Ron
04-09-2007, 11:23 AM
The Return of the Ultimate DDO Quest List
From time to time I get asked about the quest list. It took a major back seat to the work I was doing on the character planner, and wasn't updated for a long time. Also, with the advent of the Adventure Compendium in game, it didn't seem quite as important to have a quest list as it once did, so I didn't do any work on it. Well, now it's back!
Because a lot of people were understandably reluctant (or even just unable) to download and use an Excel file, I moved the format over to a web page. You may find the new quest list here:
http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/DDOQuestList.phtml
You can sort the list by almost any of the catagories at the top of the table. By default it sorts by Quest Level. Just click the links at the top of the table to resort by that catagory. You are welcome to print out the list and use it to check off your quests (though I imagine it will need to be reduced some to fit on a page).
You are also welcome to get a copy of the entire thing to use on your own website, though that will take a bit of setup work. I'll talk about that later on down the post.
But first, here is my list of anticipated Frequently Asked Questions:
But wait, it isn't complete!
No, it's not. Currently I have 153 quests in the table, which include all quests from level 0 through level 10. I think they are all in there, although it's possible I'm missing the odd level 0 quest.
Adding quests for levels 11 to 14 will come in time (because of my terminal alt-itis, my highest level character is level 8, so I only have access to the quest names through level 10 at the moment).
Also, I am missing most of the xp values for the quests (I can't use the old values from the previous version of the quest list, because they all changed again, I HOPE the devs are done tweaking these things, because I'm pretty tired of having to keep putting them in from scratch every time, hehe), quite a few of the quest bestowers, a few of the favor values, and some of the quest locations (the ones I'm missing have defaulted to Harbor).
As time goes on, all this stuff will get added.
Can I help fill in the blanks?
Absolutely! In fact, I'm counting on it :) If you have something I'm missing, please send it in so I can add it to the table. Please note when sending in XP values: Only send me the BASE XP value for a quest, and only if you are running it on Normal difficulty!. I can't stress this enough. If you are running on Elite or Solo or any other level of difficulty, the XP value does me no good. It isn't the same value as the Normal Base XP value. Also, be SURE you are sending me the base value, not the value modified by first time runs, conquest bonuses tamper bonuses, and so on. The base XP value is the first one shown in the XP Report when you are in a quest.
I've copied the table to my website, can I change it around?
Sure! You are free to make any modifications whatsoever you like to the table, php code, databases and so on. The ONLY exception to this rule is that I ask you keep the copywrite notice at the very bottom of the table intact. Setting up all this stuff took a lot of time and effort, and that notice is the only credit I ask for. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask you to leave it there :)
What sort of things can be done with this table
Here are two examples. I use this table for my dedicated group (so we can all see what the group has officially run) and also for my solo character.
http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/BastardsSword.phtml
http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/DDOSolo.phtml
How do I copy the page to my own site?
There are two ways. The easy way and the hard way.
The easy way is to open up the page, right click and select "View Source", then copy all that weird text over to your own page. This gets you all the html code, and is fairly easy to do. The only drawback is you have to put in any changes you want manually.
The hard way takes a bit of setup, and you need to have a few skills and resources to do it. So I'm going to talk about this in it's own section. To be honest, either printing out the list or just copying the html code is what I would recommend for most people. The rest of this stuff is probably overkill for the average player :)
Setting up a Page to Track Quests Automatically
If you would like to do something like what I've done with my quest trackers, it takes some setup work. The advantage is updating it quite easy (you simply fill in one field in a table, and the php code automatically handles updating the table, including all the font colors and totals at the bottom).
Here is what you need:
1) A webpage
2) An SQL Database
3) Knowledge of how to use an SQL Database
How it Works
Each tracker requires three parts. Two of them are database tables, and the third part is the php code that actually creates the webpage.
The first table holds all the quest static information. These are: The quest name, quest line, patron, bestower, base level, base xp, favor, and location. Generally, you don't need to mess with this table once you have it set up (unless you need to update some static information about the quest). You need exactly one of these tables, and it is shared between all your trackers (if you have more than one).
