Too many DLC quest givers...

ADarklore

Having returned after a two year absence... created a new character, then I went to Vulkhel Guard and find DLC quest givers on virtually every damn corner!! Makes no sense when half of them seem to recognize me, Lyris seems to recognize me while Tharn doesn't... I cannot imagine a new player not getting confused with all this bombardment. I think it would be better if ZOS would just utilize the DLC collections tab to activate DLC starter quests instead of having NPCs on every corner- then they fill up your quest journal from the start... or you don't accept the quest and have them yelling at you every time you pass by. It's just annoying, distracting, and totally confusing even for a vet player. Then there's the, 'which NPC is activating which DLC'?!? I just think this could be handled much better than the overabundance of DLC quest giver spamming in starter cities.

Khenarthi

it's very annoying, I agree. I completed all the prologue quests on all my characters just to get rid of the quest spam in Vukhel Guard...

Massacre_Wurm

Do you know how long i've been looking for you ?

Every time i start a new character i wish i could just smack her in the head, So annoying.

Mettaricana

Omfg i agree!! Ive used the same few mains for years and did all dlcs etc on those characters. I rolled a magcro yesterday and now I'm cowering in a corner as stuga, clockwork, all past 2 years of zone and chapter quest givers are verbally assaulting me so badly that the second i make a new character i beeline it for deshaan...just to escape them why they aren't all turned off til i click the related dlc in collections to start it when i feel... can't even enter a bank without a satanic/daedric murder sacrifice and atleast 3 save the world requests before i reach the banker..

Syldras

While I prefer npc questgivers over clicking some button in a menu, I'm wondering why they have to be so close together and actively approach you? If they just stood somewhere with a questmarker pointing at them, they'd be much less annoying.

SeaGtGruff

I'm trying to play through the content in order, so I don't want to do any prologue quests "too soon." You basically just have to learn which quest markers to ignore unless you want to go ahead and accept the prologue quests early-- which in at least one case (involving Tharn) can interfere with the main quest.

Dark_Lord_Kuro

They could easily spread them out between the 3 faction first zone. Moving them to the one that fit the quest the most

They could even go furter and move them to other basegame zone if it fit, for exemple the murkmire prologue could start in shadowfen while the elsweyr one in reapers march.

GreenHere

Also, if we're collecting feedback on these starter quests, ZOS...

Please make the NPCs that track me down have less... well, obnoxious voices. They're louder than average NPCs (which I sort of get) but they also tend to have unduly high-pitch voices, or some kind of emotional tint, or something that I just don't know how to word well right now.

Most of the "JusST a MOmeNt, PleAse!!" type lines that get thrown at me have a vaguely cringey quality that makes me want to never do their quest ever at all ever. Famia, from the Murkmire questline, is the example that comes to mind at the moment. Her voice is fine, and I like the character well enough -- after a while. But in the beginning, it's like the director said, "Okay, I want you to do a perky, upbeat, girly voice! Lots of enthusiasm! SMILE while you deliver the lines! BECOME Famia!" or something well-meaning but amateurish along those lines, and it's just... rough to listen to in that beginning stretch. I almost noped out on the first quest. That's not ideal, right?


Also, if someone could do me a favor and inform Stuga that I'm all-too-aware how long she's been looking for me, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks! (Stop making quest starters stalk us, please.)

Danikat

I agree there's too many DLC/prologue quest givers in cities. It's confusing even if you're not new and in some cases ruins continuity (like being told in the main quest Tharn is an enemy I'll have to track down but it will be extremely difficult to find him, then meeting someone in town who says he wants a chat about his new idea).

Also sooner or later as more DLC and chapters are released it's going to get truly absurd.

I like the idea of simply activating the quest from the collections menu, and maybe add a step where you get sent mail with the introduction the quest givers currently provide - for the sake of both immersion and context. That seems to work well in other games and we already get mail about things like joining the Alliance War as an introduction to the content.

bmnoble

Just set aside an area where the DLC quest givers stand and not chase after you, make sure to have it marked on the map so new players don't miss them but have it marked as DLC quests so they don't start them out of order, thinking they are part of the starter zone.

If you want to do the quests you approach them not the other way around.

