DB needs to improve the quality of their quests

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Fian, Jan 10, 2020.

  1. Fian Augur

    I am going to pick on 2 quests - Ada's The Way Back Home and Spider Eggs. Both quests suffer from the same problem. You need to go to set locations on the map to get task updates, but the exact location of the task update is very unclear. Ada quest is extremely bad as you may have to wait 5 minutes at the right spot before you get the task update.

    Anyway, the Spider Egg quest needs one thing. It needs a visual indicator of where the correct location is, i.e. eggsacs on the ground at each task update location. The Ada quest also needs this, but in addition (or in replacement of), they could use the Find feature that was used effectively in one of the Lcenium partisan quests. If you don't want to take the time to mark the ground, the least you can do is use the find function.

    One final comment. I saw this more in TBL than TOV, but achievement quests should always have clear keywords to use in the dialogue. Most do, however there are times where you have to type the magic words to move to the next phase of the quest. While I can see some side quests (maybe tradeskill?) taking the more hidden approach, the main quests of an expansion shouldn't be obscure. There is a reason why you implemented clickable text in the first place.

    EQResource and Alla are wonderful sites, but DB shouldn't be relying on them to communicate to the player. Those sites may go dark one day, and people will still want to play EQ.
  2. Mazame Augur

    Umm I don't think this is needed at all.

    Ada has many updates spots. If your waiting on the 5 min time for that spot to update then it because some one trigger it before you. if your using EQ resource for the update loc then again your limiting your self to a single spot.

    For Ada 1 I have found 3 update spots.
    For ada 2 I have found 10.
    For ada 3 I have 4
    for ada 4 I have 2
    for ada 5 I have 4

    DBG doesn't need to copy all of the free to play games out there and hold your hand for every step of the quest.

    As for the spider eggs.
    In the spider hall the 1st is updated on the spider sack that looks like a big cockroach. the next to are in the room with a river on the crystals to the right and left before you cross the room. the last is in the queens room again on the cockroach to the right of where you come in on the queen island.
    The next 4 are on the upper area. when you enter the room drop down and one update is on the small crystal the 2nd is on the back tent climb the wall of the tent. the 3rd is behind the lake that is down the hall way and the last is the other side of the hall at the BIG crystal.

    using what I just typed I helped over 10 people get their updates with no problems.

    Again this is ever quest so go out and quest . it not ever-hand holding.

    I will agree that it would be nice to have more involved quest.
    Annastasya and Nennius like this.
  3. Razorfall Augur

    For the egg quest, I use the webs as the indicator.

    Ada however could use like a find type of thing i've seen for other quests. It's not difficult to do with help of eqresource, but people who are just looking at the quest have nothing to go on.
    Ngreth Thergn likes this.
  4. Syylke_EMarr Augur

    They weren't saying the quests were hard to do. They were saying the updates make very little logical sense. The Spider Eggs one is the most egregious of the two. If you're looking for spider eggs wouldn't you, I don't know, see some spider eggs? Seems logical, eh?

    Think about it this way, if EQResource/etc hadn't created guides for these, would you have found the updates without running all over the zones?
    Duder likes this.
  5. enclee Augur

    Agree with your points, there’s a difference between handholding and having the game provide visual clues. If, an update says there’s footprints running off in the distance or a trail of blood I expect to have some visual cues. It’s part of immersion and questing.
    svann, Yinla, Duder and 1 other person like this.
  6. Mazame Augur

    Ok I never said anything about them being too hard or that the OP thought they were to hard.
    His post was about them using the "Find function" to guide you to the points. To me this is hand holding. Also the Find function will not solve the 5 min update issue he talked about because that is trigger by some one doing the quest before you and take time to reset.

    Often in the Quest log is more info on where to find updates and or hints on what to do. so on some of these you could open your log vs just reading the short update.

    On step two it says" take the shortest path to Thurgadin from Ada last post" Ok Thurgadin is in GD so you would run towards that zone line. Between where you get the update and the ZL I have found 8 update points. So it not like you have to find a needle in a hey stack you simple need to follow the clue. when you get the update it says Run south again not something I think you need a yellow line to show you the way.

