Optional Quests and their Importance

Latest update by CMBF on Dec 4th 2012

Since the release of the first title in the series, Assassins's Creed, in 2007, this well-established series of action-adventure RPG games with its unique touch of stealth-centric almost ninja-like game play has resonated with gamers in ways that defy description, assuring a place for itself firmly in the list of the all-time most popular video games both for console and for PC gaming.

One of the core elements in the game series that developed over time is the optional missions/quests that are built into the game. These elective activities provide gamers with many different benefits, but the most obvious and meaningful is perhaps the measure by which these optional activities assist in the process of firmly allowing player immersion such that it is not uncommon or unusual for the player to begin to firmly identify with the protagonist in the game.

The established trend for providing additional optional elements to the game has been included in the structure of Assassin's Creed III, which is the direct sequel to Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and which continues to tell the story of protagonist Desmond Miles, who along with a ragtag group of members of the Assassin Brotherhood, who have taken on the role of beleaguered resistance fighters being the primary opposition to the nefarious and evil Templar organization and its modern form, which takes the role of the mega-corporation Abstergo Industries, and which has maintained its unaltered goal for world domination.

The primary thrust for this plan to control humanity is moved forward via the competing quest for the acquisition of the Pieces of Eden -- practically omnipotent artifacts left over from the First Civilization that was wiped from the face of the earth by a cataclysmic natural disaster, and that has shaped the events that unfold in the series of five main titles and thirteen off-shoot titles that represent the AC Series, thanks largely to their omniscience and ability to sense and see the future. That is a very simple explanation of the situation -- it is in reality far more complicated -- but the above will due in helping you to become grounded in the basic plot.

Part of the process of establishing this game series and its elements of lore, canon, immersion, and story has revolved around two basic pillars: the story mode which constitutes the main missions, and the set of optional missions/quests that serve to flesh-out the story, add to the player's knowledge, and in many respects truly make the game what it is.

Because these are, by definition, optional elements of the game, it is easily possible for the average player to miss-out on many of them, and in fact due to the overall importance of the information that can be obtained if the player makes the effort to seek out and complete each of these missions/quests, it was absolutely necessary to create this page and overview of that content in order to emphasize to you, the player, why the pursuit of these missions/quests is of paramount importance to you. Their value lies not simply in the fact that they offer up additional information and experiences, or that they contribute in a very meaningful way to the story line and game immersion, but also because you will, after missing out on them should you progress too quickly through the primary story line, come to regret not having had the option to complete them.

In short, we present to you an overview of the optional missions/quests, along with a simple piece of advice that is repeated in the Unofficial SuperCheats Walkthrough and Guide for Assassin's Creed III, which is specifically that you should establish a hard pattern of seeking out and completing this optional content at the beginning of each Sequence in the story, in the midst of each Sequence in the story, and at the closing portion for each Sequence in the story; in short accessing and completing this optional content should become a significant priority for you, regardless of any other play-style concerns you create.

The following optional missions/quests exist in the game, presented here in alphabetical order, with a measure of detail that should easily assist you in determining the relevance and importance for each, as well as serve to encourage you towards engaging and completing each through providing a measure of detail that will help you to understand both the importance they present and the rewards that you can obtain in the doing of them.

There is no way to properly emphasize the importance of not only completing all of the optional content in the game, but also in availing yourself of the additional information and contents both historical and biographical, presented by the contents and entries in the Animus Database (a virtual encyclopedia of information that is added to the game as you progress by one of your team mates in the real world, Shaun, and which provides not only deep background in many instances, but flavoring of a sort that will not only help you to appreciate what you are accomplishing, but that also assists in immersion in the game by delivering to you a measure of detail that you will quickly find desirable once you fully embrace the story that is unfolding in the game.

So without further qualification, we present to you an overview and details of the optional missions, quests, and collections that make up a significant share in the game play and entertainment contents of Assassin's Creed III -- and we urge you to embrace all of this whole-heartedly:

Almanacs Collection: After meeting Ben Franklin upon your initial arrival in Boston as part of the story, you will be asked to chase down and capture the missing pages for the 1733 Volume 1 of his Almanac -- there are actually many volumes with missing pages that you will later encounter and there is a Map for these that provides all of their locations that can later be purchased from the Merchant during the Homestead Mission to obtain supplies for rebuilding.

