I'm thinking of playing my next game with no HUD and no quest markers. Has anyone done this. Now that I know my way around and I know npc names I think it would be fun. I know sometimes you may have to turn on the quest markers but mainly I want to turn them off for exploring. I don't think I would even do the main quest on the next play through, undragon born.

Just want to know if this has been tried by anyone of you and how did it go.

I've eliminated my compass. That means, basically, that I only have a HUD when my character is in combat. I love it. I don't think I could ever go back to seeing that compass at the top of my screen, ever again.

I'm not going to get rid of markers on my map, however. The reason is: Skyrim's journal. There's too little information about quests in the journal. Miscellaneous quests in particular provide no information in the journal besides a name. "Take XXX back to Madesi." Who is Madesi, again? Where is Madesi located? I talked to Madesi maybe 30 game hours ago and I have no recollection who this NPC is, or where. The journal does not tell me. Therefore I am forced to rely on a quest marker to give me a heads-up.

I wish it wasn't like this. I hate the look of those overly-large, cartoony icons on the map and would gladly get rid of them if there were enough information in my journal to play the game without markers.

I agree with the above. I'd like to change the map too tbh, having a satelite-quality preview of the land looks a bit silly imo.

I only kept the basic compass, showing N, E, W and S. No quest markers, except on the map, so that I can find my way and avoid running everywhere like a mad puppet. I wouldn't go back either. No enemies either, no indication of nearest settlements, etc.

To edit what you want in your compass and map, there is this mod that I'm using: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=912.

I've got a mod that allows you to disable not only quest markers, also any type of marker, both on map and compass. I have an empty map with only cities marked (I don't remember the name right now, sorry).

Playing without markers is better in my opinion. And not only quests, also those not-discovered-location one too. In my opinion are big spoilers and it should be an option in the settings to configure them.

Before I installed this mod, if I was heading to a cave, once I knew I was near I just had to look at my compass and then follow the black (undiscovered) cave icon. Also, I was tired of seeing black icons here and there as I was adventuring.

Now I only see a compass, with no markers. I even have the enemies disabled.

For example yesterday I was looking for a place west of Dragonbridge, that I was supposed to clear, but after a 20 minute walk around some mountain area, trees, etc... I had no success, so I just went back to Solitude.

More immersion, more adventuring.

Have fun.

EDIT: That's the mod, the one ladyonthemoon posted: Skyrim compass tuner.

I enable quests, look at the map, then disable them. That's the difference between "let me mark that on your map" and "would you like me to hold your hand all the way to the dungeon and then painstakingly search every nook and cranny for you?"

That's exactly what I do. I'm only "allowed" to open the map inside towns, because is the only moment I really "know" where I am (I disabled current position marker), so I enable the quest marker, open the map, mark the place in my real-life paper map, and disable the marker to go adventuring.

Then, no map for me (except paper map) until I'm in a town again.