Other Alternatives to Daily Quests UI/UX

[Dusty00]

So the new 4th (and permanent) daily bonus was the impetus for me to dig deeper in exploring why I am not a fan of the UX that Daily Quests bring to games in general. Yes, it is a standard Gaming industry design element nowadays, but is it always a good element to include in a game? Is it redundant to have both the Daily Login AND Daily Quests? What are the true purposes of these UX, and are they being used appropriately in SGM?

The purpose of this thread is to discuss the Daily Quest UX and explore alternative UX that might be more effective in promoting a new game mode.

Here is a quick list of pros and cons for Daily Quests UX:

Pros

• The unmissable "Daily quest" splash screen after the Login Reward splash is so prominent that you cannot miss it.
• The variety of daily quests prompts new players to try out different aspects of the game.
• It provides a consistent stream of rewards.
• Some people like structure. If players don't know what to do, the daily quests suggests ways they can enjoy the game.
• Some people like consistency and routine. Daily quests becomes a routine for some that they look forward to each day.

Cons

• The same quests get old over time. Once the novelty value wears off, the "fun" factor diminishes and eventually turns into a chore/grind.
• If there are already other daily routines built in the game, it comes down to a perspective of which routines are more enjoyable and/or provides more gain for the time you invest in. Time is the most premium currency in the world; even Bill Gates can't buy more time.
• The consistent stream of rewards may affect game economy over time.
• Some people cannot play games religiously on a daily basis and are at a disadvantage in terms of game progression.

Next, let's review SGM's current Daily Quest setup:

• There are 3 daily quests to complete.
• Quests are randomly chosen from a list of predetermined quests.
• One quest can be swapped daily to a different one. This helps new players get around quests that they are not yet able to complete.
• Quests reset daily at a set time.
• Quest rewards are 5 ~ 25 theonites per quest.

Sidebar- having done daily quests religiously for over two years, my perspective has definitely shifted to seeing them as chores though the consistent income makes it somewhat worth it since Theonite is one of the more valuable currencies in the game.

So, both the UI and UX is being slightly modified with the 3.5 update introducing a 4th, permanent daily quest that does NOT rotate and cannot be swapped for a different one. This is a big deviation from the original design, making it clear that the intention is to promote the new Versus game mode.

Permanent and cannot be swapped means that players do not have a choice anymore on what quest they'd like to do / can do. This imposes a strict structure that limits how players choose to play the game, thus diminishes the effectiveness of the UX.

Alternative Ideas

1. Allow the new daily quest to be swapped, so players can choose to do a different daily quest. This is probably not ideal as it somewhat defeats the intention to promote a new game mode.
2. Set a time limit on the 4th daily quest. Hearthstone does something like that where it's a limited-time quest when new expansions are out. It serves the purpose of promoting a new game mode while controlling potential economy impact. Limited-time also creates an urgency for players to try it out NOW while it's there, versus a permanent new feature does not generate the same buzz/excitement.
3. Create an Achievement UI to replace daily quest UI. Achievements are clear milestones that reward players for trying out various modes and aspects of the game. Achievements can be divided into several categories, such as "first time only", "limited/event", and "monthly". Shadowverse has a nice system that you can check out as reference.
4. A combination of the ideas above.

Once you have the achievement infrastructure set up, then there are options for delivering new game modes and promotions more purposefully. For example, the new Versus mode could have the following added to the achievement center:

• 1-time only quests: Win 3 Versus matches, win 6 versus matches, and so forth until say 30 versus matches. Every player can get the rewards once. This 1 time reward serves as an incentive to play the new game mode and keeps economy impact to just a burst at the beginning.
• Limited/Event: Aligning with holidays, or with new character releases, you can have Versus quests that requires playing with a specific character or the new character. These can be added periodically.
• Monthly: Perhaps win 10 versus matches can be the monthly quota to keep things fresh and not like a daily chore.

So, what are your thoughts on Daily Quests as a game design element? Does it seem like a good fit for SGM, or do you think that replacing it with something like an Achievement center would improve your gaming experience?

PS - @Liam Thanks for the brief chat in Discord to get me started thinking. I hope this is more constructive!