This is a required quest for full game completion.

Boston Brawlers: One of the "Clubs" in the game that the player automagically flags once they have completed any one of the primary tasks partially or completely, upon encountering a representative member of the "Club" who then passively recruits the player into it via providing sufficient information so as to define the requirements for the first stage.

Once the player flags any one of this type of quest, they will also unlock the Achievement "By Invitation Only" (20G) Be invited to join a Club. Unlocking this Achievement as well as joining whichever club it is that the player first encounters passively in this fashion can be considered a normal result of game play.

Complete these tasks to ascent through the ranks of the Boston Brawlers and complete the first (initial) set of Challenges. Upon completing all of these tasks, the player is presented with a new and continuing set of challenges and eventually will conclude in mastery and full membership in the Club:

• Meet with Harold Ring at the old brewery in Boston


• Disarm enemies (x5)


• Kill five enemies effected by a Smoke Bomb within 10 seconds


• Kill an enemy with your Hidden Blade (x25)


• Stealth kill an enemy without being detected (x10)


• Kill an Officer (x10)


• Achieve a 5 enemy killstreak

Once you have completed all of the challenges in each of the challenge sets for this club you will become a vested member and, in this case, Champion of the Ring.

Delivery Requests: Part of the hunting, the Delivery Request missions are flagged by strategically placed characters in settlements or other areas, and basically consist of requests for specific resources that are obtained by "buying, crafting, or stealing them" but are also easily obtained as part of your Hunting activities.

The first of these quests you are likely to encounter is the one for Troy's Woods so we will use that as the example here -- the NPC Quest Giver will, once you go near him and actually have any one of the desired items in your inventory, will attain a Quest Marker over their head and become interactive to you. Speaking to them results in a request for the following list of items:

• Bear Claws (x3)


• Bobcat Claws (x3)


• Wolf Fangs (x3)


• Cougar Fangs (x2)


• Elk Antlers (x3)

When you initially flag the quest you will turn in whatever items that you have that meet the list, with the remaining items being visible by checking the in-game Map and then selecting Logbook > Delivery Requests > Troy's Wood Items.

Encyclopedia of the Common Man: Part of the Building the Homestead line of quests, the Encyclopedia of the Common Man consists of scanning key residents and artisans in the Homestead Region while they are performing actions specific to their skills set. The following actions are required to complete this quest:

• Blacksmith (x3)


• Doctor (x3)


• Farmers (x3)


• Huntress (x3)


• Innkeepers (x3)


• Lumberers (x3)


• Miner (x3)


• Tailors (x3)


• Woodworkers (x3)

To complete the entries simply go to the work location for the desired artisan and target them and hold down the Left Trigger to scan their activity, adding it to the Encyclopedia. You can monitor your progress and determine the outstanding scans still required by opening the in-game Map (the Back Button) and selecting Logbook > Building the Homestead > Encyclopedia of the Common Man.

Feather Collection: One of the core collections in the game, the Feather Collection is connected to other optional quests peripherally but stands on its own as a primary collection, and as such includes a map that can be purchased from a merchant that reveals all of the locations for each Feather that is part of the quest.

The Feathers can be found as a result of standard exploration and the use of View Points, however like other collection quests discovering their locations via proximity does require you to travel very near to it, so it is less efficient than using the map. Purchasing the maps for the collections should be a priority for the player once they have access to them, which occurs during the Homestead Mission to obtain supplies to repair the Manor House and outbuildings that is part of the main story line.

The Feather Collection includes Feathers situated in the following Hunting Sections (see your in-game Map and select Hunting to display them all):

• Black Creek (x11)


• Concord (x2)


• Diamond Basin (x4)


• Great Piece Hills (x4)


• John's Town (x2)


• Kanienkeh (x3)


• Lexington (x5)


• Monmouth (x4)


• Packanack (x5)


• Scotch Plains (x3)


• Troy's Woods (x5)


• Valley Forge (x2)

There are a total of x50 Feathers in all, and collecting all of the Feathers counts towards the 100% game completion. The Feather Map can be obtained during the Homestead Mission to obtain the rebuilding supplies so it would be an idea to hunt a lot initially so you have items to trade for money in order to buy the maps... See the Treasure Chest Collection entry for additional and alternate strategy tips.

