Don't be afraid of dumbing the game down in terms of remembering things that don't affect gameplay. Only be weary when it involves actual gameplay mechanics.

My game certainly won't appeal to everyone, and I'm certainly going to make game design mistakes. I'm happy with element though. There will be a quest journal if returning players want a refresher/reminder.

Thanks though, I did have a good long think about your input.

[quote name='kseh' timestamp='1328728300' post='4910997']
[quote name='jzfredricks' timestamp='1328665282' post='4910723']
b) I'll make the plaque in question "pick-up-able", but non-quest plaques won't be. This might seem to contradict A), but on the up side it will at least make the player stop and think "why can I take this particular plaque? What use does it have?". It will hopefully make them stop and study the text, and the implications of its content.

If the particular plaque in question is pick-up-able while all the others the player sees are not, what would make him think that he can pick up this one and carry it with him?
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Is there more to this question? A second part? It will be done in the same way as all other pick-up-able items. At this stage I've a "treasure" zone. The room description will describe the plaque, perhaps even display the text, and it will appear as treasure. The player can then pick it up if they want, which will allow them to re-read it.
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Perhaps what I thought was an issue isn't really an issue then. I had an image in my mind of a location where the plaque appears as just another object indistinguishable from anything else in the area. And that the player might not necessarily know that it's something that can be picked up. From what you say, it sounds like that's not the case.

But if the plaque is essentially tagged as treasure, is that any different from tagging something as a quest item? Why wouldn't the player carry it with him?

But if the plaque is essentially tagged as treasure, is that any different from tagging something as a quest item? Why wouldn't the player carry it with him?

Yeah. As I said, this is slightly contradictory.
I'd rather players think "hmmm, this must be important.. I wonder what for...", then read the text and solve the puzzle. Keep in mind that this particular quest is a secret one - it won't appear in the journal.

It's an alternate ending purely for story telling. The game can be finished without it.

Some players won't WANT to carry it, mainly as its weighs as much as 5 "average" items.

As for overt quests, ie "collect 10 pig ears"; whilst I'll not do them myself, the quest engine will allow it. Even for these quests I'd rather the player read the quest journal and remember what it is they are supposed to collect.

I'd dislike marking something as a quest item if the player hasn't started that quest. "Oh! A nice red, mundane item! I'd better collect 5 of them.. not sure why! Hopefully someone will ask for them in the future!".