Let’s be honest about it. Mechanostriders squeal. And they give me a headache. I don’t think it’s something that could easily be fixed if you just looted one of those Harvest Golems in Westfall for a flask of oil. It’s worse. There’s obviously something wrong in their construction.
A danger to Azeroth
I know Gnomeaggedon, the defender of everything gnomish in Azeroth will shake his fist at me for saying this, but frankly I think that any mount in the game – even those extremely ugly and unpractical elekks – is better than the failed gnomish experiment of a vehicle. It’s a shame that those rides are still around on the roads – they’re a danger to mankind and are likely to blow up any minute, considering the sound of them.
Painful is the word. And even though I respect and admire Green Armadillo, the brilliant author of Player versus Developer, I sincerely can’t understand his love for mechanostriders. It’s… kinky and incomprehensible.
I had all but forgotten about the existence of the striders, since I stopped using them, quite abruptly.
It was last year, during the summer event, when I visited bonfires in every godforsaken corner of Azeroth during a couple of several hour long travelling sessions, that I for the first time fully realized how much the sound of my mount annoyed me. I didn’t really want to turn the game sound off completely, missing all the music, all the events, npc:s and the information that I get from the spellsounds and the sound-playing addons. So there wasn’t any way to avoid listening to the squeaks and creaks. As my journey continued I started to hesitate every time I had to mount up again to go to a bonfire situated a bit away from the fp. Finally I swore an oath to never again let Larísa suffer from the noices from the stupid machine bird. Any animal, be it a horse, a tiger or an elekk, would be better than this.
Shortly after this final odyssey of the strider I bought my Stormpike Battle Charger to replace it. The Battle charger is a beautiful mount and goes very well with a gnome, considering the size and the looks of it. I’ve never ever looked back. My battle charger is my loyal companion wherever I go.. Even though the mechanostrider nowadays dwells in the spellbook, without occupying valuable slots in the bag, the spell of summoning it remains untouched.
Until now. The last week I’ve started to commit most of my out-of-raid hours on the task of leveling my rogue Arisal, who naturally is a gnome like Larísa, only that her hair is black and quite punk-like, looking great on a rogue. I’ve been roaming around Dragonblight and Grizzly Hills, once again accompanied by a strider, only that this one was yellow instead of white, since I for some reason had the idea that this would suit a rogue. And with every step she takes I’ve been thinking: I must change her. Give me whatever you can think of: a horse, a ram, an elekk, a broom. Give me those soft sounds from the paws of the ride touching the ground, every so lightly instead of the squeaking machine and I’ll be just fine.
Looking for alternatives
It remains to see what I’ll do about it. The ultimate ride would be the Winterspring Frostsaber, but since I’m pretty much focused on leveling, I’m not really up for grinding all those hours just for a reputation, without getting any xp whatsoever. So I’ll have to look into the alternatives. Run a bunch of AVs perhaps (after all rogues are MEANT for PvP, aren’t they?). Or bribe the inhabitants of Darnassus with huge amounts of cloth so they let me buy a REAL mount instead of this perverted Frankenstein like copy?
Any other suggestion about how to escape the Curse of Mechanostrider would be very much appreciated.
Something definitely needs to be done about this before my head explodes.
A danger to Azeroth
I know Gnomeaggedon, the defender of everything gnomish in Azeroth will shake his fist at me for saying this, but frankly I think that any mount in the game – even those extremely ugly and unpractical elekks – is better than the failed gnomish experiment of a vehicle. It’s a shame that those rides are still around on the roads – they’re a danger to mankind and are likely to blow up any minute, considering the sound of them.
Painful is the word. And even though I respect and admire Green Armadillo, the brilliant author of Player versus Developer, I sincerely can’t understand his love for mechanostriders. It’s… kinky and incomprehensible.
I had all but forgotten about the existence of the striders, since I stopped using them, quite abruptly.
It was last year, during the summer event, when I visited bonfires in every godforsaken corner of Azeroth during a couple of several hour long travelling sessions, that I for the first time fully realized how much the sound of my mount annoyed me. I didn’t really want to turn the game sound off completely, missing all the music, all the events, npc:s and the information that I get from the spellsounds and the sound-playing addons. So there wasn’t any way to avoid listening to the squeaks and creaks. As my journey continued I started to hesitate every time I had to mount up again to go to a bonfire situated a bit away from the fp. Finally I swore an oath to never again let Larísa suffer from the noices from the stupid machine bird. Any animal, be it a horse, a tiger or an elekk, would be better than this.
