You have to go fetch something.
^^^--- I expect this to comprise 75% of your questing.
About 90% of quests in RPGs ---> Either:
1. Fetch something for an NPC
2. Kill a certain monster/piece of scenery/person.
3. Go to a certain place (sometimes this is a quest in itself.)
About 90% of quests in RPGs ---> Either:
1. Fetch something for an NPC
2. Kill a certain monster/piece of scenery/person.
3. Go to a certain place (sometimes this is a quest in itself.)
Well, there is a 10% error margin, but whatever...About 90% of quests in RPGs ---> Either:
1. Fetch something for an NPC
2. Kill a certain monster/piece of scenery/person.
3. Go to a certain place (sometimes this is a quest in itself.)
Obviously this one has never played Tales of Phantasia.
Help this Mitsarugi person by suggesting something that isn't one of those.
Well, there is a 10% error margin, but whatever...
Obviously this one has never played Tales of Phantasia.
Help this Mitsarugi person by suggesting something that isn't one of those.
Alright, I think I've got an idea that doesn't involve killing or gathering stupid things.
The player, while exploring, walks into a house, and into a crime scene. One of the officers recognizes the character, and asks him/her for help. The player is then locked in the house, and must talk to all the people involved in the murder, as well as examine rooms in the house for clues, sort of like playing the game clue. Each NPC has multiple choice options and the player must deduce who is lying in order to figure out who is the killer. For multiple playthroughs, you could randomize who actually committed the crime. Rewards could vary depending on who you pin the murder on, and whether they actually did it or not.
Alright, I think I've got an idea that doesn't involve killing or gathering stupid things.
The player, while exploring, walks into a house, and into a crime scene. One of the officers recognizes the character, and asks him/her for help. The player is then locked in the house, and must talk to all the people involved in the murder, as well as examine rooms in the house for clues, sort of like playing the game clue. Each NPC has multiple choice options and the player must deduce who is lying in order to figure out who is the killer. For multiple playthroughs, you could randomize who actually committed the crime. Rewards could vary depending on who you pin the murder on, and whether they actually did it or not.
if you randomize who did it you have to randomize the clues too.
What is more interesting
> go kill Loki and 30 of his followers
or
> HELP THE Cthulhu OF THUNDER STORM THE TERRACE AND TAKE DOWN LOKI AND HIS FOLLOWERS
( where said Cthulhu proceeds to show up and you go on a rampage )
I wasn't giving you an idea, I was showing an example of how to spice up tired boring quest mechanics.
Hmm, ok how about this! Even though it's technically a fetch quest...Good idea having the game continue when you fail a quest! I do that lots too XD!
The Quest name: The Littlest Mermaid
Description: A mother is frantic over her little girl that loves swimming hasn't come yet, she should be at the river and the player has to go find her!
What do you have to do:
1. Find the girl at a set point at the top of the river, the player showing up in the nick of time to see her scream for help before beginning to be swept down river.
2. A timer starts and the player has to follow her down river, the girl stopping every now and then because of logs, rocks, or simply clutching to the side of the river - at this point the player has a chance to try and get her but only within a few seconds window before she continues down river. (If they cannot do so, see fail.)
3. The player returns to the village with the girl, or is automatically transferred to the mother's house!
What you get as reward: An Item that stops timers or even a Skill that inflicts a state that stops weaker monster from acting for a number of turns.
If you can fail it and how: If you don't save her in the allotted amount of time, the village shuns you, shops become inaccessible or far too expensive at that point in the game, etc. So it's not a sad quest, maybe you can put a clause that you run into her later in the wilderness and can take her back after all and get super discounts and praise ^^! But not the original reward, just to keep a reason to complete it the correct way.
but would you have an idea maybe? knowing that you know which kind of idea would be boring, you should have an idea for a good quest no? ^^
Quest Name: Lover's Lane Exposed
Somewhat of a basic quest.
