I think the OP's suggestion is only something you can really do once unless you have a bad memory. I have completed the story and quest lines in all three factions multiple times, so kind of remember where everything is and what you have to do most of the time.

Being on console, I effectively did pretty much this when I started, although I did have the compass on the screen. I got stuck a few times where I was at the marker and there was nothing there without realizing there was a cave or tomb or something under me that I did not find the entrance to, or some sort of overhead crag or ridge.

My first character was at level 49 when he reached the end of the Coldharbour quests and went off to try and defeat Molag Bal, so had definitely not skipped any content.

I actually play that way since launch, well, since my dearest-must-have-addon named Pinkiller exists.

I also play without a discovered map before I explore a zone (TrueExploration), and never use wayshrine to teleport within the same map (when I play alone, at less) and search for treasures without any guide (some of them took me months to find).

Of course I read carefully all what NPCs have to tell me, especially if it is mission related.

I must admitt, though, that I sometime took a glance at map markers after enable them when I was totally lost for a long time.

Danikat wrote: »

disintegr8 wrote: »

I think the OP's suggestion is only something you can really do once unless you have a bad memory. I have completed the story and quest lines in all three factions multiple times, so kind of remember where everything is and what you have to do most of the time.

Being on console, I effectively did pretty much this when I started, although I did have the compass on the screen. I got stuck a few times where I was at the marker and there was nothing there without realizing there was a cave or tomb or something under me that I did not find the entrance to, or some sort of overhead crag or ridge.

My first character was at level 49 when he reached the end of the Coldharbour quests and went off to try and defeat Molag Bal, so had definitely not skipped any content.

That's a good point. I recently downloaded a series of point and click puzzle games I had played as a child and hadn't played since. Unfortunately 1 and 2 were quite disappointing because I found I still remembered the solutions to most of the puzzles and once you knew what to do it was pretty much a matter of clicking through it for the story and looking at the (IMO still pretty impressive) pixel art. 3 was better because we never finished that one so I actually had to work it out.

I imagine it'd be the same here. You'd need to be doing the quests for the first time, otherwise you'd likely just remember where to go and who to speak to from last time and there wouldn't be any sense of challenge.

Sure, the first time is the most challenging and fun.
About the quests locations that are hard to find even with the marker, I think those locations might be easier to find without the markers, from the info provided. Having a marker on the compass comforts us to just follow it for the mist time.

I encourage everybody who wants to play like this to do it when they have plenty of time to do it without shortcuts, with a quest line that promises to be interesting and in an area that has many resource nodes.
Another thing I found good is that in a quest line that happens in a medium size area(less than half a zone), the first two quests(or objectives should I say) are the hardest ones, after which you will have the satisfaction of already knowing where the npc's are located, where mobs create havoc, and different object locations.

@kwisatz Good mention, Pinkiller is the addon I use also, it allows very good management of what you want and don't want shown.