Beyond the Main Story: Optional Quests and Investigations
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne offers a wealth of content beyond the main story quests, primarily through Optional Quests and Investigations. These provide crucial opportunities for resource gathering, gear upgrades, and honing your hunting skills.
Optional Quests are repeatable missions that can be found in the various Hubs and from NPCs. They range from simple monster hunts to gathering tasks and special requests. Completing Optional Quests is vital for:
- Unlocking New Quests: Certain Optional Quests must be completed to unlock higher-tier quests, including those for specific monsters or event quests.
- Earning Zenny: They provide a steady income of the game's currency, essential for crafting and upgrading equipment.
- Increasing Your Hunter Rank (HR): Completing quests contributes to your overall HR, which in turn unlocks more challenging hunts and better gear.
- Gaining Reputation: Some NPCs offer unique rewards or unlock new items in the shop upon completion of their associated quests.
Investigations are dynamic, randomized quests that you can accept from the Research Commission or the Notice Board. They are particularly valuable because they offer:
- Bonus Rewards: Investigations often come with bonus rewards, indicated by icons next to the monster's name. These can include extra Zenny, rare crafting materials, decorations, and more.
- Targeted Farming: You can filter investigations by monster, allowing you to specifically target monsters for materials you need.
- Difficulty Scaling: Investigations can range in difficulty, from low-rank to high-rank and even Master Rank in Iceborne, providing challenges for all hunter levels.
- Specific Conditions: Some investigations may have time limits, a limited number of faints, or specific target monsters, adding an extra layer of challenge.
To access Investigations, you typically need to have encountered the monster in the wild or completed a quest involving it. The more you hunt a monster, the more investigations for it you will unlock. Prioritize completing investigations that offer rewards you need, especially those with rare gem or decoration bonuses.
Make it a habit to check the Notice Board regularly for new Optional Quests and available Investigations. These are your primary tools for progression and for acquiring the best gear to tackle the toughest monsters in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.