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Know Your Lore Special: The top ten lore quests, part 1
Questing in WoW can be a dull experience. Go out and kill ten harpies, go out and retrieve ten elephant tongues, go deliver this letter to a guy standing five feet away because I'm a lazy ass and can't be bothered to move. Eventually, you get bored, turn on Instant Quest Text, and start following objectives instead of storylines. But, as Amanda pointed out in June, sometimes it pays to read the story. Many of the quests mentioned in that article's comments are miniature lore storylines in themselves -- Rakh'likh the Defiler, Linken's quests, all the really annoying chains in Eastern Plaguelands that I never finished because I enjoyed wearing the Scarlet Crusade disguises too much. A lot of these don't have much to do with the main lore of Azeroth. But sprinkled in-between are a couple of quests that really get deep into the heart of WoW, bringing in heavy-hitting lore figures and major events in the Warcraft universe. They're the quests everyone should do simply to see what happens. And so, Know Your Lore presents: The Top Ten Lore Quests in World of Warcraft!
It came from the Blog: Questalicious
Yes, once again it's time for our weekly(-ish) IcftB get together-- our guild over on Zangarmarsh is still hopping around like toads eating jumping beans, and it seems like there's quite a few people hanging out almost every day now. But we still want to try and keep up the events, because it's always fun for us to get together as a big group and make a splash.So our next guild event is going to be next Monday, July 16th, at 6pm server time (I believe that's 8pm Eastern). We're going to be doing quests of all kinds-- elite quests, group quests, instance quests, solo quests, lowbie quests, chain quests. You name it, we're going to do it. If you've had a quest sitting on your IcftB character for a while, but haven't finished it, Monday night will be the time to get it done. Or if you're interested in helping out some of the other characters with finishing their quest (and catching up to your level-- I'm looking at you, Feralpuppy, who's somehow level 65 already!). Of course, some quests will be in instances, so we'll also do some instance running. And there will likely be some BGs in there as well, as long as I can make it to 29 by then.If you haven't joined us on Horde side Zangarmarsh, please do (just send a tell to anyone in guild), and hopefully we'll see you Monday night for some questin' good times.
Your daily dose of questing
It's been a while since the daily quests were introduced with patch 2.1 on the live servers now, and most players have had time to at least give them a try. So what do you think?Personally, I really like them-- it gives me a chance when I log in to spend just a few minutes picking up a nice, guaranteed chunk of gold and rep. When we first heard about them, hardcore players were unhappy that they'd be forced to follow a daily schedule, but ten daily quests seems like a lot to do a day anyway (especially when you consider everything else there is to do in-game), and most hardcore players have probably finished all the daily quest rep grinds anyway-- I know a few of my guildies already have all the mounts and rewards available.Have you not touched the daily quests yet, or do you do them every day? And which ones are you all working on-- I've liked the Fires over Skettis eggsplosion quest (and I get better at dodging those dumb birds every day that I do it), but I'm looking forward to staring up the Netherwing herbalist quest next. How are daily quests working out for you?
Best RP quest chains pre-Outlands
So you leveled your main into the late 50s and are ready to jump into the time-sucking goodness that is the Outlands. But before you head in, you want to experience any good pre-BC quest chains you may have missed. One player on the official forums is in this exact situation and wants to know: what quest chain should she do that has good XP and an interesting storyline before heading into the Burning Crusade content?Many players have chimed in so far with their fondly remembered misadventures. Tirion Fordring's Redemption chain out of the Eastern Plaguelands gets many recommendations. As does the Marauders of Darrowshire chain in which you have to find a little girl ghost's missing dolly and along the way relive a critical moment in the history of the lands.You can also summon a helicopter out of Azshara, get killed on purpose out of Un'goro and learn the history of the Moonkin which takes you to the same area where you can quest for a mechanical yeti. But there is one quest that is getting the most enthusiastic recommendations.
Forum Post of the Day: Your "I never want to do this again" quest
You know what forum poster Timat is talking about. Those quests that you died a half dozen times attempting to complete. The quests that took hours of travel or multiple dungeon runs to complete. The quest that you completed after it went grey in your quest log simply because you refused to let the quest beat you. Posters in the thread already have some suggestions: the druid sea form quest, the Onyxia key chain (both horde and alliance versions are a nuisance), and, of course, "Vast Ocean, Deep Sea." See more player opinions in previous forum posts of the day.