Frontiersman Club: One of the "Clubs" in the game that the player automagically flags once they have completed any one of the primary tasks partially or completely, upon encountering a representative member of the "Club" who then passively recruits the player into it via providing sufficient information so as to define the requirements for the first stage.

Once the player flags any one of this type of quest, they will also unlock the Achievement "By Invitation Only" (20G) Be invited to join a Club. Unlocking this Achievement as well as joining whichever club it is that the player first encounters passively in this fashion can be considered a normal result of game play.

Complete these tasks to ascent through the ranks of the Frontiersmen and complete the first (initial) set of Challenges. Upon completing all of these tasks, the player is presented with a new and continuing set of challenges and eventually will conclude in mastery and full membership in the Club:

• Perform a Leap of Faith (x10)


• Discover Underground Network entrances (x5)


• Reach a High Point (x5)


• Discover the location of every fort (x7)


• Explore the canopy by traveling 100m through the trees


• Collect a Feather (x5)

Upon completing this initial set of Challenges the player will be presented with the next set, and so on until they have completed all of the Challenges and are vested as a full member of the Club.

Hunting Society: One of the "Clubs" in the game that the player automagically flags through normal game play, in this instance the club is encountered through exploration, with a permanent location with respect to this element of the club, which has the requirement: Share your hunting experiences and explore the Frontier in search of unique hunting trophies.

The initial requirement for this aspect of the club is simple:

• Visit on of the hunting cabins on the Frontier

Additional elements are added as you progress.

Hunting Society (Challenges): One of the "Clubs" in the game that the player automagically flags once they have completed any one of the primary tasks partially or completely, upon encountering a representative member of the "Club" who then passively recruits the player into it via providing sufficient information so as to define the requirements for the first stage.

Once the player flags any one of this type of quest, they will also unlock the Achievement "By Invitation Only" (20G) Be invited to join a Club. Unlocking this Achievement as well as joining whichever club it is that the player first encounters passively in this fashion can be considered a normal result of game play.

Complete these tasks to ascent through the ranks of the Hunting Society and complete the first (initial) set of Challenges. Upon completing all of these tasks, the player is presented with a new and continuing set of challenges and eventually will conclude in mastery and full membership in the Club:

• Kill Deer (x5)


• Kill a Wolf (x1)


• Skin Animals (x10)


• Trade $500 worth of hunting spoils (skins, teeth, and other resources)


• Use Bait with a Snare to capture an animal (x5)


• Kill a Bear with the Hidden Blade (x1)

Upon completing this initial set of Challenges the player will be presented with the next set, and so on until they have completed all of the Challenges and are vested as a full member of the Club.

Naval: The Naval quests are accomplished via the unlocking of the Assassin Brotherhood Flagship the Aquila, which is part of the main story line. Having completed the process of unlocking the ship and getting it refitted on Martha's Vineyard, the player will encounter a character named "Peg Leg" during the closing CS of the refitting mission, after which point that character becomes an interactive part of the game with a Marker assigned to it that the player can then use to flag the quest Captain Kidd's Treasure.

Note: This is NOT an optional quest, it is required to fully complete the game -- it is listed here because it is not part of the primary story and quest lines.

The quest Captain Kidd's Treasure begins with a story told by Peg Leg about the special letters and a leather map that Captain Kidd gave to members of his crew prior to the disaster that lead to his death. Peg Leg has inside information about the letters (and posses some of them) as well as the disposition of certain key members of Kidd's old crew, and will provide you with that information and resources in exchange for certain Trinkets that you must collect. A map showing the location of the Trinkets is available for purchase from merchants in Boston.

To complete this side-quest you must:

• Meet with Peg Leg in the Homestead and talk to him about Kidd's Treasure


• Find 1 Trinket for Peg Leg to obtain a letter


• Trade the Trinket to Peg Leg for the letter


• Find additional Trinkets for Peg Leg (various specified amounts)


• Trade the Trinkets to Peg Leg for another letter or other information


• Explore Fort Wolcott and find Kidd's former crew member there


• Explore Dead Chest Island and find Kidd's former crew member there

The rewards for completing this quest line are significant and include:

• Captain Kidd's Outfit (Player Clothing)


• Scale Model of the Aquila (Trophy displayed at Homestead Manor)


• Shard of Eden

Clearly the Shard of Eden is an important element for the game and story, so this should be a priority quest for you!

