Optimize Quest Board and Map Events

[merry vessel]

The Issue:

Currently, the Quest Board and map events generate tasks strictly based on Character Level. The problem is that unusable quests and events are taking up slots that should belong to content we can actually do right now.

For example, players frequently get Pet Quests that require searching for tracks or quests that are in a location we can access yet or the Old Road event before they have a Pet House, a Level 2 Pet, or a finished Wagon or being able to go to the area. We all know players can still progress without doing these quests and events, but it simply takes much longer when the game keeps giving us tasks we cannot attend to YET. It leaves us with dead quest events that takes up space for doable events and quests, while we are waiting for our to progress on ranch.

The Solution:
Link the active Quest Board slots and Map Events directly to a player's actual ranch progress (e.g., whether a building is completed or a certain pet level is reached).

Keep Active Slots Playable: The game should only populate active daily quests and map events that the player has the ability to do that day. If a player doesn't have a Wagon yet, that map event slot should feature a different, accessible event instead. Same goes for the pet task on quest.

Utilize Empty UI Space for Locked Previews:
The current Quest Board UI has a lot of empty space on the right side. Instead of filling our active daily list with tasks we can't do yet, use this empty right side to show grayed-out "Preview Quests" (e.g., "Locked: Requires Level 2 Pet"). This way we have daily quest we are fully able to do while having a look at quests that unlocks after getting the requirements.

Why this helps the game:
Removing (dead) quests and events that takes up space for quests and events we actually are able to do. This keeps the daily gameplay loop active and engaging. It ensures players always have a full set of tasks to complete while waiting on their long-term ranch upgrades.

[hoary kernel]

Hmm, as most of those problematic quest has doable toned down version, why not simply switch it? 🤔

[merry vessel]

I do not have the option to re-roll or switch my quest tasks or events.

Even if I did, I still think i should only be represented Quest and events that I actually can attend too, this way if I had the option to re-roll or switch it would be because of the hardnes of the lvl to get an medium or easy task or just to get a different task I also can do in-general for whatever reason if want that.

[glossy marten]

Link the active Quest Board slots and Map Events directly to a player's actual ranch progress (e.g., whether a building is completed or a certain pet level is reached).

I think this could pose an issue. What if I reach level 130 and still don’t have a pet house or wagon? That would mean I would have tracking mission off the board and id get more bounty missions, thus earning more coins. The same with wagon, as if would block such missions and I’d be able to save a bit of sugar and coins as I wouldn’t be forced to buy draft horses.

Not sure if it also applies, but if you could ignore casper crane’s assignments you’d get to keep SC missions off the board completely (you would not need to reset it every other day), thus you could earn a lot more silver.

I just don’t think it will happen.

[merry vessel]

So your saying that only getting (bounty missions) is more beneficial so therefor it will be too broken to just never build pet house or wagon ??..

Or did I misunderstand you..

Anyway if that’s the case, they could simply just either create a new task that can be a replacer for the tracker quest until you get the pet or just a easier bounty hunt mission that gives small amount of coins.

As for the wagon and Old road event they can simply make it so that event won’t show up unless you actually have a Wagon/Horse with enough endurance and that you just get a different event such as Smugglers or Trainstop etc etc (issue: people will not be pushed to build wagon or get horse endurance since they don’t know the event exists). (Solution: use the Quest board’s right side to showcase both Quests and Events that are available at your player level but will not appear or be doable before after you got the needed requirements)

Do not think cheating the system by not building a Wagon or getting enough endurance to never get the Old Road event is a tactic to get the other events more frequently will be an issue, since the old road offers good rewards + pet bowl and also helps a lot in building anger which is good for stash maps.

[hoary kernel]

I meant as a suggestion for the dev 😅

[hoary kernel]

Another case is just... you'll get t1 variant, in which reward is minimal, yet doable without unowned requirement.

[glossy marten]

If I could choose type of mission, it would definitely be bounty quests simply because it gives the most coins. The other missions are just a waste of time/resurces even though they are relatively easy, but they give small amount of coins.

If i do 40 bounty quests i get 4000 coins in 20 days or so.
If i were doing tracking missions for that same amount it would take me 50 days.

In this regards bounties are the most valuable quests.

There are people that just ignore the building of wagon, because they were told it provides no real value except a reset point far from the ranch. And the cost is not worth it. This recently changed so now it feels forced.

Pethouse is probably not in the same category as wagon as its not that hard to obtain parts and also Old road loot is quite tempting. So people will build it. And some find pets really useful in everday life. Only issue here is you have to have a certain level of pet to be able to do tracking missions, but that should provide encouragement for you to open bait in skill tree.

As i said “it probably wont happen” i think all your mentioned “flaws” have to do with the game design/philosophy to keep you engaged with the game for a long period of time by providing you with a ton of content and making you a potential customer for a long time.

[hoary kernel]

There's a solution tbh.

