Quest Texts/Design suffers from don't tell, show!

[Enceebe]

Sorry but I must complain/rant. Some new quest are simply to badly written and designed ingame to give clues to where to go find certain items or quest objects. No offence to the fine people who make Turtle WoW in their freetime just how it feels.

For example "The Horn of Garek'sa" and "Tales of the Past" in Swamp of Sorrows.
The entire quest texts read like a weired flex of the introdution to a DnD character that tells me how great he or is grand father/teacher/mentor what ever no one cares about your sub story in a univere were I kill people to buy breakfast.

The only clues for the Horn from Garek'sa are, it is "at" the camp to the east called the Fallow Sanctury. The Animal was a giant of the size of dreanai tent/house. So its horn should also be gigantic. I completed all other quest there without finding the Horn.
The other quest in the same place are easier. I have to find giant blue Dreanai crytals, mashrooms that are big yellow and everywhere.

"Lost Caravan" The quest text is alot shorter and gives still alot more clues.
The Draenei stole a wagon with reagents that are locked in a chest on it and brought "in"to the camp.

There is only one wagon in the entire camp and on it is only one clickable chest with the reagants.
Right next to it is a guy locked in a cage that starts an escort quest.
When you complet the escort quest the rescued gives you the clue to look for his camp North of Stoneard.
The camp is in eyesight of the north gate of stonard and is a burned down tent that is still smocking and stuff is scattered everywhere and the lockbox is easy to find.

Tales of the Past tells me to find the Forgotten Tome of a fallen Paladin who died in battle with the old horde somewhere west of stoneard.

From what is told it reads like a last stand of a hero of the alliance. In my mind I see something like the Mines of Moria in the Lord of the Rings movies. Were the Fellowship handled many orcs on the leftside and a cave troll by throwing and pokeking it with stuff until it was covered with dots. Skeletons, broken stuff, tombs. You don't need no one to tell you what happend before they came here or what happend to the people that lifed here. You can see it everywere.

I need to find a place that is good for either ambush or easy to defened or near a road/bridge.

But no, if you walk down the road you will not find it, because "the battle scene of the great last stand" is 2 skeletons. One before a log and one leaned onto it with the tome. Thats it. No footpaths, cut down trees, trenches, a wooden palisade, spikes, shallow graves, burned stuff, warmachines or other equipment clustered around from the road to here Nothing that showed his bravery or skill in slowing down the horde in anyway he could. It looks more like a failed robbery. I atleast expected something like the trails in the Tanaris desert.

I simply had to give up the quest "Horn of Garek'sa", because neither people in chat were willing to help or simply didn't know either. Also a google search was not fruitful. The Forgoten Tome I also could only find with help of the internet.

[Ugoboom]

+1 valid feedback

[Fishi]

Very reasonable observation, +1

[Paw]

I would like to suggest you to edit these quests to your liking, given that you have already invested time and thought in them, and when you find it satisfactory share them in this thread so we can oversee what you have come up with. May you build upon the story and describe the surroundings you imagine explicitly or give a different wording to the quest text its up to you. That's how these quests were made in the first place.

[Xero]

Two things:

1. Yes, agreed, while TurtleWoW is awesome, the custom quests are often lacking vital information. We need to know where we should expect to find the item (including clues if the item is obscure, like the Forgotten Tome), and also where the quest completion NPC is.

2. Where is the Forgotten Tome? I searched "west of Stonard" like the quest text said... nothing. I then looked up https://database.turtle-wow.org/?object=2010823 and went to that precise location and... nothing. (As a HC character, it was also quite scary with all the pvp-flagged horde NPCs wandering around.)

So can anyone help with a precise description or correct coordinates for the Forgotten Tome, please? Ultimately, I'm keen to find it because it looks like it leads to an SM quest, but to be frank, I won't bother unless there's something more to go on. Thanks!

[Allwynd01]

I have also noticed that custom quests are walls upon walls of paragraphs. I also notice this when I'm posting something - I end up posting walls of text and paragraphs for something I could have said in 2 sentences.

It really is a skill to be able to say a lot with few words.

[Enceebe]

I would like to suggest you to edit these quests to your liking, given that you have already invested time and thought in them, and when you find it satisfactory share them in this thread so we can oversee what you have come up with. May you build upon the story and describe the surroundings you imagine explicitly or give a different wording to the quest text its up to you. That's how these quests were made in the first place.

Did not see your suggestion.

"Description
Sorrowguard Keep once held the Orcish Horde at bay for two weeks. Day after day, orcs attacked these walls and were repelled by brave defenders of the Kingdom of Azeroth. They battled from one end of the swamp all the way back to these very walls.

My mentor was one such hero who took the call and met the horde within these lands. As much of a hero he was, he gave his life so others had the chance to survive. When I was being trained, he carried a tome of great holy power from the Abbey of Northshire.

I still believe the tome to be present here in the swamp, though in what condition, or where, I cannot be certain. I do know it lies west of Stonard, that should certainly narrow down the area if you wish to search in the name of the Light. "

This is the original Text.
"
"My mentor fought in the first war as a volunteer here in Sorrowguard Keep. These walls were able to hold off the orc horde for 2 weeks. On his last mission, he led an ambush hoping to cut off the horde's supplies and never returned.

That's why I still believe his remains are here in the swamp. He always carried a sacred tome from Northshire Abbey. Please, if you stumble upon his remains, look for a tome.

If I were you, I would look west of Stonard for a place that would make a good hiding place for an ambush along the way. That should definitely narrow down the area if you want to search in the name of light."

My suggestion

[Ingameacc12345]

So can anyone help with a precise description or correct coordinates for the Forgotten Tome, please? Ultimately, I'm keen to find it because it looks like it leads to an SM quest, but to be frank, I won't bother unless there's something more to go on. Thanks!

IIRC the location shown in the Turtle DB is correct. It's a small-ish book beside a big log.

[Xero]

So can anyone help with a precise description or correct coordinates for the Forgotten Tome, please? Ultimately, I'm keen to find it because it looks like it leads to an SM quest, but to be frank, I won't bother unless there's something more to go on. Thanks!

IIRC the location shown in the Turtle DB is correct. It's a small-ish book beside a big log.

Thanks. I went back, and found it. It's very camoflagued - incredibly hard to see. I spent a couple of minutes looking for it last time, up and down beside that very log, and didn't see it then. Oh well. Got it now.

Still, I do think the quest text needs to be more helpful in several instances.

Another example came to mind: The Hawk's Vigil quest (https://database.turtle-wow.org/?quest=55225). Where is Harlus Ashbuckle? It would be helpful for the quest to comment that he's inside a tent.

[Allwynd01]

I also remembered something again about quest text that I think the Turtle team possibly fix.

The quest text in the window when you talk to the NPC is not black like it is in the quest log.

When there is a lot of quests, like the custom quests are, it becomes annoying to read, here is a screenshot:



It would be good if the Turtle team can change the text color from gray to black or do something about the backgrounds to increase contrast and readability.

I have no idea why Blizzard would leave the quest text in the log to be one color and when you talk the NPC a different color.

[Llamalord07]

The 'Horn of Garek'sa' is near the left hut in the Fallow Sanctuary under a murlock looking hut, on the ground, in the grass.

[Knt]

Spent over an hour looking for the tome that is "West" of Stonard. It turns out it's directly north of Stonard.

[Septem123]

Even more annoying is pointing the wrong way.

[Milenski]

Found The 'Horn of Garek'sa' at Fallow sanctuary. Follow the road and exactly where the road ends on map, the horn is in a small box on the ground near the first tent at right side.