What type of Quests?

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realmzmaster
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by realmzmaster »

Another quest came to mind. If the game has water travel, the character could be hired to defend a ship from pirates or another country's vessels. The character can raise money to buy and outfit a ship. The character can pay to have the ship in dock while it is not in use. If the character's ship is sunk. The character washes up on shore somewhere.
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Saxon1974
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Saxon1974 »

Good ideas all....

What about a guild type of quest. Maybe there is a theives guild and they offer you a quest to infiltrate some type of city or nobles organization and get your hands of some plans for some type of fantastical weapon. You could have different options available such as....If your a stealthy character you could try and break in at night and get them by sneaking and lockpicking, or maybe just bash and fight your way through, or diplomacy and talk your way into their ranks.

You could allow the option where if you retrieve the plans the theives guild builds and uses the weapon and destroys a city or something, or you could side with the city\nobles who then track down and destroy the thieves guild (Or at least the guy who gives you the quest).
realmzmaster
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by realmzmaster »

How about a survival quest? You take a job for a city. The job requires that you infiltrate a group to see if they plan to attack the city. The only way to get in the group is to survive the initiation test.

The test consists of surviving in the wilderness for three days with only a dagger. You can make your armor, shield, bow and arrow from items you find in the wilderness. The wilderness can be forest, desert, savannah, etc. You must find your own food and water. The baddies you meet depend on the type of wilderness.

But, this may be too much for the Book I engine to handle. But, it is a thought.
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Unclever title »

I always liked the idea of a crotchety old man bordering on senile accosting you with a series of tasks, seemingly unrelated and each seeming more insignificant than the last. This adds a little bit of realistic frustration to an RPG. Do you just ignore the crazy old guy? Do you complete every last quest in hopes of some amazing item, or some valuable information or training? Do you kill him for being an annoying bastard? Or do you find someone to care for him because he is growing senile and it's the right thing to do?

There's so many different ways and options that could work here I mean he might start out reasonable looking for a rare book on unusual recipes, but when he starts asking you to empty his chamber pot out over a cliff into the ocean, TEN MILES AWAY!!?! (probably transfers to about three and a half regions) I mean there's only so much an Adventurer can take right?
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by BasiliskWrangler »

Culmination wrote:You still looking for side quest ideas?
Of course! In fact, as long as we're here making games, feel free to share ideas. The settings can always be adapted to different games, so even if your idea is not used in Book II, there are other games simmering in the pot.
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Unclever title »

Perhaps in some larger town or city, crime is on the rise but most of the people believe that a certain "superhero" character will save them. He has in the past anyways, appearing when needed as if from nowhere. One person might mention in passing to you that he hasn't been seen in the past couple of weeks and it is clear that SOME hero is needed. Perhaps you take his place? Maybe you try and find him...

Maybe you find him dead? In over his head? Turned bad? Turned cowardly? Or just sick in bed with the flu?

Regardless it seems this person either knows some clever teleportation magic, or knows some very useful secret passageways around town...

Also, getting arrested and escaping from jail is ALWAYS fun. :)
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by acoustibop »

Unclever title wrote:... Also, getting arrested and escaping from jail is ALWAYS fun. :)
Definitely! :mrgreen:
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Unclever title »

It might just be the fact that I'm currently listening to "the Commonwealth" from the Eschalon Book I music folder, but picture this: (In quotes for format purposes)
Quest wrote:Several men have gone missing, young, old, married, single, betrothed, what have you. The women are worried of course and task you with finding them or what happened to them (similar to finding Bradon in Book I but...). Searching the area that they were headed to when they disappeared you find the reason why.

A Siren (or similar creature) has been singing and drawing the men nearer. She must be killed for them to be saved.
Now, as Book II will have the option for either gender, a female adventurer would theoretically have the advantage but of course the enraptured men might be set against her possibly forcing her to kill some or all of the men she was trying to find and save.

A male adventurer might need exceptional resistance, a magical item, or (and I would absolutely LOVE this to be an option) just need to be really, really hungry to allow him to think clearly enough to eliminate the Siren (or similar creature).

Edit:
Then again maybe a good pair of earplugs would be enough...

However, I still strongly support the idea that intense hunger or thirst would lessen other drives and thereby reducing some (few to one) weaknesses.
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Unclever title »

acoustibop wrote:
Unclever title wrote:... Also, getting arrested and escaping from jail is ALWAYS fun. :)
Definitely! :mrgreen:
Walking into a small village the villagers hound you and accuse you of committing a crime, you can either fight back or accept being arrested to try and exonerate yourself perhaps in court (if the village has one, maybe you need to convince them to even give you a chance) or by escaping from the ramshackle shed of a jail they put you in so that you have the "freedom" though a fugitive to bring the real culprit (or a suitable scapegoat :twisted: ) to justice. However if they discover your escape it is as good as an admission of guilt so you need to escape, find and capture the criminal or a fall guy, trap him, leave the proper evidence and then return to your cell so you can inform your captors where to find the real criminal.

Regardless the sentence was execution at dawn tomorrow (or some other specific duration of time) so you need to find and catch this criminal, then return or else you'll be executed or a fugitive for life. Having to fight off and kill any and all bounty hunters who come to take you out. (Perhaps, at the very least, increased random encounters while camping.)

