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.