    Keep in mind were already on an out dated program that is limited. and you want to use more resources that lead you step by set to the update points? When I was looking for them the and the yellow text show up on my screen I marked my map the more points I found the more I marked. Stand by what I said that we don't need to have our hand held to do quest.

    As for the text. (key words) they already updated them as blue text to click on in most quest. yes some were missed but 90% of them have it. If you played EQ back in the day it was part of the quest to Talk with the NPC. so yes you had to find out what to say. You had to read what they said and respond. Now you just hit H key then Click Click click /say ready you don't even have to read what they are saying. Yet your asking them to make it more simple.
  7. Fian Augur

    I gave them 2 options for Ada - more visual clears, or implement find function like they did in Lcenium quest. I won't disagree about the find function being too easy, so if it makes you happy, more visual clues is fine by me. A delayed update when you don't know the update point is a really bad design, though.

    As for the text, I was complaining about the 10% that didn't have blue text. I am not asking them to make more simple the situations where blue text does exist (how would you make that more simple?).
  8. Ngreth Thergn Developer

    BING! :)

    What's the point if you don't read?
    What is the literal result of what you say to Andrea if you click the link? and what does she say to you?
    Tucoh, code-zero, Duder and 1 other person like this.
  9. Axxius Augur

    On the bright side, we now have a /facepalm emote in game. For occasions like this one.
    Mazame and svann like this.
  10. Syylke_EMarr Augur

    Honestly, I didn't enjoy the Crystal Caverns quest line at all so I just blitzed through it, but I'll admit that I missed that part.

    That being said, it still doesn't really help with there not being any indication of where to search. Unless the idea is that you're searching "everywhere" and not finding any eggs. And, unless I'm misremembering, the last half of the eggs updates didn't have any webs to help indicate their position.
  11. Lianeb Augur

    Do you think the Developers for EQ write those guides?
  12. enclee Augur


    Half the locations are missing and visible spiderwebs. So, it's good for 1-4, but 5-8 could use some visual clues.
    Yirrara likes this.
  13. Kontra Augur

    Waiting 5 minutes for an update for ada quest has nothing to do with poor quest design, and everything to do with the fact that someone else had just updated at that location before you in a different group on the same quest. With the changes to Ada on test, this quest will see less traffic all around from people grinding the 1%xp, which will indirectly fix this issue as a result.
  14. Fian Augur

    I was wondering if they were going to nerf the experience. However, if you think a 5 minute wait is ok when there is no visible marker on where you should run is not poor quest design, then it is a good thing you aren't the one designing quests. I understand the need for a delay in the process, but the delay would be better implemented at some other task step, maybe talking to a NPC.
  15. Ngreth Thergn Developer

    I didn't. And what do you know. Players found the locations without me saying anything! They, what do you know, Applied logic. And even if there were not webs in all spots, all spots are near what? Spiders!
    Thunderkiks, Celephane, Funky and 4 others like this.
  16. Prathun Developer

    [IMG]
    Nukester, Funky, Sancus and 1 other person like this.
  17. enclee Augur


    This response is pretty disappointing, it attempts to simplify the argument to anyone who cannot find the update locations as simple-minded. The lack of visual indications for quest locations to accompany reading the quest makes the content feel incomplete and lacking.
    Vumad likes this.
  18. Piemastaj Augur

    I mean, in Beta it took maybe 30min to run around and find the locations. It is simple, run around and find spots, do this 8 times then move on.

    They could just have 4 spiders attack u at each spot.....
    Thunderkiks, Duder and Sancus like this.
  19. Mazame Augur

    Umm ya your looking for spiders and in the zone there are 2 area that have ummm spiders in them. if your looking for their eggs I guessing the best place to look would be in the TT hall way right?

    Like I posted before I do not want to see quest that hold your hand for every step. it not needed. If you struggle with the quest then ask for help but don't ask for all the quest to be so simple that it mindless.
    Duder likes this.
  20. Velisaris_MS Augur

    Given that the spiders see invis...that happens anyway.
    Yinla likes this.