I'm really liking this one, I'd love to see something similar in Book II and/or III, maybe a small village wouldn't necessarily cut it or be enough for the long lasting consequences, but suffice to say, you get the idea.
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Mongolian »

Quest IDEA #1&2:
The Duel

Oaknar and is friends want to play 'pin the taile on the dark', you interested? (fill in details) If quest is accepted, character will start in the forest surrounded by
(1) scenario 1 = all thiefs. (4-6 random number)
(2) scenario 2 = 1 mage, 1 assassin, 1 warrior, 1 priest lvl 3 attack you.

Obviously, the above scenario 1 & 2, you can setup an entirely differntly plot line for each.

Quest IDEA #3
The Pit
In a gated part of a town. A guy wielding an ax is sharpening his blade. Your quest: You will be rewarded cash, for every victory fighting in the "Pit"
(1) Round 1: Fight a lvl 3 Thief, win 100 gold
(2) Round 2: Fight a lvl 6 assassin, win 200 gold
(3) Round 3: Fight a giant, lvl 9, win 300 gold
(4) Round 4: Fight a Priest (heals self usually), lvl 12, win 400
(5) Round 5: Fight the gladiator warrior, lvl 15, win 500

Quest IDEA #4
No Brains, No Brawn
Accept quest, and you choose to fight via brains or brawn. Your equipment will all be set aside for the fight.
Brains: Must fight a magician (same level as your character)
Brawn: Must fight a swordsman (same level as your character)
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Mongolian
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Mongolian »

Really nice story telling culmination. It's very tiresome finding quests where you goto point X then Y and reward at point Z. Hopefully, II as it states, will push towards more reprucissions on descisions as it says it does. That being the case, your stories will have more substance.

Just to keep on target to those in power: My hopes and goals are to see more 'strategic' or 'puzzles' like listed above to make into part 2. *crosses fingers*
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by devinv »

This idea could get a bit complicated, but what if a guy escapes from a nearby jail and you can act as a bounty hunter to find him and bring him back to justice? Then what if he is innocent of the crime and he convinces you to help him instead of taking him back? This could lead to people in the local town not trusting you, or the local police coming after you. You could accept this and avoid the town in the future, or maybe prove his innocence, or embrace the life of an outlaw (robin hood anyone?) The basic idea is that a quest could actually require you to risk something, or sacrifice something. Maybe a quest concludes with you receiving a unique skill, or permanently losing hit points? The essence of making choices is that you are giving something up in exchange for something else. Give the quests some bite!

On a slightly different note: I was intrigued by the twists in the quests in book one, like the revival potion turning out to be poison, and a little disappointed that they didn't lead to anything, for example revenge on the priest that gave the potion. I never went back to talk to him though...did I miss something?

Thanks,
Devin

BasiliskWrangler wrote:
BW, without giving anything away what kind of quests can we expect?
The storyline is already in place (as it has been for about 3 years) and I have worked out most of what the main quest would include already, but I have zero side quests designed yet. Actually, very little has been done on the production side of Book II yet- we've just been doing conceptual tests and some modifications to the engine. Hopefully we can make an announcement soon to officially confirm that Book II is "in full production". We are working out the last details of that now- ensuring we have the resources to move ahead with production and actually see it through to the end!

And yes, I would love to see some quest ideas here! Most people here know what kind of quests would be possible within the capabilities of the Eschalon engine, so share your ideas!
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Mongolian »

Again, I just hope the 'concepts' for quests change. I really will grow tiresome of more easter egg hunts. Quests are really the best area to improve in this game.
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Unclever title »

Mongolian wrote:Again, I just hope the 'concepts' for quests change. I really will grow tiresome of more easter egg hunts.
It's kind of funny you posted that before I posted this idea, but then again my idea has some additional seasoning. You know like nutmeg.

Picture this my friends, a treasure hunt. A long, old fashioned, honest to goodness treasure hunt.

The only clues to the location(s) of the treasure are a series of riddles, the first of which you get from the salty old quest giver tasking you with finding it. So off into the world you go deciphering riddles and finding clues to each location of the next clue (combined with a nice little enticement item) in the line. Each riddle builds upon the last such that a riddle without it's immediate previous one will lead you into traps (a logistical difficulty...) that are varied and creative and that you may or may not be able to escape/overcome/avoid!

The idea here is that each riddle's solution is a geographical clue which must then be deciphered by the player, the solutions might also give a hint as to how the next riddle must be obtained like a hint to the combination of a sliding lock or the location of a key to a locked chest. However if you happen to come across a riddle in the middle of the chain and manage to obtain it through some skill (lock-picking, lock-melting, lock-flattering? to name a few) without the riddle right before it in the chain the solution now leads to a deadly trap of some kind maybe very far away from where the actual next clue is to be found.

The riddles (after the first) are spread throughout the game world. In secluded hollows, in busy towns (well hidden), in deep dungeons and caves, what have you. In the end they eventually lead to a massive treasure trove with buffed items and armor, tons of gold, and essentially more than you can carry.


Now the question: "Why would this old sailor, wise in the ways of the mankind as he is in the ways of the sea, trust you to tell him the location of the treasure?"

The answer my friends: "Who knows? He might be ridiculously trusting? (As if.) Or maybe he's tracking you with either an old buddy or magic spell and plans to take the treasure from you by force when you find it! If you find it..."

Or if he's a crafty man he'll find a way to prevent you from fighting him for the treasure forcing you to outwit him. Maybe even with the riddles themselves...

This would be awesome. Man this is almost a plot for an entirely separate game.
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Re: What type of Quests?

Post by Mongolian »

sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a wall. I dont enjoy minigames that are go to point X to go to point Y to point Z. I want riddles that pertain to making me think not run walk around endlessly which there was too much of in book1.
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