using quests to make the game feel more open world?

craybest

TESO is still mostly a themepark MMO, you get to a new area, with its own theme and issues, you solve them, and move over to the next one.
Since one Tamriel hit, things changed a lot, now we're able to go anywhere and do any quest we want, indeed making the game feel more open world in a sense.
But there's still the fact that everyquest pretty much takes you right next to it all the time, so you still solve things per area, instead of having to go to other places.
An idea would be to change just that, to make the game feel more open world. having sidequests taken in some place, but that require you to go to a totally different place, maybe even on a different map, change the scenery, change the setting. I know there are a few quests like this, but it's really few and in between. most of them are "please go to these ruins RIGHT next to me, and then come back to me, please."
Speaking of quests, another thing that could help break up the monotony would be to unclude crafting in some quests, have some quests actually require to craft something (and I mean regular quests, not the specific crafting quests with no story in cities) of course it would need to be somthing that anyone can craft, nothing that requires a high lever or anything.

These are just some ideas that I think could make the questing experience a bit more varied and not a constant monotony of "hero help me", "thanks" *walks 2 steps* "hero help me!"

Nestor

Here is the thing. There is an overall Story Arc in each zone. While you can do quests in any order you want, you can/will jumble up the story arc.

Here is one example

In Glenumbra, there is a quest to learn how to kill the zone boss. Then you go kill the zone boss later with that information. It is possible to kill the zone boss before you learn how, so going back and doing the set up quest is weird. In another zone, you rescue someone who then later on gets married. Do you want to get home married before you rescue him? Maybe you do. But I think it would be better if you are encouraged to do the quests in Story Order. Then there is Stonefalls, the quests have you Ping Pong all over the zone.

The Do Anything You Want in Any Order You Want is now part of the game. But I think the story arc should be easy to follow.

craybest

Nestor wrote: »

Here is the thing. There is an overall Story Arc in each zone. While you can do quests in any order you want, you can/will jumble up the story arc.

Here is one example

In Glenumbra, there is a quest to learn how to kill the zone boss. Then you go kill the zone boss later with that information. It is possible to kill the zone boss before you learn how, so going back and doing the set up quest is weird. In another zone, you rescue someone who then later on gets married. Do you want to get home married before you rescue him? Maybe you do. But I think it would be better if you are encouraged to do the quests in Story Order. Then there is Stonefalls, the quests have you Ping Pong all over the zone.

The Do Anything You Want in Any Order You Want is now part of the game. But I think the story arc should be easy to follow.

I understand what you mean, but I'm mostly talking about sidequests. I think the main story quest of each zone is okay as it is, and it makes sense this way. in skyrim there's plenty of quests that send you to a completely different zone, many other games do this too. it helps break the monotony.
If a quest is part of a bigger story chain of course it would need special attention so it makes sense to do them in the correct order, but there are a lot of sidequests (probably most of them) who have chracters you never see or hear from ever again.

Thorvik_Tyrson

craybest wrote: »

TESO is still mostly a themepark MMO, you get to a new area, with its own theme and issues, you solve them, and move over to the next one.
Since one Tamriel hit, things changed a lot, now we're able to go anywhere and do any quest we want, indeed making the game feel more open world in a sense.
But there's still the fact that everyquest pretty much takes you right next to it all the time, so you still solve things per area, instead of having to go to other places.
An idea would be to change just that, to make the game feel more open world. having sidequests taken in some place, but that require you to go to a totally different place, maybe even on a different map, change the scenery, change the setting. I know there are a few quests like this, but it's really few and in between. most of them are "please go to these ruins RIGHT next to me, and then come back to me, please."
Speaking of quests, another thing that could help break up the monotony would be to unclude crafting in some quests, have some quests actually require to craft something (and I mean regular quests, not the specific crafting quests with no story in cities) of course it would need to be somthing that anyone can craft, nothing that requires a high lever or anything.

These are just some ideas that I think could make the questing experience a bit more varied and not a constant monotony of "hero help me", "thanks" *walks 2 steps* "hero help me!"

My experience with MMO gameplay is that most players want to be able to collect a number of quests and then go do them in that area, finish that area, and then move on to the next area. What I find annoying is the MMO's that have you get a quest on one side of the map(Point A), go do the quest on the other side (Point , turn it in back at point A, then get another quest to go back to point B.

What you are describing as the current state in your post is the quest hub type of approach to MMO gaming that I at least have a preference for. You work your way thru the quests in that hub, then it sends you on to the next hub for the next set of quests there. This is standard for most MMO's out there.

The problem with what you are describing and ESO is that ESO was released in phases, and in order to incorporate what you are describing, they would have to re-write the previous area's to add the quest starters that you are talking about.

Another issue would be the limit in your quest log if you get bounced all over the place. I've already noticed my log filling up with quests that I get while running around sky shard farming while not wanting to particularly quest in that area.

Another thing that I just thought of. if you start crossing zones with regular quests, what happens to the person that doesnt have all the DLC's and your quest log starts filling up with quests for area's that you cant get to. That would be very frustrating to me.


