Timed Quests

[Riful]

I have to say, the timed quests are not very satisfying in Outward. And I generally like timed quests. I like being told that i have to prioritize time-sensitive matters, or they'll fail, it helps the world feel like it moves without me. I also like the idea that you might not be able to do everything in one playthough, just because events are happening simultaneously in different zones, and you can only be in one place at a time.

But I need information for this to be fun. Part of the enjoyment of timed quests is making decisions about what you're going to do, and when, and that having consequences. I don't really feel like I've made any decisions, I've just walked along and suddenly gotten messages saying I failed a quest... one of which I never even knew I had. Apparently blood under the sun starts when you hear a rumor in the inn, which quite frankly, I assumed was relevant to the blue collective main quest considering that it ties in with the story. I thought certainly there would be an actual reason for me to head to the desert, and I could look into the prince's assassination then.

Apparently not. I also failed purifier, which was dumped on me after I died in the hollowed marsh and got teleported to monsoon. It was a really awkward way to start the quest, and I didn't realize it was timed.

And there isn't really a consequence. I only know I failed blood under the sun because I saw it in my completed quest log, with a line about the evidence being long gone. Purifier just said "complete" because I did do most of it... everything except collect my reward in Berg. So rather than feeling like the world moves without me, it just feels like I got cheated.

I won't say much about the vendavel quest because it's been beaten to death. But what I will say is that the consequence for not doing the quest is actually solid. The town getting destroyed? That's what a failed quest should feel like. It allows for a roleplay of a character that resents their bloodprice and doesn't mind seeing the town get sacked. But again, what's actually missing is clarity that this is a timed quest, or even that the quest exists, for players who don't join the blue collective.

Timed quests, and quests you can fail in general, need clarity. Either every quest should have been timed in this game, or the timed quests should have been more clearly marked. It doesn't even have to be a little timer in the journal, just some mention that you need to pursue this before they get away, for example, would have been enough.

Anyway I love this game dearly, and at least this means I have more content to experience in my second playthough, but I can't deny I'm rather disappointed that the timed quests were so nonchalant in their presentation.

[Sick Puppy]

There are different words used to let you know and Impending doom events tend not to wait. Moment they said the starting town was in danger I went back there asap and cleaned the fort out. I didn't care much about the desert city so I let it expire. I like it that if X has a problem that doesn't get solved that there are follow ups. I'm kind of tired of quests that say it's raining fire but nothing happens :/

[Riful]

Originally posted by Sick Puppy:

There are different words used to let you know and Impending doom events tend not to wait. Moment they said the starting town was in danger I went back there asap and cleaned the fort out. I didn't care much about the desert city so I let it expire. I like it that if X has a problem that doesn't get solved that there are follow ups. I'm kind of tired of quests that say it's raining fire but nothing happens :/

Except there aren't. Nothing I read in purifier said "timed sensitive" I was investigating a crime that had already occurred.

Blood under the sun literally starts with a rumor about an assassination, not only did it not seem time sensitive, I didn't realize it was a quest that I could do. I thought it was worldbuilding connected to the major levant plot point in the blue collective quest I just did.

Vendavel DOES tell you it's raining fire, and even though I'd already cleared that fort, I went back just in case they respawned for the quest. However, that's only true if you're in the right place and talk to the right people. From what I've read, if you pursue the holy mission or join levant you may not know about the quest at all, since you have to talk to the chamberlady in berg or the guard in cierzo... both zones you're not in when joining the other factions.

I agree that quests with time sensitive content are a good change of pace from other games where the apocalypse will conveniently wait for you to pick 30 flowers and get some lady's cat out of a tree. But crime investigation and bar rumours don't sound like emergencies, imo.

[shadowpope]

I never actually finished purifier. I spoke to Rissa in Berg but never went back to monsoon to hand it in. apparently it just auto completed and I didn't fail it?