Questlines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of interconnected objectives or tasks designed for players to complete in a video game or narrative format
2. Progressively unfolding storylines that guide characters through adventures and challenges
3. A structured set of missions or narratives that engage participants in achieving specific goals within a fictional context

Etymology: "Questlines" is simply the plural of "questline," so the history lies in its two parts. "Quest" comes from the Old French "queste," meaning a search or pursuit, and English has used it for centuries to describe a journey undertaken in pursuit of a goal, often with knights and heroic adventure in mind. "Line" is the ordinary English word for a sequence or course of things, from the Latin "linea," which referred to a linen thread. Joined together, the two words describe a sequence of quests that a player follows through a game or story. The compound is a plain, transparent formation: the idea of a quest moving along a connected path, which is exactly what modern game designers arrange when they link objectives one after another.

Synonyms: storylines, narratives, plots, missions, adventures