We really have no idea what other mounts could be already in play with all the different tribes. So while yes Otterbears maybe the main mount, it could also be something we have not even heard of.

But I suppose if you are so sure you are right, you won't need to buy an otterbear mount when we unlock it. Since you can just use your other mount token to get one.

why not something more realistic like Elephants? or the version in this game Usurphants?....

Elephants are excellent swimmers and transport. Idk.. the otterbears just doesn't seem as realistic as the usurphants in terms of transport.

hopefully we can use our mount tokens to get an Otterbear.

Posted By MusaKn at 5:17 PM - Wed May 09 2018

hopefully we can use our mount tokens to get an Otterbear.

That's the idea from what I have gathered. Get mounts that are suited to whatever biome is best. So if otterbears are best for swamp, you should get them.

I'm skeptical about otterbears for To'resk and Dras mounts. They were introduced as cool-climate animals. Trison and oliphants are also cool-climate animals. We have not seen much in the way of subtropical and tropical animals or plants because the current fauna were focused on cold and temperate climates. This is because they originated as kickstarter teasers. Northern climates are much more familiar to prospective players and backers, hence more appealing, than subtropical and tropical climates.

I expect new animals for warmer climates. SBS has long ago hinted strongly at reptilian forms for swamps, so I expect crocodilians and large snakes to be in the picture. I also expect the feature animals to be combinations of terrestrial forms, just as several other feature animals are, including otterbears.

For mammalian types, I expect some forms based at least partly on water buffaloes and hippopotami. These would make a little more sense as mounts than carnivorous reptiles do. Although the appeal of carnivorous war mounts is quite obvious, it would not be rational for noncombatants to risk becoming lunch for their transportation media.

I think the Dras/swamp mount would benefit more as a reptilian or something along that. While an otterbear might travel through, i don't think they'd fit naturally. "bear' and their fur makes me think colder areas. Would an otterbear be able to survive a swamp that has poisons and other scary things in it? If otterbears were from the swamp wouldn't the Dras just hunt/farm them for a good source of protein and meat rather than whatever else it is they're supposed to be eating that doesn't?

I feel that we might see a more combo thing instead of say a main mount with the swamp areas. Though a hippo and water buffalo sounds really fun to ride. Since the usurphants will have a various sub-species, I think it will still be the main just for transporting goods along and just have another animal that would be used for getting around the area whether that be an otter-bear or another fast type of animal.

Posted By Poldano at 03:22 AM - Wed May 09 2018

I'm skeptical about otterbears for To'resk and Dras mounts. They were introduced as cool-climate animals. Trison and oliphants are also cool-climate animals. We have not seen much in the way of subtropical and tropical animals or plants because the current fauna were focused on cold and temperate climates. This is because they originated as kickstarter teasers. Northern climates are much more familiar to prospective players and backers, hence more appealing, than subtropical and tropical climates.

I expect new animals for warmer climates. SBS has long ago hinted strongly at reptilian forms for swamps, so I expect crocodilians and large snakes to be in the picture. I also expect the feature animals to be combinations of terrestrial forms, just as several other feature animals are, including otterbears.

For mammalian types, I expect some forms based at least partly on water buffaloes and hippopotami. These would make a little more sense as mounts than carnivorous reptiles do. Although the appeal of carnivorous war mounts is quite obvious, it would not be rational for noncombatants to risk becoming lunch for their transportation media.

water buffalos were confirmed To'resk beasts-of-burden, to my knowledge

Otterbears existed anywhere there are water ways expect in extreme climates like teiga and deserts.

Both bears and otters are found all throughout the tropics so Otter bears are definitely not "northern" mounts. We've only really gotten familiar with that area of the world so i understand your thinking Poldano.

Posted By Scheneighnay at 7:42 PM - Wed May 09 2018

... water buffalos were confirmed To'resk beasts-of-burden, to my knowledge

I didn't know that. Good to hear.

Posted By MusaKn at 8:06 PM - Wed May 09 2018

Otterbears existed anywhere there are water ways expect in extreme climates like teiga and deserts.

Both bears and otters are found all throughout the tropics so Otter bears are definitely not "northern" mounts. We've only really gotten familiar with that area of the world so i understand your thinking Poldano.

I didn't know that either. I assume your source is Elyria Discord, because I have not been following that much for a while.

Posted By Poldano at 8:31 PM - Wed May 09 2018

Posted By MusaKn at 8:06 PM - Wed May 09 2018

Otterbears existed anywhere there are water ways expect in extreme climates like teiga and deserts.

Both bears and otters are found all throughout the tropics so Otter bears are definitely not "northern" mounts. We've only really gotten familiar with that area of the world so i understand your thinking Poldano.

I didn't know that either. I assume your source is Elyria Discord, because I have not been following that much for a while.

it's on the wiki - in the description of the otter bear

Posted By MusaKn at 9:22 PM - Wed May 09 2018

Posted By Poldano at 8:31 PM - Wed May 09 2018

Posted By MusaKn at 8:06 PM - Wed May 09 2018

Otterbears existed anywhere there are water ways expect in extreme climates like teiga and deserts.

Both bears and otters are found all throughout the tropics so Otter bears are definitely not "northern" mounts. We've only really gotten familiar with that area of the world so i understand your thinking Poldano.

I didn't know that either. I assume your source is Elyria Discord, because I have not been following that much for a while.

it's on the wiki - in the description of the otter bear

I think I focused on this when I read the wiki on it: "Otter Bears populate the rivers that wind through the steppe of the Lower Montane Forest and feed on fish and the occasional, inattentive land animal that stops by to drink from the cool, mountain rivers." The more general description is from Caspian's blog that introduced the otter bear.

Despite the assurance, and because of the indeterminacy of the range description (i.e., "such as"), I'll retain some skepticism about their commonality in the tropics and subtropics.

Otterbears might do well around the rivers of the jungle but I imagine they'd have trouble traversing it. They'd need something like jaguars that could climb/navigate trees and dense jungles or ursaphants that could brute force their way through. So they definitely wouldn't be a Janoa thing.

Wolf sized otters did once prowl prehistoric swamps though, so I could see To'resk using them. Their scientific name was Siamogale melilutra. They also had a really strong bite.

I guess they'd do pretty good in wetlands too, so I could see Dras using them.

Posted By MusaKn at

Probably no one cares about this but me but I just wanna talk about it anyway.

I predict that unless we see another mount animal that can be used to travel water ways the to'resk and dras would naturally use otterbears to travel their wetlands as they would be more useful in those environments than say a horse.

And now we know that the Otterbears are mounts and that they will be used by traders to traverse up and down water ways, probably mainly in the swamps and tropical wetlands where the rivers are the easier mode of travel.

I'm probably over explaining it but when it's confirmed that to'resk and dras mainly use otterbears to travel within the wetlands i can say I predicted it.

Predicting they will mainly use otterbears for travel in the swamps doesn't mean much after they announce information on otterbears as mounts.

Let me go ahead and predict that camels or camel-like creatures will be used by the Waerd and Erishe. We have yet to see any such creatures from the developers yet here I am predicting. ;)