The Lowbie Experience

[Howlando]

It's like players live on a different world.

CrystalRose, thank you for the suggestion, but my point is not that we have trouble coming up with complex ideas for fun low level quests; but rather that building and implementing can take a lot of time and energy. What you proposed, as an example, would be an immense and extremely time-consuming undertaking to build and implement as well as being very resource intensive... it is quite important in a PW of this kind to recycle scripts, for example, and not have lots of new scripts for every quest.

[Wrexsoul]

I'm aware my post was absurdly long-winded; I just wanted to get everything on paper in case people want to follow my reasoning. That's why I put the tl;dr summary at the end detailing my concise suggestions.

[Pandip]

My one large recommendation is to up the reward on the Ziggurat search quests while making it more obvious, as Wrexsoul recommended, that the gnome wants you to search rubble piles and bring him stuff. I think it would be great if the gnome was actually the quest giver for both the rubble searching and cellar exploration quests, in fact. This way, you can give some kind of useful quest reward that eliminates the random factor of that quest. Not getting a tarnished serpent ring or a purple crystal during a run of that quest feels brutal; both items are great for days to come, especially the serpent ring, which gives 20 (!) opportunities to summon a first-level serpent, which generally does just as much damage to mobs as a new PC.

It'd be cool if we could see the gnome give out more "points" for each piece of rubble brought back to him too. Making those search rolls is hard, even sometimes for PC's that have ranks in search. It'd be nice to get something more out of it than three cure minor potions. Since both of these quests are essentially one-timers and are clearly the most obvious quests to take for a new player, it'd be nice to see them give a little bit more for the effort.

Also, I'm not sure it's entirely clear that the quest you get from Nduru is meant to be turned into the Stygian within the Ziggurat. It might do well to make that more clear; tell them to "Go talk to the blue-armored Stygian and he'll direct you further" or something to that effect.

And if you're going to keep things like Marching Dead available for new PC's, I think he should mention these opportunities explicitly, whether by the gnome or someone else.

I'm wholly against any idea that supports having more quest givers replacing placeable quests. You have to think about team nature when you're implementing these things, too; rolling a gazer is difficult, especially if you don't have a higher-level buddy to help you through the low level supply drought. They don't have nearly as much access to "easy" delivery/puzzle/quick dungeon quests as Mistlocke PC's do, especially not portal rat ones.

Couple other quick notes:

It'd be nice is Bailan Gailheart or whatever in Muskroot's tower said where he actually was during the ambient sending he sends out every so often. I remember racking my brain over where to find him when I first heard it. He should also make it more clear that he has a letter to deliver, whether you do this by mentioning something with the placeable "explore Mistlocke" quest or some other way would be grand. The potential rewards for this quest are absolutely huge for a new PC with no healing supplies.

The Floggs delivery quest could use a look at the reward table. Sometimes she'll give you a nice purple crystal, and sometimes she'll give you a useless rock that you can't sell -- and this being for the DC 20 bluff roll for more than the 10 or so gp she gives you upon completion.

More direction towards quests would be nice. I remember not knowing about the joking gnome or the Tower of Hanoi puzzles until months after EFU:M started, and I bet new players won't notice these solo, introductory quests either.

I'll leave it at that for now, lest I get long-winded and off track. Those are my primary suggestions based on what's been said so far.

[Pigadig]

Maybe there just needs to be a blanket suggestion somewhere for newbies to "EXAMINE EVERY NPC, YOU'll FIND QUESTS THAT WAY".

That was how I discovered a lot of low level quests rather than being shown them.

[HalflingPower]

I recently took in a new(or old returning) player named Groum, he was lost and confused on the zig and asked me to lead him to civilzation. I took him under my wing for a few weeks and showed him the ropes, and he still didn't really get more then 10% of what some of us have stored in our heads about the setting, there is just too much information let alone quirks and chinks in its armor (like the burning hands hat)

I think, that the mist coffin should not give you a massive amount of exp and that those starting as a villager (Which should say recommended for new players I think because the zig is confusing and hateful) should give a few extra potions - Primarily invisibility, hardly a game breaker.

Otherwise I think the text wall which I did read, was very well thought out and well spoken.

Here's to equal opportunity!

[VanillaPudding]

I can only speak for Vrazdn, and it is really awesome. I would only suggest to glance at the loot in the chests. Mundane crossbows, spears, and single potion drops in chests on a (now) somewhat difficult quest aren't really fitting.

[Talir]

There's a brand new cool group quest added recently for level 2-6.

[Damien]

Can we bring back that very awesome and delightful rot goblin quest? With it's part 1 and part 2!