There's an npc that gives out quests. (Think Norton).
The quests reset daily at 24 hours RL interval.
You can take 3 quests at the time.
Offered quests change based on your levels, and reward can go from 500.. to 1500 xp easily. Higher level stuff gives more xp.
Here's the thing.
The quests are patrols with fluff. Usually they happen in form of
- Reach area A
- Kill 10 enemies in area A
- Kill 5 enemies in area B (connected to A)
- Kill miniboss creature in area B.
The objectives are tracked independently.
here's why I like it:
1. It encourages or forces player to explore the areas.
2. It make player do activity that brings illusion of life to the setting. For example, people patrol sewers all the time to keep them safe, moving from one area to another..
3. There's a central "hub" npc that hands out the quests ("mercenary guild" or "adventurer guild"), people congregate there.
4. Also, you feel like you have to do them all. You can pick ones you like from the selection.
Here's how it could be on bgtscc:
- Norton: The port workers keep pestering us about rat warehouse infestation, while don't you clean it up a bit? Ther'es coin for you (kill 15 enemies in port warehous). Level 1+
- Norton: It turns there all kind of nasty critters in our sewers. Well, one of them crawled out and scared an important noble. And that's where YOU come in (kill 10 enemies in palace district sewers, kill 10 enemies in harbor sewers, kill 10 enemies in in eat district sewers) level 2+
- Norton: Well, turns out there's something nastier below the sewers! (Kill 5..10 enemis in each area around sewer bowels) (levle 8+?)
- Thee's a trouble in graveyard, make the dead keep it down? (kill 10 enemis in graveyard) (level 1+)
- There are NECROMANCERS in graveyard, would you believe it? (10 enemies in graveyard, 10 enemies in caves) (level 3+)
- Orcs in the wood of sharp teeth wouldn't keep it down. (10 orcs in area around cave, 10 orcs in cave level 1, 10 in level 2, bring head of chieftain) (level 10+)
- Turns out there's a labyrinth in the forest. We found one of our patrolmen here, in half eaten state (Kill 15 minotaurs, bring back head of Bhazarak two-horn).
- We want to make roads safer for travellers, patrol northern areas (15 enemis in field of the dea, 15 enemies in thundar's ride, 15 enemies troll claws).
- We found a weird house in the forest (15 enemis first floor haunted mansion, 15 second floor, bring back head of Kaos).
- Actually since you're so skilled why don't you help us with this old problem of ours... (15 enemis cloudpeak, 15 enemies cloudpeak approach, bring back head of the great white). (Level 15+)
This kind of system creates a single "message board" npc that handles all the request, allows player to pick the ones they like, and forces people to explore areas while generating foot traffic and performing something useful that has RP purpose (like patrolling areas).
Also, no idiot halflings to listent to, and no crazy convoluted godmodding dialogue (like with the sandwitch quest).