Almost every MMORPG has them, but are they really still relevant? Get me X hides, kill X orcs… Are these filler quests just meant to waste time? Or is there more to it? And could it be done better?
Often, quests in MMORPGs tell small or even larger stories that bring the lore closer to the player or advance the main story. We meet interesting NPCs who fill the game world with life, and we get the feeling of achieving something and making our mark in the world.
Not every mission has a profound story: But there are other missions. Tasks that have no deeper meaning or purpose. A farmer wants us to harvest 20 turnips from his field for him, or the hunter sends us to defeat a horde of orcs that are disturbing the hunting area. These quests always follow a very similar pattern. We are supposed to collect a certain number of items or defeat some enemies before we receive the reward.
It may seem strange when the hero learns that the dark dragon has launched an attack on the city, reducing houses to rubble, and one actually wants to intervene. But one cannot, because one is simply not strong enough yet. While the townspeople are in fear for their lives, the hero first sets out to kill some straying wolves so that he can finally level up and take on the beast.
Kill and Fetch Quests are Justified in an MMORPG
However, so-called fetch and kill quests have their justification, especially in MMORPGs. This type of role-playing functions somewhat differently than single-player games. In MMORPGs, some missions are often just a means to an end, allowing characters to level up and acquire important items. It’s about effectively and quickly advancing the hero.
For MMORPGs often lure players with a particularly interesting endgame, where for many fans the real game truly begins. Sieges, raids, mass battles, or guild wars often keep an MMORPG interesting for longer than a story that can be completed in a few hours. Especially those who already know this story and perhaps want to start anew with an additional character want to get to the endgame as quickly as possible. And here, grinding plays a significant role.
Grinding to the Endgame: In essence, simple missions like kill and fetch quests are grinding. Such missions can typically be repeated infinitely. They are quite simple in structure, can be completed quickly alongside other activities, and provide the necessary reward in the form of loot and experience points. Through these types of quests, it is then possible to bring one’s character to the desired level quite easily, whether through EXP, items, or gold.
For this reason, kill and fetch quests are not inherently to be condemned. The question is only, could it perhaps be done better? Could we present this type of mission in a more appealing way?
Even Simple Quests Can Be Fun with Good Stories
The foundation must remain: The basic structure of collecting items or defeating enemies should remain untouched. After all, that’s what brings in rewards in a relatively simple way. But such tasks can be wrapped in more interesting stories that don’t just bluntly state: “Kill X monsters” or “Bring me X items”.
Imagine a quest line:
- A horde of orcs attacks a farm, and the hero must help. Thus, he must first drive away these attackers, which happens when he has defeated X of them.
- Then he must pursue the orc horde back to their camp. There, he needs to defeat the greenskins, which again means taking out X orcs. But that was just the vanguard.
- A larger horde lies in wait in the mountains. Meanwhile, another group has gathered, making life difficult again for the farm’s inhabitants.
- In the end, there could also be a boss fight.
This is just one possible example of how kill and fetch quests can be designed a bit more interesting and modern, giving the entire system more significance in the game world and story, without completely removing it from the game.
The downside, however, is that something like this is more complicated to develop than simply offering a “kill X” task without much quest and story.
Level Restrictions Should Be Used with Care
Do not place artificial barriers in front of the player: Furthermore, MMORPGs should simply handle level-restricted quests with more consideration. The previously mentioned point, that first kill and fetch quests or grinding are necessary before the hero can fight the dragon, would not disrupt the story so much if one could defeat a few monsters on the way to the dragon, and that was part of the quest’s narrative.
Players who have not reached the necessary level must fight through the ranks of the dragon’s minions and level up that way, while those who are already strong enough can directly attack the monster. In this way, the player is not pulled out of the flow of the game and the story. The simple tasks are still present for leveling up, but they are integrated into the current task.
Make simple missions a bit more interesting: There are many ways to incorporate kill and fetch quests into an MMORPG in such a way that they do not pull the player out of immersion. That is, the illusion of being in another world instead of just playing a game.
This requires creativity, and this should easily be employed in a video game. Basically, designers can let their imaginations run wild regarding quest design. Yet sometimes it doesn’t feel like they are doing so. With a bit more creativity, so much could be achieved.
Because kill and fetch quests are part of an MMORPG, but they don’t always have to be immediately recognizable as such. Embedded in good stories, it would simply be more enjoyable and interesting to complete these tasks. And the question of whether this type of quest is still relevant wouldn’t even arise.
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