Do you play do ALL the sidequests? Do you master all your characters?, unlock all their moves, abilities, etc, create every item, collect every knick knack? Do you just do enough sidequests to get you good enough stuff to make the last dungeon/boss more managable? Or do you just go from point A to point B and dont do any sidequests?
I guess the same could be asked for any game, not just RPGs.
I just do all I need to do to get the best stuff in the game lol.
A lot of it depends on what the side quest consists of. For one thing, I refuse to ever do the FFX Monster Arena side quest. it just seems pointless. But if there is a HINT of plot to a side quest, I’ll happily do it.
Also, depends on what I get for completing it. Like, I went out and did every Sidequest in Wild ARMs Alter Code: F, just ebcause I wanted every Ex File Key and ability. Also, they were fun side quests.
I’m pretty much with you here - I’ll almost always go through a sidequest if I can get even a shred of extra story out of it. When I’ve had a game for a little while, then I’ll start going through the perfectionist-übercompletion quests since I’ve run out of other things to do (actually, look at the FFX example above!).
Hardly ever. I play RPGs for the plot mainly, unless thr sidequests are enjoyable or I set myself a goal (i.e. destroy dark aeons in FFX) I just do what’s necessary and blitz the game as quick as poss.
Well I really don’t do the side quests, I only do them if I have too. For example every RPG I play I must get each characters ultimate weapon. Just like in Final Fantasy IX you must do the Chocobo side quest to get Zidane’s,Dagger’s and Freya’s weapons. If that SQ didn’t involve their weapons I would of not done it.(Well I would of…because I like chocobos) So basicly it depends on what I get in the SQ to do it.
I generally try to do every last thing in my games, but on things like the Hippaul Racing (FFIX)… I usually make a save there and move on.
Obsessive compulsive completion whore here. Just the phrase “I cleared everything in Disgaea” should give everyone who played that an idea of how sick I am, but I have plenty of other examples. As I post, I am farming money in Suikoden IV to upgrade the weapons of characters I will probably never even use and won’t even transfer into Tactics, and even though Cro is probably the only one here who will get how insane this is: I’m almost done with //QUARANTINE’s item list completion quest.
On a less mental-disorder-style note, I generally do not drop a game until I beat every partially reasonable enemy. That means stuff like Ozma, the Weapons, etc, as opposed to down-right sadistic things like Prinny Bhaal and the Arena.
No.
Yeah, I’m a perfectionist when it comes to that stuff. Usually I try to master the characters I do use, while neglecting the others. But I do try to get all the items, spells, etc. And also talk to every npc. FF8 drove me nuts because npcs were randomly appearing.
I’m not that bad, but I didn’t bother with Prinny Baal, the regular one. I really didn’t go for it because of what Val mentioned before, you don’t get anything out of it, story or itemwise.
Mainly I try to do as many sideqests as I can, as long as I can finish them easily enough. The only one I almost gave up on was the damn chocobo race in FFX. I finally finished it on a fluke and I dont’ think I’ll ever be able to do it again.
Good question DR. No, not all of them, I only go through the side quests and mini-games that I find the most interesting. Give me a nice story and beautiful FMVs, that’s all I need from a game.
Speaking of FF X, I loved the blitzball. I probably spent more time playing the blitzball mini-game than the actual game itself. Sometimes, the main game seemed to me as a side quest to a blitzball game: just a way to recruit better players for my team 
Prinny Bhaal?
In FFX, I almost gave up on the Thunder Plains (until I discovered the mute button) and Macalania Forest. I was far too determined with the chocobos to let that one go.
In Disgaea, once you beat the Lvl4000 Bhaal, he gets replaced by a Lvl6000 Über Prinny (The missing 6th tier Prinny class), so fans dub him as “Prinny Bhaal”. He’s the single most stupidly overpowered critter I’ve ever seen.
I’ll do as many sidequests as I can until I get bored, then I’ll move on to another game for a while, returning to finish the sidequests maybe after a year or so.
that’s way more than enough info, thanks. 
I’ll do sidequests that are reasonable and have some point to them. For example, the end-game DQ8 sidequest has quite a bit of plot and doesn’ t require anything insane (I haven’t done teh Dragovian Trials). Something like the Dragovian Trials, though, which do require a lot of effort, just is not worth it. That goes for every Wild Arms Golemn-stlye optional fight.
It ends up depending on how much time I’ve already put into the game. Like, I didn’t bother with half the ultimate weapons or the Arena in FFX, because I had put 80+ hours into Blitzball, the other weapons, levelling, etc. On the other hand, I collected all six artifacts in Avernum 3 because even with those, I only spent maybe 40 - 50 hours finishing the game.
I play the sidequests if they’re FUN, or add anything to the game…but let’s face it: Most sidequests aren’t. I have games I want to try, and the further forward I go in life, the less time I have to try them all; so, I don’t fuck around too much when I play games.
Pretty much like Skanin’, only it’s not for lack of time, I’d jus rather games be fun. Because if I’m going to spend my time doing not fun stuff, shit, I should probably do it somewhere I get paid for doing it.