World of Warcraft: Forever's convinced me that we lost too much to modern MMO quest design
Reject three-quest conformity, embrace friction.
In the wire material, Terminally Online discusses their enjoyment of World of Warcraft: Forever, a recent expansion of the classic MMO. They explain that the new expansion retains the same core experience as the original game, while adding more quests to smooth out the leveling and questing experience. The article highlights three key aspects of the quest design that have been maintained: ordering, travel, and level variety.
Ordering refers to the player's decision-making process when completing quests with limited information. This has been brought back into the new expansion, allowing players to make more efficient choices when completing quests. Travel is also emphasized, with quests placed in strategic locations to encourage exploration and make the journey as interesting as the quest itself. Lastly, level variety is addressed, ensuring that quests feature a range of enemy levels and locations.
The author notes that while modern MMOs often prioritize convenience, Forever strikes a balance by maintaining the core satisfaction of questing while easing up on the friction. They argue that by preserving the old-school quest design, Blizzard has managed to improve upon the formula without compromising its charm.
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