Map Speed and Horses

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Mr_PeaCH

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Follow up to an earlier question about how I could improve my party's map speed.

I was travelling with just Marnid and Borcha, and all of us mounted. I was running trade routes and lamenting that in order to go faster I had to acquire more horses (leave horses in inventory) and that was one less space I had to transport goods I was buying and selling. I got to thinking, Marnid has a lot of space in his inventory... however, it doesn't do any good to give him goods because I'll have to give him money to get them back.

But what if I give him the additional horses? I had already noticed that the map speed was better with a spare horse in my inventory. The speed stayed 'improved' when I offered the spare horse to Marnid. I'm going just as fast and have one more space in my inventory. So I'm thinking this is the way to go. Did I imagine this? Does anyone else use Marnid's and Borcha's inventory for added 'horse power'? And if so, what's a good number of spare horses for them to be carrying? (lame sumpters seem good enough so money isn't an issue)
 
Hmmm...i can't really comment on whether or not giving horses to your hero's has the same effect as having them in your own inventory, i'll have to look into that one. However, here's some stats i did up a few days ago on map speed with cargo and horses alleviating the effects.
 
Well I did a little more testing last night and as far as I'm concerned this works.

To reiterate; the way in which having additional horses in inventory helps with overall map speed is independent of whether the horses are in your personal inventory or in the inventory of your NPCs (Marnid and Borcha).

I'm still curious about whether I have stumbled onto something new here or whether this is old hat for the veterans here.

As far as I'm concerned this is not a bug or an exploit... it should work like this and all it costs you is letting go of some marginal (read: sumpter) horses into the NPCs inventory.

The long story: Between myself, Marnid and Borcha we eventually had 9 horses (2 in mine, 2 in Borcha's and 5 in Marnid's); typically we all have one good horse and the rest are lamed or generic sumpters and other lesser breeds. 9 (for a party of 3) may be overkill; the returns were diminishing all the while but there was always some marginal improvment up to and including the 9th.

The test: Party of only 3; myself, Marnid and Borcha; no other hirelings or prisoners. Begin each test by filling all my inventory slots save one with a given trade good. Next go out and perform a speed test over flat, open land (no trees). Return to the town and purchase the cheapest horse available. Leaving town again I gauged my speed over the flat lands and noted the improvement. Then I stopped, entered the party menu and offered the new horse to one of the NPCs. I then continued travelling and gauged the speed again. No change. To be sure I then ran back to town; entered and left again (w/o trading or transferring any goods and forcing an autosave for what it's worth) and gauged speed again. The speed was still the same as when the horse was in my inventory; that is, I still enjoyed the enhancement of having an additional horse to carry my goods w/o having the horse in my personal inventory.

Still untested or unknown: Whether this will benefit map speed for a large 'war party' of hirelings which includes a great many foot soldiers.
 
The problem is with the battles. Which horse they use in the battles? Do they use the best charger, the best armored horse or the best runner?
 
Handel said:
The problem is with the battles. Which horse they use in the battles? Do they use the best charger, the best armored horse or the best runner?

Not a problem as long as you give them only 1 good horse each :smile:
 
But giving them the spare horses is a good idea to keep your inventory slots empty and still having additional horses to boost the speed.
 
My latest test shows either that the spare horses have no effect on increasing map speed when you have lots of foot soldiers -or- that after 9 horses you will enjoy no further advantage. :lol:

And about which horse your NPC will use in battle; wouldn't it be like weapons and armor... the most expensive? Or is that not proven. :???:
 
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