Just a little discussion about some quests that you really liked, some that you disliked and some that you just hated. For the sake of discussion, the main quest and the faction quests (Arena, Dark Brotherhood, Thieves guild, Mages guild and Fighters guild) are out. This is about all the other little sidequests. Deadric shrines are fine though.

I really liked the quests with the Jemane brothers (both of them). That was fun, and the reward was pretty good. I also liked the Raid on Greyland quest. The quest for the Vampire cure was kinda fun too for me.


I disliked the Shadow over Hackdirt quest, mostly because Dar-Ma kept getting in the way.

I absolutely hated the Seeking your roots quest. It's just tedious.

I like the challenge of Azura's quest. I love Sanguine's 'Stark Naked' quest. I hate Sheo's quest and most of the rest of the Daedric Shrine quests.

I like Forlorn Watchman, Caught in the Hunt, Siren's Deception, all the Mazoga quests.

I actually like the long, drawn out quests (Seeking your roots, Venerable Vintage, Umbaccano's quests). I don't seek out the stuff for these, just gather it as I find it while exploring - that prevents it from being tedious for me.

I liked Azura's and Meridia's quests, and the Collector. The thieves guild quests were all pretty fun, but the final four were just fantastic - Turning a Blind Eye, Arrow of Extrication, Boots of Springheel Jak, and of course The Ultimate Heist. They really feel epic when you play them all in succession, without diverging into other things. I also like A Rat Problem from the FG questline, because of the nice twist it has (I can't believe what a fuss people make about a few rats... ). Whom Gods Annoy is always tons of fun because of the scamps, and I also love all the Mazoga quests (she is one of my favorite characters).

Hate:Tears of the Savior (with a passion!) - incredibly tedious for a crappy reward. Glarthir.

Dislike: Namira's and Mephala's. Through a Glass Darkly (crappy reward).

I like most of the quests though.

Mara

I know you said no guild quests but everyone else said some so... WHODUNIT from the Dark Brotherhood! It's just awesome, and I love doing it over and over and over and over again. I just really really really like it. :hugs: Favorite quest anywhere ever.

And I really dislike anything that has someone follow you. They always die and/or can't keep up. Except anything with Mazoga, because she's just great. I dislike the Shadowbanish wine quest, because no matter how long I've searched for them I've only been able to find three. And I refuse to cheat by looking at the UESPWiki.

My favorite side quest is Through a Nightmare Darkly, because I've always loved that theme in video games- get through four themed areas and retrieve four magical macguffins. And it's rather different from any other quest in the game.

My least favorite is pretty much any that involves an unessential follower, because it feels like crap if/when they get killed. It's even worse when the follower is someone I like.

Oh, and if we can count Daedric Shrine quests, Sanguine's is another favorite of mine. Funny stuff.

The thing I liked about "Through a Nightmare Darkly" was that you did it with only the equipment in the quest, nothing was brought in. Your spells didn't work either. So it was unaffected by anything but your skills and choices in the quest itself. However, an Argonian has a major advantage in part of that quest. You can't leave that behind.

"Canvas the Castle" is at the opposite end. I disliked the way you could not find clues until all the players had been interviewed, or solve the mystery before finding all the clues, and the reward painting was too generic and didn't relate to the quest at all. The dialog should have allowed you to accuse the wrong perp, but didn't, ...

"Though a Nightmare Darkly" might be my favorite side quest. It's pretty creative, and involves more than just fighting.

"Unfriendly Competition" is probably my least favorite quest. Because of all that boring waiting.

"Though a Nightmare, Darkly" is great, I have to agree with everyone on that. The only problem is just that it's too easy. The idea is brilliant, but I wish it was harder and longer! I want to actually be annoyed at the fact that I'm stuck in the dream and that I don't have my gear, and actually having to improvise, and not just go along linearly with everything and find full sets of Daedric / Glass armor, a ton of Health potions and good weapons to fight extremely easy monsters with.

Especially with a higher leveled character, it's just too easy and short. I wish there was actually some challenges in it, ie. a scripted death if you get hit by the darts in the one where you have to watch where you step (don't remember what it's called, not Perception though...). Because the characters I've done it with could just walk through all the darts, no problem, and lose only a bit of their health. Or jump over half and run through the rest.

But then again, it's Oblivion, where everything is pretty much linear and kind of dumbed down. The quest could be soooo awesome, if it was just a bit harder for higher leveled-characters. The basic idea is brilliant. I should probably try it with lower leveled characters, which would make it harder.

I detest Canvas the Castle-- absolutely loathe that quest. It had so much potential and it svcks so horribly. And Unfriendly Competition is just tedious.

