Miracinonyx (American Cheetah), The Hazard-Deploying Speed Demon

[Shockal]

Just a lil' note: This is not the Giant Cheetah "Acinonyx" from previous votings (that's from a different person. Check theirs out nonetheless!)

Ragnarok is a huge map, and it boasts a ton of various biomes. From mountainous forests to yawning canyons, its terrain is truly diverse. And so in order to overcome the challenges in traversing such rugged landscapes, we travel on fast mounts - but have you noticed all these mid/late-game options happen to be airborne travelers? Pteranodons, Wyverns, Griffins; even the Shadowmane and Managarmr leap into the air as if they flew!

So, imagine this:

A fast grounded mount...

A SUPER fast grounded mount...

A mount that provided strong (and fun) mid and late game utility, but also enough weakness so it stayed well away from the power-creep border...

Well, the Miracinonyx is sure to satisfy that niche, and alongside it, all that a speed demon could ask for! Whether it be a race or an escape, you'd be leaving all your adversaries behind in clouds of dirt - or if you were feeling sinister enough - leave them burning behind your fiery trails. Perhaps even set up a nice little minefield for them...

Diet: Carnivore

Temperament: Aggressive

Rideable: Yes (saddle optional)

What does it do?

SPEED.

The blitzer of the Ice Age. The Miracinonyx is a lightly-built predator that can gather meat and hide in a pinch - but that's not its selling point. What makes this creature truly special is its fantastic stamina, impeccable turning radius, and phenomenal agility. Even as a grounded traveler, it easily matches up against the fastest fliers.

But such rapid sprinting speed comes with a concern: how can you even control where you are going without constantly bumping into objects?

When mounted, a toggleable mobility mode allows the Miracinonyx to autonomously swerve around any collision-causing object, such as rocks, deep water, trees, and even other creatures! Think of it like a more complex version of the TEK Skiff's Autonomous Hover mode (yes, there are examples of smart pathing that already exist in the game). This would allow survivors to move at ridiculous speeds through the densest forests floors without bumping into a single tree or rock. The Miracinonyx will do the dodging for you, so your focus is free to do other things, like checking your GPS or map, or other kinds of "tools" (we'll get to that later...) - but of course, you can always toggle the pathing off if you do not desire it.

Running towards a cliff? Barely an obstacle! For the Miracinonyx, a wall is merely a sideways path.

Obviously, this is a mount made for travel. But it also has a combative side (apart from its bites, that is). When equipped with an oil-loaded saddle, the Miracinonyx is capable of spewing a trail of fire wherever it runs, coating the battlefield into a flame-licked maze. Disrupt your enemies position and deny area from them!

Additionally, any deployable traps or weapons that the survivor may have in their inventory (bear traps, grenades, plant species Z fruit, etc) can be thrown on the run, Mario Kart-style.

Zip by your foes and and throw a  ̶b̶a̶n̶a̶n̶a̶ ̶p̶e̶e̶l̶  Plant Y Species beneath their feet!

... But there's also nothing stopping you from using your more "accurate" tools either.

Even the late game holds a surprise. The TEK Miracinonyx saddle is a direct upgrade from the primitive fire-spewing saddle. Not only does it provide the Miracinonyx with some nice extra armor, but now you'll be able to lay down a trail of physical barriers behind you, just like a TRON bike! Circle around your foes and quite literally trap them in. The TEK saddle will also allow the Miracinonyx to run across the surface of water. And don't worry - you'll still be able to throw your deployable hazards and use your guns.

Last but not least... Cuddles! This is an accessible part of the Miracinonyx's option wheel. Use this loveable interaction to cuddle up with your fluffy companion and gain a very large insulation buff. Enters cooldown upon use.

 

What is it weak to?

- Base Turrets. Their lock-on accuracy will whittle down the Miracinonyx's frail health pool in a flash.

- Bear Traps/Plant Species Y. Despite being a trap setter itself, the Miracinonyx's smart pathing won't detect hostile traps, so it might run directly into one.

- Low weight. Try not to encumber your trusty ride.

 

How do you tame it?

The Miracinonyx is not tamed by conventional methods. Baby Miracinonyx are often found hiding in bushes or tight corners in the wild, shy of everything that wanders by. Survivors must approach carefully, and repeatedly feed it meat to gain its trust. But beware, for if it were to be startled, its nearby parents will immediately attack anything responsible for startling it. If you do manage tame it, the baby will be imprinted to you, and must be raised from there on.

