Exploration and Immersion - Where did it go?

Post » Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:39 am

Now that there's a spell which shows you a path to where your goal is, it'd be nicer if the compass was a little less exact, and just showed you the main direction you should take. Or made the compass optionable. But I still want it present, I don't wanna keep switching computers to look up a guide on where I'm supposed to go next. (My PC doesn't have internet)
But now we have both the spell and the compass, and it seems a bit like an overkill to me.


yea, the directions to the area should be like morrowind, with the option of a quest marker so people can take it. I had much more fun when I was getting lost.
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Mariaa EM.
 
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Post » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:51 pm

Just some thoughts to add...

1) Having enemies appear on the compass is a double edged sword. Sure, without knowledge that you have any enemy to engage, having a blip pop up is silly. At the same time, as *seasoned* adventurer...eventually you should be able to pick up on people setting ambushes for you. You should be able to pick up ques when engaging multiple enemies of their location in relation to you. When you are engaging a dragon, the thing should be loud enough to where you can pin point it's location without looking. Under those auspices, it makes sense. If they are included, it would be nice of them to maybe link them with an enemies stealth skill. Higher the skill, the smaller the chance the enemy marker pops up. You are going to know the Giant is coming up from behind...you won't notice the assassin behind you.

2)Quest Markers - i don't mind finding locations from dialogue. I enjoy it actually. But quest markers essentially replicate that exact thing. I'd rather just see quest markers on the world map and not on the local though, if they are in. If someone tells me that a location is south of X mountian and east of Y river, a quest marker in that general area isn't necessarily a bad thing. What might be nice is instead to have a quest *circle* over the general location so you have an area to search in relation to the directions given. Enough accuracy to save on frustration, yet general enough to encourage exploration

3)Location markers - no....I'd rather they not be there. I can deal with quest markers...when someone tells you where something is...essentially giving you the directions to get there, you can get there. You know the general location. But popping up a location marker when I'm 200 yards out from it bothers that crap out of me. The thrill of discovery is weakened. Finding Dwemer ruins in MW was inspiring. Finding Elven ruins in OB was like "ho hum, another elven ruin on my compass." When the white pillars came into vision it was not nearly as exciting as it could have been, simply because I knew it was there before hand. If I'm told to go there, thats one thing. If I'm just wandering around, then no.
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herrade
 
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Post » Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:52 am

If you don't stick to the silt-strider/boat hubs, you have to waste more time walking to and from your objective point.

Waste more time? Objective point? Your language betrays you. This isn't some linear action game pal, the traveling to the location is actually supposed to be part of the fun, I know, crazy.

There is almost no incentive to go exploring beyond what's required of the quests, because what's out there isn't worth the wasted time to walk and get out there.

What's this got to do with anything? Either way, I'll bite, I'll take Morrowind's hand-placed loot over Oblivion's chests of random worthless crap any day. The washed-out, repetitve Oblivion dungeons have been a huge point of contention for fans, not to mention the lack of reason to enter them in the first place. Since 80% of chests had little more than a few spoons and some vegetables.

In Oblivion, you can take note of interesting places to r-visit later (Yay map-markers!).

So the the only mentionable reason to explore for you is so that you can revist places later? You and I are of different World's, Scow2, I like to explore for the sense of discovery and adventure.

Also, when you explore in Morrowind, your exploration progress is reset to 0 (OR LESS!) once you return to town: Your map is about as empty as it was before you left town, so you have no proof of where you've been or where things are

Your map is actually more updated in Morrowind than it is in Oblivion, because in addition the location being marked on the map, you can zoom to the closer map and actually view the terrain.

, and if you want to explore more later, you spend at least half that time backtracking to reach new areas instead of actually exploring. You're even less inclined to explore further in places you've already been, because most of it is backtracking.

You call it backtracking, I call it traveling. You learn the land and feel like you know the place, it adds a lot to the World. I don't need to constantly see something new the enjoy myself, part of the fun of finding your way somewhere is you know your way around. Whereas in your eyes, you would rather never tread that path again, and just zap to the location. Apparently you have no attention span, or insterest in an open-world.

