Forum Post of the Day: What if Blizzard let you design your own quest?
by Elizabeth Harper 
Jul 7th 2007 at 4:55PM
Of course, this design-a-quest thread started by Sheeplle on the US forums is full of all sorts of silliness, but in between that there's some interesting quest ideas. Basically, Sheeplle asks anyone on the forums what they would do if Blizzard let them design one (just one) quest for World of Warcraft. Ideas I'd love Blizzard to take some inspiration from include a low-level quest allowing you to jump to level 58 (if you already have a level 60 or 70 character) and a new Scarlet Monastery quest awarding players a trinket that increases the amount of experience gained in Azeroth. (I'm all for anything that speeds up the grind of new characters through Azeroth, though, so perhaps that's why these stand out to me -- after all, I think most of us have played through everything in Azeroth at least once.)But what about you? If you had a chance to design just one quest for the game, what would you create?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Urthona Jul 7th 2007 5:17PM
More druid class quests to attain each of our forms.
I'm glad that the first one involves only speaking with the Great Bear Spirit, but the Sea Lion one needs to change, or make it clearer to find for new players. The whole point of the 2 halves is to make sure young Druids travel to the other continent, but it's not exactly the greatest adventure. I kinda wish there was a Great Seal Spirit in Lake Elune'ara.
The Great Cat that prowls in Moonglade could give a quest stealth in and defeat a demon in Ashenvale.
The Cat could again give us a quest to deliver a message to some druid in Arathi, with a timer, proving the importance of travel form.
And for something meaningful, I'd have the Great Bear "test" us at level 40 to enable Dire Bear form - which would come with a new look.
Sirg Jul 7th 2007 6:12PM
My quest will be about delivering a message to Thrall from Jaina. She would cast a spell that will change the player into an orc, so it could venture into Orgrimaar and give a message to Thrall. If you speak with any other horde npc while changed you would be discovered as a spy and attacked/killed, so the mission is to go straight to Thrall and show him a quest object, like a ring or something like that, so he would know it's from Jaina. The player won't be able to understand the horde players while in "orc form".
I think a similar version of this quest could be made for the Horde as well.
jess Jul 7th 2007 6:43PM
How about continuations for old quests like the Missing Diplomat?
For fun a quest where once you get to a certain reputationw with specfic racial factions you can do a quest to learn their dance, emotes and language. It would be a lot of fun and you could even extend it to the steamwheedle faction.
apexs Jul 7th 2007 7:02PM
My quest would be an epic one, sending you off on a secrete mission to infiltrate an enemy guild, it may take weeks or even months to gain their trust and not blow your cover, while in this guild your mission will be to spread deceit and chaos within their ranks, and return with epic loot, and make them wipe loads of times in their raids, everything to stop their progression and you will be rewarded greatly for your efforts, and you may well become a legend known throughout all the kingdoms
CVJ Jul 7th 2007 7:15PM
I would love it it there was a Scarlet Monastery trinket that would give you an XP buff but only lasts until 58 or something. The old game and XP earned is such a drag compared to the quests and XP in Outlands.
Chris Anthony Jul 7th 2007 7:57PM
I'm going to need a chain for this.
Horde:
Speak to Gazlowe
Follows: The Guns of Northwatch
Start: Captain Thalo'thas Brightsun
End: Gazlowe
Complete text (Guns of Northwatch):Alas, the righteous Alliance guns have been silenced. You shall be rewarded for your aid, [name].
Intro text (Speak with Gazlowe): But the task is not yet over. The guns of Northwatch are silent only until Stormwind sends reinforcements. We must take steps to prevent them from using Northwatch Hold once and for all. You should speak with Gazlowe; he has further plans to that end.
Now to tend to the grim task of recovering the bodies of the dead....
Complete text (Speak with Gazlowe): Brightsun sent you? He must have faith in your abilities, then.
Recruit VanCleef
Follows: Speak with Gazlowe
Start: Gazlowe
End: Edwin VanCleef
Intro text: [name], we need to take down Northwatch Hold completely, and the best way to do that is to talk to the master mason of the Alliance, Edwin VanCleef. I know, I know, most goblins would just blow the place up - don't you think we've tried that? Fortunately, we happen to know that he's fallen out with Stormwind, and he's holing up in the Deadmines, in the southwest mountains of Westfall.
