The terrible old man (Open)

[Xae]

Having a straight-forward quest that is very obvious in nature isn't a problem in itself, but looking at the gameplay aspects of this particular quest makes me think that it is much too thin.

In essence, all you're doing is walking to this house, whacking a single dude, and then returning. There's no mystery and there are no gameplay sequences.

Gameplay sequences. A quest is not a quest without having some of the backbone of western RPGs in it. Dungeon crawling, fighting, exploring, etc. This is the representation of the core part of the particular game's gameplay mechanic. For example, in Mass Effect 2, this is cover-based shooting. In Final Fantasy, it's moving through areas with random encounters. Typically, it's the killing of people and things and as such isn't hard to recognise. Nevertheless, these sequences need to be prepared to make sure that the quest is playable and is not just a story. Gameplay sequences are what separates video games from TV shows and movies. During this stage it's also important to pick the right utilisation of the game's gameplay mechanic. Using Mass Effect 2 as an example again, this is the choice between holding a position, pressing forward with a time limit, large battle in open-field etc. In Oblivion this is the choice between a position being assaulted by mobs, fighting magicians/necromancers/fighters/beasts/etc, in cramped spaces, open spaces, easily traversed spaces or rocky and environmentally dangerous areas, lots of easy enemies, some medium, one very tough enemy and so on and so forth. Anyone who's played Oblivion is aware of the many different types of gameplay that it offers.

From a writing perspective, the quest is much too short and doesn't have enough flesh to serve as a coherent whole on its own. Even though such a quest is realistic from a fantasy setting perspective (oxymoron, I know) it'd serve better as a small part of a larger quest.

Oblivion had a problem with involving quests that never really developed and became interesting. It had too many rinse'n'repeat (or mercenary) quests that didn't really lead anywhere. Black Marsh can really benefit from breaking this pattern, instilling a sense of interest in the player, showing that the continent is full of intrigue that goes deeper than expected.