[MUD-Dev] Quests [was Resets, repops and quests]

[Ling]

Ooer, subject line changed. :)

On Fri, 30 May 1997, Matt Chatterley wrote:

> Another big issue surrouding quests is probably 'trigger mechanisms'. The
> stereotypical trigger is the list in the guild hall, and suchlike as
> mentioned above. I plan on having NPCs who will hand out quests to
> appropriate adventurers (and one or two more who will point them to those
> NPCs if they haven't done the quest/s), soemthing like the roguelike game
> 'ADOM' does things (and the player will have a list of quests s/he has
> undertaken available). Actually being-on-a-quest will be a recorded and
> acted upon state of being.

Having a list of quests or being on the list of 'undertaking quest' seems
artificial.  I take it you're trying for a more natural flow to your mud.
Player wanders around the mud killing/farming/juggling, stumble upon an
npc who reckons the player would be just the sort of person who can help.
If you have a reputation system, once the player gets famous/infamous for
his deeds, the Earl would send out a messager for him.  Anything is better
than walking into an office and asking a clerk if he's got a dragon
slaying quest on the clipboard.

> Something else to which I've given little thought is the matter of rewards
> for quests.

Titles:  Pose factor
Land:    Your mud has this sort of thing as a feature doesn't it?
	 Having said that, land is a limited resource.
Gratitude:  The person/people the player helped could owe some favours.
	    The village saved would offer free cups of tea whilst the Earl
	    could offer asylum/guard/money.
Knowledge/possessions:  The usual.

I'm aiming for the last three.  It'll all depend on what you want quests
*for*:

Requirement to advance levels, imm/wiz/god.
To keep the player amused or offer personal development of some sort.

You can guess mine.  Having explained my plans for my mud to someone else,
he promptly summed it up as:  If you want to read a book, telnet #? 5000.
Fair enuff really.

  |    Ling - learning dovrak.
_O_O_  Freshwater fish since 1976