State of the quest system

Discussion in 'Quests & Lore' started by Almar, May 8, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Almar

    Almar Avatar

    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    689
    Trophy Points:
    40
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Northern Ireland
    It hurts me to type this.

    I have had great quest experiences from Ultima games of the past, yet the quest system in SotA has poor linear links and is a dreadful gaming experience.

    The entire quest system needs an overhaul. It should be a priority for the games's well-being.

    The journal is sloppy and riddled with errors.

    The quests themselves have strange links. 'Get a boat from Harvest.' I did ! It's still in my journal. Stop having confusing quest threads, with irrelevant linkage!

    Some of the quests are just pandering to some perception of 'having it all'. On the Shroud/lens quests: Jumpy, Puzzley and Gatey/Combaty. It's just Gimmicky - if you can even get them to function as intended. I can't.

    Then we get quests with real life influences. Drumpff. Unnecessary and annoying.

    At the end of a quest cycle I should be elated that I have worked my way through and triumphed!

    I should not be left feeling: 'Thank f*** that's over and I don't have to do it again.'

    Please. Fix the quest system. There are so many great things about this game, but many players will start with quests.


    And quests suck.
     
    Witcheypoo, moko, Razimus and 27 others like this.
  2. majoria70

    majoria70 Avatar

    Messages:
    10,347
    Likes Received:
    24,869
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    United States
    Well I know they are working as hard as they can but I think episode 1 quests will be what they are with all the fixes they can get into them. How much time do we want allocated to this? Can they be totally revamped? Perhaps as mentioned somewhere Episode 2 will have a better quest experience. I just do not know and some liked it ok and imo this game is not all about questing although yes it should be a worthy experience with good feeling questing from feedback from players like you. I just wish that we did not get the silent shoulder even though Richard Garriott did say they read our feedback, I would like more responses on concerns we have regarding the core game features.

    I'm not saying they should go crazy reacting to all negative feedback but someone should screen out the constructive feedback and then they should advise what is going in place going forward or fixed in the moment regarding the feedback. If Episode 1 questing cannot be salvaged to a degree that makes the masses happy then can Episode 2 questing get a huge facelift to make it more enjoyable. Why can we not make comments regarding experiences players have with the game? I don't understand. @Berek perhaps a livestream to address things like acknowledging and letting us know what is happening going forward. The silence is the worst and really we are loyal backers well I know I am and I want to know that the systems I enjoy or want to enjoy here for will be updated such as fishing, more music instruments and enhancements if possible, adding in an in game achievement system, treasure hunting, factions or more pvp fun, and for others questing. I'm not trying to be bossy but really where are we going forward? We need hope.

    edited
    and just to mention I am very busy in game doing all of the game. This game is awesome for what we have so far. I am looking forward to more also. Questing I don't do as a main part of the game but I like having it for times when I just want to quest.
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2018
  3. Brewton

    Brewton Avatar

    Messages:
    270
    Likes Received:
    477
    Trophy Points:
    28
    He just posted about that yesterday. Yes it's a little late too let us know, but at least we know he heard us and will work on it. Even though this game was RELEASED last month, the real release in my opinion will be at the launch of Episode 2.

    So, while yes, there has been a lack of communication, RG did post about this yesterday.
     
  4. Almar

    Almar Avatar

    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    689
    Trophy Points:
    40
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Northern Ireland
    @majoria70 @Brewton

    Truthfully, I didn't see RG's recent feedback on quests.

    Nevertheless, it was supposed to be a 'meaningful' system. And it's not.

    Don't get me wrong, I love SotA and will continue to play it - hopefully for years, I am a proud member of our community. However, I want it to be more than a niche game. I think it deserves a much bigger audience.

    I have four friends who I had hoped would join me here from our UO guild - one was even an early backer like myself. All have tried the game and given up due to questing being a mess. They therefore perceive it to be a 'buggy' game, without digging deeper. initial perceptions are soooo important.

    And there is the key problem. If someone is so disillusioned with the mere beginnings of the game - and questing is thrust upon all new players for the start - there will be no audience retention. And let's not even talk about the UI.

