Questing, is it a big deal?

LightBringer

Primordial GM
Veteran
Primordial
Game Master
Feb 13, 2014
3,816
1
1,715
260
Because I like to post a lot, and pick peoples brains.

Do people enjoy questing?
Can too many quests be overwhelming?
Can too few quests put people off?

Its just im really pulling back on the amount of quests I am doing, solely because, last server, we had a tad too many! (also no duplicates of Go kill OMA from 2-3 different people) and wanted peoples opinions on questing as a whole.




I am also asking as we have added in Cave Quests again so every cave has some kill quests (linear progressive quests for each cave) where you get rewarded for completing them; I feel this just adds an incentive to caves that you already hunt in to push that extra 50 mobs to finish the quest.

I am also working on a huge Story Quest line, making it actually feel, as you progress the areas chance, NPCs die / others come in their stead and so on...(for the people who like having a story in their games, and hopefully provides a bit more indepth immersion and 'Drama' in terms of trying to guess what is going to happen!)
 

HxH

Loyal Member
Loyal Member
May 17, 2017
71
16
20
as a casual player, i do love working on quests. but def not the one with kill counts. really enjoy some quests that ask u to find items or hidden objects or just to talk with npc in some caves like delivery etc. Played arcadia years ago, done most of those quests. it was pretty fun tho.
 

holo

Dedicated Member
Dedicated Member
Aug 27, 2014
200
17
45
They work well as optional content, but don't expect 75% of the player base to read anything you write for them.

Could work well as a catchup mechanic though. That's what Star Wars did, and considering that was one of the best aspects of that game, it worked so well. (The Imperial Agent is still one of my fav quest lines I've played in any game ever)
 

LightBringer

Primordial GM
Veteran
Primordial
Game Master
Feb 13, 2014
3,816
1
1,715
260
as a casual player, i do love working on quests. but def not the one with kill counts. really enjoy some quests that ask u to find items or hidden objects or just to talk with npc in some caves like delivery etc. Played arcadia years ago, done most of those quests. it was pretty fun tho.

Yeah I am doing away with the kill count ones.
I think the Main Story Quest Line is going to be very long, but it has a lot of diverse quests, finding people, looking for various clues and items (not killed items all the time) making you truly explore, and the more you invest into the story, the more rewarding it becomes, too!

They work well as optional content, but don't expect 75% of the player base to read anything you write for them.

Could work well as a catchup mechanic though. That's what Star Wars did, and considering that was one of the best aspects of that game, it worked so well. (The Imperial Agent is still one of my fav quest lines I've played in any game ever)

Yeah I don't, but I still like to put effort in for the people who like questing and story lines, plus with only the main story and some other quests, I can focus on a nice storyline.

As for catchups, I like using quests to give temporary items, buffs n such too, to help people as its more often then not the casual players who do quests as it gives them something more meaningful to do with their limited time; as well as pausing the story line ready for the next 'big patch' where the story continues which only the people who have done it can continue off with.
 

Alecs

SPQR
VIP
Jan 10, 2009
3,309
3
1,191
380
Europa
Long term quests yes. Like hunting some bosses several times, obtaining an unique item to unlock something.

Optional cave quests sounds good as well but don't make people kill 100 scarecrows, 200 cats, 300 omas and collect 50 chest nuts.
 

LightBringer

Primordial GM
Veteran
Primordial
Game Master
Feb 13, 2014
3,816
1
1,715
260
Long term quests yes. Like hunting some bosses several times, obtaining an unique item to unlock something.

Optional cave quests sounds good as well but don't make people kill 100 scarecrows, 200 cats, 300 omas and collect 50 chest nuts.

how does 250 Omas sound? :D

But no in all honesty, I am trying to make quests fun to do, and other than the optional cave quests, it wont be huge kill counts (unless there is a justifiable reason for it - such as a scenario map)
Ive been enjoying doing this story quest line so far, and I do feel it actually adds to the game, rather than it just being there for the sake of having some quests.
 

Tai

HEAD CAPTAIN
Staff member
Administrator
May 11, 2003
14,278
2
2,645
515
United Kingdom
Because I like to post a lot, and pick peoples brains.

Do people enjoy questing?
Can too many quests be overwhelming?
Can too few quests put people off?

Its just im really pulling back on the amount of quests I am doing, solely because, last server, we had a tad too many! (also no duplicates of Go kill OMA from 2-3 different people) and wanted peoples opinions on questing as a whole.