ADarklore

Are you listening ZOS? This was one of the biggest complaints about Skyrim... too damn many quests bloating people's journals!! The absurdity of your quest giver spams in starter zones is unreal- especially since, I believe we are told when we buy a DLC, to activate the starter quest in the collections menu... and yet you still spam us to death and completely break the immersion for new players, let alone the entire confusion of them all there closely packed in one location.

Like another player mentioned, I also believe in taking a character through quests in order... and thankfully I've played the game starting in 2015, so "I" know the correct order and which quest givers are new so I can avoid them. I get it you want to make it easy for players to find start quests, but you need to re-think how you're doing it. Having to 'activate' a quest from the collection menu could then 'activate' the quest giver- and then direct the player there- instead of having them permanently placed... or something along those lines; but the way you're doing it now really is a horrible way of introducing new players to the game, and even to vet players creating a new character.

Misty

Funny. I go for a run around elder scrolls land and I avoid all quests so my book is clear for when I want to stop and quest. After a few hours my quest book is full, 'how that happen?' I ask myself.

phairdon

What about the non DLC quest givers chasing players. One in Ebonheart "halt sera". One in Alik'r "you'll be safer in the desert wayfarer'. Another one in Riften chases you around at high speed and follows into building and basements.

"dragons, in your homeland"

GreenHere

phairdon wrote: »

What about the non DLC quest givers chasing players. One in Ebonheart "halt sera". One in Alik'r "you'll be safer in the desert wayfarer'. Another one in Riften chases you around at high speed and follows into building and basements.

"dragons, in your homeland"

(emphasis mine)

That one's especially annoying, because it's not one you can do anything about. Like, I've already saved Elsweyr, and the dragons are pretty much in check, y'all... for like 2 years now. Where've you been?! Please get something else to talk about! OR TALK ABOUT THIS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE WRIT BOARD!! >:(

AcadianPaladin

Oh, I agree! Quest givers for quests that are not in the current zone should not be there. Those quests should be available via the collections tab. If my new AD character is in Auridon, she is not going to be interested in ANY non-AD quests until she finishes the entire AD questline. And if she was, it is much cleaner that if she wanted to do Summerset early to get the Psijic skills, she would prefer to go to her collection tab where it is clear how to start Summerset.

This problem is aggravated by having a small quest limit (25). If the quest limit was 100 and you could move quests into a 'maybe later' category, then it would be no problem accepting DLC type quests that have nothing to to with your current zone.

Sarannah

DLC and prologue quests should have their own arrow colors above NPC heads. Similar to how dailies have different arrow colors, than regular quest arrows and main quest arrows.

Starlock

From a storytelling perspective, I like that there is an ability to encounter all of these quest givers "in the wild." I don't want that taken away. At all.

That said, as the game continues to expand and more content is added, there is a need to be more thoughtful with where these quest givers appear. It is not a simple challenge to address in a world space that is as vast as it is.

Jaxious79

If you are on PC try the addon Leveling Guides by Hydra. It only goes up to Elsweyr but it will give you a step by step guide for each zone. Once you complete the guide there are usually a few quest left you can go back and do and most of the zone guide sections will be completed if you follow the guide.

All the addon is a Zygor updated by a player.

mickeyx

ADarklore wrote: »

Having returned after a two year absence... created a new character, then I went to Vulkhel Guard and find DLC quest givers on virtually every damn corner!! Makes no sense when half of them seem to recognize me, Lyris seems to recognize me while Tharn doesn't... I cannot imagine a new player not getting confused with all this bombardment. I think it would be better if ZOS would just utilize the DLC collections tab to activate DLC starter quests instead of having NPCs on every corner- then they fill up your quest journal from the start... or you don't accept the quest and have them yelling at you every time you pass by. It's just annoying, distracting, and totally confusing even for a vet player. Then there's the, 'which NPC is activating which DLC'?!? I just think this could be handled much better than the overabundance of DLC quest giver spamming in starter cities.

It's even more iriksome when the quest limit is still 25 and as a new player you fill up quite fast. The game pulls you into too many directions as a new player which can get really confusing.

Athan1

This is super annoying and distracting. As a new player I ended up doing random dlc prologues bc I thought they were part of the zone quests. The NPCs sit right next to each other which looks very unnatural too. Bad design, intrusive lines.

oddbasket

What I hope for is a simple change, while DLC Prologue NPCs can be added to the starting cities, they should not have a quest marker over their heads or give out the prologue quests until a player goes into the corresponding Starter Quest section in crown store and activate it, and then get led to the prologue NPC.

