99 réponses à ce sujet

[KAGEHOSHI-]

Having sidequests is great, but don't just add a bunch of them just for the sake of fluffing up the game. While sidequests are optional, many players carry a completionist OCD-esque mindset where they feel compelled to complete every sidequest -- not only does this lead to them burning out and losing interest (many people reported this with Witcher 3), but it can also dilute the narrative focus of the game. I never had this problem with the Mass Effect series, but I feel like I should post this just in case BioWare feels the need to go crazy with number of sidequest as some way to show off how big the game is. 

 

EDIT: I want to make it clear that I don't think the previous ME games had too many sidequests, nor am I saying the next ME should have less. I am only warning of the potential dangers of adding too much as some other games have done. There are better ways to spend the resources anyway (like more main story quests). 

[katerinafm]

Yes. Or at least make them interesting.

[holdenagincourt]

Not all side quests are created equal.

 

Things like finding that asari matriarch's writings around the ass ends of the galaxy or planting survey flags in exposed veins of plutonium from the first game, I can do without. That is, unless there is a connection to a larger purpose. In Inquisition, many of the fetch quests in the Hinterlands are actually smaller legs of an overarching goal, i.e. building the organizations reputation, numbers and material resources through boots on the ground. On the other hand, I don't see as compelling of a need for me to do mineral surveying for the Alliance in ME.

 

On the other hand, you can have lots of side quests that add something meaningful to the game or even the larger lore. Many side quests have allowed us to interact with unfamiliar species and organizations and learn about them while roleplaying Shepard in a certain way. How you treat the hanar proselytizing on the Presidium, how you resolve the biotic hostage situation, how you deal with the Cerberus scientist and his assailant, and so on and so forth. I don't see the number of side quests as a problem qua problem, just the type and how interconnected they are with the rest of the game or roleplaying opportunities.

[Kantr]

Have side quests like the Witcher 3's. Full of interesting content

[Linkenski]

First and foremost, fix the quest log and quest trackers. That made ME3 seem broken at times.

[Broganisity]

Don't make me collect fifty videos of Elcor staging various Shakespeare plays. As hilarious as it would be to watch I don't want to have to travel around the galaxy to find them all. . .then realize you can't actually watch them!

Though rescuing an Elcor actor from pirates? That's a side quest I'd get in on:

"With a level of sincerity and heartfelt gratitude unheard of in this, our modern era: Thank you human. I will dedicate my next performance to your bravery."

"With humility and a minor amount of embaressment: Human, If you would give me passage to [CAPTIAL CITADEL-Y PLACE HERE] I will repay you by entertaining your crew by rehearsing my lines."

"With pride: I play the role of Othello in an upcoming All-Elcor cast of. . .Othello."

". . .Uh. . .you don't need to do that, we'll take you anyways."

[KaiserShep]

I hope the collectibles are kept to a minimum and something that is relatively painless to gather and actually look nice, sort of like Shepard's models in the cabin. The bottles of Thedas are pretty lame in that they're random pings on the map and I can't think of a good reason to care to go down to Skyhold's basement to check them out. 

 

As for side quests, I actually like the way ME1 did a lot of them, though some kind of dragged, like the terrible geth outpost missions. If the maps were designed better and the combat was better designed they would have been a lot more enjoyable. 

[Indigenous]

Having sidequests is great, but don't just add a bunch of them just for the sake of fluffing up the game. While sidequests are optional, many players carry a completionist OCD-esque mindset where they feel compelled to complete every sidequest -- not only does this lead to them burning out and losing interest (many people reported this with Witcher 3), but it can also dilute the narrative focus of the game. I never had this problem with the Mass Effect series, but I feel like I should post this just in case BioWare feels the need to go crazy with number of sidequest as some way to show off how big the game is. 

I hope Bioware does overload us with side quests in Andromeda.. Nothing wrong with side quests in Bioware games. It is how they are presented where the problem lies.

 

Just put the side quests with the least content on a quest board (or equivalent in Mass Effect) and then players wont confuse them for anything but a source for money/experience.

[Arcling]

They better don't make another Inquisition with side-quests. Unless they are story-driven, but otherwise I don't want loads of simple fetch quests. It's better to have less of these, if it means more story overall. Main problem are time constraints and since they are bragging about the amount of locations, having no-story content might be the case. At least I hope it's not as bad as with Inquisition.

[rapscallioness]

The Bottles of Thedas search ping annoyed the heck out of me. That's the kind of thing that should be reserved for things that are actually important. Not some collectible bottle of hooch. Fortunately, there was usually a nice chest of loot nearby, too.

 

The only reason I ever got "ocd-esque" with these side quests was because I had the idea that it would/might make a difference later. Like, if you do that small thing for that extremely minor npc, they might somehow be able to open a backdoor for you when you need it most to escape. The king's wiper just happens to have the key to the sewer maintenance entrance that you can escape through. You did them a good turn once, now they do you a good turn. That kind of thing.

 

As a general rule I shun collectibles. Unless they're cool like the ships in Shep's cabin, or Boo the Space Hamster....But Matriarch writings and Prothean disks-which I was certain would have an affect later! Imagine the info on those disks. Maybe we got points for it in our assets?

[Navasha]

For me content is content.   I don't care if its main story or sidequest.   As long as its good, add tons of it.  

[LordSwagley]

Examples of what I consider bad "sidequests".

• Collect 10 Varren Hides.
• Brave Hero I dropped my ring in some cave, go get it.
• Kill 50 space pirates.
• Break 3 Mook Spawners.
• Plant 15 flags in the ground.

