I have this problem where quest markers won't show up with my Objectives. The text still appears, but not the directions. I've looked this up, and there are a lot of people with the same problem, and many of them are just doing the Bendu Olo quest. I've uploaded my file and had a friend look at it, and he says he spent hours looking over my mod and could find no reason why my markers shouldn't work, but they don't for him either.
I'm wondering if maybe this is a bug. I'm re-installing my skyrim and creation kit to fix an unrelated error (the problem where NPCs won't speak) and I'm hoping this fixes the problem (but it probably won't). The other thing I'm gonna try is finalizing the NavMesh to see if it helps.

Otherwise I'm gonna have to give textual directions like Morrowind quests. Which is kind of cool for flavor anyhow.

EDIT: deleted, posted in wrong place

Well, firstly are you sure the alias that the quest marker uses is getting filled?
You can use the "sqv" console command to see a list of the quest's variables, including aliases, at any time in-game.

Secondly, it could be a problem if at any point there is no direct connection via load doors between you and the quest target (for example, the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary is disconnected initially)

I've explored both of these options.

What do you mean, "directions"?

Does the marker appear on the map when you activate the objective it is tied to?

No, I get no marker. Ever.

I do. Every time I have used it.

Mostly - because of what I am doing - I am using the location of an NPC as the next marker in a quest. I have also used the location of an object. And I have used a Map-Marker on a couple of occasions (though I do this much less, because a marker for a location isn't really ever - in the stuff I do - where the player needs to go to advance the quest to the next stage).

Why do you want the player to go to a map-marker (a place), rather than the location of "something" (NPC/Object)?

You're not understanding me. Its doesn't matter what the ref alias is hooked up to. No marker.

Well, unless you find/found a bug with map markers, specifically, then it does matter.

If I have an NPC Aliased in a quest and I "point" the next objective at the location of that NPC, then I get an arrow on my map (and radar thingy) Every time. Same with an object (like a sword in a chest), if I have the sword aliased, then I get an arrow on the map pointing to it.

The difference is that you are aliasing a map-marker itself (I think??) ... So either it is not correctly aliased or there is a bug with map-markers being used in that way (or, for some Beth-reason, map-markers cannot be used in that way).

I will try to test it ... but not right now.

No, I've tried aliasing plenty of things. They don't work for that quest.

When you assign the object to the objective, are you picking the right kind of "thing" to assign?

I do what you appear to want to do, and I have no problems. I don't know what else to suggest ...