Remove all Faction Quest Giver NPCs

[The Man In The Mist]

The Conclave/Order/Wyrm Watchers all have quests that are really fun, stylish and awesome to do. Quests that are thematically theirs to give a sense of history and belonging to the server.

However, I believe that all quests should be available for any group to take. It simply does not make sense for Conclavists to do gnolls or for Ordermen to do Kant's or Wyrm Watchers to aid the Conclave respectively. It's a circumstance that I'd prefer resolved because each of these quests offer supplies, and loot that is very useful and can tip the scales in conflict.

What I suggest is make the NPC givers for each of these quests neutral. Not aligned with any major faction.

Change the reward to make sense if you must, but I think in the end its for the best.

[Dr Dragon]

So in other words

"Waaa Waa I wanna do this quest but it makes no IG sense for me to do this."

I say removing all faction quest giving NPCS is rediculous, and often in the underdark we were actually creative, and sometimes took quests in disguises.

(Team law wanting to do a quest in Lower Sanctuary, and well we couldnt exactly do that in watch uniforms.)

So I say either be inventive, and solve this problem (take quests not in faction uniforms.) Stand by your characters principle/option by not questing with that faction.


I oppose this suggestion 100% percent.

[Corrigo]

Nobody is forcing you to play a concept that is at odds with faction questgivers.

[NetherGonnaGiveYouUp]

I don't really think it's necessary to remove these simply because your faction pc cannot do one or perhaps two specific quests.  You gain many benefits for being in a faction but they come with natural downsides too, there are dozens of quests out there of the same level, it's really not difficult to avoid doing a specific one.  

Also, I really don't understand why if your PC was opposed to said thing you'd do it in disguise? You are still helping these people who wouldn't hire you otherwise which is somewhat illogical.

[EfUA_undercover]

Enough other quests out there to gain supplies/xp from.

[HerDarkMajesties]

I don't see much of a problem here. If you're an Ordermen who has been getting into the occasional scrap with the Conclave, then maybe you decide to do the quest associated with them for reasons of gathering intelligence on their activities in the Ziggurat.

Or maybe in another instance your Conclave PC wants to show the Wyrm Watchers the might your Empire wields by holding back that horde of orcs they've been struggling with, to discourage them from crossing you again.

And so forth.

[Disco]

Dr Dragon I think its low of you to talk down to the man for posting this. I seem to remember you not always being perfect.
 Once that is said I agree that it sucks to have cool/fun quests made none avalible to your pc, due to factions. But I also think that it adds something to a faction to have these quests. I do not think it should be changed.

[RagingPurpleGiant]

While I think the idea should be very low on the list of things to implement based on the time an effort it would take on behalf of the DM team and the minimal benefit the server gains from it I do like the place The Man In The Mist is coming from.

This isn't so much about grinding quests for experience and items its that there are certain quests which are more entertaining, risky and fun to be a part of that a player can be forced into avoiding due to IC circumstances regarding the quest giver; Why would my Mistlockian Patriot want to help the Conclave catch a "renegade wizard" for example?

The problem The Man In The Mist is trying to fix is that just because your character is opposing certain factions it limits access to some of the quests that could be the players favorite part of EfU. A character's lifespan can last for weeks or months at a time and that's a long while to avoid doing the quest that you consider your favorite part of the server.

[SanTelmo]

What is told about the quest is that certain Conclave Zeulisad has been  lost in a research area and you are set to investigate it and I believe most characters once they enter the quest area and learn more of the situation are willing to continue helping the Conclave. If you do not metagame the results of the quests, it may lead to ballsy situations if your character is suddenly no longer willing to end it. I've yet to see a player (although I am sure there has been such situations but not when I am present!) who refuses to continue the taken scripted quest and return to the questgiver empty handed because it clashed with their ideal, even though it means the loss of supplies and reward.

What  comes to this idea, I disagree. I believe doing even scripted quests  should reflect your characters ideals and it can serve as a way to serve  conflict of ideals before the first hit off PvP. Following your  character certainly makes you  stand out from the crowd when he refuses to aid some NPC/PC. Neutral  characters on the other hand can be spotted by this that if they  regularly aid everyone, Conclave, Order, Wildlings, Mistlocke, Wyrm  Watcher, Necromancers? - Maybe the said faction PCs/NPCs will begin to doubt  to whom their loyalty belongs and no longer wish their aid in important  matters - maybe even view them as hostile.

