Why are Beefalo the only mob to be tamed? (and mounted)

[.OS]

I always liked Koalefant and always wished we could tame and ride them too. A war elephant basically lol.

Ewecus and perhaps the Varg as well, for variety in utility and play style I suppose. Ewe immobilizing mobs and Varg commanding some hounds.

Each would require a different method to tame and food to be fed.

 

edit: A mob able to traverse the sea sounds very interesting too! As for a mob that can fly, maybe it can be helpful in the caves?

Varg is OP I guess, I just thought it being able to control hounds would be neat. Ewe I'm not too sure how that would go. But of course like I said, they wouldn't share the same method of being tamed like a Beefalo. Varg you have to assert dominance in a fight lol. Ewe, help it somehow so it can trust you?

In multiplayer with multiple players each using various types of mounts I'm sure each type would synergize well with each other. I'd figure an Ewe could offer CC of sorts lol.

[viberr]

when it comes to the kolefant, I can see that being possible

but it's pretty obvious why you can't tame the varg and the ewecus. I mean, do they look like they want to be tamed to you? nah man, they'd rather eat your face off

[Masked Koopa]

I want to see Malbatross if anything, personally. A flying mount could be really cool, and she could be like a "hard mode" version of a Beefalo, since you'd need fish instead of cheap stuff like grass/twigs. There'd be potential for a "fast travel" system similar to how Pokemon has the move fly, as well as a way to cross water.

[BezKa]

1 minute ago, Masked Koopa said:

I want to see Malbatross if anything, personally. A flying mount could be really cool, and she could be like a "hard mode" version of a Beefalo, since you'd need fish instead of cheap stuff like grass/twigs. There'd be potential for a "fast travel" system similar to how Pokemon has the move fly, as well as a way to cross water.

Sounds overpowered as all hell, but damn if I don't want to see it now.

[_zwb]

3 minutes ago, Masked Koopa said:

I want to see Malbatross if anything, personally. A flying mount could be really cool, and she could be like a "hard mode" version of a Beefalo, since you'd need fish instead of cheap stuff like grass/twigs. There'd be potential for a "fast travel" system similar to how Pokemon has the move fly, as well as a way to cross water.

Then people would complain about how difficult it is to get the mount because of its low spawn rate. I think they would have to make the summoning process easier and less luck based first.

[Cheggf]

I don't like the idea of taming hostile mobs like the ewecus & varg. They should remain too aggressive to be domesticated. Indifferent on koalefant taming. 

[Masked Koopa]

13 minutes ago, _zwb said:

Then people would complain about how difficult it is to get the mount because of its low spawn rate. I think they would have to make the summoning process easier and less luck based first.

I've never had that much trouble getting it to spawn myself, although I am sure you can be unlucky, I tend to get at least one before emptying out all the bass.

 

17 minutes ago, BezKa said:

Sounds overpowered as all hell, but damn if I don't want to see it now.

I mean it could be very powerful, but whether it's OP would probably depend on how much work would have to go in. I could definitely see a system where you gotta catch a bunch of live fish every day, and have to manage the risk of drowning to buck timer with domestication requiring diving into the water or sthn. I think the main issue would probably be malbatross having 5000 hp, but you could probably either nerf Malbatross's HP, or maybe make her take full damage from boss attacks instead of the usual player-damage that players and mounted beefalo take.

[_zwb]

3 minutes ago, Masked Koopa said:

I've never had that much trouble getting it to spawn myself, although I am sure you can be unlucky, I tend to get at least one before emptying out all the bass.

 

In my experience it usually takes 2 or 3 shoals to spawn her, which is quite boring, would be more threatening if fishing up any fish can summon her.

[Cheggf]

3 minutes ago, Masked Koopa said:

I mean it could be very powerful, but whether it's OP would probably depend on how much work would have to go in. I could definitely see a system where you gotta catch a bunch of live fish every day, and have to manage the risk of drowning to buck timer with domestication requiring diving into the water or sthn. I think the main issue would probably be malbatross having 5000 hp, but you could probably either nerf Malbatross's HP, or maybe make her take full damage from boss attacks instead of the usual player-damage that players and mounted beefalo take.

You could have malbatross be rideable, but not domesticable. 5 or 10 minutes of being able to control her movement, but not attacks, then she bucks the saddle off and attacks you. Would be fun and a good way to explore the ocean. She would obviously need to have a way to tell when she's approaching the buck timer so you don't abruptly drown. 

[MrMNWorm]

A flying mount would be a pretty awesome addition to the game.

What if... after defeating the Malbatross you got one of her eggs. A player has to nurse the egg to hatch, feed the baby blue bird to full size (probably not the actual Malbatross sprite but something slightly smaller), and then craft a saddle to ride this magnificent flying mount. That would certainly increase my desire to find and fight the Malbatross.

Koalefants would also be pretty sweet... but they seem like they would be picky eaters who can only be domesticated with Figs or Stone Fruit.