Shortly after this final odyssey of the strider I bought my Stormpike Battle Charger to replace it. The Battle charger is a beautiful mount and goes very well with a gnome, considering the size and the looks of it. I’ve never ever looked back. My battle charger is my loyal companion wherever I go.. Even though the mechanostrider nowadays dwells in the spellbook, without occupying valuable slots in the bag, the spell of summoning it remains untouched.
Until now. The last week I’ve started to commit most of my out-of-raid hours on the task of leveling my rogue Arisal, who naturally is a gnome like Larísa, only that her hair is black and quite punk-like, looking great on a rogue. I’ve been roaming around Dragonblight and Grizzly Hills, once again accompanied by a strider, only that this one was yellow instead of white, since I for some reason had the idea that this would suit a rogue. And with every step she takes I’ve been thinking: I must change her. Give me whatever you can think of: a horse, a ram, an elekk, a broom. Give me those soft sounds from the paws of the ride touching the ground, every so lightly instead of the squeaking machine and I’ll be just fine.
Looking for alternatives
It remains to see what I’ll do about it. The ultimate ride would be the Winterspring Frostsaber, but since I’m pretty much focused on leveling, I’m not really up for grinding all those hours just for a reputation, without getting any xp whatsoever. So I’ll have to look into the alternatives. Run a bunch of AVs perhaps (after all rogues are MEANT for PvP, aren’t they?). Or bribe the inhabitants of Darnassus with huge amounts of cloth so they let me buy a REAL mount instead of this perverted Frankenstein like copy?
Any other suggestion about how to escape the Curse of Mechanostrider would be very much appreciated.
Something definitely needs to be done about this before my head explodes.
22 comments:
I loved the roar of my engineering mount, for about a day. Then I had to turn off the sound. On the ground I ride a wolf from Orgrimmar. It's fairly quiet and I love the animation, it just looks cool.
For you, I'd suggest trying some AoE in BRD for runecloth. Or run to another faction's starting zone and run their lowbie quests for rep and progress towards quest achievements. Or just check your rep, as a gnome you should have built up some decent IF rep already. Though I think a saber mount would look the best.
As a last resort, ctrl-s will turn off game sound, mostly: omen will still do the aggro sound.
Depending on how much you did in Nagrand with your Rogue, I'd recommend getting a Talbuk. After all the quests in Zangarmarsh and Nagrand for the Kurenai, you should be at least Revered, and it's probably be a lot easier to grind the warbeads than the AV Marks - given you'll be in the top AV bracket, which I hear is pretty much empty.
Of course, you also have to like the looks of the Talbuks. Personally, I think they are gorgeous, but maybe that's because they match Draenei so well.
(Actually, I have a Black Mechanostrider on my Shaman, who is an engineer. I don't really mind the noises, during general leveling, but if I go off and blog and leave her sitting on the strider in the background... it gets annoying.)
Oh, and again, this is a personal taste thing, but I love Nagrand. Lovelovelove. I think it's beautiful - I actually had fun grinding out my Warbeads there!
/shakefist
For the first time in my life someone has described me as "kinky and incomprehensible." Cool.
My main is an Ambassador and thus gets to ride them now. As soon as I rode one for the first time I too fell in love. It's my main mount now. I just love the sound it makes, I actually find it reassuring and comforting. Perhaps I was raised by insects. And the way it's pronged feet kick up in the air reminds me of the pitter patter of little children at Christmas time as they rush down the stairs. Ok, so I guess maybe that is kinky and incomprehensible. Sue me.
After that I like my horse. I can't ride a cat; I'm a "cat person" and I can't stand the thought of riding one. In fact, since I refused to ride a cat I had to get exalted to get a horse. And that was the sad sad road down I went to get the Ambassador title. All because I wouldn't ride a cat.
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=35513 - or http://www.wowhead.com/?item=32768
it's the ones I'm aiming for instead of my stupid cat.. I stopped farming rep for the Wintersabers when I dinged 60.
Larisa, you know you must get the Frostsaber, its a matter of time, If you can afford the runecloth go for the cat as a temporal measure.
Rogues in Tiger mounts are simply "things as they should be" Orc shaman must ride wolves, you have to be on a cat.
Noes! Mecha-chickens FTW! I ground out Ambassador of the Alliance purely so I could get my own metal chicken. Pfft, I dunno, some people... :p
@Klepsacovic: yeah, I really think I'll make a go for rep somewhere. Probably I'll wait until I'm 77, the major goal for my alt, since I want her for herb farming and I can't wait to get my flying mount back. But after that I've got to do something to replace the machine bird, whatever goes quickest.
