25 replies to this topic

[Crane]

I know it's a long way off and suggestions were discouraged during the 7 days of forced peace, but I was wondering if I could suggest a quest for next Christmas:

My favourite past quests were ones that involved collecting smaller items and building them up to larger versions, much like Crystal Fragments. The quests that stand out are Trevayne's Greed quest, and my own Easter Egg hunt back in 2006 (the trading of one colour egg for another seems to stand out here).

Therefore, I would like to propose that Christmas minions appear that drop one of four Greed specks: Azurite, Beryl, Peridot and Rose Quartz (not Topaz because the Topaz Crystal is used for something else now), either randomly or fixed depending on what the creature is, but otherwise in way that means that all four types are roughly of equal value. As people may know, 10 of these can be transmuted into a superior version: Speck to Sliver, Sliver to Fragment, and then I presume Fragment to Shard and Shard to Crystal.

Individual specks are not that hard to collect (this also prevents anyone with crystals left over from the Greed quest from having a huge advantage), but because they exist in roughly equal quantities, it's hard to collect large numbers of the same type without trading with other players. For example, if they have a crystal type that you want and you have one that they want, then it makes sense to exchange them.

At the end of the quest, the crystals can then be exchanged for questies, either recycling old ones that no longer exist, alternatives to things like the Ring of Mistletoe (as that is a bit of a classic), or brand new ones. Because some players may have a lot more crystals than other players, there is an option for lower-end prizes, or just plain gold, and high-end prizes on par with the rares of old (although probably not quite like the Ring of Empathy) so everyone's a winner. I just get the impression that powerful questies are avoided now, which does take away some of the appeal.

I believe such a quest would work on both servers, although the quest monsters on multi-alt will have to be a LOT tougher compared to their 1-alt counterparts, or the final prizes require more crystals - for example, a Solstice Ring might require 3 Azurite Fragments instead of 3 Azurite Slivers - just so the game doesn't get flooded too much.

I probably should have posted this as a ticket, but I was curious to hear what people might have to say about quests in general, like regarding what kinds of quests they enjoy the most and the sorts of prizes that are obtained.


ADDENDUM:

Another option, which echoes the Magimox King a bit... Necro Claus or Evil Santa could make an appearance periodically and drop a higher-end crystal (of a random type) upon death.

Edited by Crane, 04 April 2009 - 07:45 PM.

[Boondock]

Would love to see more rings in game, great idea hoping both servers last that long though.

[shomer]

i've been wanting a quest like that for awhile. it sounds like a lot of fun, hope it can get added

[deadman]

Looks like fun, but I'm not a fan of recycling quests. If we could get the same results with different names for the specks, it'd be better than using things that have been used once already.

[Dangerous]

I like ur ideas, Supported.

[Raylen]

in all truth i agree with tony

it's nice to have quests...but it's always nicer to have something entirely new. that way, old questies don't get devalued, and we get new and exciting stuff. gg all round

[Trevayne]

It takes the same amount of effort to build a good quest as it does to build a good new permanent area.

On multi, we've had few enough players (even when quests were last offered) that it doesn't really make sense to build a quest rather than a new permanent game area. I don't think this is likely to change, but I'd be happy to listen to arguments in favor of building quests over building new areas.

[Crane]

Well, quests don't necessarily require new areas, just NPCs and items, although I do see your point.

A lot of new areas lose their appeal after a few weeks, and it's hard to push the boundary now for new items that are a) appealing, b) allowed to be commonplace, and c) doesn't make existing items redundant. Also, the fact that a new area will be open permanently does subconsciously cause you to think "I can always go there tomorrow; it's not going anywhere"... there isn't that urgency. When Soft Places (Shifting Sands) was a quest area, a handful of players attempted to reap as many rewards as they could get before closing time; now that it is open permanently, it sees very little action - I go there sometimes if I can find another willing player with a strong party.

Ultimately, I feel that quests allow for some festive excitement and a true sense of urgency, as well as a chance of obtaining a useful rare item (or even just the promise of one if they work hard enough) that matches or outmatches existing equipment to an extent, which does get a lot of players going.

As a limited example, I fought the Locksmith as much as I could after I discovered an exploit, because I haven't the Thieves to take him on conventionally and hence there's that urgency, but when I realised that the exploit was being kept in place, or so it seemed, I no longer had the desire to fight him.

EDIT: Removed an unintentional emoticon.

Edited by Crane, 05 April 2009 - 05:03 PM.

[Trevayne]

I think you've missed the point.

Quests certainly do add some excitement to the game. New areas also generate some excitement when they first come out. Over time, more players will see a new permanent area than will see a quest area. (More players have been to Shifting Sands since it came out than were active in the area when it was a quest. The same is true of the Bone Garden.) They will also have more total game time in a permanent area than in a quest area.

