When examining the most irritating NPCs, factions, and errands across classic open-world role-playing and action games, certain questgivers stand out for testing player patience. From Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion design choices often force players through tedious hurdles to progress.
Fallout 3: Moira Brown and the Wasteland Survival Guide
Moira Brown is Fallout 3's chipper inventor who tasks players with fact-finding missions to investigate the dangers of the Wasteland. While some players dislike being put in harm's way or object to her voice, her optimistic outlook sets her apart from the bleak environment. Furthermore, she provides an armored Vault suit at the start of her questline, and the resulting Wasteland Survival Guide becomes a useful item in both Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Zero and Supply Lines
In Rockstar's 2004 open-world release (Metacritic: 93; available across platforms including PC, PlayStation, and Xbox), players encounter numerous demanding personalities. Zero, the owner of a remote-control car shop at war with a rival named Berkley, stands out as a particularly frustrating figure. Voiced by David Cross—who has noted it features the most annoying voice imaginable and has never finished the mission himself—Zero shrieks dialogue during the notorious 'Supply Lines' mission.
Supply Lines requires piloting a model biplane to shoot down Berkley's delivery drivers. Compounding the challenge are the stiff flying controls in San Andreas and an unskippable pilot school requirement, paired with a fuel gauge that depletes rapidly when accelerating.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Falcar and the Mages Guild
While standard advice for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion often points players away from the main quest toward the Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, or Shivering Isles, the Mages Guild faction introduces significant frustration. Earning recommendations from every guildhouse in Cyrodiil involves various tedious favors, such as clearing zombie-filled dungeons or stealing spellbooks.
Falcar proves particularly obnoxious by sending acolytes to retrieve a missing ring from a well. The ring is enchanted with an encumbrance of 150, resting next to the drowned body of a previous acolyte. Even if players clear inventory space and drink potions to haul the ring out, the effort is rendered pointless because Falcar flees as a secret necromancer while the player is still in the well.