Quest (role-playing games)

Quests are a tool that is needed to engage a player in achieving short-term goals, in contrast to long-term goals - to complete the game or pump to the highest possible level. ^[5] And also relieve him of repetitive actions . ^[6]

In addition to the fact that quests add variety to the gameplay, they are also an alternative way to get items, along with killing mobs or direct extraction of resources.

Since the value of the reward for their completion depends on the complexity and duration of the quests, and especially complex quests also require significant preparation or even completing additional tasks, the player can potentially be occupied with quests most of the time.

Assassination quest

The player is given the task of destroying a certain number of specific mobs or a specific NPC. This type of quest usually requires bringing to the character who issued the task, evidence in the form of trophies, such as skins of wolves, fangs of wild boars or some special item from the body of the murdered.

In the same category, you can include tasks on the destruction of any buildings or those that involve the destruction of enemy waves in order to defend some objects for a strictly defined time.

Delivery Quest

The player is given the task of delivering certain items to specific locations or to specific NPCs. ^[7] This type of quest is often described as a “ FedEx quest” or “Go-get the quest” ^{[8] [9]} . FedEx quest is called based on the abbreviation “Federal Express”, which is associated with the delivery service, the role of which the player plays in its implementation ^[10] . Sometimes a player must first find an item before taking it somewhere. In some cases, the character who issues the assignment provides the item himself.

Despite the fact that such quests can be quite difficult, since the player often needs to go to uncharted areas or have time to complete the task within the time limit, they nevertheless provoke an exploration of the world. ^[eleven]

Collecting quest

The player is given the task to get a certain amount of items. Such quests are known as “Quest Gathering” or as “Quest Collecting”. The task may imply that the player must collect something in the location, for example, pick berries from some bushes, get resources, for example, chopping wood from trees, or even take objects from the bodies of mobs, such as their weapons. The quest can also be complicated by the fact that the player may need different items to complete it, such as parts of a mechanism. ^[eleven]

Escort

The player is given the task of escorting NPCs from one location to another or until he has completed any actions. The quest usually implies that the player will have to protect this character from mobs and guide him through obviously dangerous areas. ^{[11] [12]} Such quests, as well as delivery quests, push the player to explore the world, however, they are not very popular due to the fact that the AI of the accompanied character is not ideal. ^[13] That is, the NPC can easily get stuck somewhere (run into the wall), which will make the quest impassable. Or to act not as the player expected - instead of fighting with mobs or at least hiding, he simply falls to his knees covering his head with his hands and sits until he is killed.

Hybrid quests

Hybrid quests, combining elements from quests of the main four types in various ways, provide the player with a unique experience. Such a task may include, for example, the search for parts of a special blade (gathering quest) in order to use it to destroy a particular monster (murder quest).

A quest chain is a series of tasks that are performed in a certain sequence. Completion of the previous task in the chain is a prerequisite in order to get the following. Quests in such chains tend to get more complicated as the player unravels their links. Any next quest may require a certain minimum level of character development, that is, remain unavailable for some time to a player who is potentially unprepared for such a challenge.

Quests in chains are usually connected by a storyline. ^[11] For example, reveal the fate of a character as you progress. In addition, they are a great way to make a player leave a location in which he has nothing more to do so that he does not get bored. ^[3]