New quest mechanics

Lolssi

I think quest and story in this game are great. However when you look past the different stories most quests follow pretty much same formula (collect something, go kill someone or use some object). I haven't yet gotten around to DLCs so don't know if things are different there.

One thing that irks me is I'm actually searching keys in this quite a lot. I'm nightblade that is quite adebt at lockpicking. Would be great if we could actually use our lockpicking in quests to be able to skip the part of searching. I understand that I shouldn't be able to pick every lock but some of the normal doors and cellars would be nice start.

You folks have any other ideas that would give bit more diversity to the questing?

starkerealm

The DLC zones do mix things up a bit. Especially Thieves Guild.

jedtb16_ESO

Lolssi wrote: »

I think quest and story in this game are great. However when you look past the different stories most quests follow pretty much same formula (collect something, go kill someone or use some object). I haven't yet gotten around to DLCs so don't know if things are different there.

One thing that irks me is I'm actually searching keys in this quite a lot. I'm nightblade that is quite adebt at lockpicking. Would be great if we could actually use our lockpicking in quests to be able to skip the part of searching. I understand that I shouldn't be able to pick every lock but some of the normal doors and cellars would be nice start.

You folks have any other ideas that would give bit more diversity to the questing?

that is kind of the way things have worked since the blessed gygax made his first game - here is an objective - achieve objective - get rewarded.

sometimes its a variation on that theme, multiple objectives maybe, but that is what it all boils down to in the end.

ArchMikem

The base game Quests were designed for one purpose. To convey a story, (and level your character). And since there's just SO MANY of them, the mechanics were understandably simplified.

The DLCs on the other hand are much more detailed. I've only experienced a fraction of Orisinium's so far and I could already tell there was a big difference.

Daemons_Bane

Actually, I think this game is more varied in it's mechanics than a lot of the other ones on the market

tryia3b14a_ESO

I agree with you 100%. The vanilla questing experience is very boring IMO. It's pretty much always: Go click four things on a smallish area while fighting through a bunch of mobs that just stand around waiting for you to slay them.

I'm happy to say that the DLCs do offer a much better variety of quest formula. It's nothing like what you'd see in WoW with quest vehicles, GW2 with its "do any of the following three things in this area to complete the quest", or The Secret World's puzzle solving. But it is a lot more engaging and well thought out than the vanilla quests.

If you like stealth game play, you'll probably like the thieves guild and dark brotherhood DLC (there's even some door lock picking in thieves guild), and the Orsinium DLC does a great job of having several different types of quests all backed by a really interesting story that keeps you wanting more.

An example of improved quest design would be the quest with Lady Laurent and Stibbons. If it were a vanilla quest, it would probably ask you to enter a cave and "deactivate four wards" which are of course in all different corners of the compass in this cave. Then you'd probably enter the last room (or progress to the next room where you have to click a few more things), fight a boss, exit the cave and turn the quest in for some amusing, but forgettable dialogue.

I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the quest ended up being a lot of fun and more memorable due to its more linear area design and the fact that the NPCs meet up with you after you hit certain checkpoints so they can discuss what to do next. And thankfully there are no points in the quest where they are like, "ok, I know what I need you to do. You're going to have to run around the map in this 100 yard area that is densely populated by bad guys and click these four portals..."