But alas, even when in the safety of human care, the baby Miracinonyx remains an incredibly nervous creature. You won't be able to complete the imprinting process by yourself. In order to give your Miracinonyx the full enrichment it deserves, pair it with a companion dog; a Direwolf in this case! Much like how real cheetahs are raised in captivity, your Direwolf partner will help you get the full imprint potential out of your baby.

 

Open to suggestions! Feel free to comment your own ideas.

And of course, thanks for reading. I truly believe that travel is an often-overlooked aspect of ARK gameplay, especially during the late game when all forms of travel really just whittle down to either using airborne mounts of TEK. I also think a good PVP mount doesn't need to be the typical DPS-dealing "get-up-in-your-face" archetype that we already have so many giant creatures for. I hope that this suggestion avoids those generic ideas and instead feels like a fresh take on a fun creature.

Special thanks to:
- droidcommander for suggesting the companion dog
- AmanaTishala for recommending a TEK saddle
- LittleSpicyOreas for bringing up an insulation buff
- Abaddon23 for the cuddle interaction idea

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Shockal

[ashgcy]

YESSSSS I LOVED THIS THING BACK IN THE OTHER VOTE, POP OFF SHOCKAL!!

Seriously though, this would be such an interesting creature to have, that perfectly combines a more modern "bland" creature with an arkified concept that really makes it shine!

[Shockal]

55 minutes ago, ashgcy said:

YESSSSS I LOVED THIS THING BACK IN THE OTHER VOTE, POP OFF SHOCKAL!!

Seriously though, this would be such an interesting creature to have, that perfectly combines a more modern "bland" creature with an arkified concept that really makes it shine!

Thanks! I figured this would've been nice fit for Ragnarok. I also managed to improve a lot of wording and details since the last post, and included a few new things too.

[Mephilis78]

Man, I want to vote for this just because of the taming method, and the cool pathing ideas... but I think I'd rather them update the Gallimimus to have the pathing and speed. Galli deserves more respect than WC gave it. 

[Theismarius]

Glad to see this back! Hope It wins!

[Abaddon23]

nice that you post it again ❤️ 

 

i post my last idea from the older post her too:

 

Blood Hunt:

It can detect injured creatures or players from about 1km away. You will see a red fog trail all the way to the destination. Once he arrives at the injured target he has an attackspeed boost, that decays over each attack as he attacks.

 

[katann77573]

is this  real dino?

[Theismarius]

46 minutes ago, katann77573 said:

is this  real dino?

Yep

[Romuluas]

Love this!

[AmanaTishala]

We had a lot of very good/refined ideas for the Acinonyx/Giant Cheetah last round. I think with Ragnarok, going with the North American cheetah (so it's a cougar variant and can potentially climb/jump) makes sense for sure, but if you'd like some of the ideas we had for the Giant Cheetah, I'd be happy to submit them! 

 

Namely, my idea for the Cheetah in Ark has always been that it is a "living bolas" meaning that, just like real-life Acinonyx jubatus, it trips its prey to go in for the suffocating bite so an Ark Cheetah should be able to trip things and momentarily knock them down and stun them, like a Bola immobilizes creatures temporarily. And then giving it a Tek saddle that would then allow it to act as a chain Bola. 

[aR0y2810]

Chad Shockal

[Candyket]

Oh YES !

[Beelzebufo522]

Dont forget that while miracinonyx resembles a cheetah it was more closely related to cougars. That opens the possibility for  additional cougar based abbilities like climbing.

[Tadiix]

Instead of throwing objects like in mario kart, you should rather think about the usefulness of the dino which is to travel.

I think replacing the mario kart ability which is still quite fun , or merge the two with my idea , with this ability that I'm going to give you would be more interesting:

it would be smarter to create a special gear in its inventory like the lasseau that there is in the equs, and the interesting thing to add would be the glider, the same glider as that of abberation but adapted to the size and the dino-style , the glider will have about the same gliding capabilities as the sinomacrops 
thanks to it the dino will be able to climb, jump and hover in the air.

