What we need for player/POT quests

@Lord British2 just asked what we need for player/POT quests.

What I keep asking for is the ability to craft/create trophies/awards that we can give to people who win tournaments or finish quests.

On a more specific and additional note, I want to host fishing tournaments in Rift's End. But there is no way to see how many fish people can catch in an hour, or how much the fish weight because someone can just cheat and pull 50 fish out of their inventory and say they just caught all those.

 

Coming up....

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/quest-of-courage-part-1.55392/

 

there are definitely things that should decay in inventory. fish, carcasses, rotten tomatoes...

 

@Womby has done a lot of work thinking through this.

 

Yea, I remember RG talking about how this was the plan food... although, I could also imagine players buying fish from a merchant before stopping by for the tournament. So even with a kind of decay system, it would also be useful for enderandrew's idea if the fish were marked fresh, short of it being rotten.

 

She has done a fantastic job of finding ways to tell stories and do player quests largely just with books and decorations.

 

I can provide a specific example of a situation where Portalarium can do something that would enable the creation of an ongoing stream of player generated POT content. I refer to player created quests. Most of the tools are in place: we have the ability to purchase and set up our own scenes (POTs); we have the ability to place POT decorations (including notes and books - an essential ingredient). What we lack is the following: a way to reward those who successfully complete the quest (and only those who complete the quest) with a single item from a container.

One solution would be to provide a container that works with a combination lock. As the player progresses through the quest he or she discovers the necessary digits (or symbols) required for the combination. At the end of the quest is the container. When unlocked using the discovered combination, this container permits the removal of a single item per player. The quest creator would be able to set a combination and fill the container with multiple identical rewards. The combination could even be changed periodically (along with the relevant clues) to thwart cheats.

If Portalarium were to provide such a container we would have everything we need to create meaningful quests.

 

Does the log generated by a container have a time/date stamp? If so, a container could be used in a quest where an Avatar needed to discover a location, by requiring them to place a Paper/Parchment on which they'd written their name into the container...the permissions for the container could be set so anyone can place items in, but only certain Avatars can take them out. Then if the log showed time/date when items were placed in the container, that could give you a list of who arrived first, second, etc. If discovering the Location is not a "race", ie each gets same reward for completing the quest, then time/date would not matter, just the fact they placed the required paper w/their name would be proof of completion, as the log would record who placed it in the container, so someone could not place papers for friends, etc.

Those doing the Quest would need to understand there would be a delay between the time they place the Parchment with their name on it, and the time when the Quest giver checks the container to verify names/submissions...RL might keep the Quest giver from checking the container multiple times every day; but once the log was verified, then arrangements could be made to give the "Prize" to the Avatar.

 

This is an example of the log:



Your suggestion would work, but the delay to gratification makes it less than optimal, as does the requirement for the quest giver to respond to each participant. It is also location specific, and the location of the chest will soon appear on the internet. Changing a combination is much easier than changing a location.

By the way, as you can see there is no need for the participant to place his/her name on a piece of paper. Simply placing any object in the container is sufficient to record their presence.

I would prefer an automated solution that does not require an individual response from the quest giver for each participant. In my case I intend to set up quests that will remain in place for months, and I have no intention of performing a daily check for each of those quests for that period.
The solution I suggested above would solve that problem, but requires a device that is unlikely to be made available any time soon.

There has to be another way. Anyone?

 

@Womby, we have something that maybe Portalarium could work on: the Ornate Public Cache Chests. 20,000 gold in-game or $30 USD. These can be re-worked and re-packaged as Ornate Public Quest Chests (or just add the functionality to the Cache chests). What is definitely needed is a mechanic that would tell the chest to allow player "x" to open it upon "y" condition being met.

But you still need some mechanic in-game to allow player-created quests. Books/notes are fine to a point. But if anyone can find out the answer on the internet, what's the point of having some item in some location? You'd have to move it around every once in a while to thwart cheaters. And who wants to "maintain" their quests? The only viable option would be to somehow allow users to create quests using the systems already in place for Portalarium to <cough>"polish"</cough> their quests.

 

SWG had 'rentable' NPCs that you interacted with and then they walked off.

A time limited NPC that handed you something in exchange for an item or a phrase/code word combination could assist in making an arc of stories that involved a social interaction on a set schedule. Maybe they even arrive only on an in game Tuesday or show up during a thunderstorm condition.

 

@BluntedJ and @Stryker Sparhawk, those are excellent ideas. Keep in mind that the Public Cache Chests are a favourite of Richard Garriott. They are an in-game manifestation of his real-world interests, and one must tread carefully. Any suggestions must be detailed and be accompanied by convincing use cases.

My answer to cheats is not to move the chest, but to change the combination. That would also mean changing the text in some notes and/or books that reveals parts of the combination, but that is easy.

As for convincing Portalarium to allow us to use their tools, I admire your optimism.

The use of NPCs that we can program with our own responses would be wonderful! (Not so much on my Isle of Ghosts because everyone is long dead, but it would be great for others.)

 

@Womby, the idea of a combination is a great one, however, I just wonder if Portalarium can find a way to let us create chain quests. Some of the things needed:

1. An ability to find a note/book/item that is TAGGED for the quest. This allows me to turn this item in. I would then find this item and pop it in the chest. Boom...credit. NOTE: This might require 2 chests, so I guess this benefits the game (if you think the money is being used for development). However, if the mechanic could be both what I just described (popping TAGGED item in chest), and the ability to turn this into a POT NPC (Vendor?) then holy crap we have an interesting way of involving the whole POT.
2. This one is a STRETCH, but wouldn't it be cool (and I would pay for this) to have a mini-boss and place him on a lot (or even just a pack of 3 kobolds, or 3 skeltons). In my case, I am being selfish, I'd pop it in my village arena basement. When he is either interacted with or you come within a certain radius, he attacks.
3. Going on the tail end of #1 above, would it be possible to add this mechanic to a Vendor? Just as you turn in items to NPC's, make it so the vendor can accept "x" item. Otherwise, and I'm sorry if you have to pay for this because I would, sell an NPC that works with the questing mechanic.

I am not trying to slight you Portalarium, this is just constructive criticism: I was disappointed with the Path of Love quest. Quite simply, it was not "polished" as has been said. You get a choice (sorry for the SPOILER?) of two spirit talkers, and one is bugged and the wrong choice - it even says "DEVELOPMENT NOTE" for the quest update. I had to re-do that quest with the correct spirit-talker. That wouldn't be so bad, but really it's kind of bare out there quest wise. Yes, some is hidden; yes it's "alpha/beta/theta".

Adding POT quests would be a nice way to beef up your content without much investment (just the cost of creating the POT questing mechanics). Authors would create quests. The best ones would be "known" and can also be spotlighted. People would try to outdo each other. Some would suck, but you'd find that out quick - forcing authors to step up their game, remove their quest, or, like me because mine would probably suck, just leave them up forever. What can I say, I'm Mad.