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As I told the "Sheep" guy - there's plenty to do. There are quests - though most of them are created and run by other players, and posted on the gossip board in the taverns. An example (I'm making it up because real stuff is IC and we're not supposed to discuss ongoing plotlines):
"Several Borsail Wyvern guards cluster together in a corner, murmuring with excited gleams in their eyes about the upcoming games. One of them snorts, claiming that he will win, while another smirks at him and reminds him of the elf who whipped his butt in a simple game of hardscrabble just last week. The first guard grumbles and shakes his head, commenting on how the templars shouldn't allow skinnies to enter the games at all.
A templar walks in, surrounded by soldiers, and the room becomes eerily silent, the Wyverns turning as a single unit to slip out the back door."
And now - you, the newbie know that there is some kind of game coming up, that it's being sponsored by a templar, and that basically everyone is invited to participate (since elves are generally not invited to anything in town). The quest begins by the newbie actually seeking out a templar, or a templar's aide, or a Borsail, or anyone else who might have heard the same rumor, and try and find out where, when, and what is involved.
Regarding NPCs - some of them ARE smart. Some of them you CAN talk to, and will give semi-intelligent (though canned) answers. This is well documented on the website.
The reason the game doesn't have canned quests is because it doesn't need them. The players create their own. There is no need for a Senior Noble NPC In Charge Of Quests, because there are PC nobles who are more than happy to help you, offer you a job, hire you as a secret spy, send you on some silly mindless task in exchange for an ungodly amount of sids.
There are PCs who are entrusted with the responsibility of hiring other PCs - which encourages new players to get involved the first day they show up in the game.
Granted - there are times of the day when it's sparsely populated - but anyone who reads the docs has a good idea of where to find the most people during "usual" prime time, and this is also where most people will be found hanging out on off-times as well. If the game had a bunch of autoquests to cater to the minority of people who are unfortunate enough to log on at 4 in the morning Eastern time, USA, because they live in Europe, then the game will shift to one that caters to people who like autoquests. It's inevitable, and Armageddon is NOT that kind of game. It's a game that becomes whatever you make of it.
And yes - I've had my fair share of boring hours of doing nothing but sitting idle in the tavern, or walking back and forth through the market, wishing SOMETHING interesting would happen. But I have hours like that in real life too, and I'm not gonna quit life just because of a few dull hours. Plus - Arm is free. The only investment on your part is time - and if you have it to spare, you're not losing anything by sitting there doing nothing for an hour.
There's nothing preventing you from getting up from the bar and going for a walk in town. There's nothing stopping you from creating a stir. Nothing is stopping a player from thinking - hmm.. this is an interesting looking NPC, this beggar. But using "talk" doesn't result in anything - and using the "wish" command to ask an IMM to animate the guy so maybe he can tell you a story about when he once had hot tregil sex with Lady Bigboob Tor.
There's nothing preventing you from trying something that you don't have on your skills list. Like- deciding that this building looks low enough - I wonder if I put my hand up here..and push my foot up over there..maybe I can just climb u...oh ####..guess not.
There's nothing preventing you from your character being disgusted with a VIRTUAL half-breed that isn't even coded into the game, and having a heated arguement with him - possibly drawing some attention to you and turning it into a big all out street brawl.
The only thing that prevents you from doing any of this stuff is your own imagination. And so maybe your character will do something dumb and die. So what? He's gonna die eventually anyway, it's a permanent death game. So why not make the best of it and have fun with the death that you KNOW is gonna come?
Nobles don't ask favors of commoners. They order commoners to do their bidding. If you want your commoner character to do something for a noble, then walk up to a noble's aide or guard and ask if you can do something for his boss. Why is it that everyone has to cater to the newbies? Why can't the newbies get out there and start asking for stuff themselves, instead of waiting for things to come to them?
In Armageddon, the meek starve to death. That can be an adventure of its own, though not one I recommend. If you want your character involved in something, MAKE him involved in something. If you're not willing to do this, then you have no right to complain when you have nothing to do.
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