I am also asking as we have added in Cave Quests again so every cave has some kill quests (linear progressive quests for each cave) where you get rewarded for completing them; I feel this just adds an incentive to caves that you already hunt in to push that extra 50 mobs to finish the quest.

I am also working on a huge Story Quest line, making it actually feel, as you progress the areas chance, NPCs die / others come in their stead and so on...(for the people who like having a story in their games, and hopefully provides a bit more indepth immersion and 'Drama' in terms of trying to guess what is going to happen!)

Sounds good.

I don't mind killcount quests as long as they're not ridiculously high numbers like other people have already said.

I noticed on the Zircon files every town you go to seemingly has a bunch of new quests to do, but turns out they're just duplicated "kill 50 forest yetis in this province" utterly pointless
 

Skyline

LOMCN Admin
Staff member
Administrator
Mar 26, 2003
7,144
561
380
Sheffield
I like quests if they are rewarding and worthwhile.

However as other have mentioned, the "Go to Oma Cave and kill 100 Fighters, 80 maggotx, 300 skeletons" it's a massive no no.

Especially at low level when not many classes have any AOE spell. Takes for ******* ever as a warrior.

Story quests are the way forward for me.
 

holo

Dedicated Member
Dedicated Member
Aug 27, 2014
200
17
45
Unless it was something like 250 omas, and the reward is a permanent dmg/drop/exp increase against omas. As in you now have proficiency at killing them.

But then I feel a system like that could be something away from quests, and just a proficiency bonus type thing as part of a beastory book system with images of the mobs. Maybe 3 fold, one based on kills, one based on a rare drop that would give an image of it, one based on a quest relating to it (more than kill them!)?
 

Skyline

LOMCN Admin
Staff member
Administrator
Mar 26, 2003
7,144
561
380
Sheffield
I think quests are best if you are doing them for the reward.

RMS quest for example. You want an RMS? You do the quest and put in the effort for the reward.
 

LuckyDip

LOMCN Veteran
Veteran
Jul 8, 2009
458
1
45
55
London
ive created a storylineish questline for my server and some kill count ones but there more optional and low amounts just for the extra boost of exp, i have item quests such as RMS but also bigger and better ones upgrade quest and story quests but they are all optional and you can do just as well without touching a single quest, ive solely built server around hunting and leveling freely through caves, so i think its all based on players now days and most dont like long winded quests unless the rewards outweigh the task
 

mir2pion

TL;DR
Veteran
Feb 21, 2013
3,091
502
175
I like quests if they are rewarding and worthwhile.

However as other have mentioned, the "Go to Oma Cave and kill 100 Fighters, 80 maggotx, 300 skeletons" it's a massive no no.

Especially at low level when not many classes have any AOE spell. Takes for ******* ever as a warrior.

Story quests are the way forward for me.
Maybe the way to go is make quests class specific. That's more work to do but can compensate by having fewer quests. Just keep in mind that warrior class can take on only one mob at a time until HM skill. Thrusting doesn't really count.

I don't mind even high kill counts since typically they are doable alongside your normal leveling. But of course, depends on the level, at low levels, you outlevel the cave before you can finish high count kill quest. In that case, usually the reward is not worthwhile to get either and so I delete the quest in such cases.
One problem with kill count quests can be if they include on the list some really scarce mobs in higher count (I believe Wooma Warriors typically are somehow rare as %^&*), or sometimes it includes a boss that you can't solo. But that's grp&solo playing conflict, not easy to resolve. Also can't really expect the server owner to play his content in real time to test it, you just need to use some common sense alongside having experience of mir playing on all chars. This last I doubt many server owners have, might be mistaken though.

We need some imagination to bring variety and interest into questing. Some ideas might need some coding to make them possible, others just more work. Like suppose I finish mob kill quest, npc then maybe gives me some partial reward item/exp or nothing but asks me in a dialog, if I had seen that door in wall, or a hole in the floor in such and such cave floor... and was wondering how to enter the door, or why it is there (the hole), and advises me that the door is now open for me, or to step into into the hole portal... This one requires adding door someplace, hole in the floor is simpler.

