Quest Build Plan - Complete Placeholder Quest System

By Amr

Comprehensive plan for building all placeholder quests across all levels with complete linking and mapping

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

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Quest Build Plan: Complete Placeholder Quest System

Executive Summary

This plan outlines the systematic creation of all placeholder quests across the IT-Journey quest system (Levels 0000-1111). The goal is to establish a complete, interconnected quest network with:

  • ✅ All quest files created with proper frontmatter
  • ✅ Complete quest hierarchy and relationships defined
  • ✅ All internal links and paths mapped
  • ✅ Quest network visualizations in place
  • ✅ Level README files updated and complete
  • ✅ Home.md and main README.md fully integrated

Current State Analysis

Completed Quests (✅)

Level 0000 (Foundation): 9 quests

  • VS Code Mastery Quest
  • Bash Fundamentals
  • Bashcrawl Adventure
  • Begin Your IT Journey
  • Character Building
  • IT Fundamentals
  • Hello n00b
  • Platform-specific quests (Windows, macOS, Linux, Cloud)

Level 0001 (Web Fundamentals): 4 quests

  • GitHub Pages Portal
  • Personal Site Creation
  • Docs in a Row
  • Stack Attack

Level 0010 (Terminal Mastery): 5 quests

  • Bash Scripting Mastery
  • Oh My Zsh Enchantment
  • Nerd Font Enchantment
  • Prompt Engineering
  • Jekyll Mermaid Integration

Level 0011 (AI-Assisted Dev): 2 quests

  • GitHub Code Search Quest
  • VS Code Copilot Mastery

Level 0100 (Frontend & Containers): 4 quests

  • Frontend Fundamentals
  • Frontend Docker
  • Frontend Levels
  • Sourcery Code Methods

Level 0101 (Backend Systems): 2 quests

  • Docker Mastery Example
  • LazyTeX CV Building

Level 1010 (Automation & Testing): 1 quest

  • Link to the Future (Automated Hyperlink Checking)

Level 1011 (DevOps & Infrastructure): 1 quest

  • Feature Re-Quest

Level 1100 (Data Engineering): 3 quests

  • EDGAR API Integration
  • SEC EDGAR Deep Dive
  • Temple of Templates

Level 1110 (Architecture): 1 quest

  • 404 Hunting Quest

Total Completed: 32 quests

Missing Placeholder Quests (🔮)

Based on home.md and README.md analysis:

Level 0000: 3 additional quests needed Level 0001: 5 additional quests needed Level 0010: 4 additional quests needed Level 0011: 5 additional quests needed Level 0100: 5 additional quests needed Level 0101: 6 additional quests needed Level 0110: 8 quests needed (entire level) Level 0111: 8 quests needed (entire level) Level 1000: 8 quests needed (entire level) Level 1001: 8 quests needed (entire level) Level 1010: 7 additional quests needed Level 1011: 7 additional quests needed Level 1100: 5 additional quests needed Level 1101: 8 quests needed (entire level) Level 1110: 7 additional quests needed Level 1111: 8+ quests needed (entire level)

Total Missing: ~97 placeholder quests

Quest Build Strategy

Phase 1: Infrastructure Preparation (Week 1)

Objective: Set up templates, tools, and documentation

Tasks:

  1. Create Quest Template Files
    • Main quest template (main-quest-template.md)
    • Side quest template (side-quest-template.md)
    • Bonus quest template (bonus-quest-template.md)
    • Epic quest template (epic-quest-template.md)
  2. Create Level README Template
    • Standard structure for all level README files
    • Quest listing format
    • Learning path integration
    • Prerequisites and unlocks sections
  3. Set Up Quest Generation Scripts
    • Script to create placeholder quest from template
    • Frontmatter validation script
    • Quest network relationship validator
    • Automated link checker for quest paths
  4. Create Quest Hierarchy Documentation
    • Complete quest dependency map
    • Character class progression paths
    • Skill tree visualizations
    • Quest type classification guide

Phase 2: Apprentice Tier Completion (Weeks 2-3)

Objective: Complete all quests for Levels 0000-0011

Level 0000 - Foundation & Init World

Status: 9/12 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • File System Navigation (file-system-navigation.md)
  • Package Manager Mastery (package-manager-mastery.md)
  • Environment Variables (environment-variables.md)

