Preferred Mob Type?

[Basil Brotheamus]

You'd be suprised how hard it is to come up with decent quest. It's not as easy as you make it sound like.
From my experience it usually goes a bit like this:

1. First you need good idea and plot for the quest, this includes the main plot, all different mobs, how the quest should proceed, what are the plot twists and what is the outcome. Naturally the more complex the idea and plot the harder it is to come up with.
2. Then you need to plan out how the players will execute the quest in practice, it's not enough if you have a perfect quest on paper, if it doesn't work in practice then you're screwed. This is the hardest part.
3. Manually adjust the mobs, give them correct skills, give them nice names, colors etc. and make sure they are the right strength. Place the traps, teleports, gates etc.
4. Now you're finally getting close to launching the quest. You'll receive shitload of GM pages "WHERE IS THE QUEST??" while you're trying to setup the quest and monsters and supervise that not only there is enough monsters but also that players are behaving and moving forward as planned.
5. 30 minutes from the quest starting you already have to be saving someones stuff from a monster or have complains from players of someone looting or using veritas or mass dmg spells. Meanwhile the other quest attenders are sending you GM pages "WHAT TO DO NEXT? "WHAT NOW??" because they have killed all the monsters already.
6. 2 hour form the quest starting, you get frustrated messages and pages how boring the quest is.
7. Finally the quest is over and at this point you just want everything to be over soon meanwhile reading the angry pages "WHERES MY QUEST DEED???".

I'm exaggerating a bit there and there's been many "thank you's" aswell and few succesfull quests, but really, it can easily take from few hours to few days or even weeks of planning and adjusting before the quest even starts and usually the outcome is not worth it from GM's point of view. When I was a staff many of the players came forward to me with many quest ideas, but again the hardest part is to make the storyline work in practice, not coming up with a decent storyline or idea.

[Elsabet]

Yes I know how tough it is to do these quests! Sometimes you work 20-40 hours setting up one event and all you get are complaints, very discouraging. I've been in those shoes before...

The best advice I have?

Organize it well from start to finish.
Set up a challenging environment and utilize all your skills (world building, spawning, storytelling)
Make a post before the event that explains where, when it will start, and what to expect.
Have a backup plan (you never know who or how many will turn out for your quest)
Design it to be no more than 2 hours in length
Always have other staff on hand to help you run it.
Always have a surprise that has some *whoop whoop* for the players and makes the event a unique experience.
Know your players (what interests them, personalities, what their skills are and how they roleplay) make them the stars of the show
Mix it up! A good seer is like a DJ at a party. Don't play slow dance music all night (give a full variety of experiences)

Find a few trustworthy idea makers...give them GM abilities on a special test server and let them set it up, test it, etc? Ultimately there is a lot of trial and error involved in learning a seer's craft

And players, please show some respect for staff! Stop complaining, if you can't say something nice, in character, or helpful don't say anything at all. Be forgiving and supportive, expect to die, expect things to go wrong...but treat the staff the same way you would want to be treated if you were running the event.

[Bestia Domare]

I would like to suggest that quest mobs be modified so that they are non-looting if possible.
This will avoid a lot of frustration for players and GM's locating lost/stolen gear and being "let down" by a quest.
Quests should be a part of the game where people can use their best gear without too much fear of losing it, and you should never come out of a quest with less than you entered.

[Elsabet]

Maybe they could make a special healer npc for quests that is invulnerable and casts one of the resurrection spells that returns lost items?

[Bestia Domare]

Maybe they could make a special healer npc for quests that is invulnerable and casts one of the resurrection spells that returns lost items?

good idea, but an NPC healer would remove an aspect of teamwork. Resurrecting each other is about one of the only things that forces interactions between players during a quest.

[Arden Darkfall]

Who the f*** pages GM for quest related stuff in the middle of a quest?
Unless you get stuck or any other GM business, banishing those pricks could work Along with a global message of course, "Player X was just permanently sent on holidays to a very small island for annoying the shit out of me. Yours truly, GM *****."


Wasn't there a topic of some sort regarding quest ideas for players to suggest? I seem to recall something.

[Ares]

Yes. I've constantly encouraged players to send quest ideas and plans to us. I made a quest application as well but I've recieved 0 ideas since it was posted.

I've also tried to make a quest/event playercouncil to help plan stuff but it never took off.

[Elsabet]

Yes. I've constantly encouraged players to send quest ideas and plans to us. I made a quest application as well but I've recieved 0 ideas since it was posted.

I've also tried to make a quest/event playercouncil to help plan stuff but it never took off.

Aww that stinks! But now you can't say that none of your players sent you a quest. Hopefully some lay/former staff will step up and say they will help and make that council. After all it's hardly fair to complain that the quests and role-play aren't up to par if you're not going to help out.