Of course, simpler way is for npc to supply teleport link in the dialog to those hidden places, but that takes some fun out of it. The places should be something like ghoul cave on euro but easier, mobs having much higher exp and chance to drop quest item, like bonus weapon or armour. At lower levels, you can afford to dish out quite fancy items since it doesn't take long before you outlevel them anyway. But need to watch out for things that can be used at any level to some big advantage. For example, it is safe to put speed +5 on ebony sword but not paralyze on copper ring

I have some other ideas but the post being long as it is, so
 
Last edited:

LightBringer

Primordial GM
Veteran
Primordial
Game Master
Feb 13, 2014
3,816
1
1,715
260
Maybe the way to go is make quests class specific. That's more work to do but can compensate by having fewer quests. Just keep in mind that warrior class can take on only one mob at a time until HM skill. Thrusting doesn't really count.

I don't mind even high kill counts since typically they are doable alongside your normal leveling. But of course, depends on the level, at low levels, you outlevel the cave before you can finish high count kill quest. In that case, usually the reward is not worthwhile to get either and so I delete the quest in such cases.
One problem with kill count quests can be if they include on the list some really scarce mobs in higher count (I believe Wooma Warriors typically are somehow rare as %^&*), or sometimes it includes a boss that you can't solo. But that's grp&solo playing conflict, not easy to resolve. Also can't really expect the server owner to play his content in real time to test it, you just need to use some common sense alongside having experience of mir playing on all chars. This last I doubt many server owners have, might be mistaken though.

We need some imagination to bring variety and interest into questing. Some ideas might need some coding to make them possible, others just more work. Like suppose I finish mob kill quest, npc then maybe gives me some partial reward item/exp or nothing but asks me in a dialog, if I had seen that door in wall, or a hole in the floor in such and such cave floor... and was wondering how to enter the door, or why it is there (the hole), and advises me that the door is now open for me, or to step into into the hole portal... This one requires adding door someplace, hole in the floor is simpler.

Of course, simpler way is for npc to supply teleport link in the dialog to those hidden places, but that takes some fun out of it. The places should be something like ghoul cave on euro but easier, mobs having much higher exp and chance to drop quest item, like bonus weapon or armour. At lower levels, you can afford to dish out quite fancy items since it doesn't take long before you outlevel them anyway. But need to watch out for things that can be used at any level to some big advantage. For example, it is safe to put speed +5 on ebony sword but not paralyze on copper ring

I have some other ideas but the post being long as it is, so

Quest wise, pm me any ideas as I can steal... them!

Also Using flags with quests is one of the big things to make quests more dynamic, over 15 of the storyline quests I have used 20 flags (to move different NPCs about, change NPCs looks etc) it just makes the quests actually feel like they are doing things in game, rather than the "Kill this" quest.

As for kill quests, other than the cave quests I am really trying to dodge as much mass killing as possible as I dont enjoy it when you are continuing a story and all of a sudden need to kill 300 AxeSkeletons, for literally no reason!
 

Taurus

LOMCN Member
Jun 25, 2020
125
27
30
Love quests if they give good rewards It helps individual players and makes them enjoy their time,but i dont like to do quests all day long i like to hunt/lvl also :)
 

sweetfa

LOMCN Veteran
Veteran
Oct 30, 2003
311
111
145
UK
I really like Quests. They give me a goal as i dont really play for lvls as such You will never see me topping the table of the grinders as i feel for me it takes an element of the fun away. I like to just grab a few quests and take my time old man style. Quests give direction generally and a bit of guidence as the where you should be at what levels kind of
 

Seanofsmeg

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Apr 6, 2015
902
299
105
Like & hate quests.

Like when they give rewards and worth doing as its bonus xp and guaranteed rewards.

Hate that its the same default quests that have always been in the files or the kill 1000 mobs in a cave where by time you have killed 1000 you have out lvld both the cave and need for the reward.
 

Hercules

Prime Hunter
Banned
Jun 4, 2018
1,922
887
145
Asda
Learnt loads from 1st server and quests 75% of ppl like said, definitely do not read any script and kill counts are boring and take the freedom away from ppl, boss bounty’s favour groups.

Best method is an optional story quest with rewards, also quests like RMS equiv so there’s a substantial reward at the end but made so solos can complete in an instanced room imo as opposed to the big guilds getting everything quicker.
 

Bon

Legend
Legendary
Jul 29, 2004
6,726
330
300
Kent, UK
1. You cant please everyone
2. Any content is good content, regardless if only 1 person enjoyed it
3. You can be as creative as you want with quests.. they are still going to end up being "go kill x" so don't know why people say they don't like them
4. Don't make them long, short and sweet is what most people like to do
5. Make it rewarding and people will enjoy them because ultimately people don't care if its go collect x, kill x, figure out puzzle or whatever idea you think up.... all players care about is the reward at the end