Quest Relationships:

graph TB
    Hello[Hello n00b] --> FileNav[File System Navigation]
    Hello --> PkgMgr[Package Manager Mastery]
    Hello --> EnvVar[Environment Variables]
    FileNav --> Terminal[Level 0010: Terminal Mastery]
    PkgMgr --> Docker[Level 0100: Frontend Docker]
    EnvVar --> Backend[Level 0101: Backend Systems]

Level 0001 - Web Fundamentals

Status: 4/9 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • HTML Foundations (html-foundations.md)
  • CSS Styling (css-styling.md)
  • JavaScript Basics (javascript-basics.md)
  • Responsive Design (responsive-design.md)
  • Static Site Generators (static-site-generators.md)

Quest Relationships:

graph TB
    HTML[HTML Foundations] --> CSS[CSS Styling]
    CSS --> JS[JavaScript Basics]
    HTML --> Responsive[Responsive Design]
    CSS --> Responsive
    Personal[Personal Site] --> Static[Static Site Generators]
    GitHub[GitHub Pages Portal] --> Static

Level 0010 - Terminal Mastery

Status: 5/9 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • Advanced Shell Scripting (advanced-shell-scripting.md)
  • Regular Expressions (regular-expressions.md)
  • Terminal Multiplexing (terminal-multiplexing.md)
  • SSH & Remote Connections (ssh-remote-connections.md)

Quest Relationships:

graph TB
    Bash[Bash Scripting] --> Advanced[Advanced Shell Scripting]
    Advanced --> Regex[Regular Expressions]
    OhMyZsh[Oh My Zsh] --> Tmux[Terminal Multiplexing]
    Advanced --> SSH[SSH & Remote Connections]

Level 0011 - AI-Assisted Development

Status: 2/7 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • ChatGPT for Developers (chatgpt-developers.md)
  • Claude for Coding (claude-coding.md)
  • AI Code Review (ai-code-review.md)
  • Prompt Engineering for Code (prompt-engineering-code.md)
  • AI-Powered Debugging (ai-powered-debugging.md)

Quest Relationships:

graph TB
    Copilot[VS Code Copilot] --> ChatGPT[ChatGPT for Developers]
    Copilot --> Claude[Claude for Coding]
    PromptEng[Prompt Engineering] --> PromptCode[Prompt Engineering for Code]
    ChatGPT --> AIReview[AI Code Review]
    Claude --> AIDebug[AI-Powered Debugging]

Phase 3: Adventurer Tier Completion (Weeks 4-6)

Objective: Complete all quests for Levels 0100-0111

Level 0100 - Frontend & Containers

Status: 4/9 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • React Foundations (react-foundations.md)
  • Vue.js Adventures (vuejs-adventures.md)
  • Docker Fundamentals (docker-fundamentals.md)
  • CSS Frameworks (css-frameworks.md)
  • Build Tools (build-tools.md)

Level 0101 - Backend Systems

Status: 2/8 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • Node.js Fundamentals (nodejs-fundamentals.md)
  • Python Flask/Django (python-flask-django.md)
  • RESTful API Design (restful-api-design.md)
  • GraphQL Introduction (graphql-introduction.md)
  • Server Configuration (server-configuration.md)
  • Process Management (process-management.md)

Level 0110 - Database Mastery

Status: 0/8 quests complete (NEW LEVEL)

Required Quests:

  • Database Design Fundamentals (database-design-fundamentals.md)
  • SQL Sorcery (sql-sorcery.md)
  • NoSQL Adventures (nosql-adventures.md)
  • PostgreSQL Deep Dive (postgresql-deep-dive.md)
  • MongoDB Mastery (mongodb-mastery.md)
  • Redis Caching (redis-caching.md)
  • Query Optimization (query-optimization.md)
  • Database Security (database-security.md)

Level 0111 - Full-Stack Integration

Status: 0/8 quests complete (NEW LEVEL)

Required Quests:

  • API Design Patterns (api-design-patterns.md)
  • JWT & OAuth (jwt-oauth.md)
  • State Management (state-management.md)
  • WebSockets (websockets.md)
  • Full-Stack Project (full-stack-project.md)
  • Performance Optimization (performance-optimization.md)
  • Error Handling (error-handling.md)
  • Deployment Strategies (deployment-strategies.md)

Phase 4: Warrior Tier Completion (Weeks 7-9)