1. Wagon bounty / safe dailies, isn't it a variant of regular bounty? Just put the highest non wagon bounties as replacement, until you get wagon. Definitely less silver, and "worse hideout reward" (not net reward).
2. Hunting mission. Just use the highest pet you've ever caught / bought / bred. Kinda first time thing, plus warning when you release / give the pet.
3. Old Road, put the highest leveled non wagon one as replacement.

tl,dr. Replacement gives worse reward, but not completely block the player from doing such mission. (better less than none at all)

[glossy marten]

As for the wagon and Old road event they can simply make it so that event won’t show up unless you actually have a Wagon/Horse with enough endurance and that you just get a different event such as Smugglers or Trainstop etc etc (issue: people will not be pushed to build wagon or get horse endurance since they don’t know the event exists). (Solution: use the Quest board’s right side to showcase both Quests and Events that are available at your player level but will not appear or be doable before after you got the needed requirements)

Wagon and OR event arent really related, only they use draft horses. Wagon might be an issue when high tiered player as Shootout event is somehow rare at higher tiers (though I belive this might have been changed recently). If you don't have high enough endurance horse just save coins and buy it in town, or you can try breeding (which isn't the best choice).

The misconception is with this special events, as I see it:
THE MOST IMPORTANT is shootout spot as you will need to build and upgrade stable AND build wagon AND invest in saddle. So this should be TOP priority. I wouldn't put much on the other three, but I belive most want to have a pet, which is nice addition, but it doesn't make such a difference especially at lower tiers (personally I find these pets quite annoying and "consume" too much in relation to what they return, but thats a whole new topic). Emergency stop is also not that necesary as you wont have all the seeds of all tiers at once. Planing wisley here is advised. And skipping till you get SO so u can advance. Train attack is probably the least needed until you are high tiered player, as it "only" produces meat and this is basically needed only for pets whicha at lower tiers can be just farmed in the wild.

Do not think cheating the system by not building a Wagon or getting enough endurance to never get the Old Road event is a tactic to get the other events more frequently will be an issue, since the old road offers good rewards + pet bowl and also helps a lot in building anger which is good for stash maps.

It's not the question of "cheating", devs probaly have in mind of you using the implemented game features.

[glossy marten]

I think the creators planned on you to use their features so they don't see the logic in giving in and treating you as a child. "You don't have a wagon yet? Fine you wont do wagon missions for a while, but here they are just to remind you what you need to build it.", "Don't have high enough tier pet, you have been neglecting it ha? Fine, you'll catch up.", "You don't have a draft horse. NP, Arabella sells them, go and buy one."

You can still earn coins to catch up on ^^ issues by doing CT & SC missions and bounty ones, perhaps farming CT if you're strong enough. You could also buy in the in-game bank section. There are options, you just have to choose what suits you. Patience helps. Play on a long run.

[merry vessel]

Im just saying that getting events and quests that player are not able to do because of lack of required content is taking up space for other events we can do without the content regardless of player lvl…

The only reason i suggested the stuff you referred to (treating you as a child) was just if they wanted to show/push people what you can get if you unlock this and that. ( Which they already do in the work benches by showing you the next tier items before you upgrade the benches).

I’m not asking them to hold my hand, just not wasting my tasks/events 😃👍

[delicate summit]

Weird this needs discussion at all... You shouldn't get quests that you have no requirements for. Sounds logical and simple.
But since this is gatcha game they obviously tune everything around to squeeze money in every step

[glossy marten]

I didn’t mean anything demeaning with “child treating” just a choice of words to make a point.

I do agree that they should provide some sort of limited-time solutions for those who don’t have wagon yet.. like rent-a-wagon perhaps. As I remember something similar was with low tiered pets for those without pethouse a while ago.

I don’t oppose the “improvement” suggestions per se, bit the way things work here its sometimes better to adapt than to wait for devs response to change things.

[merry vessel]

The most annoying part is that my quest board is always filled with pet lvl 2 search mission or spirit cave stuff.. would rather want to always have 3 bounty hunt quests then those other things could be either a bonus quest or that we are simply able to switch between quests

[fervent plover]

you can keep canyon trials and spirit cave off your quest board by having them on cooldown before the quest board resets
so for example, for me the quest board resets at 10am every day. if I go to canyon trials and spirit cave at 7am on the first of June then they're on cooldown for 48 hours and i won't be able to get quests for them that day (1st) or the next day (2nd).
I go again at 7 or 8am the day after that (June 3rd) and do canyon trials and spirit cave, so they're on cooldown again for another 2 days before the 10am quest reset

this means I'll only be able to get quests from the sheriff, the west star quest, and Nick Bumpo. Bumpo can only issue one quest a day, so getting CT/SC off the board means non-vip players can make sure of at least one quest that pays better, and vip players can get at least 2 that pay better.

[merry vessel]

Thanks bro for the tip🔥