Go find VanCleef and get him to tell you the best way to take down Northwatch Hold, even if it's just where to plant the explosives. And if you can convince him to send that Dreadnought of his over here to run interference for us while you're there, so much the better.
Complete text: I certainly have a problem with the way Stormwind has treated me and my men, but I haven't fallen so far as to ally myself with the Orcs - or to sully my Dreadnought with menial tasks like you're asking. Get out of my sight, before I strap you to Long Tom and see how far your pieces fly.
[Interlude: defeat VanCleef and retrieve his head.]
Return to Gazlowe
Start: Head of VanCleef
End: Gazlowe
Intro text: Even though VanCleef never revealed the secret of Northwatch Hold, Gazlowe will surely be heartened to know that this mason, still a human at heart, won't be building any more fortifications - for anyone.
Complete text: Edwin VanCleef is dead? And by your hand?
...did you at least get the schematics for his Dreadnought?
No matter. We'll keep searching for a way to take Northwatch Hold down for good - and we'll call on you if we want your help.
DanKOzz Jul 7th 2007 8:40PM
Random Quests
Tumples Jul 7th 2007 9:05PM
more class specific quests, to make levelling more interesting
Jonny McCormack Jul 7th 2007 9:13PM
@ 2
That is simply awesome. What an ace idea, nice one!
Brimlar Jul 9th 2007 8:11AM
I'm sorry, but those are really dumb ideas. Just because you have a level 70 character doesn't mean that you should be able to "speed-jump" another character to 70 as some sort of bonus. It's supposed to be hard, it's supposed to be rewarding to get your toon to 70, and I don't want to see Shattrath flooded with Blood Elf pallies "just because" the people already have a level 70.
Chris Anthony Jul 7th 2007 10:51PM
Now that I'm back from dinner (with better formatting!):
=Alliance=
-Corrupting Crystals-
Start: Sentinel Glynda Nal'Shea
End: Ebru
Prerequisite: The Fragments Within
Intro text:
---
[name], the situation is more dire than we had expected. To the far south, in the Barrens, we have heard reports of other crystals which may have similarly corrupting effects.
Seek out Ebru, above the Wailing Caverns, far south of Auberdine in the Barrens. She will tell you more about the crystal there.
---
Complete text:
---
Ah, you're the [race] whom Glynda sent. Welcome to the Barrens, and be very careful - we do not tread on friendly ground here.
---
-The Nightmare Within-
Start: Ebru
End: Disciple of Naralex
Intro text:
---
The Wailing Caverns below us contain the nightmare of a druid named Naralex. He braved the Caverns in order to restore the Barrens to its former verdant self, but when he contacted the Emerald Dream his dreams swiftly became nightmares, corrupting his disciples within the cave. Only one remains unchanged, and he stands near the mouth of the cave, unable to enter and rescue Naralex. The rest have turned against their former ideals and become the Druids of the Fang. They have none of their former morality, and have displayed some frightening new abilities.
[name], I charge you with entering the Wailing Caverns and defeating the four Druids of the Fang. When you have done this, return to the last uncorrupted Disciple, who will lead you to Naralex - but beware that the serpents who inhabit the Caverns will be watching and waiting...
---
Complete text:
---
[name], if you have defeated the four Druids of the Fang, then now is the time for us to act.
I can awaken Naralex, but I will need your help to reach him and to defend him while he wakes. Speak to me again when you are ready to proceed.
---
-Waking Naralex-
Start: Disciple of Naralex
End: Naralex
Intro text:
---
Are you ready to descend once more into the Wailing Caverns, [race]? Then let us proceed!
---
Complete text:
---
I am awake, at last!
[race], you have done me and my disciples a great service, and I thank you. My disciples and I will now return to the Cenarion Circle, so that we may contemplate the troubles that caused my nightmare - and how best to overcome them.
Thank you again, [race], and may Elune light your path.
---
KiwiRed Jul 8th 2007 4:21AM
You know, a quest that lets you upgrade your 16-slot backpack with an extra couple of slots (or even to make it an 20-slotter) would be very much appreciated.
Caramin Jul 8th 2007 7:50AM
Some great ideas above, nice work people!
