Quest API Suggestions

jaliborc · 06-13-09, 11:43 AM

This are some quest API suggestions I have, which were based in the currently avaiable gossip and achievements API functions:

GetSelectedQuestLink() - returns quest link for the currently selected quest in the gossip or quest log
GetAvaiableQuestLink(i) - returns the quest link for the given gossip avaiable quest
GetActiveQuestLink(i) - returns the quest link for the given gossip active quest
GetQuestInfo(id) - returns quest information (name, level, summary, description) for the given quest id (saw this somewhere, sounds like a good idea)
GetNumQuestRequirements(id) - returns number of quest requirements for the given quest id
GetQuestRequirement(id, index) - returns quest requirement description for the given qiest id and requirement index (from 1 to GetNumQuestRequirements)
QueryQuestsCompleted() - implemented by blizzard in patch 3.3

Syzgyn · 06-13-09, 01:11 PM

I think most of us would be happy with just IsQuestCompleted(id).

Selite · 06-13-09, 01:39 PM

Yeah, a IsQuestCompleted(id) would be fantastic. *Looks at reams of paper with lists of quests on them* Although not strictly necessary.

jaliborc · 06-13-09, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Syzgyn

I think most of us would be happy with just IsQuestCompleted(id).

I'm developing an addon which wouldn't require an huge database if blizzard provided GetAvaiableQuestLink. Some may find IsQuestCompleted more usefull, some will find GetQuestInfo, others GetQuestRequirements. In fact, I never felt necessity for a IsQuestCompleted function, but that's just me.
This is why I suggested all of them. We should not say to Blizzard "we would be happy just if you had x", we should say "we have the following ideas, can you implement them?".

P.S: Added IsQuestCompleted to the list

orionshock · 06-14-09, 04:04 AM

To add my 2c in.

[true|false on Completion]= GetQuestStatus(id)
GetHistoricQuestLog()

The various query functions prolly will never be implemented due to server load. However All that we really need to know can be sumed up in these 2 api functions that work similar to the guild roster. Where one calls GetHistoricQuestLog() and it fires an event for when the client has all of the quest that are completed. Anything that isn't completed is either available or not applicable (faction/race specific ones). That's about all I foresee blizzard giving us.

Tho I'd have to agree with the Gossip API request, those would be nice.

Recluse · 06-14-09, 06:36 AM

Well, you do have the one I am most interested in already: IsQuestCompleted(id). If I had that function available, I would be tremendously happy.

jaliborc · 06-14-09, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by orionshock

The various query functions prolly will never be implemented due to server load.

I don't understand nothing about server querying, so this may seem stupid, but I though that the client already queried the server for completed quests, to know if the quest givers can offer us such quests.
As a second thought, the server already has to provide a lot of information about completed achievements, would this not cause also an overload?

EDIT: But I think that the event is also a good idea (added it to the list). And the gossip functions wouldn't cause any overload, am I right?

Nafe · 06-15-09, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by jaliborc

I don't understand nothing about server querying, so this may seem stupid, but I though that the client already queried the server for completed quests, to know if the quest givers can offer us such quests.

More likely is that the server only sends the client information about nearby quests when necessary (and applicable).

This makes a LOT more sense when you also factor in pre-reqs, level ranges, class-only quests, etc.
Just have the server do the calculation (since it has all the data) and return what the client needs to know, rather than send all the data to the client and have it do the calculations.

Originally Posted by jaliborc

EDIT: But I think that the event is also a good idea (added it to the list). And the gossip functions wouldn't cause any overload, am I right?

I wouldn't consider this to be much overload. In addition to simply passing the gossip text and type (note how it's !/? mark?), the server also sends the quest id, and that's enough to generate a link from.

Bluspacecow · 06-22-09, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by jaliborc

I don't understand nothing about server querying, so this may seem stupid, but I though that the client already queried the server for completed quests, to know if the quest givers can offer us such quests.

It really depends on what sort of data is gotten from the server , how big it is and how often it's queried.

With Millions of players I think you can understand that even the smallest amount of data transferred can quickly add up to a lot of data to be transferred.

You'd want it designed in such a way as it doesn't bring a server to it's knees when the entire wow population of a server all logon and click their "check quests complete" button. Even worse if they decide to do it every 5-10 minutes or so.

Maybe a system where you have to request a token from the server before running the query. And the query just sends up a list of quest ids and gets an array of boolen values back. The token you get from the server could be pretty much a "yes you can ask me now" or a "no i'm busy" sort of thing.