What Are Some of Your Favorite RPG Quests?

Ryosen asks: "The current issue of PC Gamer Magazine has a rundown on the MMORPGs due out this year. Reading over the list of hopefuls and checking out some of the websites and comments, I continually ran across complaints from players about the tedium in a lot of the quests from various games. These are typically of the non-imaginative 'take this message to that person' variety, or 'go kill 4 of these creatures' sorts. Obviously there have been some great quests and plots in games of the past and, with so many new RPGs in development, I thought this would be a great time to reminisce over some of our favorites. Who knows? Maybe some of those designers might find some inspiration for their upcoming creations."

Comments

Baldur's Gate 2

[jspayne]

The variety and complexity of the quests in Baldur's Gate 2 make me long for the days when there were real RPGs. The quests were very political (taking sides with different factions), and had consequences for your choices. I loved the class-specific quests with the "stronghold" rewards - a great sense of accomplishment, even if the nature of the quest was kill'em all. And the romances - again, making you choose between potential mates, and then behaving in a way that character would want from you. Perfect.

I never get bored playing BG2.

Star Control 2

[SashaM]

Without a doubt, the best Quest I have ever played is Star Control 2. Its source code has recently been released and ported to modern platforms, too, now known as The Ur-Quan Masters.

Disclaimer: I deny all responsibility for the days/weeks of "wasted" time if you decide to download this game.

Legend of Mana

[JensR]

There is one quest where you have to sell a 5 lamps to dupbears. The problem is, they speak their own special language where you just get a basic vocabulary for, and you have to chat with them for a while before you can get pitch your wares. Probably the nicest quest in the game.

Admiral Harkov's betrayal in Tie Fighter

[canozmen]

Anyone remember the mission where Admiral Harkov sends you and your wingmen to inspect an asteroid field (which turns out to be a mine field) to get rid of you, then you had to fight your way out of it alive to report his betrayal. I still remember how angry I felt the moment in mid-flight when I realized the trap. Touches like these really forced you to take part in the storyline and personalize the conflict told in the game. Oh, and the moment of sweet revenge at the end of the campaign when Darth Vader says "Welcome Admiral Harkov, we have a matter to discuss.". That's what you get for sending me into a death trap sucker!

Easy

[SmallFurryCreature]

In Planescape Torment you come across a society made up out of ghouls, skeletons and zombies. No it is not hack and slash time, well you can but then your playing the wrong game, but the 'quest' is not to do the 'quest'. You can find out the truth of their 'god' but that would destroy the carefull balance that makes this undead society work.

All of the quests in that area are nice but the best is helping a zombie remember her name. It has multiple solutions and none of them involve killing anything just making what you think is the best choice.

Same as, what can chance the nature of a man. That one had me really thinking about what to answer. It doesn't matter of course as the game continues on the same path but I felt the 'right' response was important.

Those are the best quests for me. When you can make choices that perhaps don't 'matter' but wich you feel are the ones you can live with. When you choose a response not based on loot or XP but just on roleplaying THAT is when a RPG is at its best.

Vampire Bloodlines has another quest like that. You come across an apartment of a prostitute and can read her diary where she talks off how she hates the live but has met someone nice. It also becomes clear that some vampire has infected her and her new love with a deadly disease. She is dying and you can talk to her to find out more. Depending on your race of vampire you can comfort her by pretending to be her love. It doesn't do anything. Just feels right. As the mad vampire race you even have some very poignant observations to make.

Nice. When I went to slay the vampire that infected her it wasn't for the XP.

MMORPG's rarely if ever can achieve this. How can they? It would ruin the moment of her passing away if there was a line behind you waiting to talk to her as well. The nameless zombie would be more comedy for having thousands of people tell her her name only to forget again.

A truly great RPG is about roleplaying, where you make your choices based on the character you have chosen to play. To me a that would mean that an evil character would indeed have more wealth and power but also find himself ultimately alone with noone to trust.

BUT a purely good character would be poor (not nice to accept a widows wedding ring as payment for rescueing her childeren) and ultimately just as alone as a purely good character could never tolerate say a thief in his/her party.

For me a true MMORPG would have 3 alignments. Good, evil and the most common one. Slightly evil. The alignment most of us have in real live. Make a player pay throught the nose if he wants to play a dogooder. Make evil characters outcasts from society who like real criminals have to spend much of their wealth in bribing people to be their friends.

Oh and stop it with the quest que. It ruins it when a dozen people are getting the same quest if everything in the story suggests that the quest should be unique.