Blizzard held another Twitter dev chat on Friday, April 16th. This one focused on the recently-revealed class changes in Cataclysm, but there were a few notes on mounts. The most exciting bits: we’ll be able to fly in old Azeroth from the very beginning, and we’ll be able to learn a new level of the Riding skill that lets all our flying mounts go at +310% speed.
Here’s the quotes:
Q: Do you intend to have all 280% flying mounts scale to 310% when a 310% mount is earned, or will only purchased mounts do so?
A: Our current plan, is that in Cataclysm, you can learn a new rank of flying that lets all flying mounts move at 310% (even current 280% mounts). That will probably be as fast as mounts will ever get. We don’t like it that when you get a 310% mount that you stop using your old ones.
Q: If 310% speed is becoming trainable, does that mean we’ll be able to fly in Azeroth from the get-go?
A: We have considered the concept of “Old Weather Flying.” Just kidding. More than likely, you’ll just be able to fly from the beginning.
In addition, there was one more question that may possibly be mount-related …
Q: Where is my moose?
A: Well, we’re looking for a zone where moose would really fit. Unfortunately we did the perfect zone for them, Grizzly Hills, already. On the other hand, let’s just say we have a large, Egyptian-themed desert zone in Cataclysm….
You can find the transcript of the entire dev chat on the WoW forums at: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=24401849960