Quest Engine Modifications

Quest Engine Modifications.

To make more of a variety of random quests than the two types of quests that are in now.
To continue to make a good mud environment by always having new things for the players to do.
To avoid easily repeatable quest scenarios, so a quest doesn't become a 'cash machine'.
To ensure that there's enough for everyone to do.

Better match the prize with the difficulty of the quest (don't give a plate armor to someone for taking a message next door, for example).
Rarity in prizes. Thus, if a player completes a difficult quest, he gets a gold shield 90% of the time, and a mystic sword 10% of the time.
Occasionally give stats and spell/skill boosts as prizes (in form of scrolls/books).

More NPCs in general. In particular, add 'wandering' NPCs, that teleport from place to place.
More ways to refer to an NPC, for example, 'Apothecarist of Tos' instead of 'Frisconar'.
Logic puzzles (take this to the NPC who has this attrib but not this attrib). Worth considering, since some of these attribs can realistically change.
Make certain NPCs more likely to offer certain quests.
Cross-hints ("I've heard Frisconar might have a task that needs doing").

NPC has a curse on him, and must get XXX antidote to remove the quest.
Town has a curse on it, and must get XXX antidote to remove the curse. Effects of a cursed town: inns are no longer heal zones, prices skyrocket, others?

Possibly, as an early form of quest stacking, have the prize for these signet rings be another quest.
Possibly do logic puzzles ("Take this to the NPC who does not think that...."). We can even make the conditions change, so that the quests will be different each time.

Instead of NPCs, have 'shrines' run quests. Place about 6-12 out in the world.
Each shrine can also be dedicated to one of the 5 gods/goddesses by doing something.

You have to get an NPC out of, say, Castle Victoria, and lead it back (need a special monster brain for this NPC though). If you get it back to a safe zone, the NPC rewards you.
Some artifact is being held by a supermonster. Kill the artifact and get the prize.

Player has a curse or disease on him, with a long-term dehabilitive value. He must perform some action to remove the curse from himself.

Offering a bounty on a specific monster (a 'rogue monster' created special with a special name, or a supermonster such as the yeti or the spider queen), which would create proof of it's own demise that the owner could take back to the bounty offerer. Rogue monster has unique name, and is usually someplace distinct.
Offering a bounty on a Player Killer. This is not a perpetual state (i.e. killing the PKer twice won't earn two bounties). Again, some proof of the PKers demise could be created. This item might have use to the PKer if he can get it back.

Player has one-half (one-fifth, one-tenth, whatever) of an item, needs to find another part of an item to make a whole item, which the NPC wants. Can be a long-term thing.

NPC has some sort of cryptic message he cannot find the meaning of. Message is written in code, which requires an encryption 'key' to be deciphered. Another, unknown NPC, knows the 'encryption' key.

"Normalize" all quest engine elements, so that (for example) the messages being carried are meaningful. Example: frisconar is looking for a reagent combination.
"Quest stacking", so that a player who does quest element 1 is given the hint to do quest element 2.
Adding significant quest solving to the "history", such as mid-level quests put you in the NPC rumours, high-level quests could put you in the MOTD.
Making # of quests available dependant on # of users online.
Private quests, for only one person to solve.
Giving certain quests only to certain people (Priestess Shal'ille only offers to good players, extremely hard quests only offered to high-level characters).
Making monsters annoyed if you say one of the keywords too frequently, or saying all of them in the same sentence (related: someone has written a script that will say the name of every NPC in less than 10 seconds. Any way to defeat that?)
Don't let NPCs give quests to players who have recently completed a quest. This way everyone gets a chance.