History Main / IrrelevantSideQuest

A result of this is that every RPG hero comes across as a jack-of-all-trades capable of performing any task asked of him, [[InstantExpert regardless of how little experience or training he/she has in that field]], and can often outperform actual experts that have been doing it their entire life. This can be really weird if your professional soldier PC is asked to say, babysit some kids or decorate for a dinner party by a complete stranger, especially if you [[ButThouMust aren't given the option to refuse]].

* In ''Videogame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' you play a Jedi trying to save the galaxy from evil, but along the way you get to resolve a family feud, act as the defense lawyer in a murder trial, and return a runaway droid to its master (amongst other things). As with the ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' example below (same studio, go figure), this is justifiable because in-universe, Jedi are supposed to be "guardians of peace and justice" who give help to whoever needs it; the masters on Dantooine explicitly point out that the Jedi are not a cloistered order. A reoccurring theme of both ''KOTOR'' and [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII its sequel]] is that the Jedi's isolation from the common people is [[GoodIsImpotent harming their reputation]], to the point where a lot of regular people see little difference between [[TheChosenMany Jedi]] and [[TheSocialDarwinist Sith]]. Of course, if you're playing for VideoGameCrueltyPotential, you can add refined kerosene to that bad reputation.

*** Ironically, the quest that triggers this conversation ''is'' actually part of the main plot.

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' justified these by having the sole questgiver wishing to test your resourcefulness and power (or just indulge her curiosity about the outside world). Meanwhile, in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' all of the side quests fit this trope to a T - random people needing random problems solved and items gathered. One questgiver notes that she wouldn't bother you except you've gained a reputation as being able to find anything people ask for.

** Averted in the Original game though. All of the traveling/running around was to collect all the pieces of the [[PlotCoupon Triforce]]. And the only real 'side' quest was finding/delivering the Letter so you could buy Healing Potions. But even that is very helpful to you/your quest.

-->-- '''Ryudio''', ''VideoGame/GrandiaII''

* Rampant in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire''. While the PlayerCharacter is the [[LastOfHisKind last member of a mystical order]], Unlike most of [=BioWare=]'s other [=RPGs=], that mystical order is ''not'' for WeHelpTheHelpless heroes like [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Jedi]] or [[VideoGame/MassEffect Spectres]]. The Spirit Monks are supposed to help ghosts move on from the world, put down malignant spirits, and liaison with [[BlueAndOrangeMorality strange supernatural beings]], and while some sidequests ''are'' about ghosts and spirits and the like, most have nothing to do with that at all. What's even stranger is that most people you meet don't know that the player character is a Spirit Monk or any variety of adventurer at all, but still request that you solve their legal issues, or their love life, or [[MasochistsMeal taste their bizarre food]].

* In ''Videogame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' you play a Jedi trying to save the galaxy from evil, but along the way you get to resolve a family feud, act as the defense lawyer in a murder trial, and return a runaway droid to its master (amongst other things). As with the ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' example below (same studio, go figure), this is justifiable because in-universe, Jedi are supposed to be "guardians of peace and justice" who give help to whoever needs it; the masters on Dantooine explicitly point out that the Jedi are not a cloistered order. A reoccurring theme of both ''KOTOR'' and [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic2 its sequel]] is that the Jedi's isolation from the common people is [[GoodIsImpotent harming their reputation]], to the point where a lot of regular people see little difference between [[TheChosenMany Jedi]] and [[TheSocialDarwinist Sith]]. Of course, if you're playing for VideoGameCrueltyPotential, you can add refined kerosene to that bad reputation.

* In ''Videogame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' you play a Jedi trying to save the galaxy from evil, but along the way you get to resolve a family feud, act as the defense lawyer in a murder trial, and return a runaway droid to its master (amongst other things).
** Many aren't as irrelevant as they initially look. The masters on Dantooine point out that the Jedi are not a cloistered order and that their isolation from the common people they ostensibly serve, especially the ones right outside their enclave doors, do not make it any ''easier'' for them to make allies. There is a significant chunk of the galaxy who doesn't see a damn bit of difference between Jedi and Sith, and this is made ''very'' clear in the second game. Of course, if you're playing for VideoGameCrueltyPotential, you can add refined kerosene to that bad reputation.

