[MUD-Dev] DESIGN: WoW quests and content

[Jim Purbrick]

Damion Schubert <ubiq at austin.rr.com> wrote:

> Players who don't want to be led should have the option to go 'off
> the rails'.  For example, it's certainly possible to grind for exp
> and crafting ingredients, spend an afternoon PVP raiding, or just
> wander the world exploring the world.  But the quests act as a
> solid baseline activity for players to fallback on, when they
> don't have the time or energy to 'make their own fun'.

This is key to the success of GTA too. The players can make their
own fun in the world, fall back on missions when they want to be
led, then fall back on the world to just chill out or goof of when
they're exhausted by the quests. The world can be both more effort
than missions or less effort, depending on what you do in it. By
using missions as your core activity in this way and then use a
sandbox world to cater for both more or less creative activities
means you can cater for a lot of play styles that single players
will switch between over time.

I also think that quests and sandboxes both contribute to a
perceived depth in a world when combined well.  Too much emphasis on
quests and the world seems on rails, there's nothing there when you
peer round the facade. Too much emphasis on sandboxes and the world
seems empty and pointless, just a big rolling expanse.  Combine them
well and the world seems alive with stories and things to do. Quests
are naturally discovered as the sandbox is explored and the illusion
of a deep and expansive world is made more complete.

Jim.
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