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Quest/Mission Finder

QuestsMissionsObjectiveGoalsQuestMission

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    #1 Musashi

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      Posted 24 November 2015 - 12:11 AM

      So I hope this is not a repeat post of any kind, but I have yet to make any sort of addon/plugin for windower. I plan on it in the future but for now I have been just sticking to coding my own private server and making dats and modding FFXI. I am curious though if anybody has made any sort of addon/plugin that adds the ! "exclamation mark" over NPC head's for missions and quests available as well as show them on the FFXIDB minimap. I know its possible its just about doing it or if it has been done already. Curious on thought about this, thanks guys.



      #2 Arcon

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      Posted 24 November 2015 - 07:00 AM

      The FFXIDB map is not extensible, you can't make an addon do that. FFXIDB itself would have to be adjusted for it.

       

      Adding a quest icon above an NPC's head is also not even remotely easy. Unless you mean modify its icon so that it shows the party search sign or something. Could use one of the existing icons for it, actually, there are a few obscure ones that would be kinda unique for this. Could even use nation-specific icons for nation missions.

       

      But those are merely technical issues. The real problem imo would be to show the correct NPCs. You would have to track everything the user does, just reading mission/quest packets will not be enough. For starters, you'd need to know if the user is eligible. You'd have to maintain a huge database of conditions relating to whether or not certain NPCs can offer you a quest. Some of the data needed we do expose, other such data not yet (such as fame).

       

      Overall it would be really cool, but I don't think we'll get a useful working version of it anytime soon.



      #3 Musashi

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        Posted 24 November 2015 - 03:24 PM

        I actually had conversations about this yesturday on how it would work out or could work out. There are several options to consider. Having the exclimation mark doesnt exactly even have to happen but maybe just have it show up on the minimap. Like when you select a monster and it shows a line from you to the monster. Or perhaps say Mob Compass. To where it shows the direction lit up and also has a compass pop up. There might not have to be an exclimation mark above a NPC but perhaps another pop up showing quest available for that NPC selected. Heres the repository built for it for starters. http://www.filedropper.com/quests Ides on how to exactly display/use is still in the works and contemplation. However I see this a reality in the future, reguardless of the time needed to finish it.



        #4 Rhianu

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          Posted 26 November 2015 - 07:30 AM

          The problem Arcon was pointing out was less an issue of how to display the icon and more an issue of how to determine whether or not the icon SHOULD be displayed. Like, how do you know when a given NPC actually has a quest for the player?



          #5 Iryoku

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            Posted 26 November 2015 - 06:20 PM

            Exactly. This information isn't available client-side at all. It doesn't exist in .dat files to be extracted as resources, the server never sends any information about which NPCs are involved in quests. There's not even any way to determine how far the player has progressed within any given quest. The only information that's available is a list of the player's current and completed quests. To even begin working on an Addon like this you would need to have a huge database with every objective for every quest. You need to know which NPCs are associated with each objective and where they are located at that point in the quest. You need to know which items need to be farmed, which monsters or NMs drop them, and where they spawn. And then to top it all off you need to be able to accurately track the player's progression through the quests, which means that you need to essentially track everything the player does, at the packet level.

             

            It's all certainly possible, but extremely difficult, and time consuming. I would estimate that it's nearly the same amount of effort involved in writing the quest scripts for a private server. And this is all before you even get around to figuring out how to create the UI.



            #6 Musashi

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              Posted 02 December 2015 - 02:03 AM

              Appreciate all the input. Again Im not concerned with the time it will take, but how to accomplish this task. I don't quite see how needing to know what items you have is important because thats written in the NPC script for that quest specificly. Firstly Id just like to get 1 quest in an addon like this where it just shows wheather or not the quest is available. When scripting the quests in lua for said NPC's usually its just tracked with Var's. Of course there is the "if player has said item play this CS context" but I dont see how an addon like this would need to know that. I think it would be more "if player has completed this quest, show this quest, if player has not completed that quest, show this quest.". Something a lot more basic. I'm not thinking WoW status where it shows player has 6 / 10 items or w/e. Just start off with, "Show this quest if available". If that is established, then move up. Start small work up to big. The addon would need to check players quest log which would correspond to the Quest resource by ID. Again starting small. The Identification to player will most likely start with just a onscreen message when highlighting a NPC. Somewhat like target info. Just start very basic, then work up. Time is not a worry of mine, working a little here, a little there, or a lot here, and a lot there, is going to get this done a lot faster than not at all. Thank you again guys for input, I would like a lot more to stir up some progress. No reason this can't happen :)