Breakfast Topic: Favorite quests
Yesterday we talked about the most annoying quests you'd found in Azeroth and Outland -- so today we're talking about the opposite. Let's hear about the most interesting, most rewarding, and most out and out fun quests you've found in the game since the expansion's come out. My own personal favorite remains a fairly early quest in Terokkar Forest. Exploring the Cenarion Thicket for other quests, you're likely to run into the half-crazed Warden Treelos, who requests that you slaughter a beast he calls Naphthal'ar. Of Naphthal'ar, Treelos tells you:If you can, convince it to come down for tea. But, by all means, get it to stop staring at me!And once you have slain the beast, Treelos mourns:It's for the best, really. If it cannot civilly accept an invitation then it has no business attending.That little interaction makes me giggle every time I recall it, and -- for me at least -- makes an otherwise simple "go here, kill this" quest a memorable favorite.
"A challenge based on an influenced probability reliant on time investment"
What is that crazy assortment of buzzwords in the title of this post, you ask? You already know-- you probably spent a lot of time playing it this weekend. That, says Drysc, is what WoW is.When Nickleplate of Bloodscalp posted the perennial question of why we're still stuck killing n boars for x eyes, Drysc responds with a pretty insightful (some might say cynical) comment: we're doing it to waste time. Why doesn't every vulture you kill drop a tailfeather to collect? Because quests are designed to take time to do them, and to reward you when you invest that time.Now, I hope Drysc doesn't really think that about this game-- saying quests are designed to steal free time is like saying Jack Bauer defeats terrorists because the script says so. Jack Bauer defeats terrorists because he's Jack Bauer, and we're completing quests because in WoW, we're heroes and that's what heroes do. We aren't really "waiting for those eyes to drop"-- we're supposed to be collecting them to save a village or earn a new faction's respect so we can better save the world.But leave it to Drysc to rain on the parade. Most players, I think, want and get more out of WoW than just a simple timesink-- they want to have fun with (or play against) friends, experience building a character in a story, or simply develop a strategy (... on how better to obtain boar eyes, maybe, but a strategy nonetheless). I ask for more than "a challenge based on an influenced probability reliant on time investment" from WoW, and most of the time, I get it. Do you ask for more? And do you get it?
Faience's adventures in Outland: Elites? What elites?
I'm sure we're all familiar with the elite quests scattered throughout Azeroth. Or if not familiar with the particulars of each and every one of them, at least aware that there exists such a thing as quests that are flagged "elite" that involve killing more powerful "elite" monsters. Well, in the Burning Crusade you won't be seeing any of those. And, no it's not because Blizzard has decided to remove elites from the game. Instead, Blizzard has dropped the "elite" flag from quests and replaced it with a "group" flag, which I first noticed when questing on my new level 12 Blood Elf. Curious about the above Anok'suten quest, I located a partner and headed out to complete it immediately -- in the end it involved killing a single level 11 elite, surrounded by non-elites of around the same level. I might have been able to solo it -- but the suggested players hint is appreciated.And this trend continues into Outland -- only the elites are a bit bigger.
Reputation no longer diminished by level
Lane points out something interesting that I hadn't yet noticed after 2.0: faction reputation via quest is not subject to level any more.It's true. I just loaded up my 55 night elf hunter, ran a quest in Northshire Abbey, and sure enough, 20 seconds of killing kobolds got me 250 rep for Stormwind. Most players trying to grind reputation for another racial faction (usually for the mounts, but most vendors will also give a small discount for higher rep) were limited to grinding around for tons and tons of runecloth, but it appears that doing lowbie quests will now grant just as much, if not way more, reputation. You won't be able to see the "!" or earn XP for them (if you're doing quests way below your level, that is), but the rep is there and plentiful-- just talk to the questgiver.I've never heard of this, so there's a chance that Blizzard hasn't as well, and that this is just a bug waiting to be fixed. But for now, if you've been waiting to grind up reputation for a mount, just head back to the starting area of your choice, and have at it.
