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Qhue · 03-29-2004, 12:02 PM

I recall back, more than 6 years past, when EQ buzz was getting started talking to people I knew about "EverQuest" and how the name referred to the nature of a persistent yet ever-changing online fantasy world. "Unlike in a single player game the quest never ends!" and back then I believed that was true having witnessed the great experiment in social engineering that was UO and having also witnessed it go down in flames of futility as the virtues espoused by Lord British were easily forgotten in the face of such notable quotes as "Your PP or your HP".

Well in a very real way the eventual product of 989 Studios has taken the "Ever" part of its moniker to heart as it continually reinvents itself through a series of lackluster expansions each one providing tantalizing clues to an overall story that never ends. Not that there is a lack of trying on the part of the players but rather that not ONE expansion released for EQ has ever had an actual ending that resolved anything or made one bit of sense. Its less like Lord of the Rings (an epic quest with triumphant noble heros) and more like the Wheel of Time (an epic page count of meandering prose that just will not fucking stop already). A few diehards in EQ still undertake quests for the thrill of the actual exercise, but more often than not the quests are viewed only in terms of material reward and done, or not done, based on a player's internal Risk vs Reward determination. The game goes on, but the Quest part...well unless its the Quest for Phat lEwtz there isn't much interest.

This brings us to the World of Warcraft. Here is an established gaming franchise with a robust history of excellent gaming as well as engaging plotlines. That consumers still bemoan the decision to shelve the Warcraft Adventures game (which told the tale of events between Warcrafts 2 and 3) because they wanted to know the story contained therein is evidence that Warcraft has a loyal and very motivated following. What is even more remarkable is that even the complete cancellation of a game in the Warcraft line doesn't stop that game from becoming part of the official history of the franchise. There is constant reference in Warcraft 3 to details that take place in the game that was never finished...so much so that its as if we skipped into an alternate universe where everyone but us played the game and understands all the inside references to it.

I say all this because Blizzard is a company that "gets it". They understand that people might be drawn in via pretty pictures and base eyecandy, but what keeps them coming back for more and fiercely loyal is the meat of the material. The well tested game, the solid easy-to-use interface, and the rich storytelling. They saw how successful EQ and its ilk were and knew that they could do it one better...by having the gameplay that was as addictive as any other MMORPG but that also fed into a self-perpetuating storyline that can keep people hooked.

The way this works in World of Warcraft are the quests. There arent just a few big quests that you do to pass the time when not in a group or to open up some uber-zone for item farmage...these are the body of the game itself. From the time you first login and see a golden '!' over someone's head you are doing quests.

These quests are how the story of the game is told through your actions in this game world. There are plots and mysteries around every corner and without fail you will be infolved in them. Sure you can choose not to read the various quest texts, but you have to wait until the quest text is all typed out on the interface window before you can hit accept AND the quest text tells you what you need to do in order to get the phat lewtz ya want...so you end up reading it anyway. Once you allow your brain to start digesting some of what is going on its very hard not to get drawn into the world. These quests move you around the game, they send you places and expose you to content that might otherwise go unnoticed. With the All-Alliance push that we are in right now you are inundated with quests from all sorts of different areas. I have a full quest-listing right now (it only lets you accept so many quests before your log is full and you have to clear some out by either giving up on them or finishing them) and there are many golden (!) that I simply can't undertake right now until I get a few more of these cleared out. When people are looking to get a group together they advertise by what quest they want to do. Most of them are broken up into very manageable chunks suitable for a couple hours adventuring at the most. While doing these quests you end up grinding exp, but it doesnt seem like you are grinding exp because you are questing! if you find yourself up against a brick wall with one quest or lacking the group to do something then you can simply switch quests to something more solo-oriented, or move to a different area of similar level and undertake some of the quest backlog you have there. It makes for a fiendishly addictive game when you have these nicely ordered compartmentalized goals codified there for you on this quest window. Its a things-to-do list only its dedicated to maximizing your personal enjoyment. Before you realize it you have not only finsihed a quest, you've finished a whole quest sequence, seen every inch of a zone and been sent off to a couple different areas to continue along nascent plotlines. The zone coverage in WoW is so complete that I often find myself contemplating a zone map and wondering "why haven't I gotten a quest to go over there yet??" Sometimes you may end up coming back to a zone later on in your career and discover that just when you thought you had done it all, its all new again. Its a testimony to good game design that one single zone in WoW can offer more hours of actual adventuring and questing than an entire expansion of EverQuest, and it does so in a virtual area that isnt really that large....its just very efficiently used.

I am really looking forward to playing a second character at least because there are entire plotlines and areas I simply didnt get to with my current alliance character. I reluctantly abandon the quests when they turn grey in my quest window and silently vow to make sure I cover that sequence when I level up the next time. Quests ARE the game in World of Warcraft. Powergamers quest, casual gamers quest, soloers, dual pairs and full blown permanent groups all quest. You are never left hanging without a purpose unless you intentionally ignore all the big bright signs around you that point "This way to fun...come on!!"

Can you tell I like it?