The second table is the progress table. You need one for each tracker. Basically, it has four fields. The quest name (which must be the same as in the first table, that's how they cross-reference each other), then one field each for Solo, Normal, Hard, and Elite. These fields start out blank. When your character or group finishes a quest, you put something in the appropriate field (doesn't matter what, I put in the date completed, you can put in a dot, a smiley face, a dinosaur, whatever, doesn't matter). That's all you need to do. The php code handles the rest.
The php code actually creates the webpage. It accesses the two databases and writes the table for you. It handles everything, including the font colors and the totals at the bottom. If the field in the second table is blank, the php code presumes you have not run that quest at that difficulty yet. If it has anything in it, it presumes you have. It will print what you put in that field, followed by the amount of favor you have earned for that quest into the table.
Okay, sounds great, so how do I set this up?
First and foremost, I have to emphasize, I cannot and will not be held responsible for any damage you may do to your SQL tables if you try to set this up. I HIGHLY recommend you use a brand new blank database rather than try to put the new tables into an existing databse. All the tables you need for this list can be put into the same database, but I don't suggest trying to share the database with your forum or anything. Seriously, you can really mess something up.
Also, I simply cannot help you the with the SQL setup. For one thing, everyone's interface will be different. For another, I am not a MySQL or php guru. I can muddle my way through them with a lot of trial and error because of their similarties to C++, but that's about the extent of it :) Basically, you are on your own.
Having said all that, if you are sure you want to try this, PM me and I will send you the two tables (Static data and blank progress table) suitable for import into an SQL database, along with the same php code that controls my pages (minus, of course, the specific database names and passwords, you'll need to input your own).
Once you have them, you just need to create a database, set up the user access for it, import the two tables, and modify the php code to use your database name and the user/password you have set up. Then you're all set.
Once that's done, whenever you complete a quest, go to the progress table, input some text into the right field, and your page will automatically update with all the correct info.
Anyway, I hope in whatever manner you decide to use the list, you find it helpful.
Ron
From time to time I get asked about the quest list. It took a major back seat to the work I was doing on the character planner, and wasn't updated for a long time. Also, with the advent of the Adventure Compendium in game, it didn't seem quite as important to have a quest list as it once did, so I didn't do any work on it. Well, now it's back!
Because a lot of people were understandably reluctant (or even just unable) to download and use an Excel file, I moved the format over to a web page. You may find the new quest list here:
http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/DDOQuestList.phtml
You can sort the list by almost any of the catagories at the top of the table. By default it sorts by Quest Level. Just click the links at the top of the table to resort by that catagory. You are welcome to print out the list and use it to check off your quests (though I imagine it will need to be reduced some to fit on a page).
You are also welcome to get a copy of the entire thing to use on your own website, though that will take a bit of setup work. I'll talk about that later on down the post.
But first, here is my list of anticipated Frequently Asked Questions:
But wait, it isn't complete!
No, it's not. Currently I have 153 quests in the table, which include all quests from level 0 through level 10. I think they are all in there, although it's possible I'm missing the odd level 0 quest.
Adding quests for levels 11 to 14 will come in time (because of my terminal alt-itis, my highest level character is level 8, so I only have access to the quest names through level 10 at the moment).
Also, I am missing most of the xp values for the quests (I can't use the old values from the previous version of the quest list, because they all changed again, I HOPE the devs are done tweaking these things, because I'm pretty tired of having to keep putting them in from scratch every time, hehe), quite a few of the quest bestowers, a few of the favor values, and some of the quest locations (the ones I'm missing have defaulted to Harbor).
As time goes on, all this stuff will get added.
Can I help fill in the blanks?
Absolutely! In fact, I'm counting on it :) If you have something I'm missing, please send it in so I can add it to the table. Please note when sending in XP values: Only send me the BASE XP value for a quest, and only if you are running it on Normal difficulty!. I can't stress this enough. If you are running on Elite or Solo or any other level of difficulty, the XP value does me no good. It isn't the same value as the Normal Base XP value. Also, be SURE you are sending me the base value, not the value modified by first time runs, conquest bonuses tamper bonuses, and so on. The base XP value is the first one shown in the XP Report when you are in a quest.