I don't think any faction has more than one specific  quest tied to them and there's plenty of quests not tied to any faction  (Of course, some factions have a hate relationship with multiple  factions). Nonetheless, people are not running out of quests because of the  current situation.

[xxWhisperingWindsxx]

It's a circumstance that I'd prefer resolved because each of these quests offer supplies, and loot that is very useful and can tip the scales in conflict.

This right here rather invalidates any other reason you're giving.  Especially if you're already in a DM faction.  You get specific faction benes that other people don't.  You also get access to faction specific supplies that others don't.

You've basically summed up your argument that you want another reason to acquire "stuff & loot" and quest grab.

If you're going to be in a DM faction or side with a faction, shouldn't you at least keep the pretense of staying IC?

[sylvyrdragon]

The problem The Man In The Mist is trying to fix is that just because your character is opposing certain factions it limits access to some of the quests that could be the players favorite part of EfU. A character's lifespan can last for weeks or months at a time and that's a long while to avoid doing the quest that you consider your favorite part of the server.

There is a simple solution to this.  Don't join a faction.  If running a specific quest is what you love about efu, then don't limit yourself.  there is a reason these quests are given by Specific Factions, this very reason you are discussing.  Instead of them all being "OMG lets go crush X", you might actually have to stop and think.. "Why would my Orderman go help/ save the conclave"?

Personally I think your character should do it for every quest they go on.  I had one character that refused to do Gnolls.(before the quest giver was an Orderman.. back in EFUA after the bog wars)  Why?  She never saw them just roaming the lands and killing people.  they stayed in their little spot and didn't pose a threat.  So why poke the hornets nest.

We are on a server that the Story is suposed to mean something, that what you do or say has some effect on the world around you.  This means sometimes you have to limit yourself, or don't join a faction.

[granny]

Don't join a faction.

pfff... join ALL factions... and go a double, triple, multiple spy!
*-*

and do ALL quests!

[Mathamune]

To discourage players from joining factions in favor of quests is definitely not something I imagine is wanted. We want players in DM factions/groups/etc. because they make the world feel more alive, active, and ultimately add to the experience.

Another way to deal with this may be to just kill said NPCs [because you guys are opposed, right?] and somewhat force the DM's hand in making a new one.

[Teeth in a Bowl]

Another way to deal with this may be to just kill said NPCs [because you guys are opposed, right?] and somewhat force the DM's hand in making a new one.

That's a bit silly. Like throwing your toys out of the pram. Sort of smacks of a 'if we can't do it, no one can.' attitude.

[Pandip]

I'm completely with WWind on this one. I don't mean to be rude, but this is probably one of the more disappointingly powergaming-centered suggestions I've seen in a while. While I admittedly haven't done Kant's because I've never been associated with the Conclave, I'm not entirely sure what high-risk, high-reward, excruciatingly fun quests we're complaining about not having access to. Gnolls? Most relatively well-equipped PC's don't even have to worry about knocking back a bark potion for this, and unless you're dying for a couple stacks of cure light potions, I don't see what necessary rewards Gnolls has that your character is going to be crippled without if you don't take this quest every reset.

I also find it a bit silly that we're complaining exclusively about Wyrm Watcher, Order, and Conclave -- each of which are DM factions that receive a fair amount of attention, require an app, and have faction-specific loot. If we're going to talk about quest exclusivity, we should be looking at Stargazers and wild PC's who can't grind granary and well or spend a minute doing Tower of Hanoi every reset for low-level advancement, not those PC's who actively know what they're getting into by joining major factions.

If I have one major pet peeve about EFU recently, it's this metagaming, OOC loot quest that certain players seem to be on and this suggestion exemplifies this mentality pretty perfectly. The whole incident with half of Mistlocke coming to the Conclave's aid despite having spoken out against their actions repeatedly is another pretty striking example of this as well. It's frustrating to see certain PC's group together with those who they would typically conflict with in favor of a few quests and a level. And while I try not to associate my IC actions with those that I'm preferential to OOCly, I for one would be much more willing to spend an hour roleplaying a philosophical conversation with a druid than go on the quest train that s/he purposely left because the group invited Conclave, Order, Watchers, and evil priests alike in favor of a better questing party.

I've probably gone too far already, so I'll stop here and leave my thoughts at that. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying I can't be just as guilty of this as the next person. Whenever there's a DM shout, there's a certain instinct to gravitate towards it, both because of the deviation from the norm and because, truthfully, a vast majority of the server is going to go there for an event anyways. But there are way more important things than promoting massive quest trains that the DM team can be focusing their time and attention on doing.