Massive Questlines?

[kampfer]

From what I've seen of most videos, is that most zones are dominated by one Very large Questline.

Red Ridge: the Rambo questline.
StoneTalon: You are Dismissed
Blasted Lands: demon hunter quest
Hyjal: I dont know what to call it :/
and many more...

I don't mind Quest lines, or even big ones at that, But I don't like when an entire zone is dedicated to that one questline.
Stormpeak's Questline from the goblin area led to another and another which was cool, but they also had other quest hubs too.

[Traejun]

Massive questlines are a great thing for the game, and become legendary - i.e. Scepter quest leading up to AQ...that was pure epic-osity. If a whole zone is basically dedicated to a single questline, that's fine too. So long as there aren't too many, they're good for the game.

[GennGreymane]

storm peaks had 1 epic quest line that was the main and climax of the zones questing
the rest were off shoots

this is the pattern they went with in wotlk

instead of spread out and the same quests over and over in tbc and vanilla

[Deleted]

Could i get a link to the rambo questline and the demon hunter questline?

[Falrinn]

A lot of times these are plenty of side-quests, the videos just don't always show them. In the Blasted Lands for example in addition to the Demon Hunter questline, we also have the Murloc questline and the Tainted Forest questline.

A handful of zones are indeed dedicated to a single questline, but I wouldn't say more then 30-40% of zones are in this situation. If that many at all.

[Deleted]

I can see why you don't like them, but you have to realise that Blizzard needs to reach out to the players who don't have a great raiding guild, or an Arena team, and get their kicks from the leveling PvE content in the game.

[Zu]

Big quest chains all have some story to it, unlike current wow where its just "Oh welcome to (insert place) go kill everything in the zone since it will respawn in an hour anyway."

[Mawnix]

They're epic quests though. I have no problem with them.

[darkwarrior42]

The problem with the big quest chains is that, unlike a lot of the TBC or classic questing, there's not much choice in how you do it. When you hit Northrend, your options pretty much boil down to "BT vs HF". Once you pick a zone, you're usually stuck doing every quest hub all the way through, unless you get enough xp to just move to the next zone.

In Outland, there are some quests I don't like, and some quests I love... so I can pick and choose which ones I want to do. I'll often skip a lot of the far ranging quests from Cenarion Expedition in Zangarmarsh, but I"ll do the ones that involve the closest naga camps and the broken + fungal lords down south. When you walk into SMV, there are a *ton* of quests available, and you choose which ones you want to do.

My personal feelings about the Northrend quests have changed with time. First time through, I thought they were a vast improvement. Each subsequent pass has been less enjoyable, because you *have* to do them in a very specific order, and it's hard to find more efficient paths or to pick your favorites when they're laid out like that.

Not really arguing in favor of other style atm, just commenting that they both have strengths.

[GennGreymane]

The problem with the big quest chains is that, unlike a lot of the TBC or classic questing, there's not much choice in how you do it. When you hit Northrend, your options pretty much boil down to "BT vs HF". Once you pick a zone, you're usually stuck doing every quest hub all the way through, unless you get enough xp to just move to the next zone.

In Outland, there are some quests I don't like, and some quests I love... so I can pick and choose which ones I want to do. I'll often skip a lot of the far ranging quests from Cenarion Expedition in Zangarmarsh, but I"ll do the ones that involve the closest naga camps and the broken + fungal lords down south. When you walk into SMV, there are a *ton* of quests available, and you choose which ones you want to do.

My personal feelings about the Northrend quests have changed with time. First time through, I thought they were a vast improvement. Each subsequent pass has been less enjoyable, because you *have* to do them in a very specific order, and it's hard to find more efficient paths or to pick your favorites when they're laid out like that.

Not really arguing in favor of other style atm, just commenting that they both have strengths.

true
the northrend is an improvement especially for the first time through which matters most
out land/vanilla styled is good for alts because there simple and u dont have to do them all, but the first time through not as epic exept a small percentage.

[tmc040]

My only complaint about epic quest chains might be that they are TOO engaging, meaning when I log on to play I sometimes just want a few light quests to complete, not get lost for hours in a chain. I know it's a lame complaint but it is what it is. Really though I'm not too worried about it because i doubt blizz got rid of all the mundane quests, they just aren't the ones being showcased from beta.

[Usharek]

Personally I think zones should be ruled by one long quest chain with of course some extra 'I need this and that' quests. However I do counter my own opinions when it comes to 'this quest is pretty boring'. Blizzard should offer enough options to let the player play the game in fun whilst questing.

If I were to have a debate over what should rule over long quest chains and a massive range of quests I would probably end up choosing moderate length quest chains with a slightly larger range of quests that will enable the player to skip the main chain of the area if they so wished.

[Overmind the 3rd]

I think each zone having a dedicated subplot is a massive improvement.

[allforone]

The big epic questlines do have a very distinct advantage to developers over the quest clusters that you get in zones like Hinterlands Ungoro Crater, Nagrand and Borean Tundra.

In those zones you can quickly grab 15+ quests and get them all done. The big questlines take longer, but generally give the best loot and are fun.

[roboscorcher]

I have couple problems with quest lines, especially when it involves phasing. The main problem is that there is no to way to see the quests within the greater chain in the game. If I stop playing a toon that's done 10/20 quests in a long chain, how am I going to remember what I was doing when I pick up the chain later? That's right, I have to look it up. I would kill for an addon that could track my quest chain progression.

And then there's the phasing that can separate friends just because they are at different points in the quest chain.

[Deleted]

So did I get this right, your complaining about cataclysm having too few quest hubs simply cause you havnt seen alot of them on videos?

[Gorrik]

I like these large epic quest lines, they tell the story for whats going on there. And most zones are like that, which I think is good. It helps generic quests like "Kill this mob so many times" or "Take X amount of an item thats scattered around the mobs' camp" be more enjoyable because you know it contributes to something later, rather then finishing it and.. well thats it. Theres more of a point to why you're doing these things when there is an "epic story" to go along with it.

Atleast for me this much more enjoyable. Each to their own. I just like knowing what I do has purpose in some big story. The smaller chains on the side you can do along the main story of the zone is always enjoyable though.

---------- Post added 2010-08-23 at 04:53 PM ----------

I have couple problems with quest lines, especially when it involves phasing. The main problem is that there is no to way to see the quests within the greater chain in the game. If I stop playing a toon that's done 10/20 quests in a long chain, how am I going to remember what I was doing when I pick up the chain later? That's right, I have to look it up. I would kill for an addon that could track my quest chain progression.

And then there's the phasing that can separate friends just because they are at different points in the quest chain.

As far as tracking quest chain progress there is an addon that I used while doing Loremaster achievements called "Everyquest." Simple to use and handy for finding what you have and havent done, and finding where you left off.

[Ravasha]

The one in Un'goro with the maidens. Don Quichot?

[Malagan]

The one in Un'goro with the maidens. Don Quichot?

Don Quixote?

[Togarox]

Every zone pretty much has a main questline but not every quest in the zone is dedicated to that questline. The main questline is just to guide you through the zone. There are side quests and other quest hubs that have nothing to do with the main questline.

I like this new way honestly. Before, you left each zone feeling like you accomplished nothing. Now once you finish the major questline you feel as if you have taken part in an epic life changing event that effected the zone in a massive way.