The Inequality of Animal Husbandry

I mean, outside of their basic functions, aren't all of those animals just skins with marginally better/worse "stats"? Everyone will get their basic functioning animal (mount/pet/mule/cow) and then if they want to go hardcore - they'll try to get better statted one or better looking one.

Yes, livestock will probably be the rarest of those 4, but that just means that demand for high quality animal in that sub-type will be quite high. And the competition amongst all the players who need livestock will also be quite high, because everyone will be trying to be THE one who sells the best stuff around.

And all the collectors will just keep buying different versions of the other 3 animals just because they're collectors. Mounts have been the most important type in past mmos because that's what those mmos concentrated on. L2 concentrated more on pets because they were way more valuable to the player than the mount (mainly because L2 had TPs).

In theory AoC's most valuable animal could be a cow, just because a ton of potions/food that are required at end-game will require milk. And the better milk you have - the better the food/potions, which makes competition for quality cows just insane.

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Note that nothing I say has to do with known Intrepid design plans, I'm just giving the perspective of a 'Processor' within Ashes' systems.

"Processing" by its nature is very likely to also be less prestigious, but I'm not sure it matters too much. I haven't yet met anyone else who wants to be a Processor yet seeks to be 'well known' in the same way. I can get 'prestige' through my giant pile of gold (I'm thinking of using it as a carpet in my Freehold) if I do well.

Similarly, I have interest in Animal Husbandry, and would probably, depending on the system they use, specialize in livestock (I naturally do this, just as I naturally smelt and mix things).

I agree with everything you say about Prestige, my question is why it needs to be balanced at all. For me personally, it never enters my mind. Mount breeders will be prestigious in the sense of "Player A literally stops Player B to ask them where they got their cool looking mount, and they tell people all about Player C the absolute GOAT of mount breeders."

And I will not, because no one asks the Tavern owner that throws the huge Breakfast Buffet "Where did you get this much sausage and eggs for this?"

So the question is, how rare do you think my type of player is, in a game like Ashes, assuming the Prestige part comes from 'the Gold Coin Carpet in my House'?