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.