I like An Unexpected Voyage, Caught in the Hunt, A Brush with Death and almost all of the sort of goofy or obscure ones-- No Stone Unturned, The Potato Snatcher, The Sunken One.....

I'd have to say though that my very favorite side quest in the game isn't even a real quest-- it's just a thing you can do-- hooking up Emfrid and Bittneld. That just pleases me immensely.

There are some quests I′ve started but never finished beacuse they are too evil, like the Molag Bal quest. C′mon leave the man alone you sadist :flame:

I'm with you! Kill a unicorn? Nope. Same for killing Priest of Arkay and numerous other Daedric Shrine quests.

Buffy takes plenty of liberties with quests though. Clavicus Vile is a good example. She was suspicious after talking to Vile. She visited Pells Gate and learned more of the poor wood elf (named Lenwin before she became Umbra) whose spirit had been corrupted by the evil sword called Umbra. With some very elaborate planning and creativity, Buffy reduced the blade's durability to 0, allowing her to take it away. She then carried the sword to Arkved's Tower and tossed it into a lava pit. Lenwin's spirit was now free and she was able to return to her home and life in Pells Gate and live happily ever after. Buffy then told Vile to stuff himself. So in an odd way, that is one of our fave quests.

Besides I take that as a satanic act since the only thing that can kill a unicorn, which is the purest of all living creatures, is the most evil one

god , i cannot even remember ONE that I liked... well, there was one that involved solving a puzzle / riddle, by reading on a tombstone at a specific daytime, BUT mine is the spanish editiion and the translation was crappy, so there was this warning about the initieal letter thing not making sense.

Actually, this is what i really miss in O: riddles and puzzles. Hell, even TES 1 had those riddle quesitons b4 getting a staff ′piece.

I liked: "Caught in the hunt" because of the events happening when you exit the dungeon. You were killing the hunters oblivious to what was happening outside. I agree that "Whodunit" is a fun quest along with "Tears of the saviour" and "Lifting the vale" which were both epic and took you to locations beyond Cyrodiil. The final 4 quests of the Thieves Guild were quite quite epic too.

i disliked: "Canvas the castle" just tedious and, as Savlian said the "Unfriendly competition" for all that waiting

i hate: all the MG recommendations if only they would burn in oblivion!!!!!!!!! bliviongate: except for the leyawiin one which involved killing bandits and hearing the nice poem "Blood ran blue and dragons flew high/ Under broken towers it now lies/ what was my seer's must now be mine...." (i couldnt remember the rest)

I liked the types of quests were you had to fight your way out. such as caught in the hunt,The Daedric turnament one.

I hate gathering ones such as the wines, the nirnroot, and the elven statue thing.

I actually liked the one where you were inside the painting... too short though. Hated collecting the wines and all the other collecting stuff, so I skipped those.

the statues seemed fine by me, coz i got to see many ayleid ruins and there were differences between all of them.

the wine and the roots svcked. The roots at least were a good means for mapping the shores.

My favourite would either be "The Sirens Deception" or "A Brush with Death", I think I probably could put "Caught in the hunt" in there as well, but I did it too fast without letting the quest update, so I can never finish that one... Heartwarming quests like "The Rosethorn Cache" and "The Forlorn Watchman" are also a favourite of mine.
"Next of Kin" Was horrible, that whole family, they'd done nothing wrong (it seems), and then they were all killed. I hate the Chorrol, Leyawiin and Bravil Mages Guild Reccomendation quests as well, I don't see how those quests prove you are a talented magician...
And of all the quests I would stab if I could, the worst is Paranoia, Silly little Wood Elf, making you do his dirty work, and then there's a possibility he kills you... Its tedious stuff too.

EDIT: I forgot the Jemane Bros. quests, I adore those, nothing like reuniting a family.

Like in Cyrodiil:
The Jemane Bothers line of quests were pretty good.
Where Spirits Have Lease was a good challenge my first time.
Through a Nightmare Darkly for the same reasons others have stated.
Lifting the Vale. Nice and lengthy exploring quest. Although I don't like the fact a person approaches you about it when you're not ready to do it (I guess I'm obsessed with keeping my journal tidy).
A Shadow Over Hackdirt. Intriguingly spooky town the first time through. Plus you get to rescue the damsel in distress.
The Order of Virtuous Blood. Nothing like some good vampire slaying.
No Stone Unturned. Some more good opportunity for exploring.
Ghosts of Vitharn. (SI) Help ghosts earn their rest.

Dislike:
The Wayward Knight. Farwil sure can be a thorn in the side. At least you get a good reward for it.
Work Is Never Done (SI): A whole lotta tongs and caliper finding for only measly gold.