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Gydion
01-05-2008, 17:31
I've searched for about 30 minutes to see if it's been covered or suggested but I can't seem to find any posts about this.

In Prophecies we had quests with skills as a reward plus some gold and xp. You could also buy the skill, usually in a later area, for the usual scaling price. I understand the use of acquiring skills as a gold sink for the later games and even Prophecies but I really think GW1 missed a good thing there. I found myself wanting to have a more tangible reward than 3k xp 1k gold from every darn quest in Factions. Nightfall was similar with the fact that I had some nice quests to do but I really didn't care about what the NPCs were saying. Same with Eye of the North non-PvE only quests. You can be sure I'm doing the different quests for each race to get the skills I like. (Pain Inverter) I don't feel like I have to do them though, I can get through the areas just fine without those PvE only skills. It might make things easier but in truth they're just icing on a sweet sweet cake.

GW2 is going to be a persitant world with instanced areas. This leads to all kinds of possibilities for skills as quest rewards. As a Ranger you may have to journey into the woodlands to find a trainer to teach you how to shoot a certain type of imbued arrow. A warrior can visit a local polearm master to learn a special move. Of course, you don't have to do this, you can just wait until you get to that next area and purchase the skill from a catch-all trainer at the expense of some gold. I would rather save the gold for armor, weapons and other things though. It also provides PUGing opportunities that have a good reward at the end. How often have you agreed to go on a standard run of the mill quest with a PUG? Would you go with a PUG group just to go out and do this quest:

http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Emperor_in_Peril

You follow a small little storyline and get around 10k xp and 4k gold total (really really rough estimates there) and an Imperial Commendation. How many PUGs are going to say "sure! I'll help you with this quest." Now, say as a reward for each quest the Emperor's Hand teaches each person in the party a skill that they can't get until Cavalon or House Zu Heltzer would you be able to get a PUG? Sure could.

On the gold sink issue. For those of us who have 11 characters, 5 of which are being actively played it becomes costly to pay 1k a pop for each skills after hitting the cap. Gold is easy to come by sure, but this isn't WoW or EQ2 were you usually play one or two characters as a "main." Splitting the resources of one account just results in fewer options for all of your characters.

Have there been discussions about this recently? Am I just necroing a thread already talked to death. Let me know. I think GW2 has an opportunity to give a good reward for quests again. Not just gold and xp and a weapon you sell right after you get it.

raspberry jam
01-05-2008, 20:45
Personally I love the idea of skill quests. It is the real option to leveling up by grind, but still playing through content and be rewarded for it.

I wish it was possible to give you a skill when you accepted the quest, a skill that you'd have only while on the quest, but that you would get permanently once you completed it. However in a persistent world that would be very tricky to implement in a way that doesn't allow abusing the system by just taking all quests and never finishing them.

Zsig
01-05-2008, 22:51
3 words:

Hero Skill Points.

It beats the Skill Quests in at least one way, including the *Option* factor. I do the quest and I still got to choose from which skill I'll get as reward. Wonderful.

BanduluFox
02-05-2008, 01:42
However in a persistent world that would be very tricky to implement in a way that doesn't allow abusing the system by just taking all quests and never finishing them.
Perhaps they could make it so that that temporary skill is temporal. You get to keep it for say three hours (more than enough to finish most quests) or maybe two or three days for those of us that accept quests two minutes before bedtime and don't get the opportunity to come back until a few days down the line.

$0.02

Mister Smartypants
02-05-2008, 01:53
I too like the Prophecies skill quest system and am not so fond of the huge-amounts-of-cash-and-XP-to-buy-skills system of Factions nor the grind-reputation-to-get-free-skills-of-your-choice system of NF/GW:EN. If nothing else, like you said Gydion, it gets you involved with the NPC dialog and interacting with the world and gives doing quests a purpose beyond the mere acquisition of gold and XP.

raspberry jam
02-05-2008, 03:55
3 words:

Hero Skill Points.

It beats the Skill Quests in at least one way, including the *Option* factor. I do the quest and I still got to choose from which skill I'll get as reward. Wonderful.Sort of yes sort of no. If the hero skill points was rewarded by quests then I'd agree with you, but when they come from leveling up a title it feels as stupid as those 200+ level systems.

Gydion
02-05-2008, 04:41
That's actually not a bad idea Zsig. I've read talk about a hero cohort or something. This would give those who don't like to PUG something to do as well. You quest to get the skill unlocked for your cohort and it unlocks it for you to. You cohort could even bring it up if you get the near the area. You run by the entrance to the Murky Swamp and your necro cohort speaks up with "I heard there's an old shaman in here who can teach me how to cast Raise Cool Undead creature, he might know some skills for you too, let's go take a look." You could then go or just heading to your destination. Either way you're given the choice of doing what you like.

Mister: I have to admit I cheat a little. I use Signet of Illusions as my elite on my Mesmer...

Mister Smartypants
02-05-2008, 11:11
That's OK, my current favourite build is FC nuking on mine. :tongue:

I think that Zsig was talking about the existing Nightfall/GW:EN skill acquisition system, whereby you get a hero skill point to use on learning a skill for your heroes (and yourself if you're the right main or secondary profession) every time you gain a level in a reputation track. I like your version of it much better!