game-quest

Game Quest — Quest Designer

Prerequisites

• Requires docs/world-lore.md in the project (run game-architect first, or create it manually)
• Apply the quest-narrative-coherence skill
• Apply the quest-mission-design skill

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Phase 0 — Context Load (silent, mandatory before producing any output)

Execute in this exact order:

1. READ docs/world-lore.md
   • If it does NOT exist: output ⛔ Cannot proceed. docs/world-lore.md not found. Run the game-architect skill first to generate the world foundation, or create docs/world-lore.md manually. and stop.
2. READ docs/quest-registry.md
   • If it does NOT exist: create it using this template:

     # Quest Registry
     > Managed by game-quest skill
     
     | Quest ID | Name | Type | Quest Giver NPC | Primary Location | Factions Affected | Rewards Summary | Prerequisites | Story Arc |
     |----------|------|------|-----------------|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|---------------|-----------|
     

3. Apply the quest-narrative-coherence skill
4. Apply the quest-mission-design skill
5. READ docs/mvp-first-draft.md if it exists (for economy and progression context — optional)

Phase 1 — Coherence Check (mandatory — cannot be skipped under any circumstances)

Run the 5-step check from quest-narrative-coherence against the quest name from the user's message:

Step 1: Load World State — already done in Phase 0. Extract from world-lore.md:

• Active factions and their relationships
• Major characters and their current status
• Available locations
• Active conflicts, alliances, treaties
• World timeline

Step 2: Check Quest Registry — from docs/quest-registry.md identify:

• NPCs already assigned to existing quests (cannot be in two places at once)
• Locations that are already primary quest hubs
• Reward amounts already distributed (economy inflation check)

Step 3: Validate Proposed Quest — verify:

• No faction/character/location name conflicts with existing quests
• No contradictions with established lore
• Referenced characters are alive and available
• Referenced locations exist in the world
• Proposed reward scale is consistent with existing economy

Step 4: Confirm Lore Reference — the quest MUST:

• Reference at least one established lore element (character, faction, location, event)
• Build upon or advance at least one existing narrative thread

Step 5: Prepare Registry Entry — draft the registry row (will be written in Phase 5 after the quest is finalized)

Output a Coherence Report BEFORE proceeding to Phase 2:

## Coherence Report for: [quest name]
✅/🔴 Faction references: [valid — references [faction] | flagged — [issue]]
✅/🔴 Character availability: [valid | flagged — [character] is already in [quest]]
✅/🔴 Location exists: [valid — [location] confirmed in world-lore | flagged — [issue]]
✅/🔴 No timeline paradox: [valid | flagged — [issue]]
✅/🔴 Economy consistency: [valid — rewards within range | flagged — [issue]]

If ANY item is flagged 🔴: STOP. Describe the conflict clearly, propose a specific resolution, and wait for user confirmation before continuing. Do not proceed to Phase 2 until all conflicts are resolved.

Phase 2 — Quest Type Selection

Based on the quest name/concept and world context, recommend one type from the taxonomy:

Type	Best for
Main Story	Advances primary narrative arc
Side Quest	Optional, enriches world
Chain Quest	Multi-step, each unlocks next
Branching	Player choice determines outcome
Repeatable	Can be done multiple times
Discovery	Triggered by exploration
Social	Requires other players
Timed	Must complete within deadline
Collection	Gather a set of items
Escort/Protect	Keep something safe

Ask at most 1 question if the type is genuinely ambiguous. If the context makes it clear, proceed without asking.

Phase 3 — Objective Tree

Apply the principles from quest-mission-design:

• Every quest must present meaningful choices (Sid Meier)
• At least 2 ways to complete any significant quest (Jonathan Blow — anti-pattern: "one true path")
• Quest must reveal something about the world (Miyazaki)
• No fetch quests without narrative purpose

Output a Mermaid flow diagram showing the objective tree:

flowchart TD
  A["Objective 1: [description]"] --> B{"Choice Point"}
  B --> C["Path A: [description]"]
  B --> D["Path B: [description]"]
  C --> E["Outcome A: [world consequence]"]
  D --> F["Outcome B: [world consequence]"]

Include sub-objectives (required vs optional bonus) where appropriate. If the quest is a simple Side Quest or Discovery type, a linear flow is acceptable — but note if it has no branching and explain why it's acceptable given the type.

Phase 4 — Quest Brief

Output the complete quest brief in GDD section format:

## Quest: [name]

**Type:** [from Phase 2]
**Hook:** [1-sentence player-facing description — what draws them in]
**Quest Giver NPC:** [name, faction, location where they can be found]
**Primary Location:** [where the quest takes place]

### Objectives
[numbered list with branching paths — mirror the Mermaid diagram above]
1. [Required objective]
   - 1a. [Choice A description + consequence]
   - 1b. [Choice B description + consequence]
2. [Final objective — varies based on choice above]

### Rewards
- [Currency type]: [amount] — [rationale: "consistent with [quest type] rewards in registry" OR "unverified — cross-check with game economy design when defined"]
- [Items, if any]
- [Relationship/reputation changes, if applicable]

### World Consequences
[What changes in the world after completion — NPC status, faction relationships, locations, lore]

### Prerequisites
[Other quests that must be complete first, or "None"]

### Failure State
[What happens if the player abandons or fails the quest]

### Economy Note
[Reward amount cross-referenced against mvp-first-draft.md economy params OR flagged as: "⚠️ Economy not yet defined — validate rewards when running the game-balance skill"]

Phase 5 — Register Quest

Append the completed quest to docs/quest-registry.md in the registry format:

| [QID] | [Quest Name] | [Type] | [Giver NPC] | [Location] | [Factions Affected] | [Rewards Summary] | [Prerequisites] | [Story Arc] |

After writing the entry, output:

✅ Quest registered in docs/quest-registry.md

If the quest introduces any NPC or location not currently in docs/world-lore.md:

⚠️ New [NPC/Location] introduced: [name]
   → Run the game-lore skill to add them to world-lore.md

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Hard Constraints

1. Never skip Phase 1 — a quest without the coherence check is invalid output
2. Never create an orphan quest — must reference at least one existing lore element
3. Never invent a new faction without flagging it and getting user confirmation
4. Rewards must be grounded — either cross-referenced against economy params or explicitly flagged as unverified
5. At least 2 completion paths for Main Story, Side Quest, Chain, and Branching types
6. Register every quest — Phase 5 is not optional