What would be the point of a side quest?

[VII Toast]

I mean. Usually, in a side quest. You could get a new item that could make playing the game easier, or more fun. I'm not sure how a side quest could be used in AGS without the progression of the story.

P.S.- Would anyone know how to do an unlockable, such as playing as a different charater after you beat it or something like that.

[MrColossal]

it all depends on how you write it

for me a side quest would be more story. branching off of the main story to learn more about the world and about the characters. You don't HAVE to do it to finish the game's overall story but if you want to learn all you can about the character you play, the world you inhabit, the characters you meet, then it's there for you.

I think a side quest in an adventure that allows you to skip parts of the game you'd usually have to play through would be horrible. Granted no one mentioned this and I can't think of an example, but I just want to throw it out there.

As for your PS, that would be quite an undertaking. If you wrote the game with a generic character in mind where it doesn't matter who the character is, it would be easier. Otherwise you have to change everything. The personalities of the 2 characters would more than likely be very different otherwise why is it a treat to play the game as someone else? If it was a female character you'd have to change all pronouns and make sure there wasn't anything in the game that only a man can do [like uh... produce sperm? Get prostate cancer?]. As I said, a huge undertaking.

[VII Toast]

That would be a daunting task...

I was just curious on how that would play out. You would have to make AGS and RPG to work out stinky details.

Thanks. 

[Redwall]

I think a side quest in an adventure that allows you to skip parts of the game you'd usually have to play through would be horrible. Granted no one mentioned this and I can't think of an example, but I just want to throw it out there.

Like Pleurghburg's thing where if you figure out the name of one of the Order members you can get to the end section quickly?

[GarageGothic]

I think a side quest in an adventure that allows you to skip parts of the game you'd usually have to play through would be horrible. Granted no one mentioned this and I can't think of an example, but I just want to throw it out there.

Frankly the lack of optional paths/solutions is part of the reason that I dislike most modern adventure games. Examples:

1) Indy 3 - Going to Berlin and getting Hitler to sign the pass, securing you safe passage throughout the rest of the game and skipping the zeppelin entirely.

2) Zak McKracken - Going for a flight in the Bermuda Triangle, being abducted by the aliens and then using the lotto number prediction machine to win enormous amounts of money and thus solving the problem of limited airplane tickets.

3) Gold Rush - If you receive and decode your brothers letter before the gold rush starts, the tickets will be much cheaper.

Granted, all these examples deal with games where you have some sort of depletable resource (money, hitpoints). But how about a game where an alternate solution saves you from solving a slider puzzle. Wouldn't that be worth it? (not that there should ever be one in the first place...Ã,  )

Edit: Sorry, forgot to answer the question about "unlockables". I'm doing something similar in my game, where finishing the game once will unlock a Special Features section in the main menu as well as a "Designer's Commentary" icon in-game. The easiest way is to write a code to a txt-file in the game directory when the player completes the game. Then, when the game is restarted, check the file for the specific code and if it exists, activate the bonus content.

[Radiant]

Hear hear!
Early Sierra games (notably KQ1 and KQ2) had alternate solutions for just about half of hte puzzles. Then later games had nearly none. Well, except for QfGs of course I really like alternate endings, accessed through an important decision or just a hard task that you may or may not have done. Plus it adds to the sense of story and replay value.