[Fishing] A second look at quest size.

[Basara]

What has been stated by the Devs

The fish monger chooses randomly between a list of fish based on your fishing skill. The higher your skill, the bigger the list.
For each fish that you have completed an order for, you get a chance to get an order for 2 fish.
For each fish that you have completed an order for twice, you get a chance to get an order for 3 fish.
For each fish that you have completed an order for three times, you get a chance to get an order for 4 fish.
This progresses until you are getting orders for 6 fish.
The number of different fish in the order is always random, the only thing that changes is the odds.

Note that there are the following:
6 types of quest crabs
6 types of quest lobsters
12 types of Shallow Water Fish
18 types of Deep water fish
12 types of Dungeon fish

42 seas + 12 Dungeon fish

Prior to a certain skill level^ (somewhere between 100 & 105), you have to fill quests for the 42 different types of non-dungeon fish, to have a high chance of getting additional lines beyond the first. There's some speculation that it might be tied into being scrolled higher than 105.

^ Once you hit that trigger point for the dungeon fish (which actually occurs after you can start dungeon fishing, but BEFORE you can actually get quests that ask for them), the 12 Dungeon Fish get added into the calculation.

The calculation to see if a quest gets additional lines appears to be:

X: Current number of lines in the quest calculation.
F: Fish types for which you have filled at least X number of quests for.
Y: Number of Fish types included in the calculation. This starts out at 42, then goes up to 54 at some time in the low 100s (see ^ above)
Z: other variables that MIGHT exist. Z might not actually exist at all, or be based on one's reputation, or exist simply to make sure that you don't have a 100% chance to upgrades (as after a certain point without it, a fisher could get to where all quests are 6 lines)

F/Y * Z = chance to jump to the next tier.
IF you do get another line, X increments by 1 (up to 5), and the F number is recalculated, for determining if the quest goes up again.
The calculation for 6 lines (occurring after rising to 5 lines) results in either the quest staying 5 lines, or simply jumping up to 6 (no calculation for further lines)


So, if you'd done enough quests to where you'd -
Done at least one quest for all crustaceans, shallow water and deep water fish
Done at least two quests from all but 2 crustacean types and 1 shallow water type.
Done at least three quests for 6 crustaceans, 9 shallow fish and 16 deep fish
Done at least 4 quests for 4 crustaceans, 8 shallow fish and 14 deep fish
Done at least 5 quests for 2 crustaceans, 6 shallow fish and 10 deep fish

Example 1:
This would be prior to the addition of the dungeon fish

Results:
Your quest has at least 1 line
*The chance for a second line is 42/42 (or 1.0) * Z
**If the line above results in a second line, then the calculation for chance for 3 lines would be (10+11+18)/42 * Z, or 39/42 * Z
***If the line above results in a third line, then the calculation for chance for 4 lines would be (6+9+16)/42 * Z, or 31/42 * Z
****If the line above results in a fourth line, then the calculation for chance for 5 lines would be (4+8+14)/42 * Z, or 26/42 * Z
*****If the line above results in a fifth line, then the calculation for chance for 6 lines would be (2+6+10)/42 * Z, or 18/42 * Z

Example 2:
This would be after passing the point where the dungeon fish are added to the calculation, but before you actually fill any quests that call for them.

Results:
Your quest has at least 1 line
*The chance for a second line is 42/54 * Z
**If the line above results in a second line, then the calculation for chance for 3 lines would be (10+11+18+0)/54 * Z, or 39/54 * Z
***If the line above results in a third line, then the calculation for chance for 4 lines would be (6+9+16+0)/54 * Z, or 31/54 * Z
****If the line above results in a fourth line, then the calculation for chance for 5 lines would be (4+8+14+0)/54 * Z, or 26/54 * Z
*****If the line above results in a fifth line, then the calculation for chance for 6 lines would be (2+6+10)/54 * Z, or 18/54 * Z

This is why 1 and 2 line Quests make a sudden resurgance after the point in Example 2 is passed:

a. The chance for 2 lines drops from 100% * Z to 70% * Z
b. The chance of a 2 line becoming a 3 line drops from 92.86% * Z to 72.22% * Z
c. The chance of a 3 line becoming a 4-line drops from 73.81% * Z to 57.41% * Z
d. The chance of a 4 line becoming a 5-line drops from 61.9% * Z to 48.15% * Z
e. The chance of a 5 line becoming a 6-line drops from 42.86% * Z to 33.33% * Z

(or, effectively, the existing percentages were multiplied by 7/9, since the the number off possible fish was multiplied by 9/7).

As you fill quests with dungeon fish, the reduction slowly goes away. But, it can be jarring to suddenly go from quests for 5-6 fish (4 of which are deep water) to suddenly getting quests again for 1 or 2 shallow water fish.

 

[Barry Gibb]

Thanks for the putting this together Basara. It makes sense and is consistent with my observations once I was able to catch dungeon fish.

Stayin Alive,

BG

 

[Nimuaq]

We know the order size loops after you reach 20. I hope after you've completed 7 quests for a specific fish, it wont loop too, thus calculating the value as 1 quest completed.

 

[Basara]

BTW, I finally got a 120 PS, and out of my first 8 quests after using it, 2 were 1-line and 2 were 2-line (and it's hard to get losts of dungeon fish quests done when you have a hard time getting more than one dungeon fish line per quest). The other 4 were a 3-line, 2 4-lines and a 5-line.

The point value of my 120 PS quest was 215/360 possible.

 

[Beastmaster]

The point value of my 120 PS quest was 215/360 possible.

This is Basara's, Popp's, and Mark's point value. Not the point value the rest of us have been using.

 

[Nimuaq]

The point value of my 120 PS quest was 215/360 possible.

This is Basara's, Popp's, and Mark's point value. Not the point value the rest of us have been using.

107 out of 180 possible, and I got a [insert word here] bait from a 140 order .

 

[Warpig Inc]

Got my 120 from a weak order. Didn't pay attention it was so lame and still got a 120.


Thing I hate is that the same crab / lobster / shallow / deep / dungeon name fish comes up 3/4 the time. And when you have an order up for something then fishing one up is hampered. When needing Blue Crab had to drop well over 500 traps with half those with catches to get first Blue Crab. Was another 300 before the second crab. But the fool RNG is, the 3rd and 4th was in the same trape few dozen later. Due to this fishing vs quest screwiness, I have no Blue Crab to date and nearly 200 of the others. needing 26 Blue Crab to fill current orders. Player I find most often willing to trade is only trying to round out numbers for placing on vendors (bet they bought the first 120 up for sale with gold from selling catches).

Players either got lucky like I did and got 120 early. Found that trying to deal in pies or mounts is a waste of time and money. Or, some did the grind filling scroll binders till they went insane and starter running around Fel Yew gate naked verbally abusing the PVP crowd there. Still have yet to get my first 115PS by any method.