diff --git a/server/NeonSprawl.Server/Game/Quests/QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader.cs b/server/NeonSprawl.Server/Game/Quests/QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader.cs
index 5d36b66..b0566b2 100644
--- a/server/NeonSprawl.Server/Game/Quests/QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader.cs
+++ b/server/NeonSprawl.Server/Game/Quests/QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader.cs
@@ -260,33 +260,25 @@ public static class QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader
         objectiveIdsSeen = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
         var parsedSteps = new List<QuestStepDefRow>();
 
-        var stepsNode = rowObj["steps"] as JsonArray;
-        if (stepsNode is null)
+        var stepsNode = rowObj["steps"];
+        if (stepsNode is not JsonArray stepsArray)
         {
             steps = parsedSteps;
             return errors;
         }
 
-        for (var si = 0; si < stepsNode.Count; si++)
+        for (var si = 0; si < stepsArray.Count; si++)
         {
-            if (stepsNode[si] is not JsonObject stepObj)
+            if (stepsArray[si] is not JsonObject stepObj)
                 continue;
 
             var sid = (stepObj["id"] as JsonValue)?.GetValue<string>();
-            if (sid is not null)
+            if (sid is not null && !stepIdsSeen.Add(sid))
             {
-                if (stepIdsSeen.Contains(sid))
-                {
-                    errors.Add($"error: {path} quests[{questIndex}] steps[{si}]: duplicate step id '{sid}'");
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    stepIdsSeen.Add(sid);
-                }
+                errors.Add($"error: {path} quests[{questIndex}] steps[{si}]: duplicate step id '{sid}'");
             }
 
-            var objectivesNode = stepObj["objectives"] as JsonArray;
-            if (objectivesNode is null)
+            if (stepObj["objectives"] is not JsonArray objectivesNode)
                 continue;
 
             for (var oi = 0; oi < objectivesNode.Count; oi++)
@@ -295,25 +287,18 @@ public static class QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader
                     continue;
 
                 var oid = (objObj["id"] as JsonValue)?.GetValue<string>();
-                if (oid is not null)
+                if (oid is not null && !objectiveIdsSeen.Add(oid))
                 {
-                    if (objectiveIdsSeen.Contains(oid))
-                    {
-                        errors.Add(
-                            $"error: {path} quests[{questIndex}] steps[{si}] objectives[{oi}]: " +
-                            $"duplicate objective id '{oid}' within quest");
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        objectiveIdsSeen.Add(oid);
-                    }
+                    errors.Add(
+                        $"error: {path} quests[{questIndex}] steps[{si}] objectives[{oi}]: " +
+                        $"duplicate objective id '{oid}' within quest");
                 }
             }
         }
 
-        for (var si = 0; si < stepsNode.Count; si++)
+        for (var si = 0; si < stepsArray.Count; si++)
         {
-            if (stepsNode[si] is JsonObject stepObj)
+            if (stepsArray[si] is JsonObject stepObj)
                 parsedSteps.Add(ParseStep(stepObj));
         }
 
@@ -331,7 +316,7 @@ public static class QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader
         return new QuestDefRow(id, displayName, prerequisiteQuestIds, steps, completionRewardBundle, factionGateRules);
     }
 
-    private static IReadOnlyList<FactionGateRuleRow> ParseFactionGateRules(JsonArray? array)
+    private static List<FactionGateRuleRow> ParseFactionGateRules(JsonArray? array)
     {
         if (array is null || array.Count == 0)
             return [];
@@ -361,7 +346,7 @@ public static class QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader
         return new QuestRewardBundleRow(itemGrants, skillXpGrants, reputationGrants);
     }
 
-    private static IReadOnlyList<ReputationGrantRow> ParseReputationGrantRows(JsonArray? array)
+    private static List<ReputationGrantRow> ParseReputationGrantRows(JsonArray? array)
     {
         if (array is null || array.Count == 0)
             return [];
@@ -380,7 +365,7 @@ public static class QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader
         return rows;
     }
 
-    private static IReadOnlyList<RewardGrantRow> ParseItemGrantRows(JsonArray? array)
+    private static List<RewardGrantRow> ParseItemGrantRows(JsonArray? array)
     {
         if (array is null || array.Count == 0)
             return [];
@@ -399,7 +384,7 @@ public static class QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader
         return rows;
     }
 
-    private static IReadOnlyList<QuestSkillXpGrantRow> ParseSkillXpGrantRows(JsonArray? array)
+    private static List<QuestSkillXpGrantRow> ParseSkillXpGrantRows(JsonArray? array)
     {
         if (array is null || array.Count == 0)
             return [];
@@ -457,7 +442,7 @@ public static class QuestDefinitionCatalogLoader
         return new QuestObjectiveDefRow(id, kind, itemId, quantity, recipeId, encounterId);
     }
 
-    private static IReadOnlyList<string> ParseStringArray(JsonArray? array)
+    private static List<string> ParseStringArray(JsonArray? array)
     {
         if (array is null)
             return [];