Task System (preliminary work)

[Andrew80k]

Dude!

I've been thinking about this for a while, but haven't had the time to get into it much. I think it would be great if we could tie it into the quest system. I haven't come up with a good solution, because I just don't know enough about how it works within the client. Basically, how it's passed to the client. Is all the quest data passed into the client at the time the quest is assigned, and then how do the updates affect it?

I was thinking about doing something on the order of quest::taskassign(blah, blah,blah) or however it worked out to assign tasks. Then quest::update(blah,blah), or what ever as far as how the data is then passed to the client. That is if it could even be integrated into the quest system.

Anyway, that's an awesome start. Thanks for taking it on...

[So_1337]

Having no idea whatsoever how it's actually handled, I feel perfectly qualified to pitch an idea for how it should work.

Initiate a quest with an NPC. That should pass the quest completion criteria to the client's task window.

quest::task(type,quantity,id);

Where type is the type of quest (collect or kill), quantity is how many must be collected/killed, and id is either the item ID or NPC ID.

Is there an op_code triggered by looting a certain item ID or killing an NPC of a certain type?

Feel free to shoo me away from this thread. I know I'm in far over my head. Just pitching that out there, though, as a rough example.

[Derision]

Originally Posted by So_1337

Is there an op_code triggered by looting a certain item ID or killing an NPC of a certain type?

No, the way I see it working is, whenever you kill a mob, or loot something, the server will need to check if you have any active tasks, and if killing that mob, or looting that item, was an objective of the task, then incrementing the kill/loot count for the task and sending the Task Complete packet when you have killed/looted the required number.

Feel free to shoo me away from this thread. I know I'm in far over my head. Just pitching that out there, though, as a rough example.

I welcome anyones ideas. I never actually did any of these Tasks when I played on live.

[So_1337]

That sounds about right. I'm trying to remember the different quest types. I remember kill and collection, as those were the easiest. My friends and I pretty much kept requesting a new task until we got one of those, heh. Again, though, this only applies to LDoN. I suppose it could apply to many different quests that came later and fit the format correctly. Might need someone with a little more insight as to how it was used on Live, but your understanding of it sounds pretty spot-on thus far. It's the application of the system that's going to take some understanding.

[Derision]

Originally Posted by So_1337

I'm trying to remember the different quest types. I remember kill and collection, as those were the easiest.

There is an 'Activity Type' field, which determines, whether the activity is loot, deliver, kill etc. I've not tried all the possible values yet, but I know there is an 'Explore' type, which I imagine could be tied into the quest proximity detection in some way.

[Andrew80k]

Originally Posted by Derision

There is an 'Activity Type' field, which determines, whether the activity is loot, deliver, kill etc. I've not tried all the possible values yet, but I know there is an 'Explore' type, which I imagine could be tied into the quest proximity detection in some way.

Yeah, set up an invisible mob/object and set a proximity around it. Have the quest for that object send a task update. If you have the task your task updates, if not the client will likely ignore it.

[Flare83]

Awsomeness Derision, did you used to work for Sony? lol j/k but nonetheless great work.

[Flare83]

Damn edit button

The main things i remember from the task system was

EQlive must of kept a table for what quests you completed. Becuase some of the quests where long 12 mission arcs.
DoN used it heavely for its raids/group content.
GoD/OoW used the alt+z window for it's missions. i think they are alot different but on the other hand might be alot alike /shrug.
Ldon used alt+v i think

[Andrew80k]

Originally Posted by So_1337

That sounds about right. I'm trying to remember the different quest types. I remember kill and collection, as those were the easiest. My friends and I pretty much kept requesting a new task until we got one of those, heh. Again, though, this only applies to LDoN. I suppose it could apply to many different quests that came later and fit the format correctly. Might need someone with a little more insight as to how it was used on Live, but your understanding of it sounds pretty spot-on thus far. It's the application of the system that's going to take some understanding.

Most of the task quests involved kill and collect. There were locate explore type quests as well, where you just ran around looking for stuff. These were mostly to get questers familiar with the zones and such. I don't have the latest expansion so I'm not sure if there are other types in the later ones. I've done a lot in the DoN and a several in the Depths of Darkhollow. Most of those were kill and collect.