The glider would be craftable in the dino's inventory and in the smithy, it will be placed in these slots provided for it and will have a duration before breaking, it can be repaired or recrafted , the glider can be placed only with the saddle

this addition would be a perfect addition to be the perfect travel frame

knowing that there are already plenty of dinos that can climb, and thyla as a land dino that can climb, be able to climb, jump and glide would be the perfect complement, and will be the first dino in the game to be able to do this

without being too broke for the game

please add my idea in your file i would like to have it in the game

PS: we could add 2 other gear in his inventory for underwater exploration (fins and oxygen bottles) but I wonder if it's not too much to put it on a dino.
But these additions could make it the ultimate hybrid land exploration mount.

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Tadiix

[Shockal]

2 hours ago, Tadiix said:

Instead of throwing objects like in mario kart, you should rather think about the usefulness of the dino which is to travel.

I think replacing the mario kart ability which is still quite fun, or merge the two with my idea , with this ability that I'm going to give you would be more interesting:

it would be smarter to create a special gear in its inventory like the lasseau that there is in the equs, and the interesting thing to add would be the glider, the same glider as that of abberation but adapted to the size and the dino-style , the glider will have about the same gliding capabilities as the sinomacrops 
thanks to it the dino will be able to climb, jump and hover in the air. 

The glider would be craftable in the dino's inventory and in the smithy, it will be placed in these slots provided for it and will have a duration before breaking, it can be repaired or recrafted , the glider can be placed only with the saddle

this addition would be a perfect addition to be the perfect travel frame

knowing that there are already plenty of dinos that can climb, and thyla as a land dino that can climb, be able to climb, jump and glide would be the perfect complement, and will be the first dino in the game to be able to do this

without being too broke for the game

please add my idea in your file i would like to have it in the game

PS: we could add 2 other gear in his inventory for underwater exploration (fins and oxygen bottles) but I wonder if it's not too mutch to put it on a dino.
But these additions could make it the ultimate hybrid land exploration mount.

 

I personally don't think a glider would fit. I wanted to make the miracinonyx a travel creature that mainly remained grounded and only sparsely jumped.

[josipguic]

Its cool the Prehistoric Cheetah

[Shockal]

7 hours ago, AmanaTishala said:

We had a lot of very good/refined ideas for the Acinonyx/Giant Cheetah last round. I think with Ragnarok, going with the North American cheetah (so it's a cougar variant and can potentially climb/jump) makes sense for sure, but if you'd like some of the ideas we had for the Giant Cheetah, I'd be happy to submit them! 

 

Namely, my idea for the Cheetah in Ark has always been that it is a "living bolas" meaning that, just like real-life Acinonyx jubatus, it trips its prey to go in for the suffocating bite so an Ark Cheetah should be able to trip things and momentarily knock them down and stun them, like a Bola immobilizes creatures temporarily. And then giving it a Tek saddle that would then allow it to act as a chain Bola. 

Sure, I'll think of adding a TEK saddle. I've also mentioned your own submission at the very top of my post, so hopefully viewers won't become confused about which cheetah submission is which.

[imahuntya]

I like this thing, it looks like it came out of Creatures of Sonaria!

[AmanaTishala]

3 hours ago, Shockal said:

Sure, I'll think of adding a TEK saddle. I've also mentioned your own submission at the very top of my post, so hopefully viewers won't become confused about which cheetah submission is which.

For sure! I don't know if RaephClark got the Giant Cheetah submitted again yet, but if you want to keep them more separate from each other than that's understandable. 

[droidcommander]

Some small suggestions, specifically some pros and cons it should have.
So what pros and cons does a regular cheetah have?
Well,
Pros:
-SPEED (Obviously)
-It chirps (look it up, it's adorable.)

Cons:
-Sucks at combat (They're literally only built for speed.)
-anxiety after getting a kill (because they suck at combat.)
-Anxiety when baby. (Because they're babies, and suck at combat, like all babies.)

How could we incorparate these thing into the cheetah?

First off ,it should chirp, so that's one down.

Other than that, it should have relatively low health, so it isn't a killing machine, but rather a glass... bullettrain?
We're gonna skip that second con because getting a debuff when killing something would be annoying.
So how could we include the third con? Well in real life cheetah cubs often need a comfort dog to be raised properly, how could we introduce this into ark?
Simple, If you have a baby direwolf and a baby cheetah, the cheetah will receive a buff where the timer for imprinting will be cut down a bit, how much depends on server settings, the level of cheetah and the level of the direwolf, the buff will also cause imprinting to be more effective on the cheetah and the direwolf. (the direwolf will not have a shortened timer)
I think this should balance things out as well as make the animal feel just a little more like it's modern day counterpart.

