Nope, just looked down and counted the bumps again. I'm still not a "he".
OK, I'm off to watch the videos, because I do think this is an interesting topic. But I suspect I'm going to agree with a lot of it. Because I also agree with a lot of what you said.
And a bit more on my overall argument on this.
- Classic RPG's (by which I mean roughly those prior to 1990) didn't have square-by-square exploration because it was exciting, they had it because of technical constraints on how to engage the player for an extended period.
- Those constraints no longer exist, so a good game developer should be able to engage the player using alternative methods.
- The problem is that a lot of game developers don't use alternative methods. They remove the square-by-square exploration but don't replace it with something else. And they give us quest markers too. This means that complexity has been reduced.
- Players who liked the older games are dissatisfied with this, but I think that a lot of the time, the focus of that dissatisfaction is misdirected. The problem isn't the fact that square-by-square exploration has been removed, it's that it wasn't replaced by something more interesting.
Therefore, in my opinion, the demand shouldn't be to remove quest markers, or to force you to explore every inch of the locale, the demand should be to have varied and mentally challenging methods of finding out where you need to go. If a quest marker appears once you've "solved" the challenge, it's OK.
So I don't want games to revert back to classic RPG mechanics. I want them to do something innovative that challenges me.
Sorry then, Mr
@Dragonbird, I am still learning English so I has got imited words, which I could use in my sentences to being understandable for everyone (and make sense to me) Get my apologise then. I have some problems with speaking and writting in English, but I understand 90% what peaple are saying to me in that language. That is very irritating to me, no native speaker, eh.
Yes, it is very intersting topic indeed.
Unfortunately Questmarkers mostly take away from players pleasure of reaching a point by themselfs. Some of old games(1990), in which quests are not well-descibed and NPC not telling you how to reach a point you are looking for, make "square-by-square exploration" .
We do not talk about monsterhunting right now, becouse this is another part of the game of Witcher 3. It looks like something new in mechanic and I hope that part is really engaging than simple mark on the map where monster is . We are talking now about simple moves in the open world game. How to get to that City, or how to find another NPC without the maps or questmarkers, without any knowladge.
But If in that games was good wriiten dialog with NPC, which has told you how you could get there, "square-by-square exploration" is not really needed, becouse you get detailed insructions from them. I give you an exemple how dialouge would have looked between Geralt and blacksmith:
Geralt: - Hi there,I need to earn some money, Maybe I could help somehow. Is anything a could do for you?
Blacksmith: oh good to see you again, Geralt. Yes indeed, a have small package to send my brother but postman not arrived to town in this week. I dont wknow why, but nobody replaced him to work. So, If you will be so kind, that maybe you could take this package and give it to my brother? I will pay you 100 orens?
Geralt: OK, I will. Tell me more where your brother lives.
Blacksmith: far away, but i give you execly explanatiion where You should go to get to him.
See that highest tree on the hill on the north?
Geralt: yes I see.
Blacksmith: You must go there. Opposite is small path which you must follow along. After 2 miles riding you should see on the horizon very old dericked water-millhouse. There is small river you must go through, but be carful, its dangerous. then you must turn to west going along from a while, I dont remember how much, but there is a big grassland where people mostly keep an eye on sheep and neat. There you also find small settler, and there is safty to make aspleep a night. These people are very kind and for one well told story, accomodate you for free. I supose that you have really good adventures to tell.
Next morning as you wake up and eat a breakfast they give you more details. tell them that you want to visit my brother - John. Mostly is well known among these people, they will give more clues how you culd get to him safty.
Geralt: And that's it?
Blacksmith: Yes, but it is only half way to my brother. From that settler is 3 miles away to my brother along. I have always driven to him through the Dark Forrest but there is very dangerous place right now. I would not recomend to you driving there. Maybe thats why the postmen lose away in the forrest, so not came to me, I dont kwow, but its very strange.
Geralt : OK then I will follow to your instructions. Thanks.
Blacksmith: Good luck . When you go back to me, I will give your fairly earned money, and maybe you can tell me one good aventure story for me,. But not now, I have got a lot of work right now. Goodbye!
I know it look very skyrimish bad wriiten example of quest but explain, why questmarkers are awful to me. It has nothing to do with engegment. Player, which follow by questmarkers often do not remember for what he is going there, becouse questmark. Make a fasttravel do quck quest and it is done.
Player put not attention about form of landscape. Only think to himself: How is thare a wonderful graphics! Ok then quest is finished, let's do another one.
In Morrowind quests are really well written and it is one of my favorites games i have ever played. I remember what Witcher 2 has also fimiliar quest design but only in 1 side quest at that form. I dont remember how it was named... I was looking for hidden place (somwhere opposite the broken ship) where was some notes of important dwarf needed for investigation about Stannis foult or hisinnocence and that was so cool that remind me how well was constructed quests in Morrowind, so after ended Wicher 2 i came back to play Morrowind since 1998
Anyway, Even If you had not enouth time to finish that quest, You can always make a savepoint, and most important cleues, instructions of how to get somewhere, was sumed up as specifics notes in your journalbook. If you came back to home after finished work and you turn on your game, that the notes still were in the journal, Nothings changed. (not counting bugs of course).
And I do not think that Questmarkers are most interestning than a good written dialoge about how to get somewhere. thats it.