I've copied the table to my website, can I change it around?
Sure! You are free to make any modifications whatsoever you like to the table, php code, databases and so on. The ONLY exception to this rule is that I ask you keep the copywrite notice at the very bottom of the table intact. Setting up all this stuff took a lot of time and effort, and that notice is the only credit I ask for. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask you to leave it there :)
What sort of things can be done with this table
Here are two examples. I use this table for my dedicated group (so we can all see what the group has officially run) and also for my solo character.
http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/BastardsSword.phtml
http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/DDOSolo.phtml
How do I copy the page to my own site?
There are two ways. The easy way and the hard way.
The easy way is to open up the page, right click and select "View Source", then copy all that weird text over to your own page. This gets you all the html code, and is fairly easy to do. The only drawback is you have to put in any changes you want manually.
The hard way takes a bit of setup, and you need to have a few skills and resources to do it. So I'm going to talk about this in it's own section. To be honest, either printing out the list or just copying the html code is what I would recommend for most people. The rest of this stuff is probably overkill for the average player :)
Setting up a Page to Track Quests Automatically
If you would like to do something like what I've done with my quest trackers, it takes some setup work. The advantage is updating it quite easy (you simply fill in one field in a table, and the php code automatically handles updating the table, including all the font colors and totals at the bottom).
Here is what you need:
1) A webpage
2) An SQL Database
3) Knowledge of how to use an SQL Database
How it Works
Each tracker requires three parts. Two of them are database tables, and the third part is the php code that actually creates the webpage.
The first table holds all the quest static information. These are: The quest name, quest line, patron, bestower, base level, base xp, favor, and location. Generally, you don't need to mess with this table once you have it set up (unless you need to update some static information about the quest). You need exactly one of these tables, and it is shared between all your trackers (if you have more than one).
The second table is the progress table. You need one for each tracker. Basically, it has four fields. The quest name (which must be the same as in the first table, that's how they cross-reference each other), then one field each for Solo, Normal, Hard, and Elite. These fields start out blank. When your character or group finishes a quest, you put something in the appropriate field (doesn't matter what, I put in the date completed, you can put in a dot, a smiley face, a dinosaur, whatever, doesn't matter). That's all you need to do. The php code handles the rest.
The php code actually creates the webpage. It accesses the two databases and writes the table for you. It handles everything, including the font colors and the totals at the bottom. If the field in the second table is blank, the php code presumes you have not run that quest at that difficulty yet. If it has anything in it, it presumes you have. It will print what you put in that field, followed by the amount of favor you have earned for that quest into the table.
Okay, sounds great, so how do I set this up?
First and foremost, I have to emphasize, I cannot and will not be held responsible for any damage you may do to your SQL tables if you try to set this up. I HIGHLY recommend you use a brand new blank database rather than try to put the new tables into an existing databse. All the tables you need for this list can be put into the same database, but I don't suggest trying to share the database with your forum or anything. Seriously, you can really mess something up.
Also, I simply cannot help you the with the SQL setup. For one thing, everyone's interface will be different. For another, I am not a MySQL or php guru. I can muddle my way through them with a lot of trial and error because of their similarties to C++, but that's about the extent of it :) Basically, you are on your own.
Having said all that, if you are sure you want to try this, PM me and I will send you the two tables (Static data and blank progress table) suitable for import into an SQL database, along with the same php code that controls my pages (minus, of course, the specific database names and passwords, you'll need to input your own).
Once you have them, you just need to create a database, set up the user access for it, import the two tables, and modify the php code to use your database name and the user/password you have set up. Then you're all set.
Once that's done, whenever you complete a quest, go to the progress table, input some text into the right field, and your page will automatically update with all the correct info.
Anyway, I hope in whatever manner you decide to use the list, you find it helpful.
Ron