I had what I thought would be a great idea for an epic First Aid quest - to give players the ability to do CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation
In my mind this would work just like the existing engineering Jumper Cables trinkets - ie with the random chance to rez the target.This would give the rez ability to all classes so would have to be a very
challenging to obtain.
I posted this on the bliz suggestion forum a while back but it got buried in the plethora of other inane suggestions :P
CthulhuCalling Jul 8th 2007 1:19PM
How about completing the chain for turning in the Chained Essence of Eranikus?
Hanida Jul 8th 2007 12:18PM
My quest would have the player travel to every mailbox available to their faction, and perform repairs on it. This would be done for a Goblin questgiver, I suppose. Reward: A permanent inventory item that lets you spawn a mailbox anywhere, once a day. I can't imagine anyone not finding that incredibly handy.
Grendalsh Jul 8th 2007 7:24PM
A chain for Character Transfers.
As an option to paying $25, there'd be a chain of collection quests for items from all over Azeroth. The items would be soulbound, so they couldn't be farmed. You'd need to be at least lvl 10, and you'd need to find either a Wizard or Warlock to use the items to cast a portal. Once you stepped thru, you'd be logged out and the character transfer site would be brought up so you could select your destination realm.
The quest would be repeatable, but would have cooldowns on each part, so it'd take at least a week before you could complete the quest chain again.
tylers9182 Jul 8th 2007 9:19PM
My quest would be to out-Chuck Norris-joke all of barrens chat. itd be red no matter what level you are and the reward would be a trinket that lets you skip lvl 15-25 altogether.
Ingaverson Jul 9th 2007 9:42AM
In the next expansion the following should be considered:
1) More class specific quests.
2) More faction quests either for current factions such as Sha'tar and Lower City or ones like i.e. Aldor/Scryers - particularly lev 70 ones
3) Some interesting chain quests when you reach exalted with factions.
4) I'd like to see some level 70 chain quests of epic proportion that require visits to older content i.e. 5 man Strat, Scholo or even 40 mans like Nax. I think this would help keep the older content in use.
5) Would be great to have some high level quests which gave new skills as rewards instead of items - these should be class specific.
6) There should be a good chain when you become exalted with all aliance or horde factions i.e. Exodar&Ironforge&Stormwind&Darn&Gnomeregan - probably with some kind of epic lev 70 rewards. This would also help keep the older content alive.
7) For the high number of quests in normal instances heroics don't really have many so the only reason to go to most is the badges and drops. More heroic instance quests might mean that Mechanar isn't always the easiest to get a LFG for.
8) Some more quests for Elemental shamans (and maybe some other spec variations) between levels 1-58 with better greens or blues as rewards because i think these specs don't have a lot of gear available in normal game content.
9) Seriously long 20+ step chains that take you all over outland... I mean even the second sight helm quests in SMV are quite easy with a competant 5 man group and thats probably the longest in outland at present.
10) Finally more profession specific quests would be good. Might be nice to finally have a nice quest with a reward (maybe a trinket or something) for Miners, Skinners and Herbalists.
Heraclea Jul 9th 2007 12:50PM
Quest: Defend the Potato Patch
The player receives a cage, which when used releases a trained boar, that sniffs around for potatoes. When it finds one, you can collect a potato. You must collect 50 potatoes to complete the quest.
The problem is, both the potato nodes and the boar are under constant attack from leper gnomes that attack both potato nodes and boars.
And the whole thing takes place - inside Gnomeregan.
I'd make the quest rewards something really enticing, like a selection of level 29 epic weapons, to make sure that people would drive themselves batty trying to do this harebrained quest.
braydn Jul 9th 2007 7:29PM
i would like to see some more underwater quests, an underwater city, underwater mounts, etc... could have a raid 10 or 20 man that all have water mounts and you have to go kill a bunch of monster bosses at the bottom of the bottom of the ocean, and then the next raid in the chain could be to defend a ship from a giant naga beast or a giant squid or octopus, etc...also would be cool to add underwater abilities that could be obatined by questing like swim speed increased etc...and also add some underwater breathing clothes or masks or goggles (tailoring, engineering) enchants, etc...
anyway, i think the underwater thing needs to get epic, maybe in the next expansion....