Be calm, dear one. *Nuzzles* Hatchie gliding provides only a VERY short "flight" that is really quite difficult to control. (You can determine left/right only, and there is no way to prevent yourself from sinking toward the ground rapidly.) It is fun...it is adorable...but it is not flying.
I am no scientist (I am not a rocket surgeon!
), but I believe that physics and biology together would make it likely that a little hatchie
would glide upon falling. It would be reflex to spread those broad wings, just as, when falling, a human puts out his/her arms. The wings would then act as a parachute of sorts, which is exactly how they
do work in the game (nice programming!
). It seems...right, somehow.
As for interfering with RoP, I doubt that it would, really.
(I stood (flew) witness as Lightening, on his alt, soloed Kaa. I stroke not a blow, but merely watched (and wrung my hands over the keyboard as I worried). He did the rest, and successfully.) Few players would attempt such a thing, wings or no, and it was only your skill and knowledge of the game that made it possible for you to do that, Lightening. A first-timer would surely fail. The ability to glide would simply make the descent into the valley a bit more smooth than dropping like a stone, but it will not protect them in any way from the dangers there. In fact, given the difficulty in directing the glide, it may make it more difficult!
The lack of glide has never stopped hatchies from jumping off high places...sometimes to facilitate a faster arrival at a destination, sometimes just because it is fun! (My favorite activity when young was to jump the waterfall at Pratt's Pond. Plop! Landed like a stone in the stream below.)
I understand your concern. It seems a big change in our world, and in a fashion, perhaps it is. It is not a harmful one, however, I am sure. It is most delightful, natural and will bring much joy to Istarian hatchies and those who play them.