Alternative way to get quests

[Illysia]

I think a great alternative way to get a quest would be to give NPCs items that may or may not trigger a quest. This would help out with the people who struggle with chatting with NPCs but doesn't necessarily take away from the complexity of the quest. The rest of the quest will require chatting but getting a quest might be a little easier.

For example, say you have a cook NPC and you give them a random food item. If it isn't a food they will except they you will get the usually "So and So doesn't need that" message. If it is one that they will except then maybe they will say "Oh, I needed that thanks." and nothing else happens they just accept the item. However if it does trigger the quest then they could say "Oh, I needed that thanks. Hey, could you do something else for me" then the player responds "Yes." and they get a quest.

In RL when someone asks you to do something for them usually it's not because you asked them to give you something to do.  Often it is more of an after thought.

I'm sorry if this was brought up before but when I went looking I couldn't find anything like this.

[Jeraphon]

Illysia,

while the idea is a good one and I can think of two instances where a quest is triggered with an item (although those quests are really add-ons to a quest and used as more of a coding convenience,) I've actually had players get upset because quests were made that didn't begin with the standard phrase.  I'm afraid that creating quests which begin with giving an npc an item as opposed to using the standard phrase won't be looked upon well.

[Illysia]

I understand.  But in all honesty people do have to keep in mind that just like in RL you can't always do everything just because it's there. I'd like to be a millionaire but I'm not going to be one just because it's possible to be one. 

[Josellis]

I've actually had players get upset because quests were made that didn't begin with the standard phrase.

And those players must have been players who only wanted to finish all the quests and have no RP experience... PlaneShift is a RPG, therefore, you are meant to roleplay (which isn't obvious for some people).

I believe it will also require the players to actually get involved with the NPC, and to know them.


Of course, if some quests were to be sarted uniquely this way, it would have to be something really obvious. You wouldn't give a gold ore, you would give him a cookbook or food.

[neko kyouran]

off shoot of suggestion made:

giving varying items in a good will type of sense could be a way to up your stance with types of factions or decrease your stance with others. 

so maybe giving that gold ore to an npc could work out for your character, even if they didn't get a quest out of it.

[Jeraphon]

And those players must have been players who only wanted to finish all the quests and have no RP experience...

GMs have no RP experience? I do know that a handful of quests can be activated by phrases in addition to the standard ones, for example if you ask them about a certain topic. But on the whole we want quests to be fully accessible, at least until NPCs get smarter. People complain about playing "guess the phrase" during a quest already. Forcing them to play "guess the phrase" before the quest won't make for happy players. If we make it "phrase or give an item," who'd give an item when they can talk to them for free?

Giving items to NPCs for no reason to improve factions isn't a bad idea but there would obviously have to be some kind of limitation. Perhaps something like if your standing with a faction is below 0 you can give items until you're at 0 at which point it won't work anymore, and for some factions it would never work (i.e. trying to bribe a guard to improve your standing with Law.)

[Suvok]

In RL, what would your local butcher say if you randomly shoved a sausage into his hands?

[Illysia]

Well considering I get my meat from the supermarket I don't know. However if you live in a city the size of Hydlaa chances are you might know each other and the butcher might understand why you brought him a sausage. More importantly, the specific type of NPC and item is not the focus here. It is mearly an example.