    So, the plan is we limp on until episode two? Can we? Is there even the finance in place to allow that to be a reality? I do hope so.

    Personally, after a career in advertising and marketing, my opinion is - you get one bite with a new product, don't waste it.

    It's so much harder to be a 'thing' when you are constantly fighting negativity about your product. It can be done, but the product has to be amazing from then onwards.

    This might be my last MMO. I bloody well want it to succeed and I am so disappointed with what we have gone 'live' with.
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2018
    Razimus, Cirsee, Cordelayne and 12 others like this.
  5. Cinder Sear

    Cinder Sear Avatar

    Messages:
    2,576
    Likes Received:
    3,836
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Location:
    Spite
    I've reset my quests, hoping to watch the journal NOT screw up! BUT of course, I have orphaned entries as I plod through my storylines... I am NOT a novice quester, and have done these many times over and over again. Once again, disappointment sets in as the journal entries aren't clearing and the journal gets harder to navigate to figure out my next steps. This is just not good. I hope they find a way to correct this ASAP. This has gone on LONG ENOUGH. :mad:

    Should I REALLY bother to make bug reports? They haven't been fixed before... I just don't know what the solution is to the journal's issues.... perhaps they need to go to a standard RPG's quest journal... take a note from Runescape if you gotta. SAD!
     
  6. Last Trinsic Defender

    Last Trinsic Defender Avatar

    Messages:
    360
    Likes Received:
    559
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Well - UO didn't have a quest-system which could be compared to any modern RPG. It's more of a "bright past and a sad future"-thinking.

    But - nevertheless - the quest-system in SOTA is brutal buggy. It's not the sum of ideas, quests or whatever makes a quest-system interesting but the way it is handled. Nearly every 2nd quest comes up with a bug which is a problem (e.g. not deleted from quest-journal, quest-items stay in the bag and can't be moved in sub-bags or the bank, hints are more mysterious and point in wrong directions, special mobs don't appear, it's possible to do some quests the other way round - first you meet the target and then the quest-giver, ... ). I wouldn't call it dreadful. More of a faulty installation and not finished the programming yet. Even this forum isn't able to move all http-links (all uploaded images) to https-links and that's why this page is marked unsafe. This shouldn't happen and the change is a matter of hours (did this with my pages and boards in the last week with only little effort and I have no 20mio-budget).

    IMHO The SOTA-team should shop to jump from bug to bug to bug and start to see the whole situation. This would help to find solutions in a bigger surrounding which is more efficient and it will save costs on the longrun.
     
  7. Almar

    Almar Avatar

    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    689
    Trophy Points:
    40
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Northern Ireland
    I know. I loved UO (seven years, until the Samurai Empire) - and no quests was part of that, but if you're going to put in a quest system, for a quest aware player potential, make it work!
     
  8. Kaffien

    Kaffien Avatar

    Messages:
    577
    Likes Received:
    903
    Trophy Points:
    75
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Blue Rose Isle, Crafters Town, Black Rock Cove
    The quest system alone makes this game feel alot like it should be returned to beta status. It's (quest system) not ready at all. I should not have to file a report for each
    orphaned quest. Fix the issue that's causing them to be orphaned.

    Stop adding new stuff. Put bugs as telethon goals lol.
     
  9. Brewton

    Brewton Avatar

    Messages:
    270
    Likes Received:
    477
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Quest system today feels more like Alpha stage.

    I think we would all donate towards that!!!
     
    Astirian and Witcheypoo like this.
  10. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

    Messages:
    6,194
    Likes Received:
    12,076
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Link?
     
  11. Brewton

    Brewton Avatar

    Messages:
    270
    Likes Received:
    477
    Trophy Points:
    28
    https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...uesting-experience.122515/page-5#post-1028843
    This work?
     
  12. Nelzie

    Nelzie Avatar

    Messages:
    884
    Likes Received:
    1,140
    Trophy Points:
    93
    I'm fine with seeing ridiculous real world influence based elements of quests.

