Skyrim is a favorite game of mine, and I’ve been replaying it lately. The game uses several loops in its quest mechanic, where non-player characters give the player tasks to complete in exchange for a reward, usually in the form of gold or supplies. The first kind of loop proceeds as follows:
- Character gives you a quest
- You kill or retrieve something
- You receive a reward
- Repeat with a different NPC
Some loops are more player-driven, such as clearing out dungeons:
- Discover a dungeon
- Kill the threats inside
- Fight the boss
- Collect a reward from a chest or Word of Power wall (or both)
The story also relies on arcs. The game has a main story arc, and several other story arcs surround factions. Each arc comprises a series of quest loops that eventually culminate in a final quest that completes the arc with a satisfying conclusion. Each quest loop builds toward the completion of an arc.