Objective: Complete all quests for Levels 1000-1011

Level 1000 - Security Fundamentals

Status: 0/8 quests complete (NEW LEVEL)

Required Quests:

  • Security Mindset (security-mindset.md)
  • OWASP Top 10 (owasp-top-10.md)
  • Secure Coding Practices (secure-coding-practices.md)
  • Penetration Testing Basics (penetration-testing-basics.md)
  • Cryptography Fundamentals (cryptography-fundamentals.md)
  • Security Auditing (security-auditing.md)
  • Incident Response (incident-response.md)
  • Security Tools (security-tools.md)

Level 1001 - Cloud Architecture

Status: 0/8 quests complete (NEW LEVEL)

Required Quests:

  • Cloud Fundamentals (cloud-fundamentals.md)
  • AWS Quest Line (aws-quest-line.md)
  • Azure Adventures (azure-adventures.md)
  • GCP Expeditions (gcp-expeditions.md)
  • Multi-Cloud Strategy (multi-cloud-strategy.md)
  • Serverless Architecture (serverless-architecture.md)
  • Cloud Security (cloud-security.md)
  • Cost Optimization (cost-optimization.md)

Level 1010 - Automation & Testing

Status: 1/8 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • Unit Testing Mastery (unit-testing-mastery.md)
  • Integration Testing (integration-testing.md)
  • E2E Testing Adventures (e2e-testing-adventures.md)
  • Test-Driven Development (test-driven-development.md)
  • CI/CD Pipeline Construction (cicd-pipeline-construction.md)
  • GitHub Actions Mastery (github-actions-mastery.md)
  • Code Quality Gates (code-quality-gates.md)

Level 1011 - DevOps & Infrastructure

Status: 1/8 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • Infrastructure as Code (infrastructure-as-code.md)
  • Kubernetes Mastery (kubernetes-mastery.md)
  • Monitoring & Observability (monitoring-observability.md)
  • Log Management (log-management.md)
  • Helm Charts (helm-charts.md)
  • Service Mesh (service-mesh.md)
  • Disaster Recovery (disaster-recovery.md)

Phase 5: Master Tier Completion (Weeks 10-12)

Objective: Complete all quests for Levels 1100-1110

Level 1100 - Data Engineering

Status: 3/8 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • ETL Pipeline Design (etl-pipeline-design.md)
  • Data Warehousing (data-warehousing.md)
  • Stream Processing (stream-processing.md)
  • Apache Spark (apache-spark.md)
  • Data Quality (data-quality.md)

Level 1101 - Machine Learning & AI

Status: 0/8 quests complete (NEW LEVEL)

Required Quests:

  • ML Fundamentals (ml-fundamentals.md)
  • Python for Data Science (python-data-science.md)
  • Neural Networks (neural-networks.md)
  • Deep Learning Frameworks (deep-learning-frameworks.md)
  • Natural Language Processing (natural-language-processing.md)
  • Computer Vision (computer-vision.md)
  • MLOps (mlops.md)
  • AI Ethics (ai-ethics.md)

Level 1110 - Architecture & Design

Status: 1/8 quests complete

Missing Quests:

  • Design Patterns (design-patterns.md)
  • Microservices Architecture (microservices-architecture.md)
  • Event-Driven Design (event-driven-design.md)
  • Domain-Driven Design (domain-driven-design.md)
  • System Design Interviews (system-design-interviews.md)
  • API Gateway Patterns (api-gateway-patterns.md)
  • Scaling Strategies (scaling-strategies.md)

Phase 6: Legend Tier Foundation (Weeks 13-14)

Objective: Establish Level 1111 structure

Level 1111 - Leadership & Innovation

Status: 0/8+ quests complete (NEW LEVEL)

Required Quests:

  • Technical Leadership (technical-leadership.md)
  • Open Source Contribution (open-source-contribution.md)
  • Tech Speaking & Writing (tech-speaking-writing.md)
  • Mentorship Programs (mentorship-programs.md)
  • Innovation & R&D (innovation-rnd.md)
  • Architecture Reviews (architecture-reviews.md)
  • Building Technical Communities (building-technical-communities.md)
  • Career Advancement (career-advancement.md)

Implementation Details

Quest File Naming Convention

pages/_quests/[LEVEL]/[quest-slug].md

Examples:

