if you could hurt them. Althought it makes no sense. Game is 18+ so why immortal horses?

 

[Jupiter_on_Mars]

edit: I just came across a picture with Kinley on it. All my questions are answered now.

Kinley 3 - Emperorzorn 1

Your move @Kinley. Zorn is catching up.

Well I guess they made the horses 'immortal' because if it dies while you are in the middle of nowhere and need to run 20 minute with Geralt to the nearest town or signpost to fast travel isn't fun either. So I can understand why they made them not take any damage. Unless you want your inventory filled with back-up horses... Bag-o-Mounts.

What makes you think it'd take 20 minutes or so to find one?
There's a signpost near where Johnny lives. It's a forsaken swamp.
Anyway, you let your horse die, you deal with the consequences. Even if it did take you 20 minutes, the world looks beautiful, very lively and eventful. Look at it this way: it's an extra incentive to exploration.

 

[Vincentdante]

"Who noticed at the end the orphans were gone? Well guess what choices and consequences" (paraphrasing).

me: Oh shit!

 

[Zhyphix]

Even those little snippets managed to get me excited, the atmosphere in this game is unbelievable. That swamp. That Cockle.

For the horse matter, I don't see it as a big deal. I'm fine with either way they choose and can see the benefits of an immortal one that keeps out of danger and is mostly ignored during fights.

 

[Blooddrunk]

I'm not bothered by immortal horse.
Let's hope mounted combat will be awesome and satisfying as it was in RDR, give Geralt lasso and we are all set ^^