In summary, I do not agree with what you are asking for. Unless it was mapped out for exactly how this would all flow together, I think that it would be a lot more frustrating to the average player to be forced to hop all over the map. If you can already go anywhere and do any quest that you want. Why do you have to have something send you there? I do not know the ESO lore that much, but I have seen posts by other players that detail how the story lines flow and what order you should be doing the different area's in if you wanted to follow that time line. If you add what you are asking for, you mess up the timelines and the overall story arc.

Nestor

Bumnog and Rigurt.

If you have not meet them yet, you will like them.

Yes, there should be more. There are quests in the game where you help some one, they talk about moving on to another zone, but they never go anywhere. Also, there are places in the game you save, but they never recover. Mostly this is evidenced by ransacked homes that never get restocked.

craybest

Thorvik_Tyrson wrote: »

craybest wrote: »

TESO is still mostly a themepark MMO, you get to a new area, with its own theme and issues, you solve them, and move over to the next one.
Since one Tamriel hit, things changed a lot, now we're able to go anywhere and do any quest we want, indeed making the game feel more open world in a sense.
But there's still the fact that everyquest pretty much takes you right next to it all the time, so you still solve things per area, instead of having to go to other places.
An idea would be to change just that, to make the game feel more open world. having sidequests taken in some place, but that require you to go to a totally different place, maybe even on a different map, change the scenery, change the setting. I know there are a few quests like this, but it's really few and in between. most of them are "please go to these ruins RIGHT next to me, and then come back to me, please."
Speaking of quests, another thing that could help break up the monotony would be to unclude crafting in some quests, have some quests actually require to craft something (and I mean regular quests, not the specific crafting quests with no story in cities) of course it would need to be somthing that anyone can craft, nothing that requires a high lever or anything.

These are just some ideas that I think could make the questing experience a bit more varied and not a constant monotony of "hero help me", "thanks" *walks 2 steps* "hero help me!"

My experience with MMO gameplay is that most players want to be able to collect a number of quests and then go do them in that area, finish that area, and then move on to the next area. What I find annoying is the MMO's that have you get a quest on one side of the map(Point A), go do the quest on the other side (Point , turn it in back at point A, then get another quest to go back to point B.

What you are describing as the current state in your post is the quest hub type of approach to MMO gaming that I at least have a preference for. You work your way thru the quests in that hub, then it sends you on to the next hub for the next set of quests there. This is standard for most MMO's out there.

The problem with what you are describing and ESO is that ESO was released in phases, and in order to incorporate what you are describing, they would have to re-write the previous area's to add the quest starters that you are talking about.

Another issue would be the limit in your quest log if you get bounced all over the place. I've already noticed my log filling up with quests that I get while running around sky shard farming while not wanting to particularly quest in that area.

Another thing that I just thought of. if you start crossing zones with regular quests, what happens to the person that doesnt have all the DLC's and your quest log starts filling up with quests for area's that you cant get to. That would be very frustrating to me.


In summary, I do not agree with what you are asking for. Unless it was mapped out for exactly how this would all flow together, I think that it would be a lot more frustrating to the average player to be forced to hop all over the map. If you can already go anywhere and do any quest that you want. Why do you have to have something send you there? I do not know the ESO lore that much, but I have seen posts by other players that detail how the story lines flow and what order you should be doing the different area's in if you wanted to follow that time line. If you add what you are asking for, you mess up the timelines and the overall story arc.

i don't expect them to redo previous quests, this is more for future content. they don't all have to take to other zones, some can be in the same map, but further away. and of course than having to visit another dlc zone should either have a warning or not allowed, in case some people don't have that specific DLC.

Starlock

Have you played the preview quests? You know, the ones that basically preface some of the newer chapter/DLC content? These quests span across multiple zones exactly as you are describing. When this was first done, the implementation was awkward and more annoying than anything else. The design of them has gotten better, but I still wager many players just find them annoying and needlessly complicated. The sheer number of complaints about the Psijic Order quest line is a testimony to that. It seems likely that your request would cater to a minority and annoy the majority.

AcadianPaladin

No problem with OP's idea except it could contribute to overloading one's tiny quest log. One way to provide more open world do things as you want would be to expand the size of the quest log to 50 or 100 (from 25) and provide a section where you could let quests 'rest' until you're ready to go where they actually are.

craybest

so eveyrone's okay with going from quest hub to quest hub doing only quests that take you closely? it doesnt bother you guys at all? (honest question, not trying to sound mean or anything)

Hapexamendios

Do the Psijic quest line. That’ll take you all over the place.

MartiniDaniels

craybest wrote: »

so eveyrone's okay with going from quest hub to quest hub doing only quests that take you closely? it doesnt bother you guys at all? (honest question, not trying to sound mean or anything)

Numerous polls show that 75%+ of forum members are ok with linear run-between-markers quests and effortless difficulty. If you like quests to be more like in previous TES games, you probably better try another game.