I'm not sure what you mean.
To set up a quest, you make one of these for each quest in the area where it tells you to, somewhere around line 157
# when <quest_id> # Give the quest an ID number
# name = '<quest_name>'
# description = '<quest_description>'
# objectives[0] = '<first_objective>'
# ...
# objectives[n] = '<nth objective>'
# prime = [<objective_id>, ..., <objective_id>]
# icon_index = <quest_icon_index>
The quest ID of that quest is whatever you put as when <quest_id>. They have to be unique, and then that quest ID will refer to the quest you make below it.
As for having to set everything every time, no. The values will default to something, but something highly non-specific. Basically, the default values, if you don't set anything, are:
# name = '??????'
# description = '??????????'
# objectives = []
# prime = [all objectives]
# icon_index = 0
So, if you have a quest like this:
when 8 # Give the quest an ID number
name = 'Feed the Bears'
objectives[0] = 'Get Killed by a bear.'
Then the quest stats would be:
# name = 'Feed the Bears'
# description = '??????????'
# objectives = ["Get KIlled by a bear"]
# prime = [0]
# icon_index = 0