Do this quest. NOW.

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:13 am

Do you guys think that there should be more quests that suprise you, or force you into them? Quests like The Bloated Float. For example, mabye youre walking in the forest, and you step on a trap that knocks you out. When you wake up, you find yourself locked in a giant's village. You would then get a quest to escape.
I personally would love to see a few quests like this. Sure, it takes you by suprise, but that would just enhance the immersion.
In short, do you think that these kind of quests should be in Skyrim?
(Sorry if my english is not good)
User avatar
Emma Louise Adams
 
Posts: 3527
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 4:15 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:06 am

Not really!

The less control of what I do in a game makes me not want to play the game.

If this were to happen to me I'd just reload a save and avoid the area.

I didn't finish dead money because of this.
User avatar
Rudy Paint fingers
 
Posts: 3416
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 1:52 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:23 am

I think a few quests like this would be good but there shouldn't be too many - then exploration gets tedious because you're expecting urgent problems around every bend and that defeats the purpose of surprising the player. In an open ended game you also want to use force as little as possible, while some players may enjoy the thrill of being suddenly caught up in a quest others may be annoyed that they were going from A to B and were forced in to this detour.

Now if no quests had a sense of urgency that would be pretty odd, so there should be some, just not very many. :)

(The main quest should also stay away from this as much as possible until you're nearing the end, it was no fun in Oblivion constantly feeling like you had to rush in to the next part of the main quest.)
User avatar
Jason Rice
 
Posts: 3445
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:42 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:15 am

No way! What if i'm doing something really important, or trying to perform a stealth kill? I don't want someone running up and telling me to go do this. For me it would be bad, but for some i guess they would enjoy it. Although, i'm not sure how the quest giver could make you do it. What's he/she going to do if you just say "No". Honestly i would like to pick and choose my quests but that's just me.

Maybe if your in a dungeon and you find something related to something that happend in that dungeon, then it would make sense. Like for example you find some note, or book, which expresses certain events that took place before you arrived, and then you would have to find an item or kill the people, to avenge the persons death? I guess it's not quite a good example but i think you get what i mean.

But yea i really don't want to be forced to do something. So many things i could be doing at that time and things could just go wrong.
User avatar
Dan Stevens
 
Posts: 3429
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:00 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:08 am

I wouldn't be opposed to a select few quests like this to mix things up. If you make everything as free as possible, you ironically end up missing out on many elements of gaming.
User avatar
Casey
 
Posts: 3376
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:38 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:22 am

No thanks.

I don't want quests that force me to side track from what I am doing. Maybe if they weren't terribly time consuming or inconvenient and didn't happen when I was right in the middle of something that I was interested in. I've never liked these kinds of quests. The Jaheria (sp?) quest in BG2 where she gets poisoned by an old enemy was so freeking irritating.

However, quests that have a time limit for success once you've accepted them - rescue whats-her-name from goblins in x cave before they eat her. That I wouldn't mind seeing more of - so long as they don't ambush/railroad you into doing something RIGHT NOW that you have no interest in doing.
User avatar
keri seymour
 
Posts: 3361
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:09 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:12 am

Yes of course. These quests help break monotony and instill a degree of chance meetings that are rarely found in games these days.
User avatar
Alyna
 
Posts: 3412
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:54 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:12 am

I would personally love to have a few quests like that, especially the example you gave. But I agree, there shouldn't be too many of these experiences, because as someone already said, you don't want to worry about getting knocked out by a giant every time you go outside. Maybe you can have a situation where you're inside a village outside of a forest, and one of the settlers comes up to you and warns you about a group of giants abducting travelers in the forest up ahead. You now have the choice of going straight through and taking your chances, maybe you'll have a chance to fight them off, kill them, run away before being taken, But you'll also have the choice of taking the longer route around the forest, which could also lead to some more laid back exploration until your ready to risk the dreaded forest of giant kidnappers.

On a side note, I really hope we'll have some thick forests to get lost in, and that can get pretty creepy at times. Maybe have a Hobbit experience with giant spiders in the trees, sorry to those with arachnophobia.
User avatar
CArla HOlbert
 
Posts: 3342
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:35 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:35 am

I don't like the idea of being forced into quests in Elder Scrolls games. For me that's one of the great things that makes the series unique.

