Here `s my 2 cents on the issue : Quests should be a compleatly different thing in the final PS version . Presuming that the aim is to get "smart" NPC`s that are able to "do there thing , play the game " independent from players , compleatly dynamic NPC`s if you want , then NPC quests should be specific to what the NPC in question is doing at the moment the player is offering to help . Perhaps at a point Harnquist will be lost somewhere on another level of Yliakum , so obviously he will want help geting back to Hydlaa , not ask for the same darn ore for like the 100000000`th time . What I mean is that if NPC`s will soon (TM) be able to interact with eachother and the game world independent from players , then fixed quests must go . NPC`s would engage in certain actions , and then based on those actions , "quests" should be "randomly?" generated .
I know the NPC communication system is curently a real pain , but i don`t think keywords is the solution