Quest (video game)

The quest log in World of Warcraft.

In video games, a quest or mission is a task the player must accomplish. Quests are a game mechanic which helps break down a larger objective into smaller easily-managed tasks. Typically, quests give the player a reward when they're successfully accomplished, with better rewards being given for more difficult quests, and occasionally there is a punishment if the player fails the quest. Quests are derived from narratives and are found in the oldest human fiction where heroes are called to action to take a journey and perform a difficult task.

History

Game designers have managed quests differently over the years. In some of the earliest video games, the entire plot of the game was a single quest. For example, the 1980 RPG Rogue has a single quest: find the Amulet of Yendor on the lowest level dungeon and bring it back to the surface.

Later games started creating more complicated narratives which introduced multiple quests. The story of the 1987 RPG Final Fantasy has numerous multi-staged quests. For example, when the game begins you discover the Castle of Coneria's treasury has been locked with a mystic key which is now held by the prince of Elfland. You visit the elves and discover their prince has been put into a deep sleep, and only the witch Matoya knows how to wake him. Reaching Matoya, you find she is helpless without her missing crystal ball. Some dwarves inform you that her crystal was stolen by Astos, and the king of the Northwest Castle tells you where to find Astos. Upon defeating him, you get the crystal, return it to Matoya, and she prepares a magic herb to wake the elf prince who gives you the mystic key, which allows you to open the chests and get badly needed weapons and items to continue the game.

Many games began to feature side quests which, unlike main quests, do not have to be completed to finish a game. Good side quests are those which require the player to do something out of the ordinary rather than doing what they were already going to do anyway. For example, Ultima VII: The Black Gate, released in 1992, has dozens of side quests which can keep the player busy for many hours.

As the quests became more complex, players often found themselves getting lost and needing to take copious notes while playing the game. Those who didn't would often find themselves lost in the story, not sure where to go next or how to complete a quest. This problem was especially common when players would take long breaks between play sessions. To solve this problem, game designers began implementing quest logs. A quest log essentially takes notes for the player so they won't have to keep a notepad handy. Quest logs became more elaborate over time storing not just active quests, but completed quests as well, and designers started introducing way points which would show the player where they needed to go on their map to reach the quest objective.

Terminology

Term	Description
Quest	A task the player must complete in a game. Games with a fantasy or horror theme typically prefer the term "quest" while games with a science fiction or war theme prefer the term "mission."
Main quest	A quest that is directly related to the game's primary story. It is necessary to complete a main quest in order to progress and finish the game.
Side quest	A quest which does not need to be completed in order to finish the game. Side quests typically exist to increase the length of the game and add verisimilitude to the game world.
Sub-quest	A smaller segment of a quest. Large quests may often be broken into sub-quests in order to help keep the player on track. Some sub-quests must be completed in a specific order to finish the quest, others may be completed in any order.
Objective	The specific thing a player must do in order for the quest to be completed successfully.
Failure	Those conditions which cause the player to fail the quest. These are different for each type of quest.
Quest giver	The in-game character which gives you a quest.
Quest log	An in-game tool which keeps track of the player's quests. Quest logs show all your active quests, and some also show the ones you have successfully completed.
Quest chain	A series of quests that must be completed in order.
Prerequisite	Something which must be done before a quest can be started.
Time limit	Many quests feature a time limit where the quest must be completed within a set length of time. This may be as simple as a ticking clock or something more complicated like being tied to the movement pattern of an NPC or some other scripted event outside the player's control.
Way point	A location the player must travel to as part of the quest.

Types

Quests can take all sorts of different forms, but here are some of the forms that frequently appear in games:

Type	Objective	Failure
Defeat	This is a broad category where player must defeat something or someone. This could be slaying a monster, destroying a building, assassinating a villain, etc.	This type of quest is typically failed by dying in the process. If the quest is timed, you will fail if you don't defeat the target in the time limit.
Defend	Another broad category where the player must protect something from being destroyed or injured. This usually requires the player to defeat enemies quickly before they are able do much damage.	Dying will pretty much guarantee a failure since you won't be able to protect the target. These quests are also usually timed are require the player to keep the target safe during the length of time, failing if they don't.
Delivery	The player is given something (an item, information, etc.) which must be taken to someone else. This may be as simple as acting as a courier, or as complex as rushing behind enemy lines to deliver a message to a defector.	The standard death and time limit may apply, but the player may also fail if they lose the item they're supposed to deliver (they may drop it, break it, have it stolen, etc.)
Fetch	The player must go somewhere to acquire something and bring it to the quest giver. The thing that must be fetched is often in the hands of a powerful monster or is hidden and must be found.	Same as delivery.
Collect	Similar to a fetch quest, but the player is expected to amass a specified quantity of the item before returning to the quest giver.	Same as delivery.
Escort	A type of defend quest where the player must lead a character from one location to another whilst protecting them from harm. Escort missions are often notorious for frustrating players because they rely on the escorted character's AI to keep them from blundering into harm's way, which they often do.	Same as defend.
Rescue	Kind of like a fetch and escort mission combined. The player must locate the character in need of rescue, infiltrate those who have abducted the character, then lead the character back to safety.	Same as fetch and defend.
Diplomatic	The player is expected to talk to various characters in order to convey messages, convince them to change their minds, and various other topics. These quests are usually found in games based heavily on story and often use dialogue trees.	Failure depends on the nature of the diplomacy. For example, if the player is expected to convince two enemies to make peace, but fails to do so, the characters may end up killing each other, and the player loses a potential ally.
Pursuit	The player must catch up with and stop an opponent. These quests are often timed, or, the fleeing opponent thing you're meant to flee has a scripted path which you must	You will fail if you're unable to prevent their escape before time runs out.
Stealth	The player is expected to perform a mission without being seen by enemies. This quest is usually combined with another type like fetch or defeat, however not being seen may be the full objective. For example, the player may have to sneak past the enemy's front line.	Being spotted by an opponent usually rains down an army on you guaranteeing a failure.
Hybrid	A quest which combines multiple quest objectives.	The failure matches the various combined quests.

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