Call me boring, but often I just like to wander around and take in the world. Being suddenly thrown into a quest when i'm exploring would just irritate me a lot. I got annoyed enough with creatures constantly attacking me and triggering the battle music in Oblivion that I went around in 100% chameleon a lot of the time just so I could wander undisturbed.

Besides, I think something like walking into a trap in the wild and being thrown into a related quest to escape would feel very scripted and would actually have a negative effect on immersion.
User avatar
Emily Rose
 
Posts: 3482
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:56 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 2:35 pm

This doesn't sit well with me. No thanks.
User avatar
jennie xhx
 
Posts: 3429
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 10:28 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:07 am

I don't like the idea of being forced into quests in Elder Scrolls games. For me that's one of the great things that makes the series unique.

Call me boring, but often I just like to wander around and take in the world. Being suddenly thrown into a quest when i'm exploring would just irritate me a lot. I got annoyed enough with creatures constantly attacking me and triggering the battle music in Oblivion that I went around in 100% chameleon a lot of the time just so I could wander undisturbed.

Besides, I think something like walking into a trap in the wild and being thrown into a related quest to escape would feel very scripted and would actually have a negative effect on immersion.


Well I think in the end it depends on how it's done, Because to me it would enhance exploration. When you decide to go walking across the country, things are bound to happen. We already go into dungeons or find locations filled with creatures that may not approve of our presence. Why not get smacked over the head and get dragged to some cave we'll probably find sooner or later.

reminded me of this, I'm such a nerd.

“It’s a dangerous business going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
– Bilbo Baggins
User avatar
Andrea P
 
Posts: 3400
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:45 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:43 am

Well I think in the end it depends on how it's done, Because to me it would enhance exploration. When you decide to go walking across the country, things are bound to happen. We already go into dungeons or find locations filled with creatures that may not approve of our presence. Why not get smacked over the head and get dragged to some cave we'll probably find sooner or later.

reminded me of this, I'm such a nerd.

“It’s a dangerous business going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
– Bilbo Baggins

Your quote is ironic; because you just explained why it would harm exploration. You know what Hobbits do all day? Stay at home and NEVER go outside!

It is precisely because of the idea of being forced into an adventure that they don't want, that the Hobbits refuse to leave their town at all.

Exploration just needs to tell you when a quest is available. There is absolutely no need to force the player into a quest in any way as a part of exploration.
User avatar
Gavin Roberts
 
Posts: 3335
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:14 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:17 am

I would personally love to have a few quests like that, especially the example you gave. But I agree, there shouldn't be too many of these experiences, because as someone already said, you don't want to worry about getting knocked out by a giant every time you go outside. Maybe you can have a situation where you're inside a village outside of a forest, and one of the settlers comes up to you and warns you about a group of giants abducting travelers in the forest up ahead. You now have the choice of going straight through and taking your chances, maybe you'll have a chance to fight them off, kill them, run away before being taken, But you'll also have the choice of taking the longer route around the forest, which could also lead to some more laid back exploration until your ready to risk the dreaded forest of giant kidnappers.

On a side note, I really hope we'll have some thick forests to get lost in, and that can get pretty creepy at times. Maybe have a Hobbit experience with giant spiders in the trees, sorry to those with arachnophobia.

I agree with you! This man is a genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!
User avatar
Richard
 
Posts: 3371
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:50 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:43 pm

I really loved the Bloated Float quest, and a few more would be nice, but it's a real hassle if you're unprepared and are forced into a quest. If they're like the Bloated Float where you can basically talk your way through them, they wouldn't be as bad if you just sold your weapons for some gold and were on your way to buy new ones when you sprung the quest. I like them, but moderation and good taste are really key to their success.
User avatar
Tasha Clifford
 
Posts: 3295
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 7:08 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:56 am

Well I think in the end it depends on how it's done, Because to me it would enhance exploration. When you decide to go walking across the country, things are bound to happen. We already go into dungeons or find locations filled with creatures that may not approve of our presence. Why not get smacked over the head and get dragged to some cave we'll probably find sooner or later.

reminded me of this, I'm such a nerd.

“It’s a dangerous business going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
– Bilbo Baggins

If such events were implemented, they'd have to be really rare and random. ie. it could happen to you once, but on your next two playthroughs of the game it perhaps wouldn't happen at all, and on your third playthrough, it happens again but very differently. There should be no journal notes / quest updates popping up either, because that would make it feel incredibly scripted.