In Oblivion, you can go exploring, find map markers(so you know where you've been, and where things are). When you feel done exploring, town is just a click away, so you have more time to explore (instead of having to reserve "Return time"). And, when morning comes/all damage is healed/your pack is lightened, you can resume exploring from where you left off. In all, more time exploring, less time backtracking.

Once again, this is meant to be fun and challenging. You have to plan for your return journey and you aren't magically restored. Why do you even play this game? :S A huge part of an RPG like this is the planning ahead. Would you like unlimited inventory space so you can make less trips to town so you can explore and quest more? How about we just make the shop a magical one linked to your head for the same reason?

Oblivion rewards and encourages exploration, by giving rewards along the way, and by giving benefits further down the road.

Morrowind punished exploration by making it tedious, annoying by stuffing it with Cliff Racers, meaningless, and screwing things up further down the road (Breaking quests and making more gametime wasted on backtracking the more you explore)

Cliff Racers are a moot point. Broken quests are a moot point. So basically you don't like backtracking. That's it. Which is what we arleady know, since you're an advocate of magic-map travel. Thanks for a whole lot of nothing.
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Anna S
 
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Post » Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:47 pm

Personally, I prefer World of Warcraft's new quest marker than Oblivion's pin-point accurate marker, but don't like the complete lack of a quest marker.

Oblivion rewards and encourages exploration, by giving rewards along the way, and by giving benefits further down the road.

Morrowind punished exploration by making it tedious, annoying by stuffing it with Cliff Racers, meaningless, and screwing things up further down the road (Breaking quests and making more gametime wasted on backtracking the more you explore)


World of Warcraft is a MMO. The purpose of the quest helper system in that game is to power through levels as fast as possible to get to the end-game.

TES Series are all Single Player games. Powering your way to the end of the game only shortens the game which is not what I want out of a single player gaming experience.
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Jessica White
 
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Post » Sun Jun 12, 2011 3:56 am

There is almost no incentive to go exploring beyond what's required of the quests, because what's out there isn't worth the wasted time to walk and get out there.

I guess we can agree to disagree there....i enjoyed the exploration.

Also, when you explore in Morrowind, your exploration progress is reset to 0 (OR LESS!) once you return to town: Your map is about as empty as it was before you left town, so you have no proof of where you've been or where things are, and if you want to explore more later, you spend at least half that time backtracking to reach new areas instead of actually exploring. You're even less inclined to explore further in places you've already been, because most of it is backtracking.

Again i guess we can disagree...ive already stated how i actually enjoy a more empty map...although i like the idea of being able to put your own notes on it. Sorry i dont really understand what you want, you dont want to explore because your map didnt fill in?.....The main reason for you to explore was just to fill in places of your map as opposed to actually just wanting to see the game? Confused on that.

Again i really prefer the more vague more empty map, it just adds to the sense of exploration and immersion of the game for me....i can remember myself where ive been i dont need markers to show me where ive been already.

And the rest of it is just difference in personal opinion. You enjoy the fast travel because you dont like having to walk back through where youve been before, while i on the otherhand dont find it to be the backtracking tediousness that you describe it as...im not playing the game to race and see how fast i can get it done and never see the same spot more than twice.

Personally, I prefer World of Warcraft's new quest marker than Oblivion's pin-point accurate marker, but don't like the complete lack of a quest marker.


If by new quest marker you mean the circlular general area things may be in...then id much rather have that then specific markers if anything at all....but i dont want that to magically appear on my map the second i get the quest. I want to have to actually do somethign to get to that point...id rather have to talk to people in town, be referred to other people in some random tavern in town that know what theyre talking about and know the lay of the land and have them mark that circlular area on my map because they have a vague idea of where my wanted location is.

I personally enjoyed in morrowind when someone would say.."Blah blah is just a bit west of here past an enormous stone structure and south of the bleh foyada, if you reach blib blib then youve gone too far.
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Alycia Leann grace
 
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Post » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:40 am

I think what the compass detects should be optional, allowing players to customize the game according to their style of play.

agree
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Emilie M
 
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