Warhammer Public Quests

Warhammer Online is a new MMORPG created by Mythic and Electronic Arts and will be released on September 18th. Amidst all the hype, many are wondering what sets Warhammer apart from other MMOs.

One distinguishing feature is the Warhammer Online public quest system. As you roam across the map, you will encounter certain events. These events are usually in progress when you arrive and all you have to do to participate is jump in and help with the objective. The quest proceeds in stages and usually ends after three or four stages. The first stage is usually not timed but involves killing 100 or so of some type of mob. The final stages are timed and become increasingly more difficult.

Once the last step is complete, the loot rolling will begin. Those who contributed to the Public quest will be listed and the highest contributors are awarded bonuses. The dice are rolled and the rolls are added to the bonuses to calculate the final placement and award loot. In this fashion, your contribution is a factor in what kind of loot you receive but a really bad roll can still dash your hopes.

With only eight players participating, a public quest would probably only reward three loot bags and none of them would be all that great anyway. The really great loot drops when there are more people involved.

After the quest is completed or failed, it will automatically restart in a couple of minutes. This means, if you arrive at the end, or were afk and missed the last round, or just want to try for a better roll, you can just wait a bit and try the whole thing again.

Another advantage to Warhammer public quests is that you gain influence in the area by participating. There are usually two public quests per area and somewhere nearby is a Rally Master who will reward you for gathering influence in his region. The influence is broken in to three levels. As a reward for the first level is a choice of 4 potions with varying effects; the second tier is your choice of boots or gloves. Once you have maxed out your influence in a certain area, you can choose between a new robe and weapon. In this way, your are rewarded for completing public quests even if your dice are stacked against you and you don't get any of the loot bags from the quest itself.

Overall, the Warhammer public quest system is a great way to foster a sense of community, get people working together and get great rewards.