An exclaimation point above a head or “Adventurere over here!” Both age old introductions to a side quests but is easily identified. Its also a great signal to seasoned players that this is going to be junk food.
The importance of the introduction is every bit as important to a quest as the adventure itself. Instead of having an npc standing there twiddling their thumbs while they clearly have the time to be doing something give them something to do thats relevant to the quest they are doing. You can see hints of this awareness with soul wardon agents brooding over cliffs seemingly watching over a camp which would be except for the large symbol above their heads yelling to the player, “here I am, talk to me!” This is both a double edged sword because yes the quest is easily found but also is easy to find. There is no sense of discovery. Instead having a secret bird call that gets louder as your closser with a beckoning gesture as the player is nearby is intriguing and doesnt take away from the players sense of discovery. A hint can be given by faction member or some gossip in the town pub that tells which direction or general area to look for a quest is a great way to guidle players in the right direction.
Which brings us to (who) who are we meeting. (What) Is the quest to protect/save a civilian, kill an npc or player? Stop a ritual or defend it , or are we there to stop an act of good/evil? (Where) Where would that civilian be currently before investigation? Or what obstacles are in between the player and the objective (When) Are they currently safe or are they in peril? (How) Is there more than one way to complete the objective and are there special considerations for our actions.
Who
Is a matter of who the characters of this mini story and how will the player resonate with them?
What
Is our quest for good or evil, aeturnom is a power vacuum and there is much room for termoil so how can some npcs work this land and its situation into their favor or is the quest for altruistic means
Is there a special mcguffin that we need?
When
What is the urgency for us to get this done and is there a time limit? Or is there a window of too early or too late?
Where
Dont give the player too much, hint them in the direction and find ways of narrowing the search like bread crumbs to the objective instead of “follow the way point marker to get this over with.”
Why
Why should I care? What are the stakes if this quest doesnt go well or is doing the quest a good decision at all? Is this quest going to impact the rest of my game play? A lot of great games remind the player later on of their past experiences in cleavor ways. Such as a gate or passage that is available no longer available because of the players interactions. The towns folk setting up a wanted poster with the players name and picture. The towns folk congradulating the player for a heroic feat or scolding them for their bad deads. And offering price discounts or price hikes for doing things that favour or disfavor the towns folk. Sometimes but not too often you gain a companion for a a little while or indefinately.
How
How can we go about completing the objective? Can we talk our way through it? Can we murder our way to victory, should we sneak through a garrison of guards? Is there a special optional mcguffin that will change the way we finish the quest. How can we surprise the player? Because “go there and kill/collect and come back for a reward” isnt a sustainable player experience outside of pvp gameplay
Notice that the rewards is not a focus for writing a good quest. The one ring to rule them all isnt the reward, its the curse that plagues the land. Its the adventure that makes a great quest and a great game. The trinket is just another reminder of the adventure that was had.