Breakfast Topic: Favorite quest chain
There are so many great quests in the game, but some of the most intriguing ones are the longer chains. And while the quests themselves may be annoying hunts for rare drops, sometimes the entertaining quest text in between is all worthwhile. My absolute favorite chain in the game has to be the one given by the charming Apothecary Lydon in Tarren Mill. He has such amusing dialogs that I can't help but giggle whenever I get a new Horde character into the 20s and run off to do those quests. He's such a charmer, with lines like:There we go! Ah, nothing brightens a gloomy day in these miserable foothills like bringing a little suffering into the world.So do you have any favorite quests chains in the game? Things you go out of your way to find whenever you're playing a new character?
Breakfast Topic: Easy to Miss Quests
There's been a thread making the rounds on the forums about the game's easy to miss quests, which started me thinking about the game's questing system. For the most part, quests are difficult to miss - NPCs in need of help stand around with large yellow exclamation points over their heads that are hard to ignore. In a game that's so intentionally user-friendly, what indeed is the point of hard to find quests, that few may ever see? Having played the game through to level 60 on both Alliance and Horde sides, I'm always amused to find some bit of game content that's previously escaped me. But as to the point of these hidden quests - is their benefit in adding replayability to the game? In rewarding the persistent explorers who may find them? And how do you like your quests - straight up and in the open or a hidden gem in an obscure place?
Levelling Locations: 21-30
Previously in the Levelling Location series: 1-10, 11-20. At around level 20, things start to get really interesting. A lot of classes gain some particularly exciting new abilities at level 20, such as the druid's catform or the shaman's ghost wolf. Most of these will become invaluable for the remainder of your levelling time. Also, at around level 20, it's time to move on from the 'starter' areas. There are several places to quest, with plenty of variety, though you may find quests more spread out than previously. Also, if you're on a PvP server, things can start getting nasty as you venture into contested territories and zones with towns for both factions. Unfortunately, ganking (being killed by higher-level players) is the order of the day -- grit your teeth, stay off the roads, and you'll soon be big enough to visit some revenge on your tormentors.
Breakfast Topic: Ding!
Some dings mean more than others. Across all my alts, I've heard the noise and seen the yellow flashes over two hundred times -- yet few of them are memorable. I find odd-numbered levels particularly boring, as nothing really happens (some armour and quests become available, but even numbers are where it's at).However, some dings are memorable enough to make up for the monotone of the majority. Hitting 60 (see right) isn't an experience most of us forget; my first "big ding" was at 40, after beating up some STV gorillas for those last few XP. What's your best ding memory?
Breakfast Topic: The last few levels
Benig in the late 50s is a tricky position. Depending on your guild, you might start ramping up to the endgame, or you may be trundling with your head down towards 60. If your guild isn't going all-out to get you levelled, then it can get depressing logging in, spending hours mindlessly killing, and not getting a level out of it.A few tricks to break up the tedium of that final stretch include: explore new areas and quests; pick a faction (such as the Timbermaw or Argent Dawn) and grind reputation, focusing on that rather than your level; spend some time in PvP, which has a small experience reward; try farming for money or drops instead of xp; and do some instances. You could also concentrate on your tradeskills if you've been neglecting them.Of course, nothing really changes the fact that it does take a while to level, and if you haven't the stomach for grinding, you may get bored. I've found breaking up grinding with some PvP works well, and I also used the WoWVid player for a while to entertain me through the killing. Have you any tips to make the home stretch go by quicker?
Breakfast Topic: Quest Questions
Love 'em or hate 'em, quests are an integral part of life in Azeroth. However, they come in many different types -- from the "mindless quota killing" sort to the "cross your fingers and hope for a drop" variety. When I'm levelling, I always try to incorporate quests -- travelling from place to place to turn them in might reduce my XP per hour, but it ultimately makes the game more interesting for me and drives me to seek out new places.What's your preferred play style? Do you try to stack up as many quests as possible for efficiency? Sprinkle collection quests in with some errand-running and challenging higher level quests? Or do you grind the night away, staking out rare mobs and good drop areas?I tend to think the different characters I play drive my questing behaviour. My druid always seeks out new adventures and gets bored when in the same area for too long, my rogue tries to do quests that are way above her level by stealthing past most of the mobs, and my warrior just charges in and kills things for fun. It's interesting to push the limits of the different classes, and quests are one way to measure yourself against the game's idea of your skill -- having an addon that shows the quest levels is invaluable for this
