Quests

This post is designed to be read straight through but feel free to skip to whatever section you want.

Sections:

• Some Data
• Current Quest Categories and Descriptions
• Defining "Derivative Quests"
• A Detour into Quest Types in EFT
• New Quest Types -- "Nikita Please"
• Defend
• Destroy
• 
  

Let's look at quests in Tarkov. First I am going to put out some raw data. After that I'll give my perspective on quests in EFT and make some suggestions for new quests. My data comes from "Escape from Tarkov Wiki" which is an unofficial source of information for EFT. Because it is unofficial it is very possible that it is not 100% accurate. This doesn't really affect the validity of what I will be talking about -- being off a percent or two doesn't change the fact that some quests are poorly designed, etc.

Some Data

How BSG categorizes quests:

• Elimination
• Pick up
• Completion
• Discover
• Skill
• Multi
• Loyalty
• Merchant
• Exploration
• Parameter oriented modding
• Standing

How many quests of each type are there and who is handing them out? Check it out:

                                                 Pr  Th Pe Sk Me Ra Fe    #           %
Elimination                              11  02  04 02 09  00  00 [28]      18.3%

Pickup                                     08  10  11 08  06  09  01 [53]      34.6%
Skill                                         01  01  01 01  02  03  00 [9]        05.8%
Discover                                  01  03  01 04  01  00  00 [10]      06.5%
Completion                              01  04  03 01  04  09  00 [22]      14.3%
Exploration                              00  01  00 05  00  02  00 [8]        05.2%
Parameter oriented modding   00  00  00 00  16  00  00 [16]      10.4%
Loyalty                                    00  00  01 01  00  00  00 [2]        01.3%
Merchant                                 00  00  01 00  00  01  00 [2]        01.3%
Standing                                  00  00  00 00  01  00  00 [1]         00.6%
Multi                                       00  01  00 01  00  00  00 [2]         01.3%
                                                22 22  22 23  39  24  01
Total Quests: 153

NOTE: in the chart above Pr = Prapor, Th = Therapist, Pe = Peacekeeper, etc. etc.



"Quest language" - These are the phrases BSG uses to describe quest requirements in EFT. I have divided them in to categories (I made up the category names but the subpoints are direct quotes from the game):

• Kill -- Kill, Neutralize, Eliminate
• Do not kill -- Do not kill
• Fetch an item from inside a raid -- Find, Pick up, Obtain, Find in raid, Gather (info on...)
• Place an item or "interact" with something inside a raid -- Leave, Install, Put, Stash, Mark, Fix
• Transfer an item (including sums of money) to a Trader -- Bring, Hand over, Handover (a typo), Hand it over, Hand them over, Deliver, Give
• Survive/Extract -- Survive and exit, Survive and extract, Survive at, Survive and leave
• Level up -- Reach, Increase, Earn, Upgrade, Level up
• Move your character to a certain location in a raid -- Locate, Check
• Modify an item -- Modify [weapon] to comply with the required specification
• Fire at and hit, (but not necessarily kill) a target -- Make [some number] hits

Now that we have some data as a starting point. Lets get into some discussion.

We will start with something relatively minor:

Current Quest categories and descriptions

The quest categories and descriptions in EFT are extremely inconsistent. Take a look at these examples:

Why use two different words, "Skill" and "Merchant, to describe the same thing?
Why describe them differently?
Why are two quests that are directly related to "loyalty" not labeled as "Loyalty" but the one quest that is about bribing a dealer labeled as "Loyalty"?



Next set:

Here we see that "Discover" = mark something
but "Completion" also = mark something
but "Completion" also = kill something
but "Elimination" also = kill something

And if you look around some more you will see that:

"Completion" also = collect Tushonka
And "Completion" also = hand over money

But "Loyalty" = hand over money, right?
Well, "Merchant" can also = hand over money.

...Why?

And why use different descriptions for marking the same type of vehicle -- just call the big orange vehicles "Fuel Tankers" or "Fuel Trucks". Pick a single term and stick with it, please.

Anyway, you get the point. The more you look, the more you will realize that the quest labels are almost useless because of how inconsistent they are. Same with the descriptions.

