I love ServUO, but I do not have my own server. Actually I rarely play UO anymore - I play ServUO... I like learning code. I especially like writing quests, and their inbred cousins the gumps. I write them as a hobby, but would not mind if people appreciate them and use them.
The last few quests I have written were to teach myself how to get some quest features working. I obviously did not create these features, but want to get more comfortable using them. Like gumps, linking quests together, assembling items, quest tags, various uses of OnDrop & OnSpeech, and (my weakest part) timers. Now I am ready to try and write a much longer quest chain.
My favorite quests, back on OSI servers, were the Hag (Zeefzorpul), and the Solen Matriarch (Translocation Powder). I would keep my vendor well stocked with treasure maps and translocation powder. I could barely keep up with the demand. Which told me the quest items were more popular than doing the quests. Something I understood on a logical level, but never could understand on an emotional level. (but I also enjoyed recalling around making dozens of rune books at a time... it is an illness...)
The quest I am planning (very early planning stages), currently has 6 NPCs, 8 kill quests, numerous decision gumps and 4 possible endings, which means 4 possible reward items (and likely 2 dozen or so gumps). To keep it simple for the admin I will of course include an xml file for all the spawner placement.
Thus my question(s) to shard runners -
Does your player base enjoy quests?
Do they get much use?
Do they prefer the simple one step kill quest, or the more complex quest chain?
As I said it is a hobby, so I will write it anyway, but if I write want people want it might get used more. That is not a bad thing.
The flow chart for the quest looks pretty complex but when followed, it really is 4 relatively small quests. Each branch has maybe 3 NPCs, 3 kill quest, a couple item finds. I am unsure if it should be repeatable, or a single run (that will likely also depend on the reward item quality). If it is single run, then the player's decisions have some consequences. If it is repeatable the players may have more fun.
I may write it with easy to edit changes, to make it selectable from single or multi run. I have done that on quests before.
This is the rough outline, it will of course change as it writes itself. Usually the gump phase, telling the story, makes a lot of changes.
The last few quests I have written were to teach myself how to get some quest features working. I obviously did not create these features, but want to get more comfortable using them. Like gumps, linking quests together, assembling items, quest tags, various uses of OnDrop & OnSpeech, and (my weakest part) timers. Now I am ready to try and write a much longer quest chain.
My favorite quests, back on OSI servers, were the Hag (Zeefzorpul), and the Solen Matriarch (Translocation Powder). I would keep my vendor well stocked with treasure maps and translocation powder. I could barely keep up with the demand. Which told me the quest items were more popular than doing the quests. Something I understood on a logical level, but never could understand on an emotional level. (but I also enjoyed recalling around making dozens of rune books at a time... it is an illness...)
The quest I am planning (very early planning stages), currently has 6 NPCs, 8 kill quests, numerous decision gumps and 4 possible endings, which means 4 possible reward items (and likely 2 dozen or so gumps). To keep it simple for the admin I will of course include an xml file for all the spawner placement.
Thus my question(s) to shard runners -
Does your player base enjoy quests?
Do they get much use?
Do they prefer the simple one step kill quest, or the more complex quest chain?
As I said it is a hobby, so I will write it anyway, but if I write want people want it might get used more. That is not a bad thing.
The flow chart for the quest looks pretty complex but when followed, it really is 4 relatively small quests. Each branch has maybe 3 NPCs, 3 kill quest, a couple item finds. I am unsure if it should be repeatable, or a single run (that will likely also depend on the reward item quality). If it is single run, then the player's decisions have some consequences. If it is repeatable the players may have more fun.
I may write it with easy to edit changes, to make it selectable from single or multi run. I have done that on quests before.
This is the rough outline, it will of course change as it writes itself. Usually the gump phase, telling the story, makes a lot of changes.