              #7 Iryoku

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                Posted 02 December 2015 - 05:47 PM

                Even that is hard; quests are not all that simple. Many quests have very complex prerequisites to even start them, and even the simple ones are difficult. How do you figure out the exact amount of San d'Orian fame required to start A Job for the Consortium? Sure all the guides out there say "level 5" but is that *exactly* how much you need? Is it possible to start it at "level 4.95"? Even if you're sure it's really 5, or are willing to take the accuracy hit, how do you even determine the user's current fame in San d'Oria? It's not sent to the client as far as we know. What about all of the quests out there where the required fame is completely untested? Even if you ignore the fame problem there are still very subtle problems you'll run into. You need to be very sure that you don't give any false positives, false negatives aren't so bad, but a false positive is worse than not having a tracker at all.

                 

                No one is saying it can't be done, but it's going to be exceedingly hard to get something even remotely useful working. It's very unlikely anyone here is going to want to take up a project of this scale, so you're probably on your own.



                #8 Arcon

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                Posted 02 December 2015 - 07:13 PM

                While I agree with everything Iryoku said, if you have any specific questions regarding how to implement some part, as in code-related questions, understanding the Windower API and whatnot, I'll still help (and so will others). Just getting into the project itself is something not many people will want to invest much time in.



                #9 Musashi

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                  Posted 03 December 2015 - 02:02 AM

                  Thanks for all the posts. My thought in the code processed thus far is to get the addon to access and work with the players quest log and base what is shown or not shown off that. I dont mean track EVERY STEP of the quest. ONLY IF the player HAS the quest, or DOES NOT have the quest. Thats all. Not wheather or not the player has spoke with this NPC and then this NPC and is at this part of the quest. None of that matters to me atm. Only thing I'm concentrated on is If the player has the quest or they dont. All the fine details can be added after a core concept is built. Strictly concerned on getting a shown status of "player does not have this quest, or player has completed this quest. Completed being it shows so in your quest log in game. Does not have this quest as in, it is not in your quest log, and it is not in completed section in your quest log. Missions wont even be considered until after quests are tracked properly. Start small. very small right now. It doesnt sound like anybody would want to help and thats fine. I will continue to work on this as time permits and keep updates of progress. If I get to a certain point and people decide they want in and want to help, thats fine, we'll go from there. The long term end goal is the success of the idea in its entirety. The information and input is all considered and greatly appreciated though. So keep the posts comming!



                  #10 Iryoku

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                    Posted 03 December 2015 - 06:44 PM

                    While I question the value such a simplistic list of quests has, we'll definitely help with any specific API or coding questions you might have. Also, a minor note: you dismissed implementing Missions, but actually Missions will be significantly easier to get working than Quests. There are far fewer of them, all but the national quests have trivial prerequisites, and all of the information needed to determine if those prerequisites are met is available client-side.



                    #11 Musashi

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                      Posted 04 December 2015 - 01:45 AM

                      Thank you very much :D The concept alone is to make it show, when you select a NPC, what quests are available for that said NPC. Just for starters. Eventually it would be fantastic to get some higher quality visual implemented on say the map or even just above their heads in game, something as advanced as that. Nothing tracked, or recorded. Just show a visual, and of course, if nothing is available, show nothing. Missions will be done, I just wanted to start with quests. I think at most for this to happen aside from the core ill need possibly a list of every quest for eveyr NPC offering them. I have all the quests as a resource but Its only numbered by an ID / Name / Zone offering. , not actually layed out per NPC. So I may have to edit and add a lot more info but im fine with that. Gotta start somewhere though :) Thanks again guys, really appreciate it.






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