It comes off as a little unprofessional, like BSG doesn't have a good grip on quality control. On the other hand, EFT is still in an alpha state and these quests are place holders. Like I said earlier, this is a point worth making but in the end, it is only a minor point.

As far as solutions go, I think it is pretty simple. Simplify the quest categories and re-write all the quest descriptions so that the key phrases are as consistent as possible.

Current categories:

• Elimination -- change to "Wet Work" (I know, I know, this is less clear than "Elimination" but it's a Russian phrase that is too good to pass up and it is more flexible than "Elimination").
• Pick up -- change to "Hand Over"
• Completion -- remove, too vague (расплывчатый)
• Discover -- just use "Exploration"
• Skill  -- change to "Level Up"
• Multi -- list all the categories
• Loyalty -- remove
• Merchant -- remove, use "Level Up"
• Exploration -- good
• Parameter oriented modding -- shorten to "Modify"
• Standing -- remove, use "Level Up"

Suggested categories:

• Wet Work      -- kill, injure
• Hand Over     -- items, money, "information", etc
• Explore          -- move your PMC to a certain spot
• Level Up        -- soft skills, Trader rep, standing, etc
• Modify           -- weapons, gear, etc
• Interact           -- mark things, fix things, hide things, etc

The list above is more simple.

Defining "Derivative Quests"

The list also brings us to the more important point concerning quests in EFT --  excessively derivative quests can become "un-fun".

Before we get into the "quests can be un-fun part, lets get on the same page as to what I mean when I say "derivative quests".

What is a derivative quest? The word "derivative" can be defined as "having parts that originate from another source". A derivative quest is a quest that takes another quest as its base or foundation and then adds something to it. Lets just jump into an example:

EXAMPLE:

Quest:                     Kill 20 Scavs

Derivative Quest:   Kill 20 Scavs with a shotgun

Pretty simple, yeah? And this sort of thing can keep going:

• Base Quest #1: Do something in a raid
• Kill
• 20 Scavs
• with a shotgun
• at close range
• on Shoreline
• at night
• while wearing a fleece hat
• etc.
• etc.
• etc
• Base Quest #2: Do something outside of a raid
• Modify
• An MP5
• with X ergonomics
• less than Y recoil
• weighing exactly Z kg
• with all black parts
• etc.
• etc.
• etc.

That's all the time I am going to take explaining what I mean by "derivative quests". It really isn't that important what you or I call them, the key is that we are both clear about the concept -- a quest that takes another quest and adds something to it. Lets keep moving.

A Detour Into Quest Types in EFT

Before we get into the pros and cons of derivative quests I'd like to run through the types of quests in EFT and even talk about some quest types that I think should be added to the game.

All quests in EFT are derived from just two possible primary quests:

1) Do something outside of a raid

2) Do something inside of a raid.
That's it. All other quests must be derivatives of these two basic quests.

Now lets add in the first level of derivative quests that exist in EFT now:

1. Wet Work
2. Hand Over ("Find the Thing")
3. Explore
4. Level Up
5. Modify
6. Interact

See what I did there? This is a copy pasta of the first half of my "suggested categories" list. It turns out that EFT has six secondary quest types. 

Now lets get to tertiary quest types -- we are entering the third level of derivative quests.

1. Wet Work      -- kill, injure
2. Hand Over     -- items, money
3. Explore          -- move your PMC to a certain spot, extract from a raid
4. Level Up        -- soft skills, Trader rep, standing, etc
5. Modify           -- weapons, gear, etc
6. Interact           -- mark, fix, hide/place things, etc

At this level of derived quests only "kill" has significantly meaningful derivatives. Who cares if you are sent to find medical supplies, computer parts, tools, or whatever. Who cares if you are placing a rifle, a folder, a lighter, etc. Doesn't impact gameplay much. Modding an MP5 or a shotgun or whatever weapon doesn't affect gameplay either. Only the "kill" derivative quests significantly affect gameplay. So what are the derivatives for "kill"?

• Do something in raid
• Kill
• Scavs
• PMCs

It makes a huge difference in gameplay whether you are killing PMCs or Scavs.