  • pages/_quests/0000/file-system-navigation.md
  • pages/_quests/0110/database-design-fundamentals.md
  • pages/_quests/1101/ml-fundamentals.md

Standard Frontmatter Template

---
title: "[Quest Title]: [Descriptive Subtitle]"
description: "Complete description of what the quest teaches (150-300 characters)"
date: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.000Z
preview: images/previews/quest-build-plan-complete-placeholder-quest-system.png
tags:
    - lvl-[BINARY]
    - [primary-technology]
    - [quest-type]
    - [skill-focus]
categories:
    - Quests
    - [Technology-Category]
    - [Skill-Category]
sub-title: "Level [BINARY] ([DECIMAL]) Quest: [Classification]"
excerpt: "One-sentence summary of the quest's core learning objective"
author: "IT-Journey Team"
layout: journals
keywords:
    primary:
        - [main-technology-skill]
        - [core-learning-objective]
    secondary:
        - [supporting-technologies]
        - [related-concepts]
lastmod: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.000Z
permalink: /quests/level-[LEVEL]-[slug]/
difficulty: "🟢 Easy | 🟡 Medium | 🔴 Hard | ⚔️ Epic"
estimated_time: "XX-XX minutes"
quest_type: "main_quest | side_quest | bonus_quest | epic_quest"
quest_line: "[Campaign/storyline name]"
quest_series: "[Specific series within the quest line]"
quest_arc: "[Story arc or thematic grouping]"

prerequisites:
    knowledge_requirements:
        - "[Specific prior knowledge or completed quests]"
    system_requirements:
        - "[Required system setup or tools]"
    skill_level_indicators:
        - "[Recommended skill level]"

quest_dependencies:
    required_quests:
        - "[quest-id-or-permalink]"
    recommended_quests:
        - "[quest-id-that-helps]"
    unlocks_quests:
        - "[quest-unlocked-after-completion]"

quest_relationships:
    parent_quest: "[main-quest-id-if-side-quest]"
    child_quests:
        - "[side-quest-id]"
    parallel_quests:
        - "[alternative-path-quest]"
    sequel_quests:
        - "[natural-next-step-quest]"

learning_paths:
    primary_paths:
        - "[Software Development]"
    character_classes:
        - "💻 Software Developer"
    skill_trees:
        - "[Skill Tree Name]"

rewards:
    badges:
        - "🏆 [Achievement Badge Name]"
    skills_unlocked:
        - "🛠️ [Tool or Technology Mastery]"
    progression_points: [XP value]
    unlocks_features:
        - "[Feature unlocked]"

validation_criteria:
    completion_requirements:
        - "[Specific requirement]"
    skill_demonstrations:
        - "[Skill to demonstrate]"
    knowledge_checks:
        - "[Conceptual understanding]"

quest_mapping:
    coordinates: "[x, y]"
    region: "Init World | Foundation | Intermediate | Advanced | Expert"
    realm: "Development | Infrastructure | Security | Data | Creative"
    biome: "Terminal | Web | Cloud | Mobile | AI"

draft: true  # Remove when quest is complete
---

Standard Quest Content Structure

Each placeholder quest should include:

  1. Epic Introduction (Fantasy-themed opening)
  2. Quest Network Position (Mermaid diagram showing relationships)
  3. Quest Objectives (Primary, Secondary, Mastery)
  4. Multi-Platform Paths (macOS, Windows, Linux, Cloud)
  5. Progressive Learning Chapters (3-5 chapters minimum)
  6. Hands-On Challenges (At least 2 challenges)
  7. Rewards & Achievements
  8. Next Steps & Quest Network (Related quests)
  9. Resource Library (Documentation, tools, community)

Level README Template

Each level directory needs a comprehensive README.md:

---
title: Level [BINARY] ([DECIMAL]) - [Level Name]
description: [Level theme and focus]
permalink: /quests/[LEVEL]/
categories:
    - Quests
    - Level-[LEVEL]
tags:
    - lvl-[BINARY]
    - [theme]
lastmod: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.000Z
---

# Level [BINARY] ([DECIMAL]) - [Level Name]

*[Fantasy-themed introduction to the level]*

## Level Overview

**Theme**: [Theme Name] | **XP Range**: [MIN-MAX]

[Description of what this level covers]

## Core Objectives

- [ ] [Objective 1]
- [ ] [Objective 2]
- [ ] [Objective 3]

