A Plea (Quest Timer)
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Please remove the quest timer, it is a detriment to the server.
Yes, on occasion the server is unstable (rarely) and is down more than once in a 24 hour period. But this is not a good reason to prevent people from participating in the fun.
Please remove the quest timer all together, so that all quests can be done at all resets. The server is not as unstable as it once was to need this. And it discourages logging in after a reset (because they will have recent quests in their journal that they could otherwise do if they just stay logged off for say… six hours.
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Got to agree with this.
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Yes. I've considered to log in several times myself. Especially as I tend to constantly have low level chars lately.
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I don't quite see the logic in quest timers myself.
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There are 90 quests in the server. I can not imagine the quest timer ever becomes a problem with 90 quests to do.
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this came up before. I looked and found that it wasn't as simple as just 'removin' it anyway. It's kind of built into some stuff and would suck tryin to pull it out as far as I remember. Even if it wasn't mostly because people want to repeat the same quests.
I think a better situation could be to implement a reset timer that warns people, then stops people takin quests till current ones are over, then resets or somethin, every 24 hours.
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problem is that also sucks to script as it would need to be done partly out side of server scripts. as it seems to not fully reset when done usin the script function.
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Well with Moloch's answer I can see a purpose to quest timers now, guessing it was originally put in to force people to try and do different quests rather than just doing their favorites over and over again.
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It was "originally" put in to keep people from redoing the same quests every server reset. But even when the server is stable, the hope is people will do more than the same six quests over and over.
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Maybe more proliferation of information on where to find these quests would help? As it is, there are times on the server where getting together a party to go exploring is difficult or neigh impossible because people want guaranteed rewards for the guaranteed risk of loosing multiple levels to random Dire Cormyrian Drop Bear of the Elder Beast. Similarly, doing this exploring solo is really, really punished for the same reasons.
If we don't know there are quests, we can't find them and they won't get done >_>
Also, more soloable 1-4's would be nice considering the downturn in population.
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It was "originally" put in to keep people from redoing the same quests every server reset. But even when the server is stable, the hope is people will do more than the same six quests over and over.
Thats the hope, the stats say it has never worked.
We do try to place quests in locations relevant to their level scales. You can also use a variety of methods to travel around spawns you don't think you can take on.
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An OOC list somewhere in player information that lists the quests would be incredibly helpful in not doing the same quests over and over and over.
90 quests? I may have done 30-40 of them. The rest? Who knows where they are.
Quest Name –- Quest Level Range --- Quest Party Range --- Quest Giver Name/Location
Just giving the area as far as locations, not detailed descriptions of how to get there, would go a long way to getting people out and about, I think. this is nothing that isn't already given as OOC information IG anyway, except the location. And having the list will probably make people go, "Oh wow, never done that one, lets go find that area and try it"
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An OOC list somewhere in player information that lists the quests would be incredibly helpful in not doing the same quests over and over and over.
90 quests? I may have done 30-40 of them. The rest? Who knows where they are.
Quest Name –- Quest Level Range --- Quest Party Range --- Quest Giver Name/Location
Just giving the area as far as locations, not detailed descriptions of how to get there, would go a long way to getting people out and about, I think. this is nothing that isn't already given as OOC information IG anyway, except the location. And having the list will probably make people go, "Oh wow, never done that one, lets go find that area and try it"
Yes. Please. A thousand million times this.
It'd lead to more exploration and getting groups together with the promise of potential adventure than 'let's go wander the Haunted Halls (or wherever) and see if somehting kills us'Even if it is 'ooc' info, people can easily wrap this up in a rumor they heard in the (tavern of choice) about XYZ
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It was originally in place because of an unstable server, where it would reset every two or so hours and people would mad dash to do Kanthea or the Hullack trilogy.
The problem is people are unwilling to branch out and do other quests. They get comfortable spamming the same couple ones and don't try anything else because they're risky or not as rewarding.
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I'd rather find ways to make pepole want to branch out to do the other quests AWESOMEMAN. I'm happy to talk over posting a list of quests with the DMs, I don't see a reason why we can't. People seem to not know where to even find a lot of these.
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I am going to stand in support of Awesomeman.
I hate it, personally.
I only have a few hours to play each day, sometimes longer, sometimes less, as most people do. My play times aren't consistent, like, 1-5 pm EST everyday, it's when I have time and see an opportunity to get some questing/rp work done. The game rewards those with more time to invest, it is simply how it is. this reset timer punishes players like me, whose play times aren't what I would call random, but inconsistent (sometimes I play early morning, sometimes around 2:00am at night). Resets need to be performed by a DM, but they are generally after 24 hours. The quest timer often ranges for 6 to 24 hours, or it is permanent in the case of some bugs that crop up now and then, which honestly should be reported by people don't because they stand frustrated by the system that caused the bug (the timer).
