Tall Bird saddles!

[Jov]

The maps are huge and navigating them for trips to the various biomes takes a while. Clearly we are in need of faster transport. Of all the beasts in the game, I think the one most suited for a mount so far are Tall Birds.

What I propose is this: Stolen eggs, if cared for (kept warm and safe) will hatch a Tall Bird chick that you can raise to be domesticated. When grown, craft a saddle and mount up - you've got a long-legged strider ready to go!

They must be feed with seeds and given a grass bed to nest down in for the night. Much faster method of travel.

Alternately, perhaps you can sneak up on a Tall Bird at night and attempt to mount them at risk of getting 'bucked' off and attacked, but this will be a less loyal, and slower mount.

[bluelover929]

I always wanted to hatch one not for your purpose but...to have as another fodder animal (or pet) ^~^

loving the idea, although beefalo could be a slower but more sturdy mount :3

[Jov]

beefalo could be a slower but more sturdy mount

True that, although I think they would serve better as beasts of burden, whether it's pulling a wagon or helping to sow a field!

[Shadoweangel]

This idea deserves the most dapper of awards. Love to be able to blaze across the map on my noble Tallbird steed. His name is Phillipe.

Pretty fond of the Beefalo beast of burden idea as well. Certainly cuts down on my inventory management complaints, and mobile luggage is never a bad idea. I'm kinda ripping off Discworld for this, but a literal living chest that can follow you would be hilarious.

[joe78man]

Hey, the beefalo idea is really great! you could add a chest to it and there you go!

There are some points to be taken:

1. taming

2. behaviour

1. Taming could be feeding him # of a particular fruit, which takes some work and time to get.

2. Behaviour. I have some ideas:

a. Tamed beefalo would wonder just as any untamed beefalo

b. A leash could be used as a tool, using ropes. You would weild it and use it on a tamed beefalo, from that point you walk at his speed and both move together at walking speed. If you swap the tool, the beefalo is free to wonder.

c. The leash could be attached to the ground or a tree to prevent the beefalo to wonder off

d. Tamed beefalos should be fed at least once every three days (so you can leave to scout or adventure for a while) or set loose and become untamed, leaving the chest on the ground. Optional, it would disapear as if returned to its origina location.

[mobius187]

This is a great idea. I agree that both Jov and bluelover929 in that the tall bird and beefalo would both make excellent beasts of burden that one should be able to capture/tame or, in the case of the tall bird, hatch from an egg. Obviously to restrict its use an invention would probably need to be involved to keep it out of player hands early on. Still I like the idea that a chest could be placed on top of a tamed beefalo as a means of "extra" transportable inventory, albeit at a slow pace. While the tall bird could be means of travelling more quickly.

In fact, wouldn't it be interesting if the game include small stone pillars, say, between the islands and allowed characters riding the tall bird to cross between islands more efficiently that way (i.e. because the tall bird's legs could reach across the gap between the stone pillars where the character could not on his/her own.