Make optionals worth taking the time to do

[Sholekar]

Skeletons in the closet (and a couple raids) provide a great example of how to make optionals worth doing. The game has lots of great content that is often ignored or has paltry rewards. If some named loot from a quest was shifted to an "optional" chest that only appears if you complete the associated optional, this will both incentivize doing optionals, but reduce annoying farming because you can, if you take the time, have more chances for the specific loot you want. Or just more loot.

Some quests do something similar to this with named items in optional chests, but making it standard practice in quests with named loot would be amazing. And just add those "named" chests at the end of the quest. QoL.

Make me want to do the optionals. 5% xp for a 30% increase in time to do the quest is not a suitable reward. But more named-loot chests? Bingo. More play, less grind. Win win.

 

[eshadowbringer]

I agree with you that optional objectives are often not worth pursuing, unless they are directly related to primary objectives or located in close proximity. I miss the days when specific items were tied to particular encounters, chests, or bosses. From a lore perspective, it feels more satisfying to complete an optional task and have a chance at obtaining a named item that is relevant to the encounter.

However, this approach only addresses the issue if the loot is desirable. For instance, I haven't had any interest in killing Dackle and swiping his "Cannith Boots of Propulsion" for years.

If they were to change how optional XP is awarded and allow it to give a percentage bonus to RXP, that could go a long way towards encouraging players to complete optionals. When playing the game at legendary cap and focusing on RXP, there is very little incentive to do any of the optionals the developers have spent their time creating.

 

[SlayerOfDungeons]

I do the optionals for the XP boost. That's enough for me. Also destroying all the things. More XP is always good.

 

[Onyxia2016]

Same here. Wife and I do the optional and breakables with very few exceptions

 

[Nebless]

Same here, it's all about the xp. I'll go back and do some quests I missed and even though I'm 5 levels over and the base is - 99% xp, the optionals let me walk away with 5 to 7K of xp.

 

[FaceDancer]

I'm a completionist for at least the first/second runs through a new area, but I do have a tendency to do the extra stuff if I can (plus I occasionaly find something I've missed).

 

[FuzzyDuck81]

I do the optionals most of the time, but it depends somewhat on the quest; whether the opts are particularly far out of my way, whether there's potential named loot & whether the optional or associated mobs are particular enemy types, as monster manual XP can really add up - heroic feywild can be great for that for example.

 

[RangerOne]

I usually check the xp for optionals and decide based on that. If the optional is too long for too little, I skip it for a quick completion.

 

[Brakkart]

Kill, break and take everything is how my guild runs quests. We love optionals and do as many of them as possible.

 

[eshadowbringer]

I do the optionals for the XP boost. That's enough for me. Also destroying all the things. More XP is always good.

Same here. Wife and I do the optional and breakables with very few exceptions

Same here, it's all about the xp. I'll go back and do some quests I missed and even though I'm 5 levels over and the base is - 99% xp, the optionals let me walk away with 5 to 7K of xp.

I do the optionals most of the time, but it depends somewhat on the quest; whether the opts are particularly far out of my way, whether there's potential named loot & whether the optional or associated mobs are particular enemy types, as monster manual XP can really add up - heroic feywild can be great for that for example.

I'm genuinely curious if you still complete the optionals when running legendary quests at cap? Personally, while leveling, I'm hit or miss - sometimes I feel like doing them, and sometimes I don't.

But when it comes to farming gear or RXP at the legendary level, I see little point in doing optionals. I do like to explore new content a few times, but after that, I don't bother.

 

[Deathbringer]

I would like and think would be a great idea for motivate doing optionals if doing Optionals in quest and raids give some porcentage of finding rare named items at the End Chest, like 1% per optional objective or 2% if they feel being generous...

What do you all think?? Would be great! I would do most optional objectives always

 

[Enoach]

Incentives for optionals
1. Something Unique - It doesn't have to be "All Powerful" but something Universally usable and rare
2. XP comparable for Effort. for example, 56xp to kill multiple targets randomly placed in the dungeon is not an incentive

 

[eshadowbringer]

I would like and think would be a great idea for motivate doing optionals if doing Optionals in quest and raids give some porcentage of finding rare named items at the End Chest, like 1% per optional objective or 2% if they feel being generous...

What do you all think?? Would be great! I would do most optional objectives always

I think that would work with raids. How about quests that you have all the loot or dont want the loot from?

I cant believe i'm saying this because we have enough different currencies in the game but...

What if there were a token you got in the end chest for completing the optionals. They could add all sorts of great stuff to a vendor. It would have to stuff worth having that you cant get other places. maybe certain buff potions, DDoor scrolls, xp stones like the ones for daily dice?

...just a thought

 

[Deathbringer]

How about quests that you have all the loot or dont want the loot from?

I guess in that case you wouldn't even do that certain quest... or only for the XP, but I you do it will be nice having more chance of getting named items if optionals were completed

 

[eshadowbringer]

I guess in that case you wouldn't even do that certain quest... or only for the XP, but I you do it will be nice having more chance of getting named items if optionals were completed

Better chance at named loot is a good thing!

 

[FaustianBargain]

I’ll pick up optionals if I don’t have to go too far out of the way as a rule of thumb. I’m far more likely to do an optional if I don’t have an XP potion running; when I’m burning a potion the benefit from completing whole extra quests with the boost far outweighs the boost to XP, with some notable exceptions (Wizard King or Jungle of Khyber for instance where the optionals can be a significant portion of the full XP). I’m also far more likely to run optionals I know will be there as opposed to going out of my way to check for optionals that don’t always spawn.

 

[Panda]

Skeletons in the closet (and a couple raids) provide a great example of how to make optionals worth doing. The game has lots of great content that is often ignored or has paltry rewards. If some named loot from a quest was shifted to an "optional" chest that only appears if you complete the associated optional, this will both incentivize doing optionals, but reduce annoying farming because you can, if you take the time, have more chances for the specific loot you want. Or just more loot.

Some quests do something similar to this with named items in optional chests, but making it standard practice in quests with named loot would be amazing. And just add those "named" chests at the end of the quest. QoL.

Make me want to do the optionals. 5% xp for a 30% increase in time to do the quest is not a suitable reward. But more named-loot chests? Bingo. More play, less grind. Win win.

I was thinking about this too, my idea was to add a possible small %chance per optional for chance at named loot at the end, or if it's a quest/raid with some kind of tokens, give an extra bonus to those as well.

 

[Deathbringer]

I was thinking about this too, my idea was to add a possible small %chance per optional for chance at named loot at the end, or if it's a quest/raid with some kind of tokens, give an extra bonus to those as well.

I said the same, would be very good IMO

 

[Galamoth]

I would like and think would be a great idea for motivate doing optionals if doing Optionals in quest and raids give some porcentage of finding rare named items at the End Chest, like 1% per optional objective or 2% if they feel being generous...

What do you all think?? Would be great! I would do most optional objectives always

Totally agree with this! Would be a very good idea!
We always talk about this in our group... A stacking % per optional compleated for named loot would be great!

 

[SlayerOfDungeons]

Something Unique - It doesn't have to be "All Powerful" but something Universally usable and rare

Yeah, I like this idea. If even be happy with a cosmetic item.