Approach command
| Move slowly and quietly up to an animal so that it will tolerate being handled. A horse must be approached before it will accept any interaction. |
| APPROACH <horse> (first attempt, someone else's horse) You see: You approach <horse> but it shies away from you. APPROACH <horse> (the attempt that settles the animal) APPROACH <horse> (once the animal already accepts you) APPROACH <target> (anything that does not answer to the verb) |
Syntax
- APPROACH <TARGET>
- Walk slowly up to the target so as not to startle it. Only animals that recognize the verb respond; everything else, including the bare APPROACH with no target, answers You don't think that will help here.
Game Helpfile
APPROACH This verb is used only in relation to horses / warhorses.
Horses
A horse will not let you handle it until you have approached it. Attempting to STUDY, BRUSH, CLEAN, LEAD, TOUCH, feed, tie, guard, or load a horse before that answers Perhaps you should approach the horse before trying that.
Your own horse settles after a single APPROACH. Another person's horse shies away the first time and needs a second attempt before it will accept you. Once the animal accepts you the state holds for roughly five minutes, refreshed each time you handle it or while you remain mounted, and is tracked separately for each horse — which is why a horse you have been riding all day will sometimes shy away again.
Once the horse accepts you, a further APPROACH simply pats its neck, and calms your own horse slightly.
Things that stop an approach:
- Sneaking up on a horse isn't a very kindly thing to do. — you are hidden or invisible.
- You should be standing to do that. — you are sitting or prone.
- Probably isn't a good idea to mess with a wild animal. — the horse is unowned.
- You shouldn't do that while <Name> is riding on it. — someone else is mounted on it.
- <Name> steps in front of you, stopping you from doing that. — the owner is guarding the animal.
- The <horse> appears to be much too busy for that right now. — the horse is engaged in combat.
- Not a good idea to try that from your position. — you are mounted on a different horse.
- Before you do that maybe you should at least halter the <horse>. — the animal has no halter, bridle or lead rope on it.
- As you try to approach <horse>, it rears violently away from you. — you are a Prydaen, or a Rakash in moonskin, and the horse has not been taught by a Ranger to tolerate animalistic races.
Companion Animals
APPROACH also works on the two wild animals a Ranger can take as a companion, the raccoon and the wolf, letting you close on the animal slowly enough that it does not bolt. Hiding or invisibility is dropped as you step out into the open, and an animal that is not yet used to you shies away and has to be approached again.
See Also
- Category:Horses
- Ranger companion
- Ranger companion quest walkthrough
- ADVANCE — the unrelated combat verb for closing to melee range
- SIGNAL
- PET