Progress Quest
A zero-player parody of MMORPG stat-grinding.
Progress Quest is a video game created by Eric Fredricksen to satirize EverQuest and similar massively multiplayer online role-playing games. It is often classified as a zero-player game because, after the player creates their character, there is no further interaction required; the game proceeds automatically, with the human acting only as an observer. The game's source code was made public in 2011.
When starting a new game, the player selects a race and class for their character. Statistics such as Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are randomly generated and then rerolled. The character begins with poor equipment and gradually acquires better weapons, armor, and spells. However, none of these stats or items actually affect gameplay; carrying capacity is fixed and level gain is purely time-based.
After character creation, the game runs on its own. The screen displays the character's stats and several progress bars that track advancement. A lengthy, combat-free prologue is shown through these bars, each accompanied by text describing, for example, a "foreboding vision." The first act then begins, and the character heads to "the killing fields," where they endlessly cycle through messages like "executing (number) (adjective) (monster type)" or "executing a passing (player character)." This cycle is only interrupted when the character's inventory is full, forcing a return to the market. There, all loot is sold (each monster group drops one specific item; player characters drop random magic loot), and the gold is spent on new equipment. Each group of monsters "executed" advances the quest progress bar by one step. When the bar fills, it resets, and the character receives a magic item, equipment, or a stat upgrade, including learning or leveling a spell. After a set amount of time, the character enters a new act, which has no actual effect on gameplay.
All equipment is awarded randomly for completing quests, killing enemies, leveling up, or especially at the market, where the character uses gold from loot to upgrade gear. These items typically consist of two adjectives and a noun, mimicking the games Progress Quest parodies. The character's level determines the stats and adjectives of each item.
- Developer
- Eric Fredricksen
- Release year
- 2002
- Genre
- Parody, zero-player game
- Platform
- PC (in-browser version also available)
- Known for
- Parodying MMORPGs and pioneering the idle RPG genre
Lore & Background
Progress Quest was made available by Eric Fredricksen in early 2002. On starting a new game, the player is presented with a few options, such as the choice of race and character class for their player character. Stats are rolled and unrolled to determine Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Players start off with subpar equipment, eventually earning better weapons, armor, and spells. None of the above-mentioned character statistics and equipment have any effect on gameplay, however; carrying capacity is fixed and level gain is purely time-based. After character creation the game runs its course, displaying the character's stats on the screen, including several progress bars representing how far the player character has advanced.
Reader's Guide
Progress Quest parodies the stat-gathering aspect of role-playing video games, in which the player advances their character by accumulating arbitrary statistic points. EverQuest and many other MMORPGs of its time are infamous for their 'auto-attack' combat system, where players press a button to initiate combat mode and, from then on, have little to do other than watch; Progress Quest mocks this with its totally non-interactive gameplay after the initial character setup. Progress Quest also pokes fun at traditional RPG races, classes, stories, quests, items, and more. Critics have commented that, despite the automatic progress, Progress Quest was an enjoyable experience. Reviewer Nick Hide compared this with other MMORPGs in which players persevere through dull tasks, just to level up or obtain a new item, owing to an emotional attachment with the character. Progress Quest arguably represents the first example of a genre of casual game called the 'idle RPG' or 'incremental game', popular on certain web sites. These games generally feature a complex progress system in which progress is made automatically with the passage of time, but unlike Progress Quest, there are often decisions to be made by the player in terms of allocating resources between stats that do affect the game in order that the idled time should be used as efficiently as possible. Bethesda Game Studios executive producer Todd Howard stated that Progress Quest influenced the Fallout mobile spin-off Fallout Shelter. The game has been updated several times throughout its history. One particular upgrade added shaded bars to the screen, which caused some players to refer to the new version as Progress Quest 3D. On the game's now-deleted official forums, a popular in-joke leads newbies to believe that there exist Silver, Gold, Platinum or even Diamond-encrusted DVD versions of the game which have enhanced 3D graphics. Fake 'Progress Quest' screenshots from other games, obscure 3D RPGs, helped spread this rumour. In May 2011, Eric Fredricksen released the source code of the game on Bitbucket.
Did You Know?
- Progress Quest was developed by Eric Fredricksen as a parody of EverQuest and other MMORPGs.
- The game's source code was released on Bitbucket in May 2011.
- A popular in-joke on the game's forums claimed that Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond-encrusted DVD versions existed with enhanced 3D graphics.
- Bethesda's Todd Howard stated that Progress Quest influenced Fallout Shelter.
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