What I want to do when I have time is spend time and quest with people I call 'friends' on this community. A scripted system that tells me I cannot quest with somebody to do their favorite quest, or do mine because they did it four hours ago when we didn't know a reset would be coming, is unfair to the medium sized community that we stand currently. IRC averages 30-35 people on it, while I know we're about 2-3 times that size, or more, I don't really see us becoming bigger.
This is an archaic relic of unstable servers and a bigger community. So what if I just want to do Myron's constantly? So what if I Want to do the 1-6 quest circuit a gazillion times? Shouldn't you be glad we're enjoying the content you placed on the server, and by design, meant for us to do (by making them quests?) Nothing should make a builder happier than to see people using what was placed there for them to use. Maybe the DM philosophy is different from my perspective, but when I build a module, and I see people hanging out in an area that I meant it as, I feel appreciated.
So what if some quests are done more than others? This is simply the nature of the beast. I don't do all the quests on other servers either. Maybe it is an issue with the reward/difficulty on those quests, maybe they are to long for most people, or unfeasible due to IC motivations and such (like, a druid might not want to do Lumberjacks). Maybe I have better things to do than hunt down these rarely done quests because I'd rather stay near the server hub in hope of that rare dm quest or be around for somebody to role play. You shouldn't be lamenting the fact some quests are done constantly, you should be embracing it, and perhaps reward those who go out of their way to do the more difficult ones on the server, not punishing them with a timer whose only purpose is to keep people from doing quests (because that is what it does, keeps me from questing), and making the argument of "There are 90+ quests on the server, do those" instead of removing what is no longer necessary.
Zool's argument is frankly stronger, in my opinion, because it might (will) break a ton of stuff to remove it, and it will be a workload on the script savvy dms who will then have to fix these systems without the timer attachment to it.
Would it be worth it? Yes. Maybe. I don't have any idea of the logistics involved, or what amount of time it would take from assuredly more interesting/awesome projects or from paying jobs or real lives you invest yourselves in as well…
I will point out to EFU (god forbid) who does not have this timer, and has a similar quest/reward psyche, drawing its inspiration from CoA (do scripted content for gold/supplies/gear and make friends/allies/enemies). People still quest, and they do the same quests, but then you have people going out to find the rarely done quests as well, who are then rewarded with spice/loot from dms who appreciate the effort players go through to do certain quests that aren't part of the main circuit. The situation hasn't changed at all with the lack of timer there, if anything, it's a somewhat larger community. While we can't attribute this entirely due to questing capability, I can only think it is a factor, as I can contend that many people on EFU dislike CoA's timer as well, and this certainly includes myself, as I like to think I am part of both communities to an extent.
I won't be so arrogant to say that the quest timer is hated by all (some are arguing for it here), but I think our experience will tangibly improve with its removal.
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I can understand getting it removed, or changed into once a reset. But! Thomas, seriously? If you want to be able to do the same quest over and over, expect me to get to lvl 11 in a day. Lvl 1-5, my paladin would keep taking on Parners. Lvl 5, I would switch to another undead quest, and repeat that one until lvl 9. Then id find another, repeat. Booooring.
What Id like to do, or say is… Make a contest. The Bounty Master, wants to make a new contest. Every quest would drop a token. Turn that token in, for 1 point. The first to collect all 90 tokens, wins a prize. Or 25 tokens, wins a prize.
My problem is, that I have ZERO idea where each quest is. If I did, I would try and get every 90 quests. So the list please!
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If we make a list (and I always thought it would be a good idea), I would want it to exist in game, not on the forums or the wiki or some other place thats not in game, because otherwise that's screwing with people who don't/barely use the forums frankly, which I think the game does enough of already. We have a board or two lying around, but there need to be more, or just one big massive one.
I would write it, but I will be honest. I have absolutely no idea where most of the quests are myself
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I cannot describe how much it bothers me that there are soooo many quests out there that I haven't found yet. I've done everyone I've found a questgiver for but there are a ton of them I haven't found yet, inspite of lots of looking in very iffy places. I think there could be a greater effort made to show people where these new and hard to find quests are located, wich in turn would lead to those of us who spend alot of time bringing people on quests having an easier time to get people interested in travelling!
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I disagree with making the list IG. Draft an OOC list, and place it in an OOC area of the boards. If needed a copy can be made somewhere IG for the very few people who don't know where the forums are.