The dastardly fugitive murderer has pulled a fast one (or: potential bug?)

[Landwalker]

While doing the usual tasks of being Lord X's gopher errand boy, I was given the "Find and Eliminate the Murdering Fugitive" quest.  No trouble there--300 denars in my pocket, and offing the little bugger is rarely challenging.  No, the trouble came when I arrive at Nemeja to bring justice to the man.  It seems King Ragnor, in his usual zeal, had looked Nemeja (and the two nearby villages, as well).  I didn't think much of it--a killer couldn't hide any better amidst smoldering ashes than in a normal village, I reasoned--but when I tried to enter the village, I was greeted with the "This village has been looted.  Sucks for them." message and given only the option to leave.

So, a two-fold question:  1) Due to the time limit on the quest, how long does it take a village to become "unlooted", so I can go in there and give the troubadour what-for?  2) Should an issue like this--where a time-sensitive quest requires access to a village that happens to get looted, thus preventing the player from entering--be on a list of things to resolve before the final build?  Namely, should it be possible for a player at a looted village to still complete their quest?

Cheers.

 

[Krobas Krunic]

It takes about three days for a town to stop being "Looted".
Until then you can't enter it.
As for the quest . . . The fellow might still be there.
My experience is that if you don't jump on the "killer" quest immediately, the guy isn't in the village.
But, maybe you will have better luck.
I've never actually had this specific problem but, if you search the whole village once you can get in and can't find the "nervous guy" then he probably isn't there.
If you can leave the village (press the TAB key) without the game telling you the quest has failed. 
Then he isn't in the village and never will be.

 

[Mage246]

Nah, you probably just need to try back during the day. He isn't out at night.

 

[Krobas Krunic]

Nah, you probably just need to try back during the day. He isn't out at night.

I don't think so.  I've found these guys in the village both day and night.  And there easier to find at night.

 

[Mage246]

They aren't there at night, plain and simple. If you don't believe me, get the quest again, wait until it says late night, then enter the village. The only person there is the headman, and he will tell you to try checking back in the daytime.

 

[Krobas Krunic]

They aren't there at night, plain and simple. If you don't believe me, get the quest again, wait until it says late night, then enter the village. The only person there is the headman, and he will tell you to try checking back in the daytime.

I must admit it has been a while since I took that quest, so it may have changed, but the guy was there at night on two separate occasions.  Perhaps it has changed in the latest version and I just didn't' notice.  BTW Why should I talk to the head man?  He has never known anything about the nervous guy, ever. 

 

[Mage246]

He'll tell you to check back for the man during the day, because there's nobody in town but him. It's the only time he actually gives you a real hint, unfortunately.

 

[Krobas Krunic]

He'll tell you to check back for the man during the day, because there's nobody in town but him. It's the only time he actually gives you a real hint, unfortunately.

Every time I've ever talked to the head man of the village he always tells me to ask around.
After a while I just stopped talking to the head man and went looking for the nervous guy.
After all, he's the only one in town that has a sword and he never moves around.  It's easy.  As long as he's there.

 

[Mage246]

And he isn't, at night. The headman gives you that clue at night in case you get frustrated looking for him (because he isn't there!).

 

[DanAngleland]

I'm fairly sure that the time it takes a village to become unlooted is 7 days, and since the mission time limit is longer I think (30 days?), it shouldn't be a problem unless the village gets looted four times in a row.

 

[Landwalker]

Thanks, Dan.  I'll give the village another look in a few hours when I get home from work and see if waiting a while longer helps.  I've been hanging out around Nemeja for a while (not certain exactly how long), and although it no longer has the "burning image" on the world map, it's still "Looted" and I haven't been able to get in.  I'll wait a few more days, and if I still can't get in there, I guess Lord Grainwad (what an unfortunate name) or whoever gave me the quest is just going to have to get over it.

Cheers.

P.S.  Yeah, the quest time limit is 30 days.