Quest Proposals

[ttlanhil]

Wasn't really sure where to put this... stories seems close, but that's not so much quest stuff.. so it ended up here, which is the more generic suggestions area...

 

after the manu/craft meet with L_c, a few of us were throwing around quest ideas;

pennifuin, ciara, myself mainly, about half way through L_c came back and joined in the convo, and we had a few thoughts and proddings from leonon

 

 

one quest, and one set of quests came out of it, first off, single quest (easier to write 8^)

 

Some people talk about boredom, just working on your skills isn't exciting, having more quests and visible story would help. so, we're proposing some questing with story to go with. if it gets in, it'll give people something new to do.

 

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pet/familiar quest

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Ever played a game where you got a familiar or pet? adds a bit, doesn't it? we'd like that too.

a number of people have asked about having pets before, usually they're told that there's summoning, and that's enough. but we can do better, and add a quest at the same time.

Now, having it fight is a bad idea, because it can die. plus there's the lag from extra things at storage, and all that fun stuff, so it'd be an inventory item that you can't drop (maybe another equipment slot for familiar, or a toolbar icon, something, but you can't lose it, it can't die)

you use-click it to open a conversation with it.

There would be a start location where you are told what options for a familiar there are, then you decide, and go to the location for the quest to get the one you want

different familiars would have different conversation topics, and hopefully special abilities.

the different types would suit certain types of players, an imp for the magically inclined, an owl for the forest type, a badger for the miners, etc.

the conversations and abilities would suit what animal and its type were chosen.

because it doesn't fight, if the abilities are equal enough, there will be a wide variety in what ones are chosen.(if it was allowed to fight, everyone would want a bear, or chim, or whatever)

for example, if you just want XP boosts, badger for harvest or manu, owl (as the forest type) for combat(maybe less of a bonus, as fighting needs less, helps balance it) and magic for the imp (more of a bonus, as magic is a lower used skill)

having more than just xp bonuses would be strongly preferable, however.

since you can only get one, you could even make it a perk, and if so, could require pickpoints to have your familiar/pet summoned for you

 

we didn't at all discuss what sort of quests would be needed at each stage, but they would be appropriate for each type of familiar at that part, and something basic to find out about your choices

the locations for the familair/pet options would also be appropriate, the imp in the magic school, for example

 

and yes, how to have a familiar that's not droppable may mean more changes than the usual for a quest, but it can be used again (you could come up with other things undroppable, in some games cursed items are like this, so it's not unusable)

 

 

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tailor/hairdresser quest

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this one is also a lead-on to more quests. this'll keep people busy a while 8^)

 

one of the shops in portland can be made into a combination tailor/hairdressers place. The tailor would be in residence, but retired, sitting around not doing anything.

when you talk to him, he says he's retired. you can ask what happens, if you do so, he tells his story.

 

A long time ago, he and a friend (these people need to be named, i haven't done this yet) were in the navy, made a fair bit of money as they didn't waste it all in the taverns when they came to shore, and decided to go into business when they got out.

this man learnt to become a tailor, and his friend a hair dresser

they set up shop in portland with the money they had saved, and made a good business for themselves.

but trouble was coming, in the form of new fashions from (some place here, as appropriate, if possible a community in the new continent that is rather fashionable and new with style).

the tailor wanted to change everything, stock and shop, to suit the new styles, while the hairdresser refused, saying their current customers should take preference over potential new ones.

they argued, then fought, and then things broke down completely, and the hairdresser left.

He now lives in a new town (we have one picked, but i think it'd be better not to say yet, i'll come to that later)

 

there will be a number of tings to be done in order to patch things up between them, again, i won't say what we thought of, but i'll give you a hint... it'll involve charm. after all, it's unused and supposed to be used for quests sometime.

before you worry too much, though, we plan to have charm make it easier, if you have 4 charm, you can still do the quest, but it will be far harder/longer

 

at the end, they'd be friends again, but decide to stay where they are and set up shop again, and meet up from time to time (we don't see this, but they're friends, basically)

 

now, the reward at the end of this quest, we're hoping, would be that the tailor and hairdresser (that's why these occupations) would, for a small fee, change parts of your appearance (hair style, colour, shirt, and pants)

I'm told this is something currently paid for in real dollars, but it'd be nice to have it available ingame from a quest; plus i figure the cost is more to cover the time of changing it that money for the server, less time manually adjusting = more development time

also, you may wonder why you can't change your footwear in the list given above. well, that's because that's the next quest 8^)

 

The tailor finds out that he's no good at fitting boots, and is a little busy with work anyway, and wants an apprentice. that's your next quest.

