11 réponses à ce sujet

[Heimerdinger]

Thinking about past missions, got a minute?

 

I guess most quests/missions in a game can be reduced to a "fetch quest" level, go there do that, find that item, get that person. But what can make them great is the execution. The writing, the well crafted NPC's, characters you remember a long time after finishing the game. I think Origins handled sidequests better than many games:

 

- helping Kaitlyn and Bevin in Redcliffe

- finding drake scales for Master Wade and watching Herren throw a tantrum.

- finding Valena, the smith's daughter.

- helping Ruck's mother.

- teaming up with Slim Couldry for some heists.

- working with Cpt. Kaylion: "I said beat down. Not on fire or exploded or any other grisly death you may think of."

- dealing with the prisoner at Ostagar -

  Warden: "I spoke to the prisoner over there."

  Guard: "Can't imagine it was an enlightening conversation." EPIC

 

All of these were well crafted and integrated into the story, didn't feel like a grind doing them.

 

Chantry Board and Mage Collective were indeed more grindy but small in number , around 15 quests.

Irregulars had some 5 quests and a nice confrontation with Raelnor Hakwind or his son.

Favors in Denerim was actually well hidden, you had to talk to a bartender, ask a specific question, implying a quest, but you would get 6-7 instead. Easy to miss.

 

This game had a good balance between main quests - side quests - small quests (tasks), and the side ones were well made.

[Jeremiah12LGeek]

From a storytelling point of view, I really do think that Origins and the original KotOR are BioWare's best. And that extends to how they handled "side quests" by putting significant effort into the characters and story - however small - that the side quest involved.

 

From a financial point of view, with the rather expensive bells and whistles that come with Inquisition, it is entirely understandable that they would involve the smallest amount of writing/voice acting with the side quests as they could manage. When side quests are reduced to a bit of text and some map markers, it becomes very economical to include as many of them as you can squeeze into the game.

 

Once they had made the decision to put all of their writing effort into the main characters and story, and to leave the world largely unpopulated by characters who would be involved in side stories/quests, it followed that the right move was to capitalize on the relatively inexpensive format for side quests by including as many of them as possible.

 

The end result is unfairly maligned for being "fetch quests" (which technically is what virtually all of the side quests in DA:O were, as well.) While the format is obviously not going to be as good as the memorable side quests you mention in the OP, it was still critical that the content be included to flesh out DA:I as a whole.

 

While I'd love it if, going forward, BioWare shifted focus back to the characters and the storytelling, and away from high-end gameplay and animation technology, I have accepted the fact that it isn't a realistic goal in the current world of video game economy. I'm pretty sure that, going forward, BioWare games will probably stick to the ME 2/ME 3/DA:I style of side quests that involve as little dialogue/story as possible. And I'm okay with that, as long as the main story is compelling in its own right, and they never make me spend hours scanning planets in a boring, repetitive mini-game ever again.

[andy6915]

Thinking about past missions, got a minute?

 

I guess most quests/missions in a game can be reduced to a "fetch quest" level, go there do that, find that item, get that person. But what can make them great is the execution. The writing, the well crafted NPC's, characters you remember a long time after finishing the game. I think Origins handled sidequests better than many games:

 

- helping Kaitlyn and Bevin in Redcliffe

- finding drake scales for Master Wade and watching Herren throw a tantrum.

- finding Valena, the smith's daughter.

- helping Ruck's mother.

- teaming up with Slim Couldry for some heists.

- working with Cpt. Kaylion: "I said beat down. Not on fire or exploded or any other grisly death you may think of."

- dealing with the prisoner at Ostagar -

  Warden: "I spoke to the prisoner over there."

  Guard: "Can't imagine it was an enlightening conversation." EPIC

 

All of these were well crafted and integrated into the story, didn't feel like a grind doing them.

 

Chantry Board and Mage Collective were indeed more grindy but small in number , around 15 quests.

Irregulars had some 5 quests and a nice confrontation with Raelnor Hakwind or his son.

Favors in Denerim was actually well hidden, you had to talk to a bartender, ask a specific question, implying a quest, but you would get 6-7 instead. Easy to miss.

 

This game had a good balance between main quests - side quests - small quests (tasks), and the side ones were well made.

 

You know, I've never completed all the blackstone quests before, or ever done the "favors in Denerim" ones either. Maybe I'll do all of them next playthrough.

[keeneaow]

what impressed me the most was the implementation of unlocking a skill through an intriguing quest,

such as unlocking blood magic or arcane warrior.

can't stand the never-ending mute dialogs tho

[Rhidor]

 

 

Definitely agree with you. Origins' sidequest were more interesting and didn't feel like busywork at all. Even stuff like "get the bandages" in the beginning of Awakening had an urgency to them which made them feel important.

[Rhidor]

 

can't stand the never-ending mute dialogs tho

 

Mute dialogues? In which game are those?

[Sylriel]

From a storytelling point of view, I really do think that Origins and the original KotOR are BioWare's best. And that extends to how they handled "side quests" by putting significant effort into the characters and story - however small - that the side quest involved.

I agree with this and feel the same way.

[Miss Golightly]

I don't know.... you haven't lived until you've scattered the ashes of a stranger that you found at the side of the road in the Emerald Graves. 

 

But seriously, I agree with the OP.

[Heimerdinger]

Even stuff like "get the bandages" in the beginning of Awakening had an urgency to them which made them feel important.

 

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Feels integrated into the story and urgent, makes you want to postpone your main quest and stop for a side one. Here's a DA2 scenario for comparison:

 

Hawke finds a skeleton, the remains of the "Bearded Beast". By some magic power Hawke knows to take this pile of bones to some random dwarf on the docks.

 

Hawke: "Guess what I found? Your reason for living!"

Random Dwarf: "You just stumbled across that? Can't say I'm surprised. Bloody fools."

 

Have to give them 1 point for the comedy though, even if it's not intentional since the NPC response is random. 

[keeneaow]

Mute dialogues? In which game are those?

dragon age origins & awakening

[Jeffonl1]

Couldn't agree with you more OP!

[turuzzusapatuttu]

dragon age origins & awakening

 

NPCs talk, only your PC is mute.