Perhaps most things are already said meanwhile, but since on the german forums there is that post of mine in the obviously wrong section, I feel pushed to add my opinion on this topic as well.
I also would like to accent, that some of the following points may not affect all the facts, but since we all should know about exceptions and rules.. also, I am aware of the developmental state at all, but I am also aware of only criticizm may bring changes - long story short: Dont be too much provoked! Only a little... lol=P As usual, dont take my stuff serious to death, huh?
Firstly, Fyre got a point there: Its not always logics, made for everyone, that quests base on, it also often enough requires good knowledge of the english language. More than one quest I would have never been able to solve without the help of natively english speaking fellars. Particularly thinking of a kran, poetry and some.. perhaps a figure of speech or whatever it is - I actually never understood the meaning of the resolving answer.
Oh, perhaps someone may have seen my post in the german forums: I in fact accidentally posted that in the wrong section (the public one), which I want to apologize for. On the other hand though its topic turned out to be a typo in the reply that had to be given in that quest (the quest actually contained 2 typos. Rizin fixed it though as she said).
Another point.. I cant agree on questing only the way it may be meant to be. With "meant to be" I presume being ic, taking decisions fitting the character, roleplaying. Considering that every certain shield-type would come from one certain NPC in Yliakum, and that this guy would have to have some huge storage house for only those shields, I would expect most people to agree on the game lacking sense there.
What I am aiming at though is, that I would post quest-solutions for my friends and me for the purpose we can quickly gather certain items, for in the end we can make up some different story about how one of our chars was given it or we can reward each other for self-made quests. Indeed, such a procedure lacks any ic'ishness of the character questing (=gathering the rewards), on the other hand though it provides the chance to tell new stories, instead of the always same and boring explanation of "xyz handed it to me because I helped him out with uvw", which again will be repeated by the next player.
An example given in another post, are glyphs. Besides only traders selling them, they also grow in nature. So why acquiring them only by consequent questing, being ic and taking the jobs others also had? Why not taking a quick quest, perhaps even fully ooc, and then come up with a played out innovative story about it for a change? Same way doing those quests oocly, they would be posted.
But however, one more point of view, which may contain some assumption on the reason for the restriction.
Forbidding spoilers to be published, wouldnt that take away responsibility off people? Shouldnt people be allowed to decide on their own wether to use them or not, instead of being parented?
With published quest-solutions massrecruiting guilds perhaps had less arguments to convince newbies to join, only for after some time getting used to an ooc way to play the game. With accessible quest-solutions a player could focus on his roleplay, and when getting frustrated by questing he could peek.
After all, would a passionated roleplayer have to be a passionated riddler and a very well english speaker as well for he can enjoy all parts of Planeshift?
I use quests the very most part for gathering more of Yliakum's background story. Taking quests icly I always find hard, since for example many many people had delivered some oh so urgent letter already. Needless to say that many NPCs would have to be considered rather stupid, lacking memory etc.. What I dont like about it is, that I need to run around, without really being able to do that icly. After a longer time of not questing anymore, I got back into it. My char as a hunter asks everyone in Gugrontid (a town surely not known for its leatherworkers) for jobs? Either my hunter cant find any prey anymore, no one buys his wares anymore, or I just cant see the sense in it. I made up some other reason, although it left me quite unsatisfied.
Long story short: After some intense time of roleplaying I now and then need to interrupt it for going into questing. I feel the need for that since I want to know more about the interesting stories added, interesting they undoubtly are! Questlogs could change that: Information for everyone!
Few times I rushed quests for only gathering the reward, because I needed it to make up some story to be played out. Most of the time I read questlogs, even when I never did the quests. Hm.. so now I do disappoint UtM? So what? As long as there will be items included that are only accessible by rather unrealistical and unnatural ways ("Only some believer kran having a certain helm type, not one trader around though?"), added the lack of implemented ways (like glyphs should spawn randomly according to the setting), I surely wont change that habit.
Sadly I never had any impression that would ever change, Holy Helms, Wands.. - that could take away the l33t-element off the game