By now you should see where this is going -- we just keep deriving more quests for "Kill PMCs" and "Kill Scavs". Eventually you end up things like the quest called "Make ULTRA Great Again" which looks like this:

• Do something in a raid
• Kill
• Scavs
• 20 of them
• at Interchange
• Wearing a fleece hat
• and a Crye Precision AVS vest

So! Why even talk about quest derivative quests and quest types? So we can all help create quests. There are two "directions" we can build quests -- "downward" or " diagonally". I use the words "downward" and "diagonally" because of the way it looks when typed out. Use whatever terms you want. For example:

Here is an example of creating quests "downward":

• Do something in raid (no direction because primary quest)
• Kill (diagonal)
1. Scavs                (diagonal)
2. PMCs                (down)
3. Raiders              (down)
4. Player Scavs      (down)
5. Cultists              (down)
6. Scav Bosses       (down)
7. Animals             (down)
8. Aliens                (down)
9. Dinosaurs          (down)

Notice how we were able to generate nine varieties of kill quests. Of course, we had to introduce different classes of things to kill and some of them were not appropriate for EFT but you get the point. The key here is that we didn't have to add more restrictions in order to generate more quests, just different types.

Now lets look at "sideways"And this is creating a quest "sideways"

• Do something in raid
• Kill (diagonal)
• Scavs (diagonal)
• At Interchange
• 20 of them(diagonal)
• with a shotgun (diagonal)
• wearing a Cowboy hat (diagonal)

See how building sideways adds restrictions but doesn't change the fact that we are still required to kill Scavs? There is nothing wrong with this. It is just a different way derive more "kill Scav" quests and add difficulty and variety to them.

I think it is worth giving this sort of thinking a try -- it could result in new quest ideas.

Speaking of creating new quests...

New Quest Types -- "Nikita Please"

New quest type suggest #1: "Defend"

The basic structure is:

• Do something in raid
• Defend
• Area
• From Scavs
• for "x" minutes

1. Trader gives you the location
2. You move your PMC to that location
3. Once you arrive at the location a timer begins
4. A.I. Scavs begin randomly spawning around the area
5. These Scavs begin pushing the location you are defending
1. You are "marked and cursed" by A.I.
2. Scav difficulty increases over time
1. Possibility of spawning one or more of Reshala's guards.
6. The quest is completed if you are alive and within the area when the countdown ends
7. Scavs stop spawning after the countdown

This quest type would fall under "Wet Work"

Example:

The "Defend" quest type emphasizes extended firefights. Your Secure Container or the Flea Market isn't going to get you through this quest type and you aren't creeping around picking off Scavs before the sun goes down - you are in a "last stand" scenario against Scavs that are actively hunting you.

You can either do it lightly geared and hope to survive by using the gear you get from the Scavs or you dust off that nice kit you've been sitting on and go in swinging.

And don't think grouping up as a five-man team will make things much easier. Entering the raid as a group would automatically increases the number of starting Scavs, the amount of Scavs that spawn during the quest, the difficulty level of the Scavs, the kind of gear the Scavs spawn with, and it guarantees that Reshala guard Scavs will spawn.

Additionally, you can bet that the brawl over control of the dorms will draw in hostile PMCs out for blood and Player Scavs looking to score big. These players can choose to push you in an attempt to grief you by killing you and causing you to fail the quest or they can let you complete the quest but then try to catch you looting or leaving for the extract.

And there could be variations of this quest type. Instead of defending an area you could defend an object:

• Do something in raid
• Defend
• Area Object
• From Scavs
• for "x" minutes Survive and Extract

In this variation you would spawn in with an object (some tech thing from Mechanic or something). You would have to cross the map and extract without dying. Scavs would spawn in groups between you and the extract and would actively hunt you. Extract to complete the quest. Quest difficulty can be changed by tweaking Scav numbers, A.I. difficulty, type of gear, etc

New quest type suggest #2: "Destroy"

The basic structure is:

• Do something in raid
• Destroy
• Object(s)
• At location(s)

1. Trader gives you the location
2. You move your PMC to that location
1. Optional - Increase quest difficulty by placing an in-raid time limit
3. You inflict a certain amount of damage to the required object
1. You can use any weapon/ammunition
4. Optional - the object explodes, triggers an alarm, send up smoke or something like that
5. Optional - Scavs spawn in as a response to destroying the object
6. The quest is completed after you destroy the object(s)
1. There can be multiple objects at different locations
1. Optional - Increase difficulty by requiring survival/extraction

