Competition Time! A Quest for Fun.

[Doubtful]

OK! as mentioned over in the Save Us! thread I think it would be fun and rewarding if we had a Quest making competition.

The aim is simple; write a quest that would be fun for people to do in game.

The quests need to stick to server and FR lore (server trumps FR lore if there are conflicts) and ideally be repeatable daily without having to suspend disbelief to much and should make some kind of sense (anyone ever play the point'n'click Discworld game?)

The nature of the quest is up to you, it could be for a faction and earn faction rep, it could be for good, for evil or for fun.

Quest rewards, monsters faced and skill checks should all be balanced, so quests for low levels shouldn't face CR20 monsters and DC40 skills (although we'll tweak those if need be).


Submit your quests via the Help Requests forum, that way the staff can respond and discuss things with you without everyone else being able to read what you've planned. Just put "Quest:[questname]" in the title to keep it clear.


The rewards for getting a quest accepted will be seeing it in game (we'll take care of putting your submission into the game) and getting to play it daily! You'll also get some lovely XP for the character of your choice and a happy glow from making everyone's gaming experience that much more enjoyable!

[Doubtful]

Quest writing and presentation:

A quest is simply a group of conversations and journal enteries that work in combination with skill checks and triggers to update, what we really need for this compo is the conversations and journal entries.

The following links should give you an idea of the kind of layout to use;

http://www.holyelvis.com/nwn/
http://www.nwn2toolset.dayjo.org/Too...nal/quest.html

Essentially the conversation part (what we're after) is a simple series of chains and options. Tomorrow I'll put together a simple example.

Until then I'll leave you with advice from our great leader, liberated from the staff forums (don't worry so much about the scripting parts, just describe what you want and we can take care of it, just left it in as it's interesting to know):

In an effort to reduce confusion or apprehension on making quests, I am detailing what's involved here, feel free to ask questions.

First of all understand that not everything in the existing quest scripts will cover every scenario. Many times you may need to make a custom script, but if theres even a slight chance this script will be re-used for other things, then it's best to make it 'generic'.

What do I need to know to make a quest?

I'm glad you asked, the skillset required is actually minimal.

You must have some passable writing ability.

Where to start?

Generally I start by thinking out the quest in my head, sometimes writing the order of events on paper. How will the quest start? What will the objectives be? Where will the player go to interact and progress it?

Will there be skill checks from certain NPCs that could result in different outcomes?

Whatever the case may be, mechanically you want the quest to be SIMPLE. It could have a twisting plot, various places to go... but the actions the PC(s) perform shouldn't be anymore complex than talk to X, kill X, retrieve X. Almost any quest will use these in some basic form, but you dress up the dialog, and the story to hide that simplicity.

To make all this work, you need to make journal entries (one for each stage of the quest including completion, use the existing quests as a reference for how the journal is laid out).

The journal entry will have a "tag". This is the quest tag. Each entry in the journal is a "state". So the first journal entry is 1, the next is 2, etc etc.

As the majority of the quest creation will be done in dialog, there are a few key scripts to use.

su_gc_get_quest_state (Quest Tag) (Quest State) - This is a conditional script used in dialog, it would go on the conditional tab of a particular dialog node... once entered it will add fields to insert the Quest Tag and Quest State... this means if the current quest state (that's the 1, 2, 3 IDs you were using in the journal) of the PLAYER does not match the state you put in the conditional, it won't run.

So a simple example is the first node of a NPC dialog mentions they have a job they need help with, but it's conditional checks for quest state 0.... Well seeing as quest states start at 1, 0 will mean they don't have the quest... so checking for quest state 0 means if they DON'T have the quest, play this dialog.

If they have started the quest at any point, it will fallback to the next line of dialog because that node will return FALSE.

su_ga_set_quest_state (Quest Tag) (Quest State)

This script is used on the ACTION tab of a dialog node. This is used to change the current quest state. Say they talked to an NPC and after the NPC says something in particular, like go to this warehouse or this temple, it will update the journal and the quest state to progress things further.