* These are arguably the whole point of ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series. There are dozens upon dozens of irrelevant side-quests (The first two had infinite quests that were procedurally-generated on-demand), all of which are optional. Even the "main quest" a.k.a the game's entire plot, is optional. Players are expected to pick-and-choose which ones to complete on their own.
** This doesn't keep four out of five games from having main plots with good in-universe reasons for why you ''[[TakeYourTime shouldn't]]'' keep them hanging (the exception is ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', which instead has reasons ''why'' you'd go off and do entirely unrelated things for a while).
** Note that at specific points in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', it is recommended to you to go do things outside the main quest in order to keep up your cover story as a freelance adventurer and as a way to gain money and experience.

** Many aren't as irrelevant as they initially look. The masters on Dantooine point out that the Jedi are not a cloistered order and that their isolation from the common people they obstensibly serve, especially the ones right outside their enclave doors, do not make it any ''easier'' for them to make allies. There is a signifigant chunk of the galaxy who doesn't see a damn bit of difference between Jedi and Sith, and this is made ''very'' clear in the second game. Of course, if you're playing for VideoGameCrueltyPotential, you can add refined kerosene to that bad reputation.

*** The gene therapy couple get a TakeThatUs in the sequel in incidental dialogue. She's still worried.

* ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' has a lot of these. Especially in the form of mail delivery and Koopa Koot's favors.

* Lampshaded hilariously in ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor'' where players can accept tasks from Inconsequentia, the "Goddess of Sidequests". True to her name, any quests she offers have absolutely no outcome on the game aside from a minor reward. Most of these quests consist entirely of placing a randomly generated artifact onto a randomly generated shrine. Fitting for an [[AffectionateParody Affectionate Parody]] of Roguelikes and [=RPGs=] in general.
* Justified in ''VideoGame/FantasyLife''. You'll almost inevitably be a jack of all trades (and end up a master of them all), and there's a two-in-three chance that you'll be specialized in a industrial Life (read: profession) such as miner or tailer, so the busy-work requests make perfect sense.
* Justified in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX''. BLADE is explicitly a combination of armed forces, police force, and every public service there is. The Mediators might specialize in keeping the peace in NLA, but every BLADE is expected to at least consider every job that needs doing, from mudane coffee machine repair through to Tyrant hunting.

* Justified in the ''Franchise/{{Ultima}}'' games from ''[[VideoGame/UltimaIV IV]]'' onward, where your character is explicitly a role-model for the population and helping people out boosts the KarmaMeter. In ''[[VideoGame/UltimaVII VII]]'', Lord British encourages you to mingle with the citizens and solve their sidequests.

* ''[[VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII]]'' justifies this as Lightning is the Savior tasked by God to go and save the souls of people for a new world that's ending. You save people's souls by helping them with their various, somewhat trivial problems.

** Note that at specific points in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', you were explicitly told to go off and do unrelated things for a while before you could continue the main quest.

*** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': also has the assignments where the Normandy's mess officer asks you to do his grocery shopping and the engineers ask you to obtain an engine part. Although both [[LampshadeHanging point out that it's a ridiculous thing to ask of his commanding officer only for Shepard to volunteer anyway.]] [[FridgeBrilliance But then, Commander Shepard would have a personal interest in insuring that the mess hall where they eat has decent food.]]

** ''Videogame/BaldursGate 2'' is much better about it: the sidequests are ''just'' as irrelevant, but you either a) have a personal stake, b) make it clear that you're looking for a large sum of cash for a personal quest, or c) given to you ''because'' you're an ass-kicking demi-god. Throne of Bhaal is also significant in that there are ''no'' irrelevant sidequests ''per se'': some seem that way, but end up being relevant later.

** ''College Humor'' parodied this [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbUqEPUZ-ds in one video]].

Everyone, but everyone, whom you meet in the game has some kind of task they want you to perform. Very often this has nothing to do with your official job; you may have gained fame as a slayer of monsters and bandits, yet people will be asking you to sort out their marital disputes or fix machinery. It's not quite the same thing as DudeWheresMyRespect, as they may well have a healthy respect for you - in fact, that's often why they've sought you out in the first place. If you're lucky you'll receive a rare item or a monetary reward, but sometimes all you get is a warm fuzzy feeling and [[KarmaMeter karma points]]. In some cases, TreacherousQuestGiver would deliberately mislead you to do some Irrelevant Sidequests for him only to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness betray you later]].