[AmanaTishala]

11 hours ago, droidcommander said:

Some small suggestions, specifically some pros and cons it should have.
So what pros and cons does a regular cheetah have?
Well,
Pros:
-SPEED (Obviously)
-It chirps (look it up, it's adorable.)

Cons:
-Sucks at combat (They're literally only built for speed.)
-anxiety after getting a kill (because they suck at combat.)
-Anxiety when baby. (Because they're babies, and suck at combat, like all babies.)

How could we incorparate these thing into the cheetah?

First off ,it should chirp, so that's one down.

Other than that, it should have relatively low health, so it isn't a killing machine, but rather a glass... bullettrain?
We're gonna skip that second con because getting a debuff when killing something would be annoying.
So how could we include the third con? Well in real life cheetah cubs often need a comfort dog to be raised properly, how could we introduce this into ark?
Simple, If you have a baby direwolf and a baby cheetah, the cheetah will receive a buff where the timer for imprinting will be cut down a bit, how much depends on server settings, the level of cheetah and the level of the direwolf, the buff will also cause imprinting to be more effective on the cheetah and the direwolf. (the direwolf will not have a shortened timer)
I think this should balance things out as well as make the animal feel just a little more like it's modern day counterpart.

The direwolf companion is something we had for the Giant Cheetah. 

[LittleSpicyOreos]

I would just like to offer a tip from what I had seen before when we were trying to refine our Giant Cheetah submission, and all the previous cheetahs I've seen submitted: that people kept stating they liked it but felt it was boring if it was JUST about speed. You have maneuverability in here which is good, and being a cougar that decided to go fast, the North American Cheetah having an ability to run towards a wall, lock on and hop and scramble up, then hop down the other side makes sense. I feel, maybe, to add something else, since it was a cougar and they were highly adaptable type critters, to perhaps give it a minor insulation bonus against both heat/cold while riding it. Because right now it just seems a very fast, frail travel mount. Which does fit a cheetah but personally, on the ground I just use my thyla to run everywhere because they can climb, run fast, are tough enough to take on almost everything, and can swim well and fight ok in the water all things considered too. They can't shoot fire out behind them, which is a fun idea here, and I'm assuming the cheetah would be base speed way faster of course, but so far I think it needs more flavor and abilities to set it apart. I'd always figured the cheetah should have a trip at least.

[Shockal]

4 hours ago, LittleSpicyOreos said:

I would just like to offer a tip from what I had seen before when we were trying to refine our Giant Cheetah submission, and all the previous cheetahs I've seen submitted: that people kept stating they liked it but felt it was boring if it was JUST about speed. You have maneuverability in here which is good, and being a cougar that decided to go fast, the North American Cheetah having an ability to run towards a wall, lock on and hop and scramble up, then hop down the other side makes sense. I feel, maybe, to add something else, since it was a cougar and they were highly adaptable type critters, to perhaps give it a minor insulation bonus against both heat/cold while riding it. Because right now it just seems a very fast, frail travel mount. Which does fit a cheetah but personally, on the ground I just use my thyla to run everywhere because they can climb, run fast, are tough enough to take on almost everything, and can swim well and fight ok in the water all things considered too. They can't shoot fire out behind them, which is a fun idea here, and I'm assuming the cheetah would be base speed way faster of course, but so far I think it needs more flavor and abilities to set it apart. I'd always figured the cheetah should have a trip at least.

I don't think the insulation idea would work on the creature by itself, but I can see it being incorporated as part of the TEK saddle. Hopefully I will be able to make art of it this week (school work be in the way).

[Miracinonyx65]

On 6/4/2023 at 12:52 AM, Shockal said:

Just a lil' note: This is not the Giant Cheetah "Acinonyx" from previous votings (that's from a different person. Check theirs out nonetheless!)

 

Ragnarok is a huge map, and it boasts a ton of various biomes. From mountainous forests to yawning canyons, its terrain is truly diverse. And so in order to overcome the challenges in traversing such rugged landscapes, we travel on fast mounts - but have you noticed all these mid/late-game options happen to be airborne travelers? Pteranodons, Wyverns, Griffins; even the Shadowmane and Managarmr leap into the air as if they flew!

