RPG = Real life Playing Guide Part I: Quests
This is something I’ve been having inside my head traveling in circles over and over, piece by piece. RPGs may be “just games” and “imaginary”, but the truth is they have a lot of similarities with Real life. In fact, there are so many similarities that we should learn from them. Plus, if you get to see Real life as an RPG, then it is even funnier.
So let’s start by quests…
What is an RPG without quests…? Nothing. Quests are the fuel of the game. For example, in WOW, it would get boring to just wander around killing monsters and fighting other heroes; if we didn’t have the quest “go punch Kel’Thuzad in the face” or “go get 10 disgusting skins of whatever ugly beast you need“ we would be somewhat lost; “without a compass” in my words.
However, quests shouldn’t be analyzed so coldly. Quests usually come in several categories (at least in complex RPGs). For simplicity, let’s say there are only three big groups.
First: mini-quests, which don’t give big rewards but are really easy. These quests are the ones that require little effort. Maybe your Icewind Dale’ party arrived to a city and finds someone who tells you “kill all this mice”. That’s easy. In a few minutes (seconds?), without moving an inch, without suffering any damage, you can kill all those mice and maybe even get some money :)
Second: medium-quests, which are relatively difficult to accomplish and the reward is good. An example of these could be a side mission someone gives you but is not mandatory to progress in the game. Perhaps a djinni in Baldur’s Gate sends your party to another plane of existence where you must find a powerful item and bring it to him. That may take a lot of time but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, and the reward is really appreciated.
Third: macro-quests. These quests are the ones which make you say something like “finally... I did it… I’m great”. Killing Mefisto in Diablo II could be one of them. Macro-quests not only give you a big reward and are really difficult; but they usually are also mandatory in order to keep going and they always make you feel relaxed, full, and proud of yourself. Besides, while you are doing other quests, these are always present. You may be fighting in Draenor, accomplishing quests of different kinds; but in the end, you know you will eventually face Illidan ;).
Now, let’s take a look at Real life. What would you call a person who doesn’t want anything in life? What would you call someone who wakes up everyday only to smoke marijuana or spend the whole day playing WOW? What would you call people that never say things like “I want to find the love of my life” or “I want to marry and have 3 children” or “I want to graduate” or “I will own a company and make lots of money”? I would call them “lost”, creatures without a compass.
And again, in Real life we could make three categories also. The examples I’ve just mentioned could be macro-quests, but there are some medium-quests like “I will learn origami” or maybe your parents tell you “get at least 3 As this year” or perhaps a group a friends decide to “build a tree-house before next summer” or it can arise in your mind “make her my girlfriend”.
Finally, mini-quests could be “sweetie, do your homework” or “an important client will visit us today, work harder than ever so we can appear in his magazine” or “go buy bread” or “I must get the dog out”.
So, the advice I give is: take a lot of quests; some of them will guide you and some others will result in useful rewards.
I have some other ideas on the subject but this is way too long already so I’ll leave it to Part II.
So let’s start by quests…
What is an RPG without quests…? Nothing. Quests are the fuel of the game. For example, in WOW, it would get boring to just wander around killing monsters and fighting other heroes; if we didn’t have the quest “go punch Kel’Thuzad in the face” or “go get 10 disgusting skins of whatever ugly beast you need“ we would be somewhat lost; “without a compass” in my words.
However, quests shouldn’t be analyzed so coldly. Quests usually come in several categories (at least in complex RPGs). For simplicity, let’s say there are only three big groups.
First: mini-quests, which don’t give big rewards but are really easy. These quests are the ones that require little effort. Maybe your Icewind Dale’ party arrived to a city and finds someone who tells you “kill all this mice”. That’s easy. In a few minutes (seconds?), without moving an inch, without suffering any damage, you can kill all those mice and maybe even get some money :)
Second: medium-quests, which are relatively difficult to accomplish and the reward is good. An example of these could be a side mission someone gives you but is not mandatory to progress in the game. Perhaps a djinni in Baldur’s Gate sends your party to another plane of existence where you must find a powerful item and bring it to him. That may take a lot of time but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, and the reward is really appreciated.
Third: macro-quests. These quests are the ones which make you say something like “finally... I did it… I’m great”. Killing Mefisto in Diablo II could be one of them. Macro-quests not only give you a big reward and are really difficult; but they usually are also mandatory in order to keep going and they always make you feel relaxed, full, and proud of yourself. Besides, while you are doing other quests, these are always present. You may be fighting in Draenor, accomplishing quests of different kinds; but in the end, you know you will eventually face Illidan ;).
Now, let’s take a look at Real life. What would you call a person who doesn’t want anything in life? What would you call someone who wakes up everyday only to smoke marijuana or spend the whole day playing WOW? What would you call people that never say things like “I want to find the love of my life” or “I want to marry and have 3 children” or “I want to graduate” or “I will own a company and make lots of money”? I would call them “lost”, creatures without a compass.
And again, in Real life we could make three categories also. The examples I’ve just mentioned could be macro-quests, but there are some medium-quests like “I will learn origami” or maybe your parents tell you “get at least 3 As this year” or perhaps a group a friends decide to “build a tree-house before next summer” or it can arise in your mind “make her my girlfriend”.
Finally, mini-quests could be “sweetie, do your homework” or “an important client will visit us today, work harder than ever so we can appear in his magazine” or “go buy bread” or “I must get the dog out”.
So, the advice I give is: take a lot of quests; some of them will guide you and some others will result in useful rewards.
I have some other ideas on the subject but this is way too long already so I’ll leave it to Part II.