Basically it would need to feel like a completely random, one-off event rather than a forced quest.
User avatar
Christine Pane
 
Posts: 3306
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:14 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:48 am

Your quote is ironic; because you just explained why it would harm exploration. You know what Hobbits do all day? Stay at home and NEVER go outside!

It is precisely because of the idea of being forced into an adventure that they don't want, that the Hobbits refuse to leave their town at all.

Exploration just needs to tell you when a quest is available. There is absolutely no need to force the player into a quest in any way as a part of exploration.

Then by that logic sheogorath88 should never leave the inside of his home because as he said, he hated when random creatures would attack him because he just wants to see everything, and there should be a big sign on the inside of his door that says "reminder, there are people / creatures that might not like me if i step out this door i might not be able to explore the entire world without encountering a single soul that might make me do something like fight back" I thought the whole point of exploring was to adventure and see everything yourself, you cant do everything without some kind of risk.

@sheogorath88
edit: Like he said above i think it could be good if it happens possibly once a playthrough.
User avatar
Sophie Morrell
 
Posts: 3364
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:13 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 2:53 pm

Your quote is ironic; because you just explained why it would harm exploration. You know what Hobbits do all day? Stay at home and NEVER go outside!

It is precisely because of the idea of being forced into an adventure that they don't want, that the Hobbits refuse to leave their town at all.

Exploration just needs to tell you when a quest is available. There is absolutely no need to force the player into a quest in any way as a part of exploration.


Having an unexpected experience, like being taken by a troll, hurts exploration because Hobbits don't want to go outside and be taken by trolls? If Bilbo's journey to the Lonely mountain was a few days hike through a meadow, the book would have been boring. When you go explore the country side, especially one of Skyrim's, you are bound to run into danger. I don't want to walk through the woods, with the most exciting part being me finding a boulder shaped like some guys head. When I find a ruin, I don't go, "hey that's a pretty nice looking ruin", and walk away. I want to go inside it and find out it's inhabited by a group of man-eating giants that worship and guard a magical golden rat that I really want to have for some reason. Sure I want to go walk up a mountain side and take in the sights, but let me earn it, let it be a little different, maybe even dangerous from time to time.
User avatar
Kill Bill
 
Posts: 3355
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:22 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 2:25 pm

They'd have to have a time limit before the situation would evolve. Because its all about choice. If the quest demands your action quickly, then it actually should need you to act quickly. Its still the players choice to do it or not, but if the quest says you need to act now and you dont...the quest shouldn't wait.

And I'm not talking about a count down clock on the top left of the screen. I mean if you have to have the ransom money to the cave by midnight three days from now or she dies, you should have the four options.

1 - Go there right away and save her, either with money or by force.
2 - Wait till the last second, entering the cave right before midnight hits, and save her, either with money or by force.
3 - Wait up to a second before 24 hours after the time when you were meant to save the girl, go in to the cave and find her dead. Kill bandits, take the girls special ring to give to the quest giver, and get reward.
4 - Wait more than 24 ingame hours, go into cave and find girls body but only one bandit and no ring. After killing and finding a note on his body or "talking" to bandit, learn that the rest of the bandits took the ring and left, and he was left behind because he was out getting drunk or something.

None of this, "We'll kill her in two days if we don't get the money!"...

...three ingame months later...

"You showed up just in time! Now, where's our money?"


And no need to feed me any "I don't wanna be rushed, I wanna go at my own pace" nonsence. A girl was just kidnapped for crying out loud. It'll be okay if the game takes over and governs the pace a little bit. Not all the time of course, but for quests where such a thing makes sence. Besides, timed quests don't equal pass/fail. You can still rig it to be able to finish the quest, its just the circomstances will change. Things could get harder, or maybe peaceful resolutions will arise. Giving some quests a sence of time passing would only help them.
User avatar
electro_fantics
 
Posts: 3448
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:50 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:58 am

If such events were implemented, they'd have to be really rare and random. ie. it could happen to you once, but on your next two playthroughs of the game it perhaps wouldn't happen at all, and on your third playthrough, it happens again but very differently. There should be no journal notes / quest updates popping up either, because that would make it feel incredibly scripted.