This quest type would fall under "Interaction"

The basic idea here is "go to a location and make a bunch of noise for a while". This is a less combat oriented task than the "Defend" quest type I talked about above but it will still likely result in combat. The quest is simple and gives the player the freedom to bring whatever gear they want but the more powerful the weapons they bring, the faster they can destroy the object and leave the area. Taking a pistol in will work but you will have to fire a lot of shots which will probably attract hostiles to your location. Derivatives of this quest would include needing to destroy multiple objects on one map, having to destroy a single object but there are several of the same type of object so you don't know which one is the specific one -- this adds a bit of RNG. You could also force Scavs, Raiders, or Scav Bosses to spawn as a result. Nothing too crazy here. Not grindy or anything either. Just go shoot something on the map, fight some angry Scavs and hit the extract. Objects could be anything -- vehicles, computers, mannequins, etc.

 Shoot up the trucks in the Interchange garage for whatever reason.

Shoot up the computers in the offices at Interchange for whatever reason.

Well, those are my two quest type suggestions. And, of course, there are derivative quests that can spawn from those types. The more quest types we have in EFT, the less restrictive the quests need to be. I highly recommend that we all attempt to think up new quest types. Any ideas for quests we come up with, even bad ones, help BSG to figure out what we are and are not interested in doing in EFT. I say it is better to contribute a possible solutions than to simply criticize and complain.

  

There is more to be said about quests but I will hold off until patch 0.12 drops. Nikita has said that the excessively derivative quests that force you to play the game in a hyper-restrictive way will be removed from the main quest line so that players are not forced to complete them in order to make meaningful progress through the quests. That should solve the main gripe that I have with those types of quests as they are now so why waste time writing about it.

We will pick this back up at patch 0.12. Until then, please take some time to think of quests and submit your ideas to the EFT subreddit. Nikita has said many times that he is happy for you to give design input. He also said that he prefers a "presentation" style and that he especially likes pictures. Happy questing.

Recoil Control - To drag or not to drag, that is the question.

How Escape from Tarkov handles fully automatic recoil control is fairly unique and is a much discussed topic that draws out very polarized opinions. On one side you have people suggesting that EFT makes controlling recoil so easy that it conflicts with EFT's claim to being hardcore. On the other side you have people pointing out that EFT very realistically simulates how a trained and skilled PMC would control fully automatic fire. And then you have Nikita who flat out said he simply doesn't like having to continuously drag his mouse down in order to prevent continuous muzzle climb during full-auto fire.

After considering all sides of the argument I believe I have discovered a compromise that might satisfy all sides, including Nikita.

Please note I am not going to talk about weapon accuracy, or the amount or strength of recoil. I am focusing on the mechanics of recoil and who is controlling them.

Key Points

• Generally, there are six aspects to fully-automatic fire

• Either the player or "the game" can be made responsible for controlling any/all of these aspects

• When a player is made responsible for an aspect of recoil control, they are required to provide some type of input command to the game that is linked to that aspect

• Unlike most other games that attempt more realistic first-person shooting mechanics, EFT only gives players control over three of the six aspects of recoil control

• The other three aspects of recoil control are given over to the game (the PMC/Player Scav)

• BSG has made the game very "skilled" at controlling those three aspects

• This overall result is that, from the player's experience, there is "nothing" required of them in order to maintain excellent control over recoil -- their mouse doesn't need to move at all in order to control full-auto recoil

• While this situation fully complies with the "realistic simulation" aspect of EFT, it conflicts with the "hardcore action RPG" aspect of EFT.

• A compromise between "endless mouse dragging" and "click and aim" can reached in EFT simply by transferring one aspect of recoil control away from the game and to the player 

Full-auto fire in EFT -- This is what happens when a player simply presses and holds the fire button

As I see it, there are six aspects to controlling fully automatic fire:

1. Trigger operation
2. Stabilizing against muzzle climb
3. Stabilizing against muzzle sway
4. Stabilizing against kick
5. Re-centering the muzzle onto the initial target
6. Tracking the target if it moves ("aiming")

Trigger pull and muzzle climb

In EFT the muzzle climbs until the game "exerts a force" to stop it. You can see that the muzzle climbs to the top of the white machinery at which point the game begins to counter the continuous climb.

