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Do you care about Quest stories in an MMORPG? Poll.
gillvane1
Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 1,503
Do you care about Quest stories in an MMORPG? I'm telling you right now I'm biased, because I don't read them. I don't read them because A. They aren't that good and B. They don't change anything in the game.
For example, the thing you have to do for the quest is Kill 10 rats, and bring back the rat tails. You can change the number, or change the rats, but you know, your basic kill X number of Y Mobs, and go back to the quest giver for a reward.
Now, do you care WHY you're supposed to kill the rats? Do you want a big story, about how the rats are eating all the grain, and people will starve, or the rats will cause a plauge like the one in 3047, or the rats are summoned by the great Rat God, or whatever else it is the devs make up? All I wanna know, is how many rats I gotta kill, what you gonna give me for it?
Now, if killing the rats caused the wolf population to explode, or if you didn't kill the rats all the food merchants in the game went out of business, that would be something different, because it would actually change something in the game, depending on what I did about the quest. Other players are just trying to level quickly, and don't want to take time to read the quest stories, whether it changed the world or not. They just want to quickly get the xp and loot reward, and move on to the next one so they can "ding".
But, some people enjoy reading the lore, and all the quest stories, and it makes the game much more interesting for them. Which type are you?
The poll is basically Yes or NO. I've posted two No answers, for different reasons, but just add the two No votes and compare to the Yes votes to see which way the wind is blowing.
http//:www.mmorpgmaker.com
For example, the thing you have to do for the quest is Kill 10 rats, and bring back the rat tails. You can change the number, or change the rats, but you know, your basic kill X number of Y Mobs, and go back to the quest giver for a reward.
Now, do you care WHY you're supposed to kill the rats? Do you want a big story, about how the rats are eating all the grain, and people will starve, or the rats will cause a plauge like the one in 3047, or the rats are summoned by the great Rat God, or whatever else it is the devs make up? All I wanna know, is how many rats I gotta kill, what you gonna give me for it?
Now, if killing the rats caused the wolf population to explode, or if you didn't kill the rats all the food merchants in the game went out of business, that would be something different, because it would actually change something in the game, depending on what I did about the quest. Other players are just trying to level quickly, and don't want to take time to read the quest stories, whether it changed the world or not. They just want to quickly get the xp and loot reward, and move on to the next one so they can "ding".
But, some people enjoy reading the lore, and all the quest stories, and it makes the game much more interesting for them. Which type are you?
The poll is basically Yes or NO. I've posted two No answers, for different reasons, but just add the two No votes and compare to the Yes votes to see which way the wind is blowing.
http//:www.mmorpgmaker.com
Comments
I voted "Yes" but there is a but...
...I actually don't like to read them much, but rather have voice acting for them. I know it's probably expensive to make and all but it gives it so much more immersion. And I like the lore that's (mostly) involved with it.
Power gaming comes naturally to people who play mmo's for any length of time IMO, whether we want to or not. It just happens that way once you acheive a certain amount of knowledge of the genre you learn how and why and what to do to make your leveling that more efficient. Sure you have the pure power gamers that crunch everything into math, but that's the top level of the extreme.
I consider myself about as far from a "casual" gamer as it's possible to be without being a number cruncher. I level very, very fast in just about every game I play and yet I still find time to read most of the quests that I do. Mainly because of how I do it. I fill my quest book up with 10 or so quests, reading the descriptions, and then I go play the game for hours or days or however long it takes me to finish them, then I go get more. That hour or two that I spend reading doesn't really slow me down at all. (I guess cumulatively I'm a day or so behind the people that ignore, but that really depends on how much you play per day.)
I read almost every quest that isn't a kill x quest, but I do read some of them if I'm in the mood. I agree that the kill X number quests are generic time/exp/loot fillers and it's a shame that they seem to be the majority of quests in most games.
It depends for me. If the quest actually has meaning and is sort of drawn out to be more epic then your average quest, I might. Otherwise, I generally don't. I guess where I draw the line is whether or not I am doing the quest for the XP, or if I am doing it simply because I want the experience of the event.
In a game like WoW, I don't really consider "quests" to be quests, as opposed to tasks. I did read the "quests" at first, then I noticed I was able to predict the objectives before I even got that far into it. It turned into a laundry list of chores instead of quests. The only ones I considered to be quests were generally instanced, and even most of those were not much in the way of quests.
