That would actually have been a great solution, no need for extra voice acting or anything, and the note itself could almost be auto generated, by an algorithm which figures out what locations are between you and the target, so it could work on random quests too.

It is a game about Nords. So you dont play the game, but the game plays YOU. right? -)
(the marker tells you where to go, who to speak to, what to take, where to bring or where to place it...)lol

Clairvoyance Spell.

I remember Morrowind doing this very well. It felt like more of an adventure trying to find the places, things, and people you needed to advance the game. It's one of the primary examples of Bethesda "dumbing down" the game for a wider audience. What pisses me off is that they didn't even give us the option. Yes, leave quest markers in there for those that want it, but let us turn them off and give us better descriptions of locations. Give us the option, too.

The GPS is probably the one thing I hate most in the game. It's a useful tool, but it ruins the idea of adventure and exploration.

I understand its existence though. It's a BIG world. People move on schedules. Sometimes trying to track someone down can be difficult. To their credit, new quests have the GPS off by default. At anytime, you don't have to have a big arrow telling you where to go. However, it's given the developers an excuse not to provide any in-game information for those of us who don't want hand-holding.

What I'd like to see is TES 6 with a hardcoe adventure mode. No GPS. No helpful symbols on the compass. Just vague directions. When someone "marks it down" on your map, you get a vague dot. In fact, no compass at all. Stuff along those lines.

*looks at revolving pillar*
*looks at sym-...oh there's no symbol behind the pillar*
*looks at 3 symbols on each wall through a dark cornered hall*

or

*looks at symbols in different room*

or

*does not look at symbols, because the symbols are hidden somewhere else*

or

*looks at symbols, but turning revolving pillar, also turns the other pillars*

Would be toddler stuff if that's how it was every time. It isn't though of course.

Having to find places wasn't a barrier to gameplay. It WAS gameplay.

Yes, that is true.
Its hardly rocket surgery even still.

The lack of journal wouldnt feel so bad if there werent a thousand books in the game. If they took the time to make the books that may go on for over 10 pages, why couldnt they write a paragraph for misc quests? Or let us ask the guards about local places or people. The use of the GPS is excusable when an NPC has explained where things are by saying they re marking it on you map. You can roleplay around that, but when its telling you where people you are looking for are located even inside a building as they move around, that too much, IMO.

I think a lot of it has to do with Radiant Story. That kind of makes it impossible to have properly written quest directions.
But for some quests there are no directions even though the location isn't "radiant storied" and there's absolutely no excuse then.

If I were Bethesda and did Radiant Story though, I would have AT LEAST planned better. For instance, if I had a quest with Radiant Story location, I would have either had the characters at least say "Let me mark this on your map", OR make sure the radiant storied locations are close to each other, like so they're all northeast of the questgiver, thus allows you to still have a direction.
Just something... something for god's sake!

What we have now is ridiculous. Funny thing is that this is EXACTLY what I asked Pete Hines about BEFORE the game was released. He said he thought it was okay directions, but he wasn't sure. Hell yeah, he simply didn't wanna say the truth - that there are no directions.

IF I'm correct, i remember beth going on about "how it would be more like morrowind, no more arrows pointing to the quest, you will have to read the journal". And what do we get? Lol the [censored] titles of the quest ONLY and subtitles of objectives, no details, nothing.

I was concerned they'd do this with Skyrim... damn I want my old journal back that I could read through when I wanted to see what I've done, or needed to do... there are a few quests which work like the old ones, using books to discover the story and can help you find things to get further into the quest, hidden stashes, etc, but they are few and far between...

if you per se want some immersion get some pen and paper and write your own journal.

The worst part are the "find evidence" or "if you come across one during your travels..." quests, in which the quest givers are not supposed to know where things are, and yet the chest where the stuff is located is marked on your map

But the game doesn't give you enough information to make that a plausible alternative.

Is any of it really that hard to figure out? Follow the arrow to your goal and complete task, it's not that difficult.

You're just not trying.

Excellent reading comprehension!

Don't worry, I'm sure the forums will eventually have markers to help you follow the discourse.

I did read it and once again use the quest marker, it won't kill you. I've never had and difficulty getting to a quest in game whether I'm using the marker or just going of the info I have been given.

This is quite annoying. I played Morrowind in English. Back then and even now, my English svcks. Never watched a single guide because they were in English. And my only references were simple words like south, north, east ... and other single words. Yet I had no problem in advancing and completing quests. Now, even people with an excellent level of English say quest marks are best. It's a bit sad but will have their reasons, I suppose.

I don't mind a quest marker if the NPC specifically states they'll mark it on your map or if you, say, find a map. I really wish though, that there were quests where someone states the general region and you have to find the ruins yourself with no marker. A sort of hybrid system would be great if used sensibly. What really bums me out though is how, you can be looking for this lost relic, enter a dungeon nobody has been in for centuries and the relic actually has the damn marker floating over it. What's the point of that? I guess I could continually go in an turn the marker on and off to maintain a feeling of exploring but it's just silly. Same problem when you have to find an NPC in a city. Is it that hard to just ask around? Start in a pub and work from there. It's not like these are giant cities.

You just don't get it, do you?

This is not about the ability to use a quest marker
This is about people enjoying to have the ability to follow directions instead of a marker. Following directions is more believable and for, what I believe a lot of people, adds greatly to the "tracking/exploration" feeling of looking around in this big, open world for spoken directions (a river, waterfall, big rock, etc) and perhaps in the meanwhile randomly stumble upon a dungeon as well, because perhaps you went a bit off track searching for these directions and found something else interesting at the same time.
THAT is how a detailed, open world should be used (according to by most people in this thread I asssume) - NOT by just following a marker on your compass/map all the time to get to your goal.

i think the point of the thread is for people who dont want magic markers flying in a magical compass or hovering in the air!

your argument is fine but irrelevant!

anyhoo i have compass off and i dont use the journal very much i just do stuff and if i complete quests thats cool!

i would prefer better directions tho if u use the physical diary that was given with the preorder
and write down the directions people give u or the dungeon they refer to
its not hard to find where things are..


i just moved into a small country town and i have to go work on farmers properties

the directions i get given are "go along such and such a road, turn left after a creek, go around a big hill and its about 5km on your left."
so i draw on a piece of paper "a line, a line that goes left from that line, a squigglty line for the creek, a hill, another line with 5kms and a box on the left of it"


so ye i end up just cruising along dirt roads having no idea where im going but i eventually get there!

so point of story!! u dont need great directions u just need a vague idea - and it doesnt hurt to write it down on paper
even just writing the dungeon name down and when u find that dungeon look in your hand written journal and see if u have any items u need to find in it!


again well this idea is only for people who want a bit of realism to the quest hunting and realistic journal use..

coz in my real life - i dont just press J on my wrist and see all these directions and information written on my forearm

i have to use my brain and some listening skills and writing skills and a bit of luck

Agreed