Help:Writing a good quest guide
From EQ2i, the EverQuest II wiki
(This article is still under construction. Feel free to contribute)
EQ2I is known for its great quest guides, especially when it comes to timelines (a series of quest). Here are a few tips for writing a good quest guide:
Contents |
[edit] Efficiency
Imagine the reader switching to her web browser while running away from a train of 30 mobs and 5 hostile players and the quest timer is ticking. While humor and neat phrasing is appreciated, she'd rather just get the location for the next update quickly.
[edit] The QuestInformation template
Your article should usually start with: {{QuestInformation | level = XX Heroic | category = Heritage | }}
...which puts the article into the correct category and displays some key information. Both level and category is seen in your journal. Remember that category does not equal "current zone".
[edit] Introduction
After the QuestInformation-template, you can write a couple of words about the quest, for example:
- This quest is part 1 of a 5-quest series in the Qeynos Districts Timeline'
- This is the prismatic quest
[edit] Requirements
Detail what previous step(s) is/are required before starting the quest. This could be another quest or knowing a certain language or being from Freeport.
[edit] Steps
The reader will be reading the guide, logging off, going on vacation, reading it, playing an alt, reading it again, etc. She is most likely to have forgotten every step prior to the current one, so don't rely on knowledge from earlier quests or steps.
Bad examples:
- The bird will now attack you again (who is this bird? how is it triggered?)
- Go to the quest starter (who is the quest starter? where is he?)
- After you've done that, go searching for the pond that looks like a bath of acid near the big tree (too vague, too much text)
- Grab egg in Fountain Room (what is the fountain room? use locations! where is the egg? what does it look like? is the egg harvested? can it be done while invisible))
Good examples:
- Speak to Some Guy at (100, 0, 50)
- Get auto-update at (0, -10, 1500)
- Inspect the base of the golden dragon statue at (10, -5, 200)
- WARNING: You are now on a 5 minute timer to complete the next step
- Complete sub-quest Quest Name
- Examine and read Some Book in your inventory
- Kill NPC Name at (0, -50, 30)
Notice that the good examples are mostly like: "Do something to someone at location", "Speak to someone at location", "Examine item in your inventory".
