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Resources/books for 'intelligent' quests

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Level 10
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Sep 23, 2004
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Does anyone know a good book (say, for game developers) or other resource from where to derive good puzzles for quests? "Kill X, bring Y, destroy Z's base, go see W" etc. kind of a quests have become quite boring, at least in my opinion. Especially in the dungeon maps, the game remains quite limited, often plainly just "right-click on creeps".

For my campaign (if I ever bother to develop it further on), it would like to make more intelligent quests. Problem is that puzzles and other mind games, especially those related to probability theory or just chance are extremely hard to adopt and not only technically. Players can just use trial-and-error approach for them and use save/load approach for probability related problems (loading and trying until desired result is achieved). I think it makes the game play almost as boring as "click-on-the-monster" is.

So, in general, what I am looking for is sort of a complicated puzzle creating guide which would offer puzzles that are 1) extremely lengthy to defeat with trial-and-error and 2) are not dependent on player's luck with random chance, to avoid load save/load approach being adopted.

Something that makes player sit and think "how can I possibly do that?" which is hopefuly later followed by "I am ingenious, of course if I make.. and then..."

Any ideas?
 
Level 17
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Apr 3, 2010
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Yes there are some books where you can get puzzles from within the story. There is one series i dont remember its name but its to do with amulets. Some guy has to leave his house and collect the amulets return home kill dark lord etc. In one of those amulets ther eis one of truth. It is where he enter a house which is evil but everything looks nice. And when he sees proapply every word seems diffrent. Its backwords and a paldinadrom. You could have a puzzle where you ask a question but only the sentance which read forward as they are backwards are true. The rest are lies. For example


Dammit I'm Mad
Everything i say is true
Although Eveything i say is a lie
A nut for a jar of tuna
That is all i do not wish for
All i want i want is some candy
Do you want some candy?
So what you should read is
Damnit i'm mad
A nut for a jar of tuna
Where by you give them a nut. and complete the quest.
Or you could have questions backwards .I.e
teg retsis hcae dluow selppa ynam. sretsis owt ym neewteb meht erahs ot deirt i fi, ris dnik selppa eerht evah i olleh
(Hello i have three apples kind sir, if i tried to share them between my two sisters. How many apples would each sister get.)
Too which the answer is evif tniop eno (one point five)
OR something like that.
If you have to answer backwards then you cant really guess it can you

Or if u want a general puzzle you can just do.
If i have 5 potatoes and 3 children how can i share out the 5 potatoes without any remaiders or fraction.
Answer You mast the potatos and serve equal portions
Or you can just have many Basic riddles like in Tolkens the hobbit when he meets Golumn
I.e A basic riddle would be like this
Without me nothing is ever done
I am a word which comes often to those confused and thinking, but not to those who already know the answer.

Without me nothing is ever done
Work
I am a word which comes often to those confused and thinking
Err
Worker
Or some basics like that. Im sure its easy to think of some
 
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