Quest Idea: First Day

[Baldur 0]

I've had a quest idea for a long time I've really been enamored of.

The first day.

Often times people come to the site, and they don't know what quest to take first. They don't know where to start. They have a hard time nailing down their character, etc... I had originally wanted to pitch this as a longer quest, as part of a level floor (for example. New characters would start at level 5 or 10 or whatever), but even without that idea attached to it, I think it's a fun idea, and in line with the quest "What we fight for."

It would be a quest, Ideally for a new character, about the first day in Aincrad. But for older characters it could be reminiscing. 

This first day is incredibly important, since it's essentially a shared experience by all players. It's the one thing every player has experienced and shared memories of. For my parents generation it's like the day of the JFK assassination. Everyone remembers where they were when it happened, the details of that moment burned into their minds. For my generation, I can remember 9/11 with crystal clarity. What I was thinking, the details of the day. Exactly where I was.

This would be a moment like that for our characters, and I think it is woe-fully under written about.

It would work something like this:

Solo or group. But everyone in this thread is level 1. It would be a page or two long, since this is really about spending time with the character and getting into their headspace. The quest would not be repeatable, since you only have the first day once. Items nor col could be traded since this is immediately upon entering the game.

The quest description would really be an outline of events that you need to cover in your thread. Something like

• You get home, your nervegear has patched, and it's almost time for the game to launch. Describe your setup and thoughts leading up to saying the words "link start"
• Include or skip character creation, but talk about your first impressions of SAO upon diving in. In this your first full dive? Have you played other non-mmo nervegear games?
• Describe your first few hours in SAO. Do you take a quest? Wander around exploring? practice combat? The Town of Beginnings is crammed full of new players like you just starting out
• Write about the moment you realize that there is no log out button. Do the people around you believe? Do you find out from someone else? Or do you not find out until Kayaba teleports you to the square
• Watch the scene in the anime where kayaba reveals the plot of the game and reveals everyone's true faces. How does your character react to these events?
• Now that your identity has been revealed (were you a guy playing a girl at first?) what do you do? Do you believe him? Do you think this is a bad prank? Do you really believe people will have to clear 100 floors, or do you wait for the authorities to free you? What is the rest of that day like?
• How much time passes before you decide to leave the town on the beginning and take that first step out of the safe zone? Describe that moment.

 

Mechanics aside, I think it would be a fun quest everyone should do, since it's a really defining moment. It could be fun for us veterens to replay those moments knowing who became important to us, and knowing what we know now. For new players, it's a good place to start and feel out a character.

I think you could do a fun series of "time-warp" quests. Such as the "first few lessons are free" quests. These could all take place "in the first few months" but that would require only new players could help each other. Still, I think this "time warp" idea would allow players to get enough levels under their belt to be able to hand-wave the amount of time that has passed between the game launching and "now" so that they don't have to come up with an idea why their character sat in the town of beginnings for 3 years.

Thoughts?

[Paglikha 0]

This seems quite the fun idea. I know that we had a Town of Beginnings thread a long time ago where most people just compiled their character's reactions to that first event, but this does seem as if it would definitely help newer players nail down their character and also help people even forge relationships with others by giving them that early connection.

[Tread 0]

I lurk here a lot anymore, didn't even finish my first plot line which I'm kind of disappointed about,  but that's besides the point. I think this is a great idea, when I took on The First Few Lessons are Free, I wrote it as if it was my character's first day in Aincrad. It is kind of daunting starting out with no real base to start from.

[Morgenstern 1]

I think its a wonderful idea, but it would be basically 100% story without any actual requirements to be held. I feel like there wouldn't be anything to put in as requirements or even to give out as a reward. 
While its a great idea, its an impractical quest idea. I feel like maybe putting this in the tutorial under FAQ, "Where should I start" Then release this idea

 

[Hirru 0]

I think this is an amazing idea for an event / eternal OP, like we used to have.  It's great for those that can't figure out what their character would be doing for the first few days/weeks/months/years.  Especially those coming in now where we already have a somewhat timeline that may-or-may-not be in working order still.  Though, I feel that it may be a little off putting for those that have their first days set in stone.  Although, I'm sure some of us need a rework in that regard, anyway.

Though, I do agree with Morg.  This doesn't particularly seem like particularly gaining quest.  "You're trapped in this castle until you or someone you don't know clears all 100 floors.  Also here is some experience for your sudden trauma."  Yeah, I'm not so sure.

However, if it was used as a good starting spot, some new players could have some slight interactions to later known frontliner/influencial players.  Of course, many of our characters have changed from our first interactions, and recalling those times are going to be quite weird for most, but it may be a learning experience.

Now if we're talking about the <<Time-skip>> that will be happening because of these threads, I may see what you're going for.  Instead of a quest that is an actual reward for a actual quest, its the experience gained from the <<Time-skip>> that we're looking at instead, and how said players in thread gained it all.  If we ever implemented the time-skip lvls, this would be an appropriate thread to be a "Tutorial Thread" for players that don't understand the mechanics too well, before their thrust into the mid-range lvls.

With this, we also knock out the possibilities of lvl 1 deaths by a fair percentage, though not by much.  With these threads, I would assume this would require at least two or three players, as the fear from the news would make people huddle together for safety.  Sticking together to learning the ropes of the world.  This may also start some side-plots for any relations / animosities towards other players.

[Hestia 0]

I personally love this idea that Baldur has made and would support it rather happily since i am all for quests and other things that don't really have any incentive besides the experience it could provide the players. Which is why i just made "What we Fight For" just only about what the players could get from having such a moment and a nice little memorable picture thing that there characters could have. SO to have something like this i am all for just for the sole fact it would as Baldur said be a place for people to start off with and have a nice little thread that is plot driven to start off there character. Though as Morg and Hirru have brought up i will have to agree with also maybe calling it a quest type deal might be a bit much, but i would still put it in the quest area just so people could look at it with ease since i am certain when people read all the rules. They skim through them at parts which would have this little idea skipped over if it was put in the rules/tutorials area.

[Shield 0]

I think there's plenty of reason to include it. While I am as much a slave to numbers as the rest, many are here almost purely for RP, and having something structured like this would be a good way to make them feel less alienated when they first start out. It would also be a good way for the long-standing players to get back to their roots. It would remind them of the things they forgot about when they were first crafting their player. I have a few of those that I always forget to include.

I say let's break out of the numbers cult a little and encourage some good old-fashioned RP quest.