Thief's Club: One of the "Clubs" in the game that the player automagically flags once they have completed any one of the primary tasks partially or completely, upon encountering a representative member of the "Club" who then passively recruits the player into it via providing sufficient information so as to define the requirements for the first stage.

Once the player flags any one of this type of quest, they will also unlock the Achievement "By Invitation Only" (20G) Be invited to join a Club. Unlocking this Achievement as well as joining whichever club it is that the player first encounters passively in this fashion can be considered a normal result of game play.

Complete these tasks to ascent through the ranks of the Hunting Society and complete the first (initial) set of Challenges. Upon completing all of these tasks, the player is presented with a new and continuing set of challenges and eventually will conclude in mastery and full membership in the Club:

• Loot a dead body (x10)


• Perform an Air Assassination (x25)


• Catch a courier


• Pickpocket $200


• Kill an enemy from a hiding place (x25)

Upon completing this initial set of Challenges the player will be presented with the next set, and so on until they have completed all of the Challenges and are vested as a full member of the Club.

Treasure Chest Collection: One of the collection quests, the Treasure Chest series is of particular strategic importance for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that each of the chests contains a nice amount of gold money in addition to crafting recipes (this is how those are obtained) that are required in order to complete unrelated missions and quests, as well as to effectively manage the process of crafting and deploying trade convoys later in the game.

The cost of the different maps in the game is very dear, and when you first start out you may find that it makes more sense to limit your purchases to just the chest maps, since you can then collect those, which will in turn provide you with more than sufficient means to purchase the remaining collection item maps as a result.

From the Merchant you can purchase two maps: CHESTS - BOSTON, and CHESTS - FRONTIER which provide the location for all of the chests in the collection for these regions.

The Boston Map Treasure Chest Locations:

• North District (x2)


• Central District (x7)


• South District (x4)

The Frontier Map Treasure Chest Locations:

• Black Creek (x2)


• Great Piece Hills (x1)


• John's Town (x1)


• Lexington (x2)


• Monmouth (x3)


• Packanack (x1)


• Scotch Plains (x1)


• Troy's Woods (x2)

To determine the locations referenced above access the in-game Map and select Hunting. While some of the chests are unlocked, others will require you to pick them open.

Trinket Collection: Like the Treasure Chests Collection the Trinkets are found in smaller boxes that are scattered throughout the land, and on the Frontier it is not uncommon for the box with the Trinket to be located in a cave, so when you encounter one that appears to be underground you will need to seek out the entrance to the cave network nearby the marker.

Maps that show the location for all of the Trinkets in the collection can by purchased from the Merchant either during the Homestead Mission to obtain rebuilding supplies, or after if you lack the funds to purchase all of the maps in one go. The Trinket Collection includes two maps: TRINKETS - BOSTON, and TRINKETS-NEW YORK however there are also Trinkets elsewhere but the maps above cover those other connected regions.

Underground: Situated throughout Boston are a network of tunnels that connect different buildings over long stretches of distance that were said to have been engineered by the local Freemasons -- discovering the entrances and mapping out the tunnel network is the basic gist of this quest set. The requirements for completing this series of quests includes:

• All Fast Travel Stations Found


• Fast Travel Stations Found (x10)

Completing this set of quests is required for 100% game completion.

-- A Summary of Conclusions --

These optional missions and quests add so much to the game that not doing as many (or all of them) as you can could easily deprive you of a significant measure of the entertainment potential for the game, and what is more, can prevent you from having some very nice rewards. That being said I want to also touch upon the issue of the Animus Database, which is a collection of background articles that are written by your compatriot Shaun, who is outside of the Animus in the real world and monitoring your safety.

Each of the articles that Shaun adds to the Database appear in response to something that you either saw or did in the Animus, and as such clearly offer you the opportunity to not only better understand the events or activities that you have completed, but also offer you insight into many of the characters involved. For those and other reasons we urge you to take the time and make the effort to read and appreciate these database entries!