The barrier for new player I've recommended the game is getting told to start from their alliance city and suddenly find themselves lost with too many quests all at once and lost direction and interest.

Lugaldu

I also found it quite immersion-destroying lately when I was with a second character in the mages guild of Davon´s Watch and there were tons of quest givers and characters that I actually just get to know in a different context. Maybe they could design the quest markers in different colors so that you know which quest giver belongs to which chapter. This of course makes it necessary that they explain it somehow in the tutorial, but then you can ignore certain NPCs easier.

Larcomar

Wait till they start following you around. I seriously feel like I'm being stalked in this game sometimes....

Lugaldu

On the other hand, when you've played through everything in one region at some point one can start to miss the stalkers...

ADarklore

I haven't yet seen anyone sticking up for how DLC quest givers are handled currently, I think it's probably the first thread where everyone has agreed... so I certainly hope ZOS is reading this and is, or will, work on fixing this problem sooner rather than later. As ZOS plans to continue adding DLCs, it is imperative that they figure out a way to resolve this without continuing to add 'quest giver spam' in starter cities. I still think having the option to activate DLC quests from collection menu is the best and easiest method and would be less annoying than confusing, overly abundant quest givers in the starter city. I do like the suggestions of adding 'colored' quest giver icons- but even then- they would need to be color coded to a specific DLC- as currently- you talk to one of them but they don't tell you WHICH DLC they are giving you a quest for.

Athan1

Lugaldu wrote: »

On the other hand, when you've played through everything in one region at some point one can start to miss the stalkers...

Never. I'm looking forward to getting rid of them all.

ThorianB

Do you know how long i have been looking for you? Dragons in your homeland. Can you believe it?

GreenHere wrote: »

Also, if we're collecting feedback on these starter quests, ZOS...

Please make the NPCs that track me down have less... well, obnoxious voices. They're louder than average NPCs (which I sort of get) but they also tend to have unduly high-pitch voices, or some kind of emotional tint, or something that I just don't know how to word well right now.

Most of the "JusST a MOmeNt, PleAse!!" type lines that get thrown at me have a vaguely cringey quality that makes me want to never do their quest ever at all ever. Famia, from the Murkmire questline, is the example that comes to mind at the moment. Her voice is fine, and I like the character well enough -- after a while. But in the beginning, it's like the director said, "Okay, I want you to do a perky, upbeat, girly voice! Lots of enthusiasm! SMILE while you deliver the lines! BECOME Famia!" or something well-meaning but amateurish along those lines, and it's just... rough to listen to in that beginning stretch. I almost noped out on the first quest. That's not ideal, right?


Also, if someone could do me a favor and inform Stuga that I'm all-too-aware how long she's been looking for me, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks! (Stop making quest starters stalk us, please.)

I hate NPCs that spawn in an area and follow and harass me the entire time i am in that area.

Blutengel

This really needs to be addressed. When I made another character recently it really hit me how odd/annoying and confusing this must really be for folks new to the game.
I really think some storylines should required to do in correct order and THEN these npcs start to show up because this mess is just overwhelming... I know it's important for new players to be able to go anywhere and that's fine, but can we please get some story continuity and not have to follow an online guide.

LadySinflower

It's been mentioned a few times, the tone of voice many of these NPCs use when yelling at or approaching you. Most of them sound pompous, acting like it's beneath them to have to talk to you or that all the time they spend following you is a huge waste of their time. Well, then... SHUT UP! GO AWAY! Or the ones who follow you while actively telling you to stay away from them. ("Halt! Come no closer!") Don't even get me started on that stupid annoying dog in Daggerfall. I realize that it would be extremely boring if they all used a calm, soft tone of voice, but do they have to be rude and condescending? (The dog isn't rude, just extremely irritating.)

It reminds me of another pet peeve with this game. While walking around a town or really any area that has guards or vendors, you're minding your own damn business when you hear (rudely), "What do YOU want?" Like, excuse me? Did I speak to you? Look at you? Approach you in any way? NO, I did not. So why are you acting like I've just interrupted your lunch break?

... But that's a rant for another thread.

AlnilamE

Massacre_Wurm wrote: »

Do you know how long i've been looking for you ?

Every time i start a new character i wish i could just smack her in the head, So annoying.

I love Stugga! She's nothing if not persistent.