Poll Ended: Exciting Adventures and Quests for Fleshing Out Your World!

Because the poll had such a close finish, I'm going to work on Quests, Adventures, and ways that you can work both into creating a more memorable and fun game world.

The main points of a successful game world are:

• A form of government, nations, kingdoms, etc. A good mix of nations with different ideals. Your PCs can find common ground with those they find interesting. A party of adventurers may enjoy the intrigues of a royal court, or be more at home in a feasting hall with the Chieftain of the Breakspear tribe.
• Adventure hooks, or lures. Tales of treasure to be found in the ruins of a mythical Elven city, rumors of dark things creeping in the mines of Faltyr, a contest of skills with high stakes. If your players aren't interested in going out and doing, your game may end up on rails and feel forced.
• Lore, fables, myths and legends. Many things may not directly affect the players; Rumors of foul play in a King's ascension to his throne, or dark tales of a warrior who guards a lonely mountain pass. It may not draw in your players, but it helps to make your world seem more complete.
• Consequences. Perhaps the players save a town from a rampaging beast which had destroyed much viable farmland in a rampage. The players move on, but in a few weeks in the game, come back through the town. What do you think they'll find? It may come to pass that without those crops, they've had to begin charging a toll on their bridge. Of course, they may waive the toll for the heroes who saved them. Or perhaps the townsfolk have equipped their men for war and sent them off to a distant battlefield to save their families from starvation.
• Opportunity, and fame. So let's say your players are doing quite well for themselves, and want to establish themselves a presence. They could buy an existing building, and turn it into a home, or an Inn, or a shop. They could have a keep, tower, or house built. Start a business, take advantage of cheap local goods and start a caravan for profit. They may decide to hire sellswords and offer themselves to the highest bidder as mercenaries. Their reputations could grow and become sought after for their previous actions. Perhaps they slew the dread-beast of Illmoor, and a noble hires them to slay a basilisk which wandered into a profitable quarry. Establishing themselves as slayers of exotic monster, they could become the consummate hunters-for-hire. You can set up paths for them to follow with ease, if you learn their goals.
• NPCs. They are the voice of the Dungeon Master. Be they a King or peasant, they fill the game world with their presences. The shady man offering a great deal of gold for a problem "solved", the leader of a bandit gang, the drunken beggar, the damsel in distress, all help to shape your world. Say your players find themselves coming into a new town. It's not much, mostly just small houses on farm plots. There's no one around. They go right into the small town, and find that no one is outside. Heading to the local tavern, they enter and the only person there is the short human bartender. Your Players will probably want to ask him what's going on; How the Bartender responds to the PC will say a lot. If he hides under the bar and starts yelling about needing more time, but that he'll have the money, it will probably lead the players to believe that someone or thing is putting the squeeze on the barkeep. That may lead good characters to wanting to help, and may set in motion events which will see the Players as heroes of the town. But it all comes down to the NPCs.

Remember: You know your players better than I, and what motivates players best is what interests them. I hope you found this information useful; Good luck with your games!