Poll: Side Quests in Games

[Asuka Soryu]

Does anyone else hate sidequests and feel they're just padding.

I don't mind Side quests in games when it's optional, but I hate having to stop my progress in the games story to go do some dumb quest.


I've been playing Fable 2 recently, and it just feels so annoying to have to stop the story and go do side-quests.


This was really bad in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm

You needed to do some really crappy sidequests just to get experience to move the story forward. Ugh...


Thank god they made side quests optional in Ninja Storm 2.


So, does anyone else hate having to stop the story and go save a chicken? Or help someone find ingredients just to get the privelage of continuing the story?

 

[brodie21]

i like them as they do them in dragon age, mass effect, fallout, and oblivion

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

ehh sometimes they are fucking annoying as hell and just are filler for the sad excuse the main game is.

as long as the main game is solid, sidequests can be sweet and ill tolerate them, but if the main premise of the game are its side quests...well you haven't won my money. so your not getting a purchase from me.

 

[Veylon]

I did like one game where the premise was sidequests: Might and Magic 6. At least in that game you could explore the whole world without find Bob's shoe to get a key to open a chest in the Dark tower to get the guard's hat so he'd let you across the bridge once you killed 5 dire rats.

Otherwise, though, if the game is story-driven, it's really lazy to all of a sudden make you wander far away to do something inconsequential. I'm thinking of FF8 where you had to go to some tomb to take down a couple minotaurs to prove your trustworthiness to be in an assassination plot. Or something.

 

[RandallJohn]

I think a game like Dragon Quest 9 did it right. There are a ton of side quests and activities to do, but very few are mandatory, and all of them yield something that can be helpful in the main quest. I think any game that can hold your attention in a single player mode, with content that is NOT directly tied to the main content is worth a look.

 

[moretimethansense]

Sorry to burst your bubble but if they're not optional, they're not sidquests.
Siquests are fine, it adds a little optional content for people that want it or that want more loot and EXP.

 

[The Cheezy One]

I like games where there is a reason NOT to them - otherwise you do them all and become some kind of over powered superman
Freedom Fighters did this well, especially on higher difficulties. But overall, I like side quests

 

[Poptart Invasion]

yeah, they definately need to be optional, maybe something to level up if you dont have what it takes for that part of the main questline, or are bored and wanna mix it up.

if you think about it, its funny how theyre sometimes used in games.

"no, i will not find any damn ores or pelts or anything else. im here to save your miserable, insignificant life and everything else you hold dear, so tell me what i need to know NOW!"

 

[Zhukov]

Usually no.

But sometimes they are done well.

Mass Effect 2 probably had the best side quests I've ever seen. Mostly because they were character-driven and somewhat relevant to the main storyline.

 

[Mr Pantomime]

I like good sidequests, like the ones on Fable - TLC and Final Fantasy 12. Except I always hate it when I cant do a sidequest do to some arbitrary thing I did 20 hours ago

 

[Spectrum_Prez]

I wouldn't mind a game that was 100% side-quest. More side-quests = more lore.

Wait, I don't play MMORPGs, but aren't those pretty much all side-quest?

 

[CleverCover]

I like side quests when they have meaning, not just an extra reason to burn game time or level up.

 

[Zedayen]

I like side quests. It's where the creativity of the developers can really shine, and they can serve many purposes. Breaking the linearity of a game is a good thing in my eyes.

 

[tharglet]

Sorry to burst your bubble but if they're not optional, they're not sidquests.
Siquests are fine, it adds a little optional content for people that want it or that want more loot and EXP.

I was thinking this, then I read the original post, which stated the situation where you can choose not to do the side quests, but not doing so will seriously gimp you. Sort of like in ME2 where you can choose not to do the loyalty and ship upgrade stuff, but not doing so is probably not a good idea, so you end up feeling obliged to do them anyway. (Probably not the best example of compulsory side quest but anyway...)

I think side-quests are a good idea, as long as they're totally optional. People who like the story can just go for the story, and those who like to take their time and do more, can do some or all of the side quests. However, a good game will make you want to do them , and not for the wrong reasons. They still have to be of decent quality though - not stuff chucked in just for filler, like pick this item up and go here with it, for no other reason than you turned up here.
Most of ME2's sidequests were good in that regard - there was something interesting going on each adventure.

 

[moretimethansense]

Sorry to burst your bubble but if they're not optional, they're not sidquests.
Siquests are fine, it adds a little optional content for people that want it or that want more loot and EXP.

I was thinking this, then I read the original post, which stated the situation where you can choose not to do the side quests, but not doing so will seriously gimp you. Sort of like in ME2 where you can choose not to do the loyalty and ship upgrade stuff, but not doing so is probably not a good idea, so you end up feeling obliged to do them anyway. (Probably not the best example of compulsory side quest but anyway...)

I think side-quests are a good idea, as long as they're totally optional. People who like the story can just go for the story, and those who like to take their time and do more, can do some or all of the side quests. However, a good game will make you want to do them , and not for the wrong reasons. They still have to be of decent quality though - not stuff chucked in just for filler, like pick this item up and go here with it, for no other reason than you turned up here.
Most of ME2's sidequests were good in that regard - there was something interesting going on each adventure.

I would argue they are totally optional they simply change the way the story plays out,
not doing sidequests can screw you over in any game with a leveling up system, though I can at least see where you (and by extesion the op) are coming from.