Questing Feedback

I think that after a month I still qualify as a new player.

I have some feedback on quests that may not be entirely positive but hopefully is constructive.

I have started two characters now and on both have found several problems with quests.

Let me first say that the initial quests in Soltown were pretty solid and worked ok.

Beyond Soltown I've had issues.

1. Updating
Example:
In the Blood River start area I find Edvard at the gate and he tells me to find a dagger.
I find the dagger and return to him and he recognises that I have it and tells me to take it to Aerie.
My quest log (now task list) is still telling me I need to find the dagger.

There are several other residues of quest stages that I have passed in the journal

2. Parsing
Example:
Sometimes it works to say "message" (or "report") to the recipient, sometimes you have to type in "I have the report" or similar.
If you type "I have the report" you can get blanked until you just say "report"

As a veteran of text quests from the original EQ I am used to some level of interpretation. I am also aware that some few people will derive hours of harmless fun typing endless variants of phrases. I would question if such a constituency is sufficient for a solid player population. And I'm not asking for dumbing down, just better parsing.

It should not matter if I say "Aldorn" or "Knight Aldorn" to the scout in Highvale but he blanks the second and accepts the first.

3. Level Appropriateness
The Path of Truth line takes you quite easily from Blood River to Aerie, to Vertas, to Jaanaforn, to Kiln, to Etceter, and then wham Artifice! At a stage where you are just about handling 1-skull areas the next step is "forget about it for some significant time"

The Path of Love takes you easily to chat to people in Ardoris and see the evil vizier, then wham Tower of the Shattered whatsit - 4-skull. Another leave it alone I can't complete.

Even the finding the books quest from Ardoris which starts off looking easy has one of each set in a 4+ skull area.

It is disheartening.

I do understand that the main story quests are going to require experiences at all levels but there is no gradation, just four or five breadcrumbs then a cliff.

I really have not been able to find enough quests anywhere that suggest a quest-driven experience is possible.

I have found and been offered plenty that I cannot do (Kiln Cistern, the Epitaph in Desolis) so maybe it gets better later on.
I shall look forward to finding out.
In the meantime I'd rather the lady told me my staff wasn't big enough to solve her problem, than ask me to collect stuff from a 5-skull dungeon.

 

Yeah, it can be quite frustrating. The Path of Truth quest line is the least polished at this juncture and I myself am stuck in Kiln because nobody there gives me any input to advance the quest further. Having said that I have finished Love and Courage and was able to do so around Level 60 or so. If you ever need an extra person, hit me up in game and I'd be glad to go questing with you: Cordelayne Valkaris

 

Spoiler

I asked Dion the faun about Artiface to get the next entry to Etceter.

The faun can also give you a key if you ask about Blackblade Pass.

Make sure to have the dagger and runic book in inventory.

 

Thank you Cobra101. That is really great feedback. Right now the development team is in the process of hiring help for quest writing and implementation. Hopefully this will add much more quests of all types and an achievement system. This is so needed in this game. It gives a big reason to play, reason to explore, reason to PvE or PvP, reason to craft and create, and daily quests give reasons always being there for those who want them .

 

I hope we all can get further on the Path of Truth with R41 this Thursday

 

the path of truth is fraught with a few bugs and I look forward to its polish soon. I started a journey on the path of truth with a new charter from its start to its present conclusion died a few times but can be done. I videoed the path of truth if you need any help and laid it out from destination to destination so if you need help in just one part of the quest so to avoid totally spoiler experience.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw9-ukIjQVaTc5oTJkx2AZjBqvJTjxy9i