To be honest, I think there is too much reliance on questing as an outlet to level, and thus the quests, and their text, has become characteristically futile. This not only lowers the quality, but also masks the quests that might actually be interesting. Unfortunately, those interesting quests only come once in a while in most MMOs.
To me quests are important because without them the game would be a complete grind ya know?
In general for most quest lines, I give the quest line "a chance." It has a quest or two (assuming it is a multi-quest storyline) to be interesting. If it turns out to be boring and unimaginative, then I stop reading and just start clicking "accept."
C
One of them should be replaced by: "No, because the story sucks."
Personally, whether or not i need to follow the storyline in order to progress in the game is irrelevant.
If the story is interesting then i will read it.
If the story is boring then i will not read it. I will follow the arrows and exclamation points until i get stuck. And when i get stuck, i will look it up on the internet.
Most definitely a "yes" for me. I'm one of those really annoying players who reads ALL the text when taking a quest. I'm the guy you're always waiting for ("Ready? Xix! READY??"...Xix???) before heading into the instance or out to do the group-required invasion of the Detention Facility to quell the riot or the Deathwatch Bunker sub-quest. I'm also usually the healer so you've gotta wait.
I find a good story is what makes the MMO for me and keeps me in it for a long time. OK, SWG was the exception, but only because I love crafting more than anything else (and I still read all the text for Jabba's Palace, even when working on my third FS toon). But it's why I love Auto Assault so much. The game's all story. (OK, there's an awful lot of smashing and shooting stuf too 
)
Yeah, I'm the slowest leveller too, and my combat skills suck, so I'm usually a healer and crafter. But the storyline is the key to the immersion for me, and without immersion, it's just boredom. Give me a good story and you've got my dollars for a good while.
-- Xix
"I know what you're thinking: 'Why, oh WHY, didn't I take the BLUE pill?'"
Read them, for at least they are a part of the developing team's efforts~
For me, involving myself in the games lore creates more fun for me, and I find it more enjoyable.
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Looks like you'd be in trouble if you left the quest stories out of a game, for those that like to read them, but almost as many aren't interested, so you'd be in trouble if you made players read them, and didn't give them a fast way to hit "accept".
For example, In Vanguard, once you hit "accept" a little quest log is available that tells you where you need to go, and what you need to do, and who you need to talk to afterwards to get the reward. Pretty much all I need.
I am puzzled about the answer "No, because it doesn't change the world"
Do you really expect to play this role in your life?
Everyone has that hope that they will. But I see your point.
Personally I think that Vanguard did it right in that diplomats can temporarily change the world. Gives people that little thrill.
For example, if you complete the quest, a temple is constructed and everyone in that zone gets a buff as long as the temple exists. Or, if all the temple guards are killed, the temple falls into disrepair, and no one in that zone will get the buff any longer.
Or, you complete the quest and a bridge is built, or destroyed. Or you complete the quest and a vendor shop in a remote location is opened or closed. Or a zone is opened or closed, like a particular dungeon. That sort of thing.
NOT you complete the quest, and you are suddenly more attractive to the opposite sex in rl.
What hurts the genre i think is the providing of a 'checklist' which explains what the game engine needs to see. If they removed this quick checklist, then alot more people would be reading the text instead of skipping to the bottom.
Read the quests?
In Wow - no. I tried, but they are mind--numbingly boring, even the longer ones
Thankfully, there are some exceptions though.
In LOTRO - I definitely will! The ones in the beta are soooo much more involving and entertaining... I was striving for a real story-orientated MMOG for some time!
DB
Denial makes one look a lot dumber than he/she actually is.
Well there's no point reading the quest text if it just a "kill stuff" task. It's down to the game developers to make quests worth reading.
I would prefer to have quests with text to read, which gives you clues on how to solve the quest.
So for an example of what I mean - for the "kill 10 rats" we might have something like...."but we cannot find their lair. They are taking the corn from my cellar, but they escape into the shadows and I can't track them. Watch out that you don't trip over the paint cans when you go down there. I've been meaning to get that cellar painted, but I just never get round to it."
Anyone worked out how to find the rat lair yet?