Everyone, but everyone, whom you meet in the game has some kind of task they want you to perform. Very often this has nothing to do with your official job; you may have gained fame as a slayer of monsters and bandits, yet people will be asking you to sort out their marital disputes or fix machinery. It's not quite the same thing as DudeWheresMyRespect, as they may well have a healthy respect for you - in fact, that's often why they've sought you out in the first place. If you're lucky you'll receive a rare item or a monetary reward, but sometimes all you get is a warm fuzzy feeling and [[KarmaMeter karma points]].

In some cases, TreacherousQuestGiver would deliberately mislead you to do some Irrelevant Sidequests for him only to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness betray you later]].

** Averted in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'', where the sidequests are all either completely relevant to the plot or to Chaz and Alys' status as professional monster hunters. Even the ones that don't actually have an impact on the plot come about ''because of'' the plot, or are found by the player taking the party around doing things of their own accord, like exploring alternate routes around the maps or [[ItMakesSenseInContext renting a walkalong giant penguin and barging in on people's homes.]]

* ''ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'' has a number of these in every major settlement, particularly in Tarant where you can do bill-collecting for the local brothel, wade through the sewers to recover a lost wedding ring, run numerous errands with no twists or ambushes involved at all, or settle a quarrel between rivaling mediums. It's an excellent source of early XP for non-combat focused characters.

* In ''{{Okami}}'', you can end up helping an old lady with her laundry, getting ingredients for a restaurant (twice!), racing messengers, taking vases as offerings to shrines, feeding kittens, and what-have-you. And you're playing as ''god''. Heck, the plot ''requires'' you to do some of the odder ones, like helping clueless people fish with no line and having a turnip-digging contest with a kid's pet dog. Vaguely justified in that you need to re-earn the people's faith, but still, you'd think that there would be better ways to do it.

* Played with in ''{{Opoona}}.'' Although there are a ''vast'' number of non-fighting-related sidequests in the world, in game, you actually receive "licenses" to do these different jobs, and you can even get promotions in them for doing enough sidequests. You're even encouraged to try all the different professions on the planet to (in-character) find the one that fits you best.

* ''StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' is notable in that the entire middle half of the game is one of these.
* Mostly averted in ''TheWitcher''. Geralt is a professional monster-slayer and he can take out lots of contracts in each chapter of the game, though ultimately these amount to {{Fetch Quest}}s; even if your contract is to kill the Drowners harassing some poor villagers, all you need to do is return a bunch of Drowner Brains to the contract-giver, regardless of whether or not you actually killed those specific Drowners. Still makes sense in the context of his job, though, and there are some quests that do require you to kill the right monster(s).
* The main character of the ''[[RyuGaGotoku Yakuza]]'' games is extremely community minded, which seems to be a open invitation to provide him with ridiculous requests for help. "Please, you have to stop my corrupt boss by becoming a male escort!", "Please, you must run my Hostess Bar while I go to see my sick mother!".

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' and ''RedDeadRedemption'', you are frequently tasked with doing silly side missions, oftentimes to get [=NPCs=] out of debt. If you are someone who spends a lot of time roaming the WideOpenSandbox, you can easily have enough money to settle these debts for your friend without jumping through the hoops, but this is not an option.
** Many Grand Theft Auto games are like this. In ''San Andreas'' your beloved Grove Street is overrun by drug dealers, smackheads and people who personally hate you. But hey, let's go race cars and dance!

* Used a lot in ''SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'', to the point where resident team {{Jerkass}} Gig openly lampshades it. [[spoiler:Then completely and utterly subverted with TheReveal that every single one of these sidequests was set up by World Eater Raksha in order to remove any obstacles that would prevent him from taking over the world]].

* Played straight in VideoGame/{{Diablo}} and Diablo II, when the player character, on his way to killing demons that threatened a small town or destroyed it and overran the world, also can collect medicinal herbs for people suffering from random diseases, recover heirlooms with purely sentimental value, seek out treasure troves completely unrelated to demons, and ''help a not immediately hostile demon because he offers you a reward''. Mostly averted in VideoGame/DiabloIII, which generally has a tighter plot.

*** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': also has the assignments where the Normandy's mess officer asks you to do his grocery shopping and the engineers ask you to obtain an engine part. Although both [[LampshadeHanging point out that it's a ridiculous thing to ask of his commanding officer only for Shepard to volunteer anyway.]]

This trope is useful in that it allows for more varied gameplay, but when taken to extremes you can end up feeling more like a glorified errand boy/girl than a hero. It can also lead to some pretty major GameplayAndStorySegregation, especially when your main quest would appear to be considerably more urgent.