If I have to choose between spending time building one or the other, why should I choose the one that is likely to attract fewer players over a limited period of time rather than one that will see more players for longer game time?

[Masta]

If people have existing maps of places that they would be willing to put in place for a quest that was called take you back in time(ie nightmist server beforehand)

would it a) be considered for 1a) as most played only one crit then
just get shelved
c) actually get considered?

Obviously this isnt a lot of info yet

[Crane]

Does this mean no more quests?

[Trevayne]

Quests aren't out of the question, but convincing staff to put effort into an extensive quest (like the ones that you indicated you enjoyed) will require both a lot of player support and some well-founded arguments.

[Dangerous]

Just curious but is there a staff member specifically assigned to developing quests? and if not, why?

But to stay on topic gareth seems to have thought this out well so i don't think you have lack of support from the players.

[Boondock]

Quests aren't out of the question, but convincing staff to put effort into an extensive quest (like the ones that you indicated you enjoyed) will require both a lot of player support and some well-founded arguments.

not meaning to be not "happy" here but..

Why not appoint a player to run quests?
One with experience to run quests..

I'm sure theres a player out there who could run a quest and would be willing to put the time in for it.

[Masta]

You are highlightly subtly the best player imo, but I doubt he would as he has said himself haven't you Crane?

In the older days nightmist had Krillick who did an awesome job on quests circa 2000-2001

[Crane]

If the administrators ask me to build a quest, I will do.

[ice_cold]

ill build a quest too <3

i think a lot of people remember quests more then where they trained 6 months ago, especially good ones. like the harabec quest where they defeated arilin in a battle, there were what, 400 and some crits on for the quest?

[Weeks]

If you see that building permanent areas is more important them making big quest areas, then why dont you do what you did with shifting sands? At first make it a quest area and then after the quest is over keep it open permanently. However, during the time that the are is a "quest" are give the boss alternate drops then that of which it will drop after being open permantly.

[Autek]

Trevayne's quest with the different portals and monsters dropping specks was the best quest that I have ever been a part of. I can only imagine how much work went in to creating and running it. I'd think it would be hard to do that much work knowing it would be used shortly the scraped. If staff aren't up to doing the bulk of the work I think it would be cool to have players design them with advising and overseening by an experienced area developer (basically Trevayne). Why not if they're willing to do the work (and sit the quest out!).

EDIT: Corrected poor grammar. . .

Edited by Autek, 06 April 2009 - 09:05 PM.

[Trevayne]

The level of design that a player could do wouldn't honestly reduce my workload terribly much. Balancing and implementation are the bulk of the work that is required, and those are much easier to do with things that I've written myself. The small amount of work a player could do in designing a quest would be outweighed by the added work I'd have to do in balancing and the risks associated with having secret game information in the hands of non-staff.

[Boondock]

Why not ask Crane then Aeryn?

Crane has all the credentials needed, why not give him a chance on a mini quest for easter?

I'd love to see a pirate theme quest/area

go ice_cold <3333

Edited by Boondock, 06 April 2009 - 10:00 PM.

[Crane]

Well, I did design Tirantek as a player... got some things wrong but it wasn't too bad, but oh well.

And, make a quest for Easter? That's kind of short notice!

[Masta]

+1 for Crane designing a quest for easter.

[Crane]

Well, how about this...

If all future quests will be like the last Christmas one, with six elves scattered around, each dropping a useless prize and sometimes a mediocre rare, how about a major prize (e.g. a Charisma ring) that can be obtained if you manage to get one of each of the mediocre prizes and hand them in? This shouldn't happen too often, I don't think... last time I failed to get Elven Booties.

Of course, to make it fair, all of the mediocre prizes would have to be totally unique, not recycled items like the Reindeer-Hide Shield.

ADDENDUM: A friendly NPC would have to exchange the gifts, and it's easy enough to change the Elves to drop crystals and the NPC to transmute or exchange them, so one of many solutions could be implemented in this instance.

Edited by Crane, 07 April 2009 - 06:56 PM.

[Hustle]

honestly i'd like a very very very very very hard riddle or something, something that was thought about for a long time to make it really hard and then give it to everyone in nightmist lol, and just wait to see on xmas which fool is the smartest lol but make the riddle nightmist related lol, like was done before in one of the clans i was in (cant remember which one i never pay much attention) lol

or maybe pass out like 10 riddles which all get you a scroll which has a story, which as a code you have to figure out and that code unlocked a chest which was the mega prize, and each lil riddle gave out a minor prize lol that'd be awesome and it'd give every in nightmist a chance to get something in nightmist based on their brain power, not character power lol or judged by the amount of spare time they have (nightmist) lol

[Boondock]

or not, how about hitting a random monster with the same hp as the "devil" monster that rappy killed

or something that would involve you working up to something like crane suggested