So, imagine this:

A fast grounded mount...

A SUPER fast grounded mount...

A mount that provided strong (and fun) mid and late game utility, but also enough weakness so it stayed well away from the power-creep border...

Well, the Miracinonyx is sure to satisfy that niche, and alongside it, all that a speed demon could ask for! Whether it be a race or an escape, you'd be leaving all your adversaries behind in clouds of dirt - or if you were feeling sinister enough - leave them burning behind your fiery trails. Perhaps even set up a nice little minefield for them...

Diet: Carnivore

Temperament: Aggressive

Rideable: Yes (saddle optional)

What does it do?

SPEED.

The blitzer of the Ice Age. The Miracinonyx is a lightly-built predator that can gather meat and hide in a pinch - but that's not its selling point. What makes this creature truly special is its fantastic stamina, impeccable turning radius, and phenomenal agility. Even as a grounded traveler, it easily matches up against the fastest fliers.

But such rapid sprinting speed comes with a concern: how can you even control where you are going without constantly bumping into objects?

When mounted, a toggleable mobility mode allows the Miracinonyx to autonomously swerve around any collision-causing object, such as rocks, deep water, trees, and even other creatures! Think of it like a more complex version of the TEK Skiff's Autonomous Hover mode (yes, there are examples of smart pathing that already exist in the game). This would allow survivors to move at ridiculous speeds through the densest forests floors without bumping into a single tree or rock. The Miracinonyx will do the dodging for you, so your focus is free to do other things, like checking your GPS or map, or other kinds of "tools" (we'll get to that later...) - but of course, you can always toggle the pathing off if you do not desire it.

Running towards a cliff? Barely an obstacle! For the Miracinonyx, a wall is merely a sideways path.

Obviously, this is a mount made for travel. But it also has a combative side (apart from its bites, that is). When equipped with an oil-loaded saddle, the Miracinonyx is capable of spewing a trail of fire wherever it runs, coating the battlefield into a flame-licked maze. Disrupt your enemies position and deny area from them!

Additionally, any deployable traps or weapons that the survivor may have in their inventory (bear traps, grenades, plant species Z fruit, etc) can be thrown on the run, Mario Kart-style.

Zip by your foes and and throw a  ̶b̶a̶n̶a̶n̶a̶ ̶p̶e̶e̶l̶  Plant Y Species beneath their feet!

 

... But there's also nothing stopping you from using your more "accurate" tools either.

What is it weak to?

- Base Turrets. Their lock-on accuracy will whittle down the Miracinonyx's frail health pool in a flash.

- Bear Traps/Plant Species Y. Despite being a trap setter itself, the Miracinonyx's smart pathing won't detect hostile traps, so it might run directly into one.

- Low weight. Try not to encumber your trusty ride.

How do you tame it?

The Miracinonyx is not tamed by conventional methods. Baby Miracinonyx are often found hiding in bushes or tight corners in the wild, shy of everything that wanders by. Survivors must approach carefully, and repeatedly feed it meat to gain its trust. But beware, for if it were to be startled, its nearby parents will immediately attack anything responsible for startling it. If you do manage tame it, the baby will be imprinted to you, and must be raised from there on.

Open to suggestions! Feel free to comment your own ideas.

And of course, thanks for reading. I truly believe that travel is an often-overlooked aspect of ARK gameplay, especially during the late game when all forms of travel really just whittle down to either using airborne mounts of TEK. I also think a good PVP mount doesn't need to be the typical DPS-dealing "get-up-in-your-face" archetype that we already have so many giant creatures for. I hope that this suggestion hits all those notes well and feels like a fun but reasonable idea.

As from what I've gotten from feedback, people are interested in a TEK saddle, so I will be designing one. My current ideas for it is that it will be capable of leaving walls of barriers behind its trail like a TRON bike, and also the ability to surge across water. Some people have also suggested giving it a "trip" attack, inspired by what real cheetahs do to stagger their fleeing prey. I will think about how this can be incorporated as well. So check back in some three days for some new artwork.

How do I vote?

[GP]

15 minutes ago, Miracinonyx65 said:

How do I vote?

Click the up arrow right next to the title.