If there are to be sidequests (its an rpg) then make them atleast have a decent setup and entail some decisions (Let some pirate go and he will help you later in the quest or something) so that we are incentivised to play them again to get a different outcome. Make each sidequest a little story of its own that will flesh out the world, provide role-play opportunities, give your companions some character (eg: Pvt Bob thinks killing these surrendering slavers is awesome), and provide unique rewards (helping some turian marine gives you access to a turian helmet or something...). Unlikely I know but I can hope.

[MrObnoxiousUK]

The inclusion of every colony,outpost ect being reliant on a chain of supply and demand which needs to be protected can open alot of avenues for side missions

(1)You can respond to piracy maydays

(2)You can go patrol an area of high pirate activity and maybe at the end of it find a base to assault

(3)Invasion,you can delay an invasion in an area to buy time to fortify

(4)You can be the pirates preying on rivals trade routes

 

The list can go on and on.

[AlanC9]

First and foremost, fix the quest log and quest trackers. That made ME3 seem broken at times.

I'd have gone the other way and removed a lot of them from the log altogether. Thinking of something like Citadel: Heating Unit Stabilizers as a "mission" is not a sensible approach to the game. Devs can't stop players from being stupid, but they shouldn't encourage it.

[themikefest]

If the side missions are optional, I don't mind having them in the game

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Side missions should be interesting and not required to beat the main quest.

[KaiserShep]

Examples of what I consider bad "sidequests".

• Collect 10 Varren Hides.
• Brave Hero I dropped my ring in some cave, go get it.
• Kill 50 space pirates.
• Break 3 Mook Spawners.
• Plant 15 flags in the ground.

If there are to be sidequests (its an rpg) then make them atleast have a decent setup and entail some decisions (Let some pirate go and he will help you later in the quest or something) so that we are incentivised to play them again to get a different outcome. Make each sidequest a little story of its own that will flesh out the world, provide role-play opportunities, give your companions some character (eg: Pvt Bob thinks killing these surrendering slavers is awesome), and provide unique rewards (helping some turian marine gives you access to a turian helmet or something...). Unlikely I know but I can hope.

 

 

NPC: Sir/Ma'am, I need you to tactically nuke my competitor's refineries. I'll upload the coordinates to your omni-tool.

 

PC: No problemo! 

[Sylvius the Mad]

I dislike this distinction between side-quests and main quests.  If there has to be such a distinction, hide it from us so we can't tell which quests advance the plot.

[KaiserShep]

I dislike this distinction between side-quests and main quests.  If there has to be such a distinction, hide it from us so we can't tell which quests advance the plot.

 

How exactly would you go about hiding the fact that a quest advances the main plot? This seems especially weird for a game set in a universe that would have mission briefs. Like, you know your primary conflict at some point, so you will have missions related to said conflict that are planned out before committing to them. I get the feeling that there would be lots of bait and switch, so you think you're advancing the plot, but then constantly get sent on a wild goose chase. Nuts to that. 

[BabyPuncher]

I dislike this distinction between side-quests and main quests.  If there has to be such a distinction, hide it from us so we can't tell which quests advance the plot.

 

And how are designers supposed to do that, exactly?

 

The protagonist is not completeing the main quest by stumbling into random people who happen to have missions that involve whatever the protagonist is trying to accomplish. It's driven. The protagonist completes a mission, and then says "Now we need to go here and do this."

[Cyonan]

I hope they give us plenty of side quests that are actually interesting.

 

It also helps if you don't make your main quest seem like it's supposed to be time sensitive. That way when we run off to pick flowers for half a day, it doesn't feel as ridiculous.

 

How exactly would you go about hiding the fact that a quest advances the main plot? 

 

Usually by categorizing everything as simply a quest and not telling you which ones are the main quest and which ones are the side quests, having many side quests be related to the main quest, and have a few that get mixed in without you needing to go looking for them.

 

I actually wouldn't mind them doing that, but I know it'll never happen.

[Sylvius the Mad]

How exactly would you go about hiding the fact that a quest advances the main plot? 

An important first step is not categorizing quests in this way in the journal.  I remember refusing the look at the journal in DA2 because of hwo much metagame information was in there.

And how are designers supposed to do that, exactly?

 

The protagonist is not completeing the main quest by stumbling into random people who happen to have missions that involve whatever the protagonist is trying to accomplish. It's driven. The protagonist completes a mission, and then says "Now we need to go here and do this."

Hide the nature of the plot from the protagonist (and possibly the player).

 

The protagonist (or whoever is giving the protagonist instructions) might be telling us to do things that have nothing to do with the main quest.  It could be that we won't know what's going on (like the beginning of BG1).  There could be false leads, or red herrings, and unlike a linear game where we have to defeat the fake villain in order to uncover who the real villain is (like in Jade Empire), it might be possible to uncover or defeat the main villain without ever engaging or even being aware of the fake one.

 

The mistake is in structuring the game is if it is a story, because it isn't.  If they try to tell us one story, then they will tell us only one story.  no, they should give us a complex world with stuff going on in it, and a villain to defeat, but they should not connect the dots for us on how to go about doing that, even to the point of telling us who the villain is (or that there is one).

[BabyPuncher]

That is a really dumb idea.for more reasons than I care to go into.

[Sylvius the Mad]

That is a really dumb idea.

Some of the best CRPGs did this very thing.

 

I would argue that Baldur's Gate did.  Some of the Ultima games (4 & 7, certainly).  Several Might & Magic games.

[KaiserShep]

I don't really see the point of this. Unless the journal descriptions are vague and useless, I will be able to determine how important a quest is, regardless of how unintuitive the journal is anyway. 

Aside from that, some missions are very obviously a priority to the plot when given to you by an important character. Take Tevos telling Shepard about the artifact on Thessia, as opposed to, say, Traynor telling Shepard that Hackett sends word of some Cerberus lab on an ice planet nobody cares about.