Games without gps/quest markers

[potatojohn]

One of my favourite things is to get immersed in a game world, but I find that GPS type maps really hinder that, especially when combined with quest markers. I end up looking at the map instead of the environment and thinking about where I'm going

Post some games where it's fun to explore the world and get lost

I had a lot of fun in morrowind, and even though it does have a gps map, it's pretty low detail and there's no quest markers, so it's mostly useful for looking up which direction a town is in.

I found that Cyberpunk 2077 was a very different game if you modded out the HUD. The intensely detailed/layered map and lack of invisible walls made exploration super fun.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Faery Tale Adventure has a paper map and an in-game compass, but otherwise you're on your own (except for one consumable magic item that displays your surroundings).

 

[curds]

Gothic 1/2/Risen (player position on maps. but maps are low detail and hand-drawn. No Quest marker), Outward (player position not shown on map).

 

[Wunderbar]

KCD on hardcore.

 

[Tweed]

Darklands: Gives you a tiny ingame map and all quest markers are just vague directions you're expected to write down, good luck finding the city you want if you don't already know its geographical location. You were expected to look at the huge fold out map that came packed into the box for that.

Ultima 3-6: You can peer at gems for a bird's eye view of your location and if you have a sextant you can pinpoint your position on the map, no other markers. 7 lets you see your position on the map if you have a sextant.

Realms of Arkania: No markers except your overland map.

 

[Ash]

Just pick almost any 90s RPG, hell even some of the JRPGs. Quest markers didn't start to become commonplace until GTA in the early 2000s, from what I recall.

 

[Siel]

Gothic 1/2/Risen (player position on maps. but maps are low detail and hand-drawn. No Quest marker), Outward (player position not shown on map).

+1 for the Gothic series.
Also, more recently, Ghost of a Tale fits what you describe.

 

[luj1]

I had a lot of fun in morrowind

https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/45981

 

[luj1]

Just pick almost any 90s RPG

Pretty much

I hate map markers and exclamation marks on NPCs

 

[PapaPetro]

I hate that thing for its metaphysical convenience in games.
A persistent Locate Plot Device spell.

 

[Ash]

A significant portion of the population are completely retarded when it comes to navigation. Very significant. We were sold out to those people.

 

[Anthedon]

The early Gothics come to mind. Of course most other old RPGs would work too, ingame navigation systems were not a thing in the old days.

 

[laclongquan]

A game without GPS marker will be Morrowind's Have you seen Caius Cozades situation~

It will be lifeless without schedule, but with schedule it's hell to find quest target~

Beth's games have much AI schedules going on so they need GPS.

 

[Ash]

It will be lifeless without schedule, but with schedule it's hell to find quest target~

Nah bro

Nighttime at least would almost guarantee they're at home.
There could be dynamic dialogue based on the schedule, "have you seen x?" "Yeah I saw him at the pub earlier". Obviously this would not always be an option, and there could be times where you miss the NPC in his schedule, just like real life.
There could be a messenger system for townfolk. Hire someone whom will deliver a quest-giver's hand-written request, and also deliver the quest item back when completed. Again, not always an option for every quest giver.

Get creative!

 

[laclongquan]

The prevalence of questions re "have you seen Caius Cozades" bug report on Net show that, your reason sound logical but just not apply to a game situation.

Just. Not. Apply.

Furthermore, without GPS mechanic, a game would need a strong writing department to write more clues to help players finding the markers. After three decades of gaming, I can tell you this "strong" writing department is a bit much. You are asking a hell of a lot from game devs.

Despite all the writing departments loudly proclaim they are ready and will to satisfy that task... Their writings are mostly sheesh. if I have to choose between reading some shit writing or follow GPS quest marker... I really rather choose the GPS. At least I dont have to stand that pretentious boring writings.

As for a messenger system... I dont remember any good game utilizing it. from F1/2/3/NV to Witcher to Bloodlines to IWD to BG. Not Any. That fact itself say there's something inherent bad about the idea noone ever bother to talk about it~ Just because it's creative doesnt mean it's good idea, you understand.

 

[Tweed]

Play The Magic Candle and you'll never want to deal with notetaking and schedules ever again.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

If I remember right Outward has a map, but no quest markers... and of course no fast travel. Terrain association is definitely a must in that one.

 

[Theodora]

If I remember right Outward has a map, but no quest markers...

I didn't play it a ton (was coop'ing it and the other person ended up busy with life stuff) but that's my recollection as well. Maybe it was an option?

Old games this is kinda the default, but it's more interesting to hear about more recent titles that didn't give into the Oblivion-esque "follow the compass" rather than reading the text.

 

[octavius]

Play The Magic Candle and you'll never want to deal with notetaking and schedules ever again.

It was fun in the first game, but the second one overdid it.

 

[Ol' Willy]

This issue was discussed in RPG subforum.

If game is designed with gps/marks in mind, it will not work without them. Lazy design where instead of using your brain you just follow the mark to the goal, and without such mark it makes no sense where you had to look

 

[adddeed]

Arx Fatalis. Zero hand holding. Its awesome.

 

[Great Deceiver]

Tunic is a recent example

 

[ind33d]

Daggerfall let you talk to NPCs and ask for directions if they liked you. It's really disappointing how a game from 1996 is more simulationist than today.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Ultima Underworld 1&2. But you can write notes on your map.

 

[KörangarTheMighty]

You won't get maps like these in game and they're big areas.