I mean this topic to be a fight.  I want it to be.  But I want it to be some well thought out arguments.  So if you post, then please don't just post that you like whatever games quests the best, but tell WHY!

Which game do you think has the best quests in it?  Which game does it seem the developers put the most creative thought into and that work presented itself in a fun and intriguing manner.

And if you disagree with someone, tell why as well.  I'm very curious what people have to say about this topic.

Personally, I am COMPLETELY fed up with the standard quests of "Get me 10 of these and 15 of those" that has permeated so many games.  I know it's a safe model, but I've got no damn respect for safe.

I've never really seen a game without "Get X amount of X item" quests. The first few games I played had them, so I stopped doing quests after a while. I guess that's why I never really seen any other kind.

Originally posted by pirateer

I've never really seen a game without "Get X amount of X item" quests. The first few games I played had them, so I stopped doing quests after a while. I guess that's why I never really seen any other kind.

Kill x amount of y and fedex quests COULD be fun. Developers just seem to be very unimaginative.

WoW..

The game followed hte fules, the quests corresponded with your natural grind, there was no reason too quest but there was no reason not to quest, they gave great xp, and usually helped you find your way, after all if you got a quest in another zone it usually meant you should be grinding in that zone, also, the quests lasted all the way to max level and even for hours after you hit max level.

There game had a ridiculous amount of quests, so much so it was practically impossible to actually hit max level and finish all the quests.

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

WoW..

 

The game followed hte fules, the quests corresponded with your natural grind, there was no reason too quest but there was no reason not to quest, they gave great xp, and usually helped you find your way, after all if you got a quest in another zone it usually meant you should be grinding in that zone, also, the quests lasted all the way to max level and even for hours after you hit max level.

 

There game had a ridiculous amount of quests, so much so it was practically impossible to actually hit max level and finish all the quests.

Funny, that was the game that I was actually thinking of when I referred to the quest system I hated the most. 

There were some quests in WoW that I liked, but they were so few that I actually remember most of them still.  Like the one in Blade's Edge Mountain where you had to take on the vision quest to find the item that troll antiquity collector was looking for.  Those kinds of quests stick in my head because they showed some thought.  I think they filled most of the game up with those "go kill me x of these and y of these then come back" ones so much and that was the high amount of quests.  I would be willing to bet that 90% or more of the quests in that game are those types of quests.

I'm not sure which game I like the most as far as quests go.  Probably DAoC.  They were pretty fun.

But I will tell you which kinds of quests I hate the most.  Those strings of quests.  I'm talking about the ones that have like 20 steps to them where you go do something, return, and then they send you to do something else, return, and they send you off again and again.

I hate them for a couple of reasons.  One is because I get bored with them.  If I don't want to complete one I feel like I'm breaking a long string of something with a possible great reward at the end so I feel this obligated level of commitment.  Yuck.  Secondly, it's so hard to find someone to help you if you are at a different step on the quest string.

Come to think of it, DAoC had a lot of quests like this too.  Especially with those champion quests.  I remember trying so hard to get someone to help me with a step in them and getting no where.  The only time you could get someone to help you out was if they were right at that point in the string.

And they suck too because you can't share them if someone isn't at the same point.  So, you're out in the field, ask for help, someone agrees, they ask you to share, you try, and it's impossible because you've already completed 4 or 5 steps in the string.  Bleh!!!  

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

WoW..

 

The game followed hte fules, the quests corresponded with your natural grind, there was no reason too quest but there was no reason not to quest, they gave great xp, and usually helped you find your way, after all if you got a quest in another zone it usually meant you should be grinding in that zone, also, the quests lasted all the way to max level and even for hours after you hit max level.

 

There game had a ridiculous amount of quests, so much so it was practically impossible to actually hit max level and finish all the quests.

Funny, that was the game that I was actually thinking of when I referred to the quest system I hated the most. 

There were some quests in WoW that I liked, but they were so few that I actually remember most of them still.  Like the one in Blade's Edge Mountain where you had to take on the vision quest to find the item that troll antiquity collector was looking for.  Those kinds of quests stick in my head because they showed some thought.  I think they filled most of the game up with those "go kill me x of these and y of these then come back" ones so much and that was the high amount of quests.  I would be willing to bet that 90% or more of the quests in that game are those types of quests.