[Well-met]

Varg and Ewecus is extremely far fetched.

Koalefant and Grass Gator can definitely work though. Koalefant could have slower, stronger attacks with some temperature utility and Grass Gator would open up boat-less sea movement.

[Oyrx]

imagine exploring the ocean on top of a rockjaw

[MrMNWorm]

@Oyrx you mad man... riding a Rockjaw would be a DST pirate/oceanographer's dream come true. 

I can see it now... mini Malbatrosses for air exploration, Rockjaws (and perhaps Moslings) for the oceans, and then cute Koalefants for the land... Beefalo taming will be a thing of the past with this kind of brainstorming... and I love it.

Sidenote: Grass Gekkos may not be the best option for a mount. Just imagine a Mighty Wolfgang hopping onto one of those little fellas and crushing every bone it's body... it would be quite gruesome.

[Catteflyterpill]

12 minutes ago, MrMNWorm said:

Sidenote: Grass Gekkos may not be the best option for a mount. Just imagine a Mighty Wolfgang hopping onto one of those little fellas and crushing every bone it's body... it would be quite gruesome.

Instead of Grass Gekkos we could always use Grass Gators as an amphibious form of transport. 

[MrMNWorm]

@Catteflyterpill Grass Gators would be a very versatile mount if that were the case... a bit ugly... but versatile.

PS: great username btw

 

[Mike23Ua]

Technically you can “Tame” Small Bird, Adorable Larvae, Catcoon, Pigs, Rock Lobsters- But as far as them following you around loyally forever, only the Beefalo does that.

Even Bernie, Chester and Hutch will abandon you between cave/surface transitions!

I guess the only other closest to loyal tames are Pet Den Critters & Abigail.

[MrMNWorm]

@Mike23Ua WAIT... A... MINUTE!!

Is there really a way to "tame" Catcoons? I usually just let them roam free to kill/farm butterflies...

If there is a way to tame them... I must know. Or were you thinking Kitcoons from their event? If so, no worries, I know how to domesticate Kitcoons.

[gamehun20]

1 minute ago, MrMNWorm said:

@Mike23Ua WAIT... A... MINUTE!!

Is there really a way to "tame" Catcoons? I usually just let them roam free to kill/farm butterflies...

If there is a way to tame them... I must know. Or were you thinking Kitcoons from their event? If so, no worries, I know how to domesticate Kitcoons.

I think you can give them like grass or something?

[Mike23Ua]

Just now, MrMNWorm said:

@Mike23Ua WAIT... A... MINUTE!!

Is there really a way to "tame" Catcoons? I usually just let them roam free to kill/farm butterflies...

If there is a way to tame them... I must know. Or were you thinking Kitcoons from their event? If so, no worries, I know how to domesticate Kitcoons.

Yes, but also no.. I mean you can “Trade” stuff with them and they’ll follow you around coughing up hairballs to give you gifts.

Their Gift pool is surprisingly large too, they can even sometimes give Electrical Doodads in their Hairballs.

They Also Attack Birds/Butterflies that are nearby while following You.

[MrMNWorm]

Mike... Gamehun... I thank thee for thy wisdom. I have been playing this game ALL WRONG... for years.

*hugs of appreciation*

Thank you both.

[Mike23Ua]

1 minute ago, gamehun20 said:

I think you can give them like grass or something?

Grass, Twigs, Flower Petal, there’s lots of stuff you can “trade” them- and I’m not sure if the value of what you trade to them effects what they’ll spit out in a Hairball, but I absolutely adore the interaction.

As a Wendy Main who can’t 1 shot kill birds while using a Boomerrang, and Abigail is too slow to catch them.. “Tamed” Catcoons are my Go to method of killing Birds as Wendy.

[Hornete]

To answer your question of "Why are beefalo only the mob to be tamed"
Likely due to the insanely intense amount of animation work needed for each tamable mob. Every idle, every action animation, every emote, it nears the hundreds of different animations that would need to be done. It's crazy enough they put the work into Beefalo way back then honestly, though ANR was smallish in content besides all the bosses so I can see how they had the resources to do it.

[Rickzzs]

As Hornete said, there are ~300 animations.

[Well-met]

no one asked for the ocean and they still pulled it off. They have nearly a decade more experience since ANR, they're not afraid of that work load.

[Hornete]

28 minutes ago, Well-met said:

no one asked for the ocean and they still pulled it off. They have nearly a decade more experience since ANR, they're not afraid of that work load.

It's not impossible, they can do it. But at what cost? What does ~300 animations of work load for each new ridable mob cost the developers? Perhaps we miss out on new mobs, new structures, new whatever due to animation workload being put into specific mobs and taming.

Gotta know the game development process!!! Everything is resources and knowing where and when to put 'em. The ocean while I have my problems with it is stilly a fairly neat addition that adds to the world as an entirety, more ridable mobs is cool don't get me wrong! But it's certainly nothing to the example you put out of the ocean.