Yeah same, I think it would be great but as I see it... it's too late now, and Bethesda will probably never see it either as they rarely visit forums and especially not compass topics.
Toggle is at the moment the best/realistic solution at hand as you say, given the development time left.

Also, like your signature, lol
Todd Howard better be right, or we must start a rally outside Beth's with torches and pitchforks, shouting "IS THIS EVEN WAY BETTER? WHAT WORLD ARE YOU LIVING IN!? YOU LIED TO US TODD HOWARD!"
:D

As long as it's similar to the Fallout compass, and can be turned on and off i don't really have much of a problem with it. I still miss the Morrowind style, that actually took effort and could be quite rewarding to chance upon a cave that yo had no idea was there.

I just want the compass icons toggleable, I can live with the compass and quest markers on my screen, but having it tell me what's around every corner or every hill is a just horrible game design in a game that focuses on exploration. F3 wasn't as bad since it didn't tell you what was up ahead, just that something was, with the little triangles instead of images on the compass. But I'd really just want them an option for them to be gone, it in no way breaks the game as long as quest markers can still be on there, or even if already found locations and active quest location are.

Yeah? What about someone who doesn't use magic?

Note that the compass -CAN'T- be togglable without ruining quests. It's due to Radiant Story... some quests will find the nearest dungeon you haven't been to and send you there, and you know it's impossible for NPCs to explain to you where's the dungeon when it is, in fact... random.

Maybe we can have quest markers ONLY for these kinds of situations? otherwise, I still hate the guts of this magic compass... :banghead:

It's the image of a very good sense of direction of the Dragonborn. Nothing that actually exists!

Follow roadsigns, directions especially and use your eyes and brain.

Of course it can be toggleable. Sentence building technology if they want to voice it (probably not going to happen), and general purpose map area marker depending on his memory (and/or disposition - game mechanic right there), or have them walk you to it. NPCs doing their thing can be tricky to find, for sure, but some of us actually like having to look and/or wait for people to show up.

Besides, quest markers are already confirmed to be toggleable - track as many quests as you like - and I assume I'll be able to turn off all of them. For me the issue isn't quest related markers, but the POIs. I want to stumble over new locations, not be guided to them. Increases the chances of not finding all locations on each playthrough.

@hlvr: Great idea for a mod, not so much for vanilla game as not everyone does magic. When I start, I'm a typical adventurer, I know my way around the world and know how to read the natural signs, compass or not. But this understanding of direction needs to be put on screen. I also need to be able to turn off everything within it, and only activate it when I truly give up (has happened).

My favourite is "West of Sadrith Mora".

I agree. I have recently gone back and played Morrowind (looking good with the 2011 graphics overhaul), to see why it is that game seemed so immersive at the time.

There are several reasons, but one definately is the sense of unknowing about the world. It had to be explored, it lead to a sense of mystery. It was also well worth it.
Another thing which went hand in hand with that (although off topic), was that not only was the world unknown, it was genuinely dangerous - due to not having the scaled NPC levelling you were never quite sure of the strength of the foe you would face if you went into that ancestral tomb artefact hunting. In Oblivion (& Skyrim?) I know beforehand that the enemies are scaled to my level, so I need not worry too much.

Going back to the compass, I would like an option to toggle whether it shows locations or not, and toggles the showing of quest markers or not - I personally would turn it off unless I was hopelessly stuck with a quest or inadequate directions had been given by the quest giver.

I like the quest markers, I don't like the compass.

I'd like it if the compass was an actual compass... You know, those things that tells you wich way's north? A compass. Because they alredy have quest markers, and hey, you can see a little arrow on the map, that's you! So If you're over here, and the quest is over there to the west, that means you should go west! Of cource, since the little arrow points in the direction you're facing, a normal compass is actually pretty much useless.
So anyway, if you can turn of those little compass markers that shout "There's a town that way!" or "Dungeon over here!" and just have the compass be a normal compass and maybe turn that little arrow on the map into a dot, then I'll be satisfied.

But the best way for everyone would probably be for the questgivers (and/or journal) to be like, "go to this one tree and then turn left, then right at this cool rock then follow the river... etc." and then you can be like, "Wha?" and they can be like, "I said- oh let me just mark it on your map...", or you can be like "Whatever man, I got a magic compass!" and everyone can be pissed because they only want their choice to be an option.

Best laugh I've had all day