Ive played every MMo and Wow was the only one i could tolerate quesitng in, all the rest even though they had quests they either werent worth doing because the rewards or xp sucked or the quests stopped at like, level 20 and you had to grind anyway.

The funniest quests I have experienced were in Q-World. For example I had to go talk to a rapist called Playboy Hef and another I had to find this guys pecker that was stolen. It was more than likely a translation error, but I laughed when I read it. I'm a bit immature I know.

As for role playing I enjoy quests with voice overs like in Age of Conan. It's like being read a storybook when you're a kid and the person who's reading it changes their voice to fit the part they're reading. It makes it so much more enjoyable.

A more unique kind I have found was in Atlantica Online where you had to actually pay attention to the quest dialog. You would be asked what the name was of something that the NPC had been talking about and then you had to type the name into the blank.

As for the game that has the best system I really don't think there is a "top dawg" in my opinion. I feel WoW is near the top because they put some storyline and emotion into their quests, but they aren't amazing or unique enough for me to call them the best.

Best quests? Runescape, hands down. I know many people regard the game as childish, mostly because of the graphics or the community, but it does have a very deep and serious storyline behind it. Plus, the quests aren't intended to level you up, they are intended to be fun and interesting, and the rewards are just a bonus, which gives them an advantage over games like WoW.

Originally posted by Aethios

Best quests? Runescape, hands down. I know many people regard the game as childish, mostly because of the graphics or the community, but it does have a very deep and serious storyline behind it. Plus, the quests aren't intended to level you up, they are intended to be fun and interesting, and the rewards are just a bonus, which gives them an advantage over games like WoW.

Runescape did have some fun quests now that I think back on it.

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

WoW..

 

The game followed hte fules, the quests corresponded with your natural grind, there was no reason too quest but there was no reason not to quest, they gave great xp, and usually helped you find your way, after all if you got a quest in another zone it usually meant you should be grinding in that zone, also, the quests lasted all the way to max level and even for hours after you hit max level.

 

There game had a ridiculous amount of quests, so much so it was practically impossible to actually hit max level and finish all the quests.

Funny, that was the game that I was actually thinking of when I referred to the quest system I hated the most. 

There were some quests in WoW that I liked, but they were so few that I actually remember most of them still.  Like the one in Blade's Edge Mountain where you had to take on the vision quest to find the item that troll antiquity collector was looking for.  Those kinds of quests stick in my head because they showed some thought.  I think they filled most of the game up with those "go kill me x of these and y of these then come back" ones so much and that was the high amount of quests.  I would be willing to bet that 90% or more of the quests in that game are those types of quests.

 

Ive played every MMo and Wow was the only one i could tolerate quesitng in, all the rest even though they had quests they either werent worth doing because the rewards or xp sucked or the quests stopped at like, level 20 and you had to grind anyway.

At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to be a psychoanalyst, I would bet it's because of how quickly the quests went.  I found that I was able to tolerate the WoW quests a little more than the rest too simply for that reason.  After a while though even the fast pace began to wear.

I just want something that is different and original.  Humorous and well thought out at times.  Or even scary and suspenseful.  I just want something with some thought and technique to it.

I mean, I'm saying this with all honesty, I could write the quests in WoW.  I'm not a quest writer by profession.  So I would think they could have hired one.

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

WoW..

 

The game followed hte fules, the quests corresponded with your natural grind, there was no reason too quest but there was no reason not to quest, they gave great xp, and usually helped you find your way, after all if you got a quest in another zone it usually meant you should be grinding in that zone, also, the quests lasted all the way to max level and even for hours after you hit max level.

 

There game had a ridiculous amount of quests, so much so it was practically impossible to actually hit max level and finish all the quests.

Funny, that was the game that I was actually thinking of when I referred to the quest system I hated the most. 

There were some quests in WoW that I liked, but they were so few that I actually remember most of them still.  Like the one in Blade's Edge Mountain where you had to take on the vision quest to find the item that troll antiquity collector was looking for.  Those kinds of quests stick in my head because they showed some thought.  I think they filled most of the game up with those "go kill me x of these and y of these then come back" ones so much and that was the high amount of quests.  I would be willing to bet that 90% or more of the quests in that game are those types of quests.