Note that at all points of full-auto fire, the game controls horizontal muzzle sway at an "expert level"

EFT controls muzzle climb & sway

The muzzle only climbs to slightly above the white machinery before the game "steps in" to control it.

This eliminates the need to keep dragging the mouse down to counter continuous muzzle climb>

This also eliminates the need for a single, short mouse drag to re-center the muzzle over the initial target

Re-centering the muzzle onto target

After stabilizing against muzzle climb, the game attempts to re-center the muzzle onto the initial target while continuing to compensate for continuous muzzle climb. You can see that the game is able to bring the muzzle almost all the way back to the initial target (the black spot on the machine).

Squad doesn't control climb or sway

In "Squad", the game is not responsible for controlling muzzle climb. During full-auto fire the muzzle will continue to rise until firing stops. The game does seem to control some muzzle sway but much less than EFT does. Squad doesn't attempt to re-center the muzzle onto target.

CS controls climb but not sway>

Counter-Strike controls muzzle climb but either doesn't control muzzle sway or controls it at an "amateur level". Counter-Strike doesn't attempt to re-center the muzzle onto target.

Halo controls climb and sway

Like EFT, Halo controls kick, climb and sway. Unlike EFT, in Halo the game is set to "God level" at each of the recoil control aspects. There is no need to re-center the weapon because the game perfectly controls kick, climb, and sway.

How Escape from Tarkov currently distributes recoil control responsibility: 

1. Player responsibilities
1. Trigger operation (button click-and-hold)
2. Tracking the target if it moves (continuous mouse movement)
2. Game (PMC/Scav) responsibilities
1. Stabilizing against muzzle climb (good - expert)
2. Stabilizing against muzzle sway (expert)
3. Stabilizing against kick (expert)
4. Re-centering the muzzle onto the initial target (good - expert)
   

EFT currently gives the game the majority of control. Players basically just have to click and aim and the game heavily compensates for all aspects of recoil. This makes Nikita happy because he doesn't have to drag his mouse down endlessly but it results in a more-casual-than-hardcore situation for the payers as far as mechanical skill requirement is concerned.

• Click --------------------------->Player controlled
• No drag for climb ------------>Game controlled
• No drag for sway ------------>Game controlled
• Tiny drag for re-center ----->Mostly game but small player input for perfect re-center
• Track target with mouse ---> Player Controlled

How Halo distributes recoil control responsibility:

1. Player responsibilities:
1. Trigger operation (button click-and-hold)
2. Tracking the target if it moves (continuous mouse movement)
2. Game (Master Cheif) responsibilities:
1. Stabilizing against muzzle climb (God-like)
2. Stabilizing against muzzle sway(God-like)
3. Stabilizing against kick (God-like)
4. Re-centering the muzzle onto the initial target (no need)

Halo is the exact same as EFT except that Halo is "more skilled" at controlling recoil than EFT -- Halo controls full-auto recoil so perfectly that players are not affected by recoil on any level. When you factor in the "aim-assist" featured in the console versions of Halo you realize that Halo is the near the peak of casual recoil control mechanics.

• Click ----------------------------> Player controlled
• No drag for climb ------------> Game controlled
• No drag for sway ------------> Game controlled
• No drag for re-center ------> No need because Master Chief is a god
• Track target with mouse --> Player controlled (though consoles have aim-assist. LOL)

How Squad distributes recoil control responsibility:

1. Player responsibilities
1. Trigger operation (button click-and-hold)
2. Stabilizing against muzzle climb (continuous mouse drag)
3. Stabilizing against muzzle sway (continuous mouse drag)
4. Tracking the target if it moves (continuous mouse movement)
5. Re-centering the muzzle onto the initial target (single, short drag)
2. Game (Soldier) responsibilities
1. Stabilizing against kick (expert) 

Squad is the extreme opposite of Halo and EFT. The game does basically nothing to control recoil except the bare minimum to keep the game character from falling backwards from kick. Players are required to control everything else. This is very hardcore but it does require "endless dragging" which Nikita does not want in EFT.

