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Quest Manifesto

Posted: 28 Dec 2016 17:36
by glantri

Re: Quest Manifesto

Posted: 28 Dec 2016 19:52
by nils
I see a wall of whining.

Re: Quest Manifesto

Posted: 28 Dec 2016 19:57
by Kvator
same review can be made for combat xp grinding:

killing rats ain't that exciting nor epic

Re: Quest Manifesto

Posted: 28 Dec 2016 21:28
by Sykil
is funny but sad is true
:?

Re: Quest Manifesto

Posted: 03 Jan 2017 20:37
by gorboth
glantri wrote:My thoughts
I like your thoughts, Glantri! That is actually really worth the read because you made me laugh numerous times - lots of fun personality in that post.

Genesis is definitely filled with a wide spectrum of quality. Quests like the ones you describe (and hate) are the most numerous in the game for a very specific reason. For most of the game's history, when someone applied to be a new wizard, they were given these marching orders:
  • Read these 923 manual pages and rulebooks on how to code in LPC. Still with us? Great, now ...
  • Code a workroom for yourself. Got past that hurdle? Okay! Find a Liege to let you code in their domain and ...
  • Create a small area to get used to how we do things. Make sure it has a small and simple quest in it.
That happened in domain after domain with new wizard after new wizard. As such, we have typically earned one new (usually not very good) quest for every new wizard who has managed to pass our first few hurdles in proving yourself as a wizard. Over 25 years of development, that has lead to the goofy pile of whatsit that you describe in your review. Fortunately, there were always a few wizards who, even with their very first project, did something interesting and unique. Novo, for example, created the Auction House for his apprenticeship project, and I think the quest that is in there is quite unique, creative, and pretty fun.

What might be fun to see, if you feel up to it, is a list of your favorite quests, too, perhaps reviewing them and letting us know why they felt worth your time. The simple and mundane quests will always probably outnumber those that feel epic and profound, but at least you now have this explanation of why that is the case.

Cheers,
G.

Re: Quest Manifesto

Posted: 03 Jan 2017 21:04
by Drazson
To be honest, I believe that only the quests that have a big impact on your character either by giving some good amounts of Qexp or giving you a permanent item are memorable. At all, not "memorable enough". Of course I don't expect Huge Qexp from finding sheep that a boy lost in Thwil but I think we should be having more campaign style quests. Mind you, Carlsan's questline isn't really that much on continuation (understandably so, being a newbie you have to dust them orbs!) but Karkadelt's quests give the right questing feel!

Bigger examples: Even if you are mindlessly grinding through the main quest of Emerald you understand that this quest you just did was the **** , with mystery, kabooming, magics and whatnot. Same stands for the Mansion quest, which has no kabooming but is impressive and beautiful in other ways. What is different with them is that both are 7+ quests in one so you get a lot of Qexp, they give you a sense of continuation and meaning in what you do throughout the questline, they give a nice item as a reward which makes them even more worth it and memorable and eventually you actually feel like you DID something.

I think we need more quests like that, simply put. Will erase the problem of quests being boring, insignificant in xp terms without doing them in groups of 20s, or both combined.