@Faulsey: Talbuk sounds like a possible alternative. It's small and neat for a gnome, better suited than horses imo.
@Gnome: I'm sorry, but it had to be said!
@DeftyJames: actually I've never had a cat mount, but I imagine it must give a nice, soft and floating feeling. On Larísa I've got a horse as well. Both the horse and the ram have a very soft sound from the feet touching the ground. Soothing and comforting to me. But it's really a matter of taste.
@Flawlless: oh I really wouldn't mind the MgT mount either! It looks really nice on a gnome. But for that I'd need to find a group. My lvl 75 rogue can hardly solo it...
@Eishen: if you say so... I guess I can't escape my destiny. At some point in the game I'll have to get one. If I can spend time in game fishing, why not spend time grinding in Wintersrping, which is an area that I really appreciate.
@Pewpewlazers: I guess the grass is always greener on the other side... You're always more interested in the stuff that don't come so easily to you. Probably there are many NEs who can't understand my love for the cat mounts.
Well, my warlock gnome has a cute freebie pony. And euh, my deathknight gnome has a cute pony too.
Was gonna propose a lot of mounts but I just realized that there is one easy choice:
-> Mei Francis Armored Brown Bear.
At lvl 60, it'll only set you back 750g. And it does look cool on my gnome. Very easy to get and cheap!
I concur with Mr. Gedon.
/shakes fist
I say try some runs of Strat. Best place ever to get runecloth, and there's a chance of getting a warhorse too!
I like the mechanostrider and my fiance absolutely LOVES them. I had to help her grind tons of runecloth to get to exalted with Gnomer on her Druid. It was well worth it as she loves her mount.
I had one of those hideous and impractical elekks, and I recently swapped him out for a sleek graceful spotted frostsaber. The grinding was very annoying, but once it was over I have never looked back.
Good luck finding the perfect mount.
I found night-elf exalted rep to be pretty easy to obtain at level 50. I Just did everything in Teldrassil and Darkshore plus some in Ashenvale. Took me two nights staring from almost
err ... that should be 'almost at Revered'.
I am working on a solution for your squeeky parts... have something later in the week...
G&O!
@Carra: pony??? Have I missed something?
@Cassini: I'm a very disobedient, freethinking little gnome.
@Drazmor: sounds like a good idea. I've never tried to solo it; I guess it's about time, and that it should be doable even though I'm not frost spec.
@Darraxus: well, anything you have to strive for is more attractive for some reason.
@Rhii: honestly I've never ever heard of any elekk enthusiast. Someone grinding just to get an elekk. I wonder if they exist?
@Morane: I did grind to get Stormwind exalted to buy a horse. and that wasn't too bad. But Darnassus will probably be worse since I've hardly done any questing on Kalimdor. I guess I could to that as well as going fishing or pvp:ing... At some point I'll try to do it.
@Gnomeaggedon: ahh, the engineer is coming to my help? I can't wait to see what you have in mind!
Depending on your level of distaste for Arathi Basin and Warsong Gulch, you can actually get ANY of the black war mounts (horse, elephant, ram, cat) for 30x AB+WSG+AV marks. You don't need rep to ride these, just the marks. The black cat actually looks pretty nice with a gnome, though it used to be a very common choice because it looks so visually distinct and was relatively easily obtained. (The same is true of the black war raptor on the Horde side, but nowadays it seems that the war bear is the new flavor of the month.)
Otherwise, as others have suggested, Stormwind and Darnassus are relatively easy due to sheer number of quests available, but Kurenai is almost certainly the fastest, especially once you're beyond 70 and killing quickly.
My other thoughts on this are here due to length.
@Green Armadillo: thank's for the ideas! I've got to check up on that. The queues to AV are insane those days, it will take hours before you can enter one. So that would certainly take me a while since Arisal never has PvPd. (I figure Larisa still has a bunch of AV tokens unspent, she always ran into the cap, so she must have.) Probably a cat or a Kurenai mount would be easier to get.
Big thanks for the wonderful follow-up post you did! Very entertaining and enlightening. I really think that my post reflects my sort of noobish perspective of the game. You see it a bit differently, since you've played it twice as long as I have.
I too am bringing up a Gnome Rogue. In keeping with the whole Rogue is stealthy theme I'm working on getting her a cat. Level 22 and revered with Darnassus already. Only 20,172 points to go!
I agree. the mechanostrider is a horrible mount. As soon as i made my first gnome i traveled to Darnassus in order obtain a tiger amount instead. i cant stand the sound and constant movement of the metallic ostriches.
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