• Click ---------------------------------> Player Controlled
• Endless drag for climb ----------> Player Controlled
• Endless drag for sway ----------> Player Controlled
• Endless drag for re-center -----> Player Controlled (and = to endless climb) 
• Track target with mouse --------> Player Controlled

How Counter-Strike distributes recoil control responsibility:

1. Player responsibilities

1. Trigger operation (button click-and-hold)<

Stabilizing against muzzle climb (continuous mouse drag)

Tracking the target if it moves (continuous mouse movement)

Re-centering the muzzle onto the initial target (single, short drag)

Game (CT/T) responsibilities 

1. Stabilizing against muzzle climb (average - good)

Stabilizing against muzzle sway (worse than amateur)

Stabilizing against kick (expert) 

Counter-Strike is closer to Squad than it is EFT. It puts the majority of the responsibility on the player but the game does have tight control over continuous muzzle climb. An interesting element of Counter-Strike's recoil system is that the game is "skilled" at controlling certain aspects of recoil but hilariously "bad" at controlling others -- the game consistently stops vertical recoil at the same point like a well practiced professional would but the horizontal recoil is all over the place (yes, I know this is because there are literal "recoil patterns" programmed into the game). My point is that players end up having to compensate for Counter-Strikes's gun-specific recoil control patterns.-- the player has to fight the game's horrible horizontal recoil control.

• Click -------------------------------------------------> Player Controlled
• No drag for climb ---------------------------------> Game Controlled
• Various "drag patterns" for sway -------------> Game "Controlled" but needs player input
• Single "non-endless" drag for re-center----> Player Controlled
• Track target with mouse------------------------> Player Controlled

How EFT could distribute recoil control responsibility:

1. Player responsibilities 
1. Trigger operation (button click-and-hold)
2. Re-centering the muzzle onto the initial target (single, short drag)
3. Tracking the target if it moves (continuous mouse movement) 
2. Game (PMC) responsibilities 
1. Stabilizing against muzzle climb (good - expert)
2. Stabilizing against muzzle sway (good - expert)
3. Stabilizing against kick (expert)

Notice that of all the system mentioned, this is the only one that evenly distributes the responsibilities for recoil control between the game and the player. While this set up might not be as "hardcore" as Squad, it is definitely more involved than EFT's current, and arguably casual, set up. This is the compromise between "endless dragging" and "click-and-aim only". Also, unlike Counter-Strike, EFT as an entity that controls recoil is consistently skilled at controlling the different aspects of recoil. This is because "the game" represents a trained PMC in the Russia 2028 universe. In other words, the PMCs in EFT don't have "bad habits" (recoil patterns). Instead, players can rely on the game to "skillfully control" whatever aspects of recoil control the game is responsible for. Additionally, the game "gets better" at controlling recoil as player increase their PMC Soft Skills.

• Click-----------------------------------> Player Controlled
• No endless drag for climb-------> Game Controlled (Satisfies Nikita)
• No endless drag for sway-------> Game Controlled
• No endless drag for re-center-->Player Controlled (this is the compromising point)
• Track target with mouse---------> Player Controlled

So yeah, my approach to recoil control in gaming is to look at (1) who is controlling each aspect of recoil control and (2) how "skilled" the game is when it is handling a certain aspect of recoil control. Then you have to compare that with what the game is supposed to be in terms of hardcore vs casual. If the game is hardcore, it is probably more appropriate to give players more responsibility over recoil control than the game. In the case of EFT, the game dev has a personal dislike for "endless dragging". There is nothing inherently wrong with that but it does create a unique design constraint for how EFT can handle recoil control. My suggestion is a compromise between "recoil control should very hardcore" and "Nikita doesn't want endless dragging". The end result is a somewhat "neutral" approach to recoil control with the player and the game each handling half of the aspects and the game handling the aspect that annoys Nikita.

Please keep in mind that this isn't what I think should or shouldn't be done; it is the objective outcome I came to when I tried to find a way to make the recoil control system in EFT as player-controlled as possible while also eliminating the "endless mouse dragging" mechanic.

This is what would happen if games didn't control any aspect recoil.