Ask the Editors
By,
The Editors
Episode 7
Hello again Realmsie's and welcome back to Ask the Editor! This week's question is an interesting one and it comes to us via email:
"Define what a questing event is, in your eyes. Then by your definition, has the Realms had a lot of them in the past three years?"
~Anonymous
“To me, a questing event is one in which the focus is primarily on the story (plot) being told. Players are usually given certain tasks or objectives to complete prior to the end of the event, which must be met in order to either "win" or "lose" the event, and players progress through the story in a mostly linear fashion (although it doesn't have to be, ie open-world concept questing). Content most often includes a mix of combat, puzzles, and other challenges that must be solved or otherwise overcome in order to keep moving forward, often set up as separate encounters. The type of encounter depends on the location of the event - indoor quests are often broken up into "rooms" as in a dungeon (the classic "dungeon crawl"), while outside events can be more fluid. One of the main purposes of a questing event is to add to or further the story that the EH is telling, in a cinematic way. Quests usually involve multiple different props and costumes, new or different NPC or monster types, and more often than not end with the "big boss fight" at the end.
This definition of a questing event makes them different from tournaments where the focus is on fighting, or feasts when the focus is mostly on the food. That's not to say that each type of event can't have elements of the others - there are plenty of questing events with feast-type food or tournaments as part of the plot; there have also been tournaments with questing or story-like elements, and feasts that incorporate tournaments, quests, or both. But I think that the distinction between them, again, is what the main activity is intended to be.
While not stopping to count the exact number, I did take a look back at the event archive for the past three years, and I do think that the Realms has seen a pretty decent number of questing events during that time frame. “
Thank you Jen!
Now, let's hear from Jeremy 'Nighthawk' Grayson:
“A questing event is one that tells a story through encounters (combat and/or roleplaying) through interactions with non-player characters. I feel like quests are making a comeback in the game.”
Right to the point, thank you Jeremy!
Now for Lani “Gwen” Grayson:
“I agree with Jeremy that a quest is about telling a story. I also believe that quests need to include space for PCs to make choices and roleplay. A few years ago, I felt like there were fewer quests and that tournaments were the event style of the day, but now, I’m starting to feel like quests are on the uptick, which makes me happy.”
Happy Lanis are the best Lanis!
And finally, we hear from Alex 'Lucas' Newbold:
“A Questing Event? Well, that’s an event without a feast, a poker table, or a tournament. It’s when you show up to the event not knowing what’s going to happen (beyond maybe a teaser) and you hope that things work out in your favor. You use some puzzle solving skills, some basic knowledge of the magic system, and a little bit of diplomacy (which may include flavors such as… Bribery, Thuggery, and Faking it).
There are costumes, masks, and often props that require explanation.
If there is poker, tournaments, or a feast, it ain’t a quest.”
Alex like's his quests with no other distractions. Thanks Alex!
So, we are all in agreement that questing events are about the story. In character interactions with the world and NPCs that make the Realms more of a real, living world. Tournaments are fun, but they don't tell the story of us and who we are and it's a good thing that we have both aspects of the game to enjoy.
Thanks for reading, and please join us next week when we answer the question “"If two Realms events are over each other (same day), how do you personally decide which one to go to?"
Questions can be sent to Sara “Zarine” Jessop via email (Sarajjesop@gmail.com), facebook messenger, or in person. The question box will also be making the rounds at various events. Please note if you'd like your question to remain anonymous and/or if you would like to address specific editors