 

Ive played every MMo and Wow was the only one i could tolerate quesitng in, all the rest even though they had quests they either werent worth doing because the rewards or xp sucked or the quests stopped at like, level 20 and you had to grind anyway.

At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to be a psychoanalyst, I would bet it's because of how quickly the quests went.  I found that I was able to tolerate the WoW quests a little more than the rest too simply for that reason.  After a while though even the fast pace began to wear.

I just want something that is different and original.  Humorous and well thought out at times.  Or even scary and suspenseful.  I just want something with some thought and technique to it.

i stopped reading quests a long time ago in MMOs, they all result int he same thing.

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by DeserttFoxx

WoW..

 

The game followed hte fules, the quests corresponded with your natural grind, there was no reason too quest but there was no reason not to quest, they gave great xp, and usually helped you find your way, after all if you got a quest in another zone it usually meant you should be grinding in that zone, also, the quests lasted all the way to max level and even for hours after you hit max level.

 

There game had a ridiculous amount of quests, so much so it was practically impossible to actually hit max level and finish all the quests.

Funny, that was the game that I was actually thinking of when I referred to the quest system I hated the most. 

There were some quests in WoW that I liked, but they were so few that I actually remember most of them still.  Like the one in Blade's Edge Mountain where you had to take on the vision quest to find the item that troll antiquity collector was looking for.  Those kinds of quests stick in my head because they showed some thought.  I think they filled most of the game up with those "go kill me x of these and y of these then come back" ones so much and that was the high amount of quests.  I would be willing to bet that 90% or more of the quests in that game are those types of quests.

 

Ive played every MMo and Wow was the only one i could tolerate quesitng in, all the rest even though they had quests they either werent worth doing because the rewards or xp sucked or the quests stopped at like, level 20 and you had to grind anyway.

At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to be a psychoanalyst, I would bet it's because of how quickly the quests went.  I found that I was able to tolerate the WoW quests a little more than the rest too simply for that reason.  After a while though even the fast pace began to wear.

I just want something that is different and original.  Humorous and well thought out at times.  Or even scary and suspenseful.  I just want something with some thought and technique to it.

i stopped reading quests a long time ago in MMOs, they all result int he same thing.

Exactly!  My point exactly!!!

I added a little more to my comment after you posted, but it was along the lines of saying that I could write the quests in WoW.  And I'm not a quest writer.  I just think maybe they should hire one.  And if they're paying someone big bucks to write those ones that are in there, then I could use that money really bad. 

Best quest i have played in the last week or so ...

Riding a giant and beat up on smaller mobs. Yeah, it is a kill x mobs type quest ... but i get to ride a giant and get it to do stuff .. so it is cool.

since you said game and not MMO, i'd say Baldurs Gate has the best quests.  Out of all the MMO's...Lotro...but only because of the storyline quests.  i hate quests to death, i think there are too many.  why do i need a separate quest to kill 10 goblins, grab 5 goblin short swords, kill the goblin leader and save the NPC?  why not make it one quest?.

they just keep spewing out more and more quests which (in my opinion) takes away more originality and creates mindless grinds.

For MMOs, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Guild Wars, and Dungeon Runners.  Nothing can really compare to using closed instancing.

I enjoy getting trapped in a room with waves of mobs coming in, needing to fight your way out. And after you kill all the mobs, the boss shows up.

Originally posted by Aethios

Best quests? Runescape, hands down. I know many people regard the game as childish, mostly because of the graphics or the community, but it does have a very deep and serious storyline behind it. Plus, the quests aren't intended to level you up, they are intended to be fun and interesting, and the rewards are just a bonus, which gives them an advantage over games like WoW.

    Its hard to get to the quests when every other word in chat is an F-bomb and 99.9% of the player base are total jerks.....Add in the 1975 graphics and the game is unplayable......To this day I have no clue how people can play that mess and pass on all the other games.......It could have had the best questing system in the world but most people wont ever get to it because of everything else in the game......

Everything in moderation. Its easy to get on a roll doing quests and you just can't stop. Its like eating a potato chip, you can't eat just one. You gotta find other interesting things to do and take a break every once in a while or you get pissed and burned out.

In the five years and 2 dozen MMOs I know the best quests are the LOTRO Books, especially everything after Book IX. They are really epic, make me feel like a hero and have this feeling like being in a movie. LOTRO has great moments in some quests and the Book quests IX and following are really great moments. My really personal fav.