## Available Quests

### Main Quests
[Table of main quests with difficulty, time, XP]

### Side Quests
[Table of side quests]

### Bonus Quests
[Table of bonus quests]

## Quest Network

```mermaid
[Level-specific quest relationships]

Prerequisites

From Previous Levels:

Knowledge Requirements:

  • [Skill 1]
  • [Skill 2]

Unlocks

Next Level Quests:

Skills Gained:

  • [Skill 1]
  • [Skill 2]

Character Class Paths

💻 Software Developer

[Recommended quest order for this class]

🏗️ System Engineer

[Recommended quest order for this class]

[etc. for all character classes]

Resources

[Level-specific resources, documentation, tools]


## Automation and Tooling

### Quest Generation Script

Create `scripts/generate-placeholder-quest.sh`:

```bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Generate a placeholder quest file with proper structure

LEVEL=$1
QUEST_SLUG=$2
QUEST_TITLE=$3

# Validate inputs
# Generate quest file from template
# Update level README
# Update home.md and main README.md
# Validate frontmatter
# Create git commit

Quest Validation Script

Create scripts/validate-quest-network.py:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# Validate quest network integrity

# Check all quest files have required frontmatter
# Validate quest dependencies exist
# Check for circular dependencies
# Verify quest progression paths
# Generate network visualization
# Report orphaned quests

Create scripts/update-quest-links.py:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# Update all quest links across documentation

# Parse all quest files
# Extract permalinks and relationships
# Update home.md
# Update README.md
# Update level README files
# Validate all links work

Quality Assurance Checklist

For each placeholder quest:

  • Frontmatter complete with all required fields
  • Quest network position diagram present
  • All prerequisites listed and linked
  • All unlocked quests listed and linked
  • Multi-platform instructions (or placeholder)
  • At least 2 hands-on challenges defined
  • Learning objectives clearly stated
  • Validation criteria specified
  • Fantasy theme integrated throughout
  • Resources section populated
  • Level README updated
  • home.md updated
  • Main README.md updated
  • All internal links validated
  • Draft status set appropriately

Success Metrics

Completion Criteria

  • ✅ All 97+ placeholder quests created
  • ✅ All level README files complete
  • ✅ home.md fully updated with all quests
  • ✅ Main README.md fully updated
  • ✅ 100% of internal quest links validated
  • ✅ Complete quest network visualizations
  • ✅ All character class paths documented
  • ✅ Quest dependency chains validated

Quality Metrics

  • ✅ 0 broken internal links
  • ✅ 100% frontmatter completeness
  • ✅ All quests have clear learning objectives
  • ✅ Fantasy theme consistent across all quests
  • ✅ Multi-platform support noted (even if placeholder)
  • ✅ Character class alignment specified
  • ✅ Skill trees and progression paths mapped

Timeline and Milestones

Week 1: Infrastructure

  • Day 1-2: Create templates
  • Day 3-4: Build automation scripts
  • Day 5-7: Documentation and validation

Weeks 2-3: Apprentice Tier (Levels 0000-0011)

  • 18 placeholder quests
  • 4 level READMEs updated

Weeks 4-6: Adventurer Tier (Levels 0100-0111)

  • 32 placeholder quests
  • 4 level READMEs created/updated

Weeks 7-9: Warrior Tier (Levels 1000-1011)

  • 31 placeholder quests
  • 4 level READMEs created

Weeks 10-12: Master Tier (Levels 1100-1110)

  • 24 placeholder quests
  • 3 level READMEs updated

Weeks 13-14: Legend Tier & Final Integration

  • 8 placeholder quests (Level 1111)
  • 1 level README created
  • Final link validation
  • Complete home.md and README.md integration
  • Network visualization generation

Next Steps

  1. Review and Approve Plan
    • Validate quest list completeness
    • Confirm level structure
    • Approve naming conventions
  2. Set Up Infrastructure
    • Create templates
    • Build automation scripts
    • Establish validation tools
  3. Begin Phase 1 Execution
    • Start with Apprentice Tier completion
    • Focus on one level at a time
    • Validate links as you go
  4. Iterate and Improve
    • Gather feedback on placeholder structure
    • Refine templates based on learnings
    • Optimize automation scripts

Plan Version: 1.0.0
Created: 2025-11-29
Last Updated: 2025-11-29
Status: Ready for Review
Estimated Completion: 14 weeks from start date

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