03-29-2004, 12:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
Qhue Tunare's most surly gnome Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Sunny Upstate NY Posts: 987 +4 Internets	WoW and outquesting EverQuest I recall back, more than 6 years past, when EQ buzz was getting started talking to people I knew about "EverQuest" and how the name referred to the nature of a persistent yet ever-changing online fantasy world. "Unlike in a single player game the quest never ends!" and back then I believed that was true having witnessed the great experiment in social engineering that was UO and having also witnessed it go down in flames of futility as the virtues espoused by Lord British were easily forgotten in the face of such notable quotes as "Your PP or your HP". Well in a very real way the eventual product of 989 Studios has taken the "Ever" part of its moniker to heart as it continually reinvents itself through a series of lackluster expansions each one providing tantalizing clues to an overall story that never ends. Not that there is a lack of trying on the part of the players but rather that not ONE expansion released for EQ has ever had an actual ending that resolved anything or made one bit of sense. Its less like Lord of the Rings (an epic quest with triumphant noble heros) and more like the Wheel of Time (an epic page count of meandering prose that just will not fucking stop already). A few diehards in EQ still undertake quests for the thrill of the actual exercise, but more often than not the quests are viewed only in terms of material reward and done, or not done, based on a player's internal Risk vs Reward determination. The game goes on, but the Quest part...well unless its the Quest for Phat lEwtz there isn't much interest. This brings us to the World of Warcraft. Here is an established gaming franchise with a robust history of excellent gaming as well as engaging plotlines. That consumers still bemoan the decision to shelve the Warcraft Adventures game (which told the tale of events between Warcrafts 2 and 3) because they wanted to know the story contained therein is evidence that Warcraft has a loyal and very motivated following. What is even more remarkable is that even the complete cancellation of a game in the Warcraft line doesn't stop that game from becoming part of the official history of the franchise. There is constant reference in Warcraft 3 to details that take place in the game that was never finished...so much so that its as if we skipped into an alternate universe where everyone but us played the game and understands all the inside references to it. I say all this because Blizzard is a company that "gets it". They understand that people might be drawn in via pretty pictures and base eyecandy, but what keeps them coming back for more and fiercely loyal is the meat of the material. The well tested game, the solid easy-to-use interface, and the rich storytelling. They saw how successful EQ and its ilk were and knew that they could do it one better...by having the gameplay that was as addictive as any other MMORPG but that also fed into a self-perpetuating storyline that can keep people hooked. The way this works in World of Warcraft are the quests. There arent just a few big quests that you do to pass the time when not in a group or to open up some uber-zone for item farmage...these are the body of the game itself. From the time you first login and see a golden '!' over someone's head you are doing quests. These quests are how the story of the game is told through your actions in this game world. There are plots and mysteries around every corner and without fail you will be infolved in them. Sure you can choose not to read the various quest texts, but you have to wait until the quest text is all typed out on the interface window before you can hit accept AND the quest text tells you what you need to do in order to get the phat lewtz ya want...so you end up reading it anyway. Once you allow your brain to start digesting some of what is going on its very hard not to get drawn into the world. These quests move you around the game, they send you places and expose you to content that might otherwise go unnoticed. With the All-Alliance push that we are in right now you are inundated with quests from all sorts of different areas. I have a full quest-listing right now (it only lets you accept so many quests before your log is full and you have to clear some out by either giving up on them or finishing them) and there are many golden (!) that I simply can't undertake right now until I get a few more of these cleared out. When people are looking to get a group together they advertise by what quest they want to do. Most of them are broken up into very manageable chunks suitable for a couple hours adventuring at the most. While doing these quests you end up grinding exp, but it doesnt seem like you are grinding exp because you are questing! if you find yourself up against a brick wall with one quest or lacking the group to do something then you can simply switch quests to something more solo-oriented, or move to a different area of similar level and undertake some of the quest backlog you have there. It makes for a fiendishly addictive game when you have these nicely ordered compartmentalized goals codified there for you on this quest window. Its a things-to-do list only its dedicated to maximizing your personal enjoyment. Before you realize it you have not only finsihed a quest, you've finished a whole quest sequence, seen every inch of a zone and been sent off to a couple different areas to continue along nascent plotlines. The zone coverage in WoW is so complete that I often find myself contemplating a zone map and wondering "why haven't I gotten a quest to go over there yet??" Sometimes you may end up coming back to a zone later on in your career and discover that just when you thought you had done it all, its all new again. Its a testimony to good game design that one single zone in WoW can offer more hours of actual adventuring and questing than an entire expansion of EverQuest, and it does so in a virtual area that isnt really that large....its just very efficiently used. I am really looking forward to playing a second character at least because there are entire plotlines and areas I simply didnt get to with my current alliance character. I reluctantly abandon the quests when they turn grey in my quest window and silently vow to make sure I cover that sequence when I level up the next time. Quests ARE the game in World of Warcraft. Powergamers quest, casual gamers quest, soloers, dual pairs and full blown permanent groups all quest. You are never left hanging without a purpose unless you intentionally ignore all the big bright signs around you that point "This way to fun...come on!!" Can you tell I like it?