The character or whatever randomly stumbles upon a beautiful place, and getting dazed by the light and sparklies (I had nothing else to add to something beautiful) the entrance behind them get closed. Magic, Swords, Axes, Guns, etc. Can't penetrate it, having no choice the character has to explore deeper into the place and eventually find two people pinned to trees by the same thing blocking the entrance, with their last breathe they tell you if you can pass the trees test (which could be fighting, puzzles, treasure hunting, a murder scene) or something random you see the two bodies disappear and as you're leaving you find the two lovers were Adam and Eve or something who had become pinned to the trees of sin for tainting the world or something. Then as the memory ends, you escape back to the world and the blocked entrance is gone, nothing is left but trees leading to the ocean or something. The only thing left is the scent the world has left upon you, and the memories given to you, and you can get some random items, spells, or something.
Just something made up on the spot, so sorry if its not as detailed as you might want its just something basic that you could probably (and should) change up to make it better.
Why not make a trap maze and force the player to go through it?
Simply build a maze of walls, put some fog around to make it a bit trickier I suppose.
Make some traps, like rolling boulders triggering in dead ends, spikes triggering every 5 seconds using a para event and so on.
The goal of course it to reach the end and get the extremely important cake, then heading back without dying and of course it has to be done in X time so the cake won't get spoiled.
The Quest name: Marriage Mayhem
A longer quest.Spoiler for:
Quest Name: Lover's Lane Exposed*drool* That's like 90% awesome, it's just missing the part that's actually a quest. Otherwise, I must use something similar to this, no choice.
Somewhat of a basic quest.
The character or whatever randomly stumbles upon a beautiful place, and getting dazed by the light and sparklies (I had nothing else to add to something beautiful) the entrance behind them get closed. Magic, Swords, Axes, Guns, etc. Can't penetrate it, having no choice the character has to explore deeper into the place and eventually find two people pinned to trees by the same thing blocking the entrance, with their last breathe they tell you if you can pass the trees test (which could be fighting, puzzles, treasure hunting, a murder scene) or something random you see the two bodies disappear and as you're leaving you find the two lovers were Adam and Eve or something who had become pinned to the trees of sin for tainting the world or something. Then as the memory ends, you escape back to the world and the blocked entrance is gone, nothing is left but trees leading to the ocean or something. The only thing left is the scent the world has left upon you, and the memories given to you, and you can get some random items, spells, or something.
Just something made up on the spot, so sorry if its not as detailed as you might want its just something basic that you could probably (and should) change up to make it better.
Post from 2nd page...
I like what Aurelia posted, it's the key ingredient in interesting quests that it's integrated to the lore of the world. So that way the quest is part of the world, the kingdom or just the little town characters are in. There was also posts 'bout not to make general or unimportant quests. There I have to disagree. I think especially those unimportant quests are an excellent place to sneak some lore to players minds. Make them more aware of the world around them.
But then to this subject itself. Original mitten was quite a storymonger, as he has lead numerous of pen 'n' paper - roleplays, so I'm going to ideas from those experiences. :)
Small and isolated town is in trouble with the wolves coming from nearby forrest. Wolves attack during nights and kills unprotected cattle. City also has another major problem: children have started gone missing. Maybe the wolves are responsible? When player starts to look in to the mystery he'll probably have to face the wolves. Depending how dark the game is, the player finds out before or after he has killed the wolves that those animals were the missing kids who had gone through a transformation. Someone is behind this vile act.. but who?
Other one would be maybe a multiple outcome type. City guard or someone like that asks player to prevent some famous thief's attempt to steal something valuable. Problem is that nobody knows this thief's true identity. Only help quest giver can provide is some cryptic clue, like a blue pawn (chess). When this item in inventory npcs around the city would have different line of text prepared, answering to the guestions relating to this item. There could be two or more possible suspects that would have something relative to this given item. For example same kind of blue clothing, jewelry, hair etc. When certain, player could go to inform the guard who is the thief. If he is correct, the thief is caught and day saved. If he's wrong, wrong people gets accused while the thief makes escape with the valuables.
I might share more if these are not totally off from what you were looking for ^^