You can also do more complicated things like, put a conditional on that dialog node that checks if they have item X, if they do... then on the ACTION remove that item, and advance the quest. So very quickly you can see how there's little if any scripting required, and it's moreso learning which scripts to use to perform certain tasks.

To advance the quest state on the death of a NPC (like Southstreet sally) there is another script su_c_quest_ondeath - While not fully debugged yet, this script will cause the quest state to advance when that NPC dies.

This should be everything you need to know on the basics of making a quest, the difficulty comes in with the little details like making a NPC walk up to you and talk, etc.

If you don't understand something about it, ASK!

[Doubtful]

OK! as promised, quest example time.

For the sake of keeping things simple it's probably best not to try and organise things like they'd need to laid out in the toolset (reverse order) and instead keep it in a sensible order and layout so that it's readable.

So, a very very simple example: Collect and gather.
Red is NPC, Blue is selectable PC conversation, (black) is notes for conditions etc.

NPCs / Items / Creature needed:

NPC - Filthy Eric, Forum, Sundren City
Description: This filthy looking fellow is hanging around near one of the many sewer grates, from his collection of rat tails it's easy to surmise he's a professional rat catcher.

Item - Rat bodies, dropped by rats in sewers (may also be a variable)

Creature - Rats, DC 3, Sundren City Sewers (Forum)

[COLOR=Red]Ello guv, what can I do for you?[/COLOR]
      [COLOR=RoyalBlue]You can stop stinking the street up you disgusting wretch[/COLOR]
      [COLOR=Red] ... I'll just get out yer way then.[/COLOR]
          [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
    [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Nothing thanks, have a nice day.[/COLOR]
       [COLOR=Red]Oh, cheers. You too.[/COLOR]
          [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close]
    You look like you've got an ear to the ground, any rumours?[/COLOR]
       [COLOR=Red]They say the food in the Prancing Patron is second to none.[/COLOR]
          [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Oh, good to know [Return to Conversation]
    Any work?[/COLOR]
       [COLOR=Red]I could always do with more rats, things are a plague.[/COLOR]
          [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Rats? No thanks, get them yourself. [Decline Quest][/COLOR]
             [COLOR=Red]Suit yerself, good day[/COLOR]
                [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
          [COLOR=RoyalBlue]I can do that, how many? [Accept Quest][/COLOR]
             [COLOR=Red]Bring me 20 tails with dead rats attatched![/COLOR]
                [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Righty ho! Start counting my pay! [Close][/COLOR]

Quest Accepted journal entry:

You've accepted Filthy Erics mission into the sewers, it's perfectly possible to bag the 20 rats he's after down there. Just don't die of any horrible disease before you've handed in the bodies!

Now our intrepid hero buggers off to the sewers to spawn some rats. Hey, rat killing is the staple of CRPGs, don't be disrespectful!

If the player re-initiates conversation:

[COLOR=Red]Ello again, how's it going?[/COLOR]
   [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Worse for seeing your face.[/COLOR]
      [COLOR=Red]... But...[/COLOR]
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
   [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Must be off! Don't mind me![/COLOR]
      [COLOR=Red]Righty ho, ave a nice one.[/COLOR]
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
[COLOR=RoyalBlue]   What do you do with the rats? [Gather Info][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=Red][Failure] A man has to keep some secrets! [/COLOR]
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Oh, fair enough [Return to Conversation][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=Red][Success] I don't sell them to the Inns, if that's what you're thinking.[/COLOR]
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Oh gods, it's rat pie isn't it?[/COLOR]
            [COLOR=Red]Maybe steer clear of the bubble and squeak surprise.[/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Ugh [Return to Conversation][/COLOR]
   [COLOR=RoyalBlue]About those rats...[/COLOR]
      [COLOR=Red]Aye, changed your mind?[/COLOR]     (Without Quest)
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue]No fear! Catch them yourself![/COLOR] [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Decline Quest][/COLOR]
            [COLOR=Red]Then why?...[/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue]I have, how many do you need?[/COLOR] [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Accept Quest][/COLOR]
            [COLOR=Red]Bring me 20 tails with dead rats attatched![/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Righty ho! Start counting my pay! [Close][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=Red]Any luck catching them?[/COLOR]     (With Quest)
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue]None yet, I'll be back soon![/COLOR] (less than 20 rats)
            [COLOR=Red]Well then, happy hunting![/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
         [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Certainly have! Here![/COLOR] (20 or more rats)
            [COLOR=Red]Nicely done! Here, 50 staggs for the lot.[/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Actually, I've changed my mind. I'll keep them.[/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red]Oh, right.[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Nice doing business with you, take care [End Quest][/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red]You too! Thanks.[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue][Close][/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue]50 Staggs? Are you insane, look at the size of these things [Diplomacy][/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red][Failure] They look normal enough to me, here's your 50 coins.[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue]That'll have to do. Good day [End Quest and Close][/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red][Success] They do look proper juicy don't em. Here, 75 for your trouble.[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Perfect, enjoy! [End Quest and Close][/COLOR]
               [COLOR=RoyalBlue]50 Staggs? A chap down the street offered me more than that [Bluff][/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red][Failure] No-one else round here's after rat, here's your 50 coins.[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Ah well, that'll have to do. [End Quest and Close][/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red][Success] Really? Someone after my business? Here's 75, where they at?[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue]Thank you, they uh, went that way. [End Quest and Close]
               50 Staggs? You realise I had to face down the king of rats himself? [Perform][/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red][Failure] King of rats! There's no such thing. Here's your 50 pieces.[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue]But.. Fine, 50'll do. [End Quest and Close][/COLOR]
                  [COLOR=Red][Success] Blimey! I heard they've got mental powers and all! That's worth 75 at least.[/COLOR]
                     [COLOR=RoyalBlue]And fiery eyes and teeth like, ooh, 75. Thanks. [End Quest and Close][/COLOR]

Quest closed journal entry:

You've successfully tracked down and delivered 20 rodents, the city can rest easy knowing you're out there taking care of real problems. Until tomorrow.

Right! I hope that makes sense - Feel free to ask questions or advice, when submitting and writing you may find it a lot easier to use a text document and attach it (I melted my face with the formatting of this!)

I look forward to reading submissions!

[Dave Fritz]

While thinking about a possible quest, this question came up - is the quest a one-off or can it be repeatable? A repeatable quest is quite a different composition problem from a one-off.

A repeatable quest would have to include a couple of things, namely a time limit (say a week real-time between runs) and an appropriate level cap, ie after a certain level you no longer get the quest.

[Seheren]

Having repeatable quests (notably non-combat) that utilize skills and lore could also be used to help those who wish to play more RP builds. They can then get xp from these quests x times per week, as well as from xp ticks. Those that wish to level quickly may use some of theses as well, but.. They will find ways to level quickly no matter what.

[Doubtful]

While thinking about a possible quest, this question came up - is the quest a one-off or can it be repeatable? A repeatable quest is quite a different composition problem from a one-off.

A repeatable quest would have to include a couple of things, namely a time limit (say a week real-time between runs) and an appropriate level cap, ie after a certain level you no longer get the quest.

Either

For the sake of easiness I think it's best to design either one off (doable once per character) or daily repeatable (once per server reset) quests. I'm not sure about values that can be assigned for time periods (weeks, days, X resets)

Level caps are always a pretty good idea as it helps prevent situations where higher levels can always succeed or where low levels never have a chance - That's both for skill sets and monsters alike!

If I find other info on reset/times etc I'll update this.

[Dispater]

I vote we put Doubt's quest in. It makes me chuckle.

[Dave Fritz]

I vote we put Doubt's quest in. It makes me chuckle.

Sure. Why not?