Also the Trials of Obi-Wan from the Mustafar expansion from SWG.

EQ 2 have some solid quest lines. It does however have many patethic quests too (go and kill 100 animals that have eaten a book to put the book together again).

Guildwars have some good ones also.

My favorit one is however the quest in AoC when you have to figure out who of 3 guys are a jewel thief, either using logic or threats.

Honestly, I can't think of any MMO* quests that stand out.

I don't think designers put much effort into quests because the majority of the players run quests for xp and items. Have you ever used a cheat site to find out what the end result of a quest is? Perhaps even gone so far as to scan level-appropriate quests and chose the one with the best reward? Of course you have. Now did you ever try to search for "the best storyline quest" or "the most exciting quest"? Nope, that never occurred to you.

First thing that comes to mind is Vanguard. Too bad I didn't play that game for very well (well maybe not too bad...) but I loved making alts just to run their series of quests. My favorites were the Orc and the... asian humans (can't remember their race). The asians start off on a beach in the middle of leveling a city. A general on a dragon-mount thing gives you quests to burn down and plunder from houses. Finally when you go into the last building the "leader" kind of gives you this good vs. evil beach and then you wake up on another island, a refuge camp. Slowly you begin to denounce the evil Empire you served and train a Lao'jin Knight, to fight for good. There were a lot of very cool tests during this process, such as a jump of faith off a hiiiigh cliff. The storyline even if a bit cliched was just executed perfectly and was a damn exciting way to begin an MMO.

As an orc, you start off breaking out of a slave ship. The quest chain is really solid until you get to this one mountain. Inside begins a huuuge quest chain, which explains step by step the story of a great orc who climbed the mountain and performed various tasks to get to the top and light a torch, signaling to his tribe that they were under attack. The whole storyline was so epic and it was so cool to retrace the steps of such a prominent figure in Orc lore that I actually get shivers as I remember running it.

To be honest, no game I've ever played besides Vanguard felt anything other than a quest grind. It feels like the quests in Vanguard were placed there for some amazing story telling and to make the world feel alive, while quests in Warhammer and WoW were placed there solely so you could get experience.

That said, I really enjoyed running my Shaman epic quest in EQ and the "main" subclass quests in DAOC, however no game is nearly as consistent in the quest department as Vanguard.

I think the class specific Paladin Quests in WoW are my favorite series of quests EVER.

1.  The item is uber that you get.  And I was the only class that could wield it.

2. I did 20 levels this way and all I was doing was one quest.

3.  The feeling that I was fuffiling my role as a paladin in the game world by completeing.  

Heritage Quests in EQ2

Gear was based off of legendary items in EQ (that I never got)

2.  Required a dedicated team of participants

3. UBER UBER Item as reward.  Even if your class couldn't use it you could still frame it as a trohpy in your house.

4. Quests were never boring (except camping a named)-- I remember sneaking into Freeport through the sewers so I could complete the Stein Of Moggock quest.

Any task Force in City Of Heroes.

I must say that wow would be the best.  MxO had some great ones as well, and the content they through in every once in a while was usually quite exciting  (havnet played MxO in a few years now).

as for WoW though, the quests have grown by leaps and bownds in the Wrath expansion.  here are some examples of the quests i have done that i found entertaining.

1.) Stealing horses in grizzly hills

2.) Tranquilizing an npc with a blow dart and kidnaping her and her horse

3.) rescuing a soldier from a cage, riding backwards on the back of the horse shotting crap as we rode to safty ...

..... lots of horse quests i am notcing ... lol

4. )  (alliance side) end of questline in dragon blight, you actually storm undercity through the sewers with a mass of  alliance npc's.  the trailor achievemnt for that was outstanding.

5.) the new pvp dailys in Grizzly hills where you steal some fule and strap a rocket between your legs like Wilie-Coyote (sp?) and race off to blow up a horde supply ship..

the list goes on an on.    

old school WoW and even Burning crusade (for the most part) was just a bunch of "go kill X of these and come see me" ... "k now i need 10 livers from these, come find me when you done" . etc etc.

Dont get me wrong, those still exist in the Wrath expansion, but they have definiatly pulled out the creative stick on this one.

fwiw.

V.