Author FAQs

In a nutshell, quests are individual stories within the BrowserQuests™ platform and can range in size from the tiniest of events (retrieving a lost cat stuck in a tree) to something much more involved (discovering who is behind the undead attacks against a particular city and defeating the villain, for example). Players formally accept quests within the game, work directly toward the accomplishing of those quests, and are appropriately rewarded for completing those quests.

Authors create episode-based quests as part of an overarching story called a "campaign" that is separate and distinct from all other campaigns. When a player creates a new hero, a particular campaign must be selected first, at which point the player's party is locked into that campaign (players cannot move their adventuring parties across multiple campaigns). Campaigns are intended to involve many individual quests and therefore tell a more complete and integrated story.

No. All quests, modules and campaigns involve the single fantasy world of Sisalus. Further, game play will initially take place on a single large continent called Mairiga, the landmass divided into 60 or so geopolitical countries. An atlas of Mairiga is available within the Ruleset section of the BrowserQuests™ site, which provides further information and context regarding the Sisalus fantasy world. All that said, authors wishing to submit their quests, modules and campaigns will be given free reign to (more or less) do as they wish--if the storyline makes sense and seems appropriate to the Sisalus storyworld, it will be allowed.

While any electronic medium can be used to script a quest, a detailed Microsoft Word script template is available to anyone looking to become an author (along with our author's guide and sample episode). The documents help show how quests can be scripted-out so their text can eventually be copy-and-pasted into the BrowserQuests™ platform.

Once your script has been reviewed and approved, you'll log in and access a collection of online forms used to configure the platform for your quest or module. In general, these forms can be categorized into characters (where you'll create non-playing characters, some of whom may become party heroes as well), campaigns (determining locations, quests and associated lore), areas (specific places within your locations such as a tavern or underground tomb) and encounters (specific events that occur within your areas). You'll also be able to track and manage any player's adventuring party (and her associated heroes) who have chosen to play through your quest or campaign.

At first, but it's actually pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. Again, all you have to do is complete a series of online forms--the platform will do the rest. Eventually, we plan to provide a series of online training videos to show how it's all done, and, of course, we're always available through our dedicated Discord server. Like anything challenging, the first few steps can be daunting but it gets a lot easier with time and practice.

Whenever you're ready! The collection of data-entry forms and supporting documentation already exists, so new authors can log into the platform at any time and begin entering their quest-based information. To get started, submit your quest, module or campaign ideas to us so we can review them!

For the moment, there is no direct financial incentive involved in making quests, modules and campaigns; we'll provide the tools, training and advice to enter your quests but you'll do so without any direct compensation. That said, the more content we can get into BrowserQuests™ the more players we can attract, and with more players come better marketing opportunities for the platform. So, we'll all be in this together and, hopefully, one day, perhaps earn something from all our work as well.