    Hell, some of the absolute best in Television History has been directly facing then real world influences, that's a huge part of what makes storytelling compelling.

    If you feel uncomfortable or angry about that particular quest. Great! That's exactly what it is supposed to do, a good story makes the reader, viewer, listener, participant think even while they are out in their escape from "Reality". Star Trek, the original series, did that every single week and they won awards for doing so.

    I do completely agree that the journal and quest system needs a major overhaul, it's absolute crap right now. The whole series of quests, the journal links and the hanging left overs of quests that have been completed months ago are just terrible.

    I want a better system. I want more quests and I absolutely want MORE real world influences in the story, even if it makes me uncomfortable.
     
    Cirsee, Tamsen, Tiki Pirate and 2 others like this.
  13. Anpu

    Anpu Avatar

    Messages:
    7,944
    Likes Received:
    9,015
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Location:
    Hemut
    I don’t have the exact link, but they have a new Quest Architecture that they do have planned, but that’s going to take a while to implement.

    The quests currently, are just going to stay unfortunately in the same state. And with a few bug fixes here and there.

    I do wish that new Quest Architecture was bumped up a bit in priority though...

    As with most everything in this game, it’s just going to take time...
     
    Astirian and Witcheypoo like this.
  14. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

    Messages:
    6,194
    Likes Received:
    12,076
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Tamsen and Brewton like this.
  15. Almar

    Almar Avatar

    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    689
    Trophy Points:
    40
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Northern Ireland
    I think you and I would disagree about most things. let's give each other a miss.
     
    Hermetic likes this.
  16. Baratan

    Baratan Avatar

    Messages:
    712
    Likes Received:
    1,041
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Gender:
    Male
    This needs to be bumped up to top priority imo
     
    Astirian, Paladin Michael and Xandra7 like this.
  17. Sir_Hemlock

    Sir_Hemlock Avatar

    Messages:
    1,194
    Likes Received:
    2,292
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    He says that every year.
     
    Tamsen likes this.
  18. Floors

    Floors Avatar

    Messages:
    4,265
    Likes Received:
    6,621
    Trophy Points:
    165
    But but but I was told it wasn't a niche game !!! lol :D

    It's true, the quests give a bit of a bad impression atm. They should be addressed, or at least the worst issues fixed.
     
    Synergy Blaize and Tirello like this.
  19. Nog

    Nog Avatar

    Messages:
    156
    Likes Received:
    217
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    126 N State St., Mishawaka, IN 46544
    I will say this about quests in SotA: in a number of games you have some really dumbed down quests that insult your intelligence and are mind numbingly simple. Eg. Go kill 8 of these, then 10 of these. Or let's put an obvious circle on your map for exactly where you would need to go to retrieve something that would require a little problem solving to find. I was generally entertained with quests in SotA that avoided this.

    But sure there were several glitchy quest givers and quest takers; solved quests not being removed from the log; moments of gaps in conversations that should give you a reasonable direction where you need to go next (without scouring the forums because you are stuck otherwise). Hopefully these aspects can be improved in time.
     
    Witcheypoo, Jaesun and Baratan like this.
  20. Womby

    Womby Avatar

    Messages:
    3,299
    Likes Received:
    12,165
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Location:
    South Australia
    I used to think that letting players type any question was a great idea. Why didn't more games do this? Then the truth dawned. I have come to the opinion that the keyword system creates unrealistic expectations, and new players are quickly disappointed when they realize that typing in questions rather than clicking highlighted words is a very hit and miss experience. Yes, an enormous effort has gone into creating the quest dialogues, but the result has been very buggy, and little progress has been made over a long time in attempting to fix those bugs. The free input system, in my opinion, provides far too many combinations and permutations of user interaction to enable comprehensive testing, and this leads to undetected bugs. Perhaps the sunk cost fallacy applies here. Maybe it is time to simplify. I suspect a much more pleasant, bug-free and cheaper to maintain alternative would be to simply provide multiple choice responses in the style used by games like Fallout 3, New Vegas and 4.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.