Quest limits on non-fedex/class quests

[SlimeTime]

I've recently found a certain hard, higher level quest popular for  resupplying people has a quest repeat limit. I can understand limits on  lowbie quests and stuff like Bilby's to stop people spamming stuff  that's there to allow your character "startup gear" or class rewards.  Overuse of quest limits though, I'm finding to be bad as it splits up  factions OOCly by who has or hasn't done it, makes it harder to recover from  supply drains from PVP/DM quests and so on. Powerquesting successful PCs  will tend to blaze past the level limit anyway and go hit 4-9s.

Quests that get spammed get spammed for a reason, and the most popular  one I find is that the quest provides healing potions reliably, or failing that, cure devices. Everyone needs  them, and the brewers are almost inevitably Clerics, which restricts who  can buy them, unlike say Blur. Lizardmen used to be ridiculous for  example, with faction teams hitting it to amass huge piles of Cure Crits  untill it was nerfed. It sucks to do several quests with low healing  drops, get otherwise decent rewards, then end up thinking "Well, shit.  How do I survive my next combat". So, everyone makes sure to go for the quest they know they're guaranteed healing off.

The trouble of course with making healing easier to acquire off say NPCs  is it takes the market away from players, whereas quests add a limited and random number each time you do them, and entail risk. Thoughts, EfU:A?

[Divine Intervention]

It's one quest, I know which you mean andtbh it has fairly amazing loot.  Not actually that hard for the ridiculous amount of healing.  Alsothe optional bit definately does not need spamming.  Either do some other quest or you know, go rp or explore.

[SlimeTime]

This is in discussions rather than suggestions becaus I don't know what I'd suggest rather than the limit. It's exceptionally random in the loot due to its nature.

"Do something else or go RP or explore" misses the point, as neither will serve the purpose as usefully of being a good chance to get cures within that level range. The other good one is lower level and also locked on number of times. Possibly lowering the uberloot chances? I dunno.

[SilentSouth]

I know which quest you speak of, and i think its an epic quest personally. I think the only reason it has a limit on it is because you don't really need to travel far to do it, therefore people spam the crap out of it.

[MrGrendel]

1. What if quest restriction was represented by actual items:
 
For instance, a rafter who will only take a group to an island of pirates if everyone has a piece of the map needed to navigate there, a guard behind an iron door who will only be fooled into letting the group in if they are all wearing some cloak or signet, magical portals or gates that only accept people with attuned crystals, quest givers who require letters of recommendation, and so on.
 
2. What if these tokens could be rewards from other quests?
 
3. And additionally, what if there were NPC merchants who, once every N days/resets (perhaps influenced by level, etc) would allow you to buy some of the above items via scripted dialogue?
 
Pros(?):
 
If your friend doesn't have a token, you can give him one.
If a group can't go, there's an IC reason.
Adding tokens to loot tables might help popularize other quests.
Characters would never reach a dead end of "can never do this again" outside of level restriction.
Tokens could be traded, sold, perhaps market values established.
The value of getting a quest token might be balanced against the price the merchant asks.
Money sink?
 
Cons(?):
 
Tokens could be stolen, looted, hoarded.
Probably reduced take frequency early on.
Making rewarding quests too dependent on doing tough quests could be a double wammy for sub-optimal builds/groups.
Requires DM work.
Probably more. ;)

[SilentSouth]

1. What if quest restriction was represented by actual items:
 
For instance, a rafter who will only take a group to an island of pirates if everyone has a piece of the map needed to navigate there, a guard behind an iron door who will only be fooled into letting the group in if they are all wearing some cloak or signet, magical portals or gates that only accept people with attuned crystals, quest givers who require letters of recommendation, and so on.
 
2. What if these tokens could be rewards from other quests?
 
3. And additionally, what if there were NPC merchants who, once every N days/resets (perhaps influenced by level, etc) would allow you to buy some of the above items via scripted dialogue?
 
Pros(?):
 
If your friend doesn't have a token, you can give him one.
If a group can't go, there's an IC reason.
Adding tokens to loot tables might help popularize other quests.
Characters would never reach a dead end of "can never do this again" outside of level restriction.
Tokens could be traded, sold, perhaps market values established.
The value of getting a quest token might be balanced against the price the merchant asks.
Money sink?
 
Cons(?):
 
Tokens could be stolen, looted, hoarded.
Probably reduced take frequency early on.
Making rewarding quests too dependent on doing tough quests could be a double wammy for sub-optimal builds/groups.
Requires DM work.
Probably more. ;)

Thats a quality idea my friend. But as you said it would require alot of work, and perhaps the DMs are happy with the way things are currently. Who knows.