You'll be told of a few places where people are good at making boots, it's up to you to go to these places and see if you can find someone who fits the bill (depending on release time, these places could include the new continent)

 

you will eventually find the mother or father of the potential apprentice, who are not too sure of letting their daughter move away for work (being a teenager in a port city like portland). so there's charm again, and ocne again, you can't fail this with little or no charm ability, but the more you have the easier it gets. convincing them may take conversation(the tailor is a good man, she'll be looked after), money(i'll set up a place for her for this amount), fetch items, or other tasks (yes, low charm may well mean you pay a lot of money)

 

once this is complete, the apprentice moves to portland and is set up there (note that you never see her, you talk to her parents, and then she works in the back of the tailor's shop, so you can interact with 'her' in two places)

the reward is that you can now also have your boots changed

 

another suggestion is that you may earn charm points by doing these quests, as you have practiced the skill a lot (and a charm point isn't same same as earning a PP, plus this would make it a base of 5, so a reset would take it back to 5, and not allow you to gain the PP for other uses)

 

 

further to this, there would be another quest, probably for the hairdresser, where stock is being stolen, and the quest is to find out who's doing it. not a lot on this quest yet.

 

 

there can also be a quest in the life of the apprentice, a courter, perhaps, or a more mundane issue. not much on this yet, but enough to show that there's significant storyline possibility here

 

 

 

 

as for the details, where the hairdresser is, etc, i'd rather not say that here, and leave it for if someone wants to add this quest, then it'll be a suprise even if they read it here

 

 

any of this can be adjusted and adapted, if required, though we'd kinda like it to be more similar to what we thought of 8^)

 

 

also, i'd be happy to come up with the dialogs for these quests, or the initial version at least, and then someone could always polish it a bit if needed

 

 

 

that's all for now, comments please, and any devs who are interested, please get in contact. there's only a bit left out for the sake of hiding what's coming, but i can provide that if you like.

oh, and any suggestions on this, if having it on the forums could make it a spoiler (like location, what you have to do in the quest, etc) then please PM it and don't post on here, if it's on here it's less likely to be used

 

<ed>

to recycle people (less NPCs to add) the person to see about getting an imp could be the magic school clerk (or other employee)

there could be an NPC in forest of the fall, who has the owl familiar, and is an expert on combat and hunting, and suggected by tutorial NPC

and the badger from a dwarf, don't know of any available at the moment... or if it's manu as well as harvest, tankel may even fit the bill

Edited April 23, 2005 by ttlanhil

[Acelon]

More quests will be implemented when we find someone to write them.

[ttlanhil]

as in adding the code, or storyline?

the story part we can do, along with the convos and all

 

<ed>

if the conversations are stored in a seperate file, i can even try to work that into whatever format is used, if not, i can provide the conversation and a tree for its use

Edited April 23, 2005 by ttlanhil

[Acelon]

There is a new quest written to my knowledge however I do not know when it will be implemented.

[ttlanhil]

okay, do you know if it's worth our time to write up quests? or are there enough ideas already that are in the queue that it would take a long time before they're added?

[crannog]

NO it is NOT a waste of time for you to write a quest...BUT...

 

1. Start with an initial idea - the quests MUST have a good story behind them. - check out some of the stories/history of EL

2. Speak with the devs as to what can/cant be done - programming and bonuses/rewards for quests

3. Prepare an outline - and post it - be prepared for constructive critisism

4. Work, work work until it is good enough.

 

Hope this helps...

 

the one LV mentioned was written be myself and Jezebelle, and is being tested. It was the 1st (of many) quest we have made, and it is NOT easy, but persist and i am sure you will be able to add it to the game this way.

 

one more thing....the quest should be aimed at a certain "level" of player - and the complexity should reflect that. Also the bonus/reward should reflect the risks and complexity involved.

Edited April 23, 2005 by crannog

[ttlanhil]

have done 3, sort of, and will continue to do 4, will look at 2 as well

as to 1, does working up a story ourselves, provided it doesn't conflict with anyone else's posted, work, or would we be better off working from other people's stories a little/lot?

Edited April 23, 2005 by ttlanhil

[Lyanna]

For now, it's probably better to work up your own story, provided it doesn't conflict. This is mainly because a large majority of the storylines forum is under editing and revision anyway. Later on, your story can be rewritten slightly to fit in with the storyline (or vice versa).

 

-Lyn-

[ChangeYourName]

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hairdresser quest

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YAY SUPER!!!!

[ttlanhil]

YAY SUPER!!!!

156057[/snapback]

don't you mean thupah?

[pennifuin]

hehe i think he doesth mean thuper!! glad to see you had time to type this up ttl, we should have another brainstorming session soon, get some more developed ideas together, i felt we were struggling at the end the other night cause we didnt know what had been said etc. anyway, hope to hear form you soon!

[Lyanna]

Seeing the new quest that's been implemented, you could probably tie your tailor/hairdresser quest to it. Adnama is a tailor/tanner of sorts, who bought over the business, and she DOES have a sister, Nerah, who left recently...

 

-Lyn-

[pennifuin]

hey hey, jsut an idea for the Familiars, or pets, possibly having small, well trained grues...It would be quite novel i think.