Basically it would need to feel like a completely random, one-off event rather than a forced quest.


exactly
User avatar
Cheville Thompson
 
Posts: 3404
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:33 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:45 am

Keep in mind that
1. A quest like that is in Oblivion, as others mentioned.
2. The quest can't be too hard. Because if the player just happened to have left all his weapons and armour at home, or was critically injured when the quest happened, he can be stuck in the quest forever without reloading. And there is nothing worse than being forced to reload for no fault of your own.
User avatar
Barbequtie
 
Posts: 3410
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 11:34 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 3:42 pm

Keep in mind that
1. A quest like that is in Oblivion, as others mentioned.
2. The quest can't be too hard. Because if the player just happened to have left all his weapons and armour at home, or was critically injured when the quest happened, he can be stuck in the quest forever without reloading. And there is nothing worse than being forced to reload for no fault of your own.


If you go out into the world with no weapons, armor, and aid, then you're going to die and reload eventually.

Be Prepared! -Boy Scout Motto
User avatar
Schel[Anne]FTL
 
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:53 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:00 am

none what so ever. I hated the bloated float and never slept there because of that quest, it always screwed up what I was doing. and while we are on the topic, I also hate quests that force you to sleep like the anvil recomendation quest. its supposed to be an open ended game, I dont want to be forced to do any thing while I am trying to do something else. otherwise I am going to hate that quest even if it is a quality one.
User avatar
Anna Beattie
 
Posts: 3512
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2006 4:59 am

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:14 am

Keep in mind that
1. A quest like that is in Oblivion, as others mentioned.
2. The quest can't be too hard. Because if the player just happened to have left all his weapons and armour at home, or was critically injured when the quest happened, he can be stuck in the quest forever without reloading. And there is nothing worse than being forced to reload for no fault of your own.


Good points.

I would have to say I enjoyed The Bloated Float quest in OB, but the irony of it was that I would never have discovered it on my own. The only way I learned of it was when I was looking at the UESP.

Now, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, the design of a "forced" quest is fine imo, but if I never find it, what good is having it in the game? And conversely, if it's easy to find and most players happen to trigger it on a regular basis, then it could just be an annoyance. Not to mention it would lose it's "surprise" factor after the first time and become tedious.

Based on those points, I'd say I would prefer random events instead of forced quests, because 1. They are random and unique 2. They are not guaranteed for each player or triggered by the same action and 3. They are better immersion tools because they give you real, in-your-face story and action that has the surprise factor, without becoming stale. Bethesda has already said they have added some things like this to Skyrim, and that they know not to make repetitive nonsense like Fallout 3 apparently had for "generated quests".

Now, don't count on me to explain the exact workings of how those types of events/quests would work, because I just have the idea. But I would like to see what ideas you guys might have about the suggestion.
User avatar
Kathryn Medows
 
Posts: 3547
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:10 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:58 am

If such events were implemented, they'd have to be really rare and random. ie. it could happen to you once, but on your next two playthroughs of the game it perhaps wouldn't happen at all, and on your third playthrough, it happens again but very differently. There should be no journal notes / quest updates popping up either, because that would make it feel incredibly scripted.

Basically it would need to feel like a completely random, one-off event rather than a forced quest.

Very much this. One of the best parts of an sandbox game like the titles in the Elder Scrolls series is finding things off of the main road. Finding little easter eggs and hidden, unmentioned treasure is one of the best parts of the entire experience. It makes it feel like the world is really vast and strange and worthy of exploration. Having quests which suddenly force the character into action would promote a feeling of being an individual in a large and living world. I would love to really feel like I should venture into the wild with searching eyes and a hand on my weapon, just in case.

Having an unexpected experience, like being taken by a troll, hurts exploration because Hobbits don't want to go outside and be taken by trolls? If Bilbo's journey to the Lonely mountain was a few days hike through a meadow, the book would have been boring.

On the bright side, they may have come up with more songs.
User avatar
CxvIII
 
Posts: 3329
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:35 pm

Post » Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:45 am

If you go out into the world with no weapons, armor, and aid, then you're going to die and reload eventually.

Be Prepared! -Boy Scout Motto

How can you be prepared if the event is random?

Like with Oblivion, when the quest happened when you went to sleep at an inn. How are you suppose to be prepared for that?
User avatar
Katy Hogben
 
Posts: 3457
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:20 am

Next

Return to V - Skyrim