Does this bother anyone else?

Ruds · Post by **Ruds** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 6:37 pm

Maybe it's just me, but is anyone else bothered by how SHORT all of the quests in this game are? I'm assigned something, and then I go and complete it only 10 minutes later. It's never far away, it's never particularly difficult or even complex, and there's virtually nothing to "figure out". It's just so... short. I've completed over 30 quests and I've only played the game for a few hours. Even the main story quests are brief.

Intergalactic · Post by **Intergalactic** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 6:46 pm

It is a matter of preferences, i guess. If you don't have time to play
for long periods of time you might appreciate short quests.
Even though i like long and epic quests it is very annoying if you can't finish them in one sitting. Especially, because there is no proper map function.
Some quests were a little over the top , though.
The quest, where you have to take care of a ghoul for the anarchs is so short that it is hardly worth the load time.

Ruds · Post by **Ruds** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 6:49 pm

Right. That ghoul quest is a good example of exactly what I'm talking about. I understand that the setting is so much different than Arcanum and ToEE, but Troika sure did change the quests up a bunch in Vampire.

Muttley · Post by **Muttley** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 6:49 pm

short quests

I like the short quests.

I was always annoyed by games like silent hill, where it took you a half hour to get across town. only to have to go back and pick up a green gummy bear to give to the purple platypus. or something to that effect... LOL..

but thats just me...
Keep Feeding!!!!

Muttley

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 6:54 pm

It's typical of Troika that quests are kept deliberately short, and puzzles (when they exist) are moronically simple. Their intended market is very broad, and they obviously figure on a lot of kiddies who get frustrated easily.

I don't think that applies to any of us, but I know for a fact from previous interviews with some of the team members that this does factor into game development.

Muttley · Post by **Muttley** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 7:06 pm

Do you think that this is done to keep the game playable?

some of these games seem to be impossible w/o a strat guide, or lurking for cheats online.

like you said, someone who doesnt have lots of time to spend on the game, can still play in segments and come away with a good experience. instead of attempting a quest only having to leave, and then come back later, and loose the feeling of the game...

Keep Feeding

Muttley

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 7:30 pm

[QUOTE=Muttley]Do you think that this is done to keep the game playable?[/QUOTE]

Not playable, but easily winnable. To quote what I wrote above: Their intended market is very broad, and they obviously figure on a lot of kiddies who get frustrated easily. So by making it an extremely easy game to play, with short quests, little or no puzzles and the option for constant combat (if you want that), they keep the pre-adolescents happy. You or I may not be as pleased, but we'll still by the game if it succeeds in other respects. At least, that's the way the marketing theory goes.

Qark · Post by **Qark** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:12 pm

I found the game a pretty enjoyable experience. In much the same way I find short films enjoyable, but I still prefer epic dramas.

Muttley · Post by **Muttley** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 3:56 am

Yes but how often do you watch those epic dramas???

once in a while and the movie is still good.. try watching it everyday and picking it apart.. not so epic now.., just boring....

changing gamplay keeps the game fresh, yes some of the quests are ultra short, but the overall game is still enjoyable. Its kind of refreshing to be able to play a mission here and there.

it just seems that if you are playing the game again, something must have been done right. even if the recommended requirements lie... lol

Keep Feeding

Muttley

Solusek · Post by **Solusek** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 4:18 am

Well, it also depends on how you do certain quests. The sneaky way is always the harder one(at least in the beginning), still not difficult, but at least not as easy as beating the **** out of everyone and his mother. Or try the Museum Quest without deactivating the cameras and killing anybody. Can be pretty nasty, without celerity.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:06 am

[QUOTE=Muttley]Yes but how often do you watch those epic dramas??? once in a while and the movie is still good.. try watching it everyday and picking it apart.. not so epic now.., just boring....[/quote]

Now, this is just getting a bit silly. First, we're not talking about Dostoevsky; these aren't "epic dramas" by any means. We're only discussing the difference quests that are extremely short and others that require a bit of work--between the way Bioware and Troika deliberately design their games. Second, you might want to check our BG2, IWD and NWN forums if you think longer quests are boring.

Remember, these remain some of the highest selling RPGs of all time.

And so are the Fallout quests, which typically have much shorter quests. It's just a matter of target age group; Troika aims a bit lower, and always has. (They also do this by frequently ignoring any reasons to justify giving you quests. Bioware is typically more careful: if people seek you out in BG2, there's a good reason for it, and it's credible. In most Troika games, you're no one from nowhere, yet everybody suddenly seems willing to confide in you their greatest secrets, seeking help.

)

Muttley · Post by **Muttley** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:49 am

Personally I dont care how well a game sells. I form my own opinion. Unlike the mass of sheepeople that do whatever mtv and the press tells them.

I stand by my statement that i enjoy the shorter, playable in one sitting quests. didnt realize that disagreeing with the moderator made me wrong.

and why would i play games with the longer quests since, i think, i have clearly stated that i enjoy the shorter ones?

Keep Feeding. (if the moderator approves of it)

Muttley

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:20 am

[QUOTE=Muttley]I stand by my statement that i enjoy the shorter, playable in one sitting quests. didnt realize that disagreeing with the moderator made me wrong.[/quote]

Um, huh? Where in any of my posts above did I say that 1) longer quests were somehow better than shorter ones; and 2) you shouldn't enjoy shorter quests? Anybody is free to enjoy any quest of any size, and any game they choose. Qark simply gave his opinion that he preferred longer quests. Instead of allowing him to have his own opinion, you responded by taking his likening 'em to "epic dramas" at face value in order to state they were boring. Point being you were never attacked on your preferences; you felt for some reason that you had to attack Qark's.

I pointed out that if the Bioware games, which typically use longer quests, were actually boring to all, as you seem to imply, they wouldn't have good sales. How this statement reflects on your ability to hold your own views without reference to anybody else's is beyond me. You know, just because you maintain X and someone else maintains Y, it doesn't always mean they're attacking you. In fact, it may just mean--they prefer Y.

Now, could we get back to expressing our full range of opinions on this subject? Those who prefer shorter quests, or longer ones, can say so without fear of being jumped on.

Komissar Charon · Post by **Komissar Charon** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:20 am

[QUOTE=Muttley]Personally I dont care how well a game sells. I form my own opinion. Unlike the mass of sheepeople that do whatever mtv and the press tells them.[/QUOTE]

Somehow I don't get the impression that MTV wants us to buy Bioware games.

newfie · Post by **newfie** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:42 am

I must admit, as an avid player of all the D&D games, KOTOR, Morrowind etc. this short quest idea suits this game especially due to the loading times. I can't imagine moving from area to area seven or eight different times to finish one quest and how much time would be wasted loading areas. Keeping the quests curt keeps the game rollicking along and gives you xp points abundantly so you can see your character evolving faster. Thumbs up for Troika for this, thumbs down for releasing another game full of bugs that takes away from an otherwise enjoyable experience. (TOEEE, Arcanum)

Traveler · Post by **Traveler** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 11:11 am

I think short quests are ok. Don't have much time to play around. Faster to earn experiences.