MMO Zone Alternate Questline: An'rajal
- Genre: MMORPG
- Type: 2 Alternate Questlines
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Tools: Arcweave, Excel, PPT Miro
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Role: Quest Writer- Over 60 Unique Quests
- 2 Alternate Questlines depending on player faction
- NPC and Quest Giver design
- Questhub and Point of Interest design
- World building (+ zone cartography)
Goal
- Build a narrative-focused project beginning with research and finishing with documentation tailored for team collaboration.
- Create linear quests that connect points of interest, quest hubs, and important locations seamlessly through gameplay.
- Create clear and digestible character, location, and script materials for art and design teams and team collaboration.
- Develop alternate questlines that can support different potential player factions within one zone without overlapping.
- Write engaging quests that utilize multiple in-game mechanics to hold player interest without being overloaded.
Overview
The Questlines
Design Philosophy:
- Ensure quests objectives are close to quest hub and located in similar locations, to prevent player backtracking.
- Create quests that illuminate the lore of An’rajal, while also capturing and holding player attention.
- Utilize unique game mechanics to keep quests refreshing.
- Deviate quest objectives to prevent quests from feeling repetitive and boring.
Faction 1 Questline
The narrative arcs of Faction 1 include working with the Terrakin, only to realize their mistake and have to work alongside the Gavalisk to atone for their mistakes–while also currying favor to secure passage to the next leveling zone.
The player is introduced to the Terrakin, and assists them with their needs. |
The player meets the Gavalisk, and is made aware of their mistakes. They must atone by helping the Gavalisk, and undoing their previous actions. |
The player reaches the Quay but cannot secure travel till they ‘prove’ their way onto the ship. |
The player must assist with rebuilding a sabotaged ship to reach the next zone. |
Faction 2 Questline
The narrative arcs of Faction 2 include establishing a friendship with the Liwog and securing passage to the next leveling zone.
The player is introduced to the Liwogs, and must assist them with the encroaching Terrakin problem. |
The player continues onwards to the next Liwog encampment and assists with purifying the river waters to bolster friendship with the Liwog. |
The player is sent to Anran Outpost, where they’re pressured into working for the Liwog seamen and securing trade secrets. |
The players must acquire resources for Liwog merchants to gain access to the next zone. |
Race Design & Barks
[Faction 1] Ally Race: Gavalisk
The Gavalisk are a nomadic people. They came to An’rajal in search of antiquities that can serve as answers to their bubbling questions about their past: who are they, and where are they from? What is their purpose?
[Faction 2] Ally Race: Liwog
The Liwog have inhabited the jungles of An’rajal for as long as they can remember. They put value on the environment above all else, and recognize the importance of preserving the flora and fauna of An’rajal.
Enemy Race: Terrakins
The Terrakins have lived within in the northern marshes of An’rajal for time immemorial. They have always been at odds with the Liwog due to their disagreements over the usage of magicks, but have learned to tolerate, though unhappily, their presence. However, this new presence, the Gavalisks, has uprooted any sense of goodwill they had left. The Terrakins want their home back, and they’ll do anything they can to oust the strangers.
Voice Over Documentation
I created 3 voice-over documents for 3 NPC races that support the player character while they quest through An’rajal. This was done to provide thorough and detailed information for voice actors and to ensure more refined voice recording sessions.
Each document includes:
- Character design images, character backstories, personality notes, motivations, and vocal directions for each character.
- All lines of dialogue for each character, along with scene details, dialogue context, and quest summaries, are provided to give situational and mood context for the voice actor.
Additionally, a Voice-Over Actor Casting Document was designed to specifically assist with casting direction for individual characters based on culture, age, and gender expectations.
Worldbuilding
An’rajal is a heavily tropical zone featuring beaches and jungles, with a permeating aura of mysticism and witchcraft. Players should be captivated by the beautiful shorelines and untamed wilderness, yet also drawn to the undercurrent of rising tensions between the peoples inhabiting the area.
An’rajal was intentionally designed as the an early leveling zone for players.
As such, An’rajal was designed with the following design goals:
- Highlight key buildings of An’rajal with item placements that resemble the building’s purpose to the player, as well as a connected list of gameplay purposes for the building itself.
- Included notes on points of interest, reference images, and thematic elements for collaboration with the art and level design team.
- Included a reference key with notable NPCs, gameplay mechanics, and a brief backstory for each location.
- Include mechanics and storyline that are not overwhelming for new players.
Designed Enemy Spawn Locations and Quest Hubs
ES means Enemy Spawn Point. The enemy spawn points are intentionally designed to fill most of the empty areas of the zones, to create a sense of danger beyond the designated paths of An’rajal. Additionally, the enemy spawn points are all located close to quest hubs and also close to each other–to make quests objectives where the player must kill or collect from enemies easily accessible, and close to the hub. This ensures players don’t have to travel excessive distances to complete a quest, preventing burnout and the tedium of unnecessary backtracking across the zone.
The Quest hubs were designed to bring the player throughout the zone depending on their faction. The quests that players are given will allow them to travel all over the zone, despite quest hubs being divided between north vs. south of An’rajal.
QH means “quest hub” when referring to the picture. I used lines to indicate how the typical player, when following the questline, would travel throughout the zone.
Designed An'rajal's Cartography
I designed An’rajal to exemplify the following design goals:
- Emphasize the different races living with An’rajal.
- Divided the key quest locations across the map to encourage exploration and player progression,
- Created a location key to indicate location names, points of interest, and highlight the different factions present within the world.
Genre and Content Research
I conducted high-level research to document the types of quests that are popular with specific MMO audiences and how they vary in design. I also took notes on:
- Wrote notes on what critical elements to draw inspiration from to prove audiences enjoy similar ideas that vary in quest style.
- What types of mechanics are available to the player, and how they can be incorporated into quest design.
- What types of quests MMOs typically utilize, and how to draw players into an MMO’s narrative through quests.