Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Interview
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Q: Now that we're here at E3, what can you tell us about the game's quest system and overall gameplay direction? How will quests keep players from wandering off the beaten path and potentially losing track of what they're supposed to do? How will other features, such as the compass, help with this, and how will they be integrated with quests? Will there be a book-style quest log like the one in Morrowind, as well as hand-drawn maps? Or will there be more-streamlined quest logs and in-game maps that can be sorted by area and modified with player notes?
A: The game's quest log is broken up by quest, so you see all your active and completed quests and what you have to accomplish next on that quest. It's much more like the systems that are becoming common in games like Jade Empire or World of Warcraft. You can select any quest, and for the most part, it will highlight on the map exactly where you need to go to accomplish the next step. This mark is also noted on your compass. Some quests have hidden goals, such as "find the secret cave," and that would not be marked. So we only mark things we want you to know about. For instance, someone gives you a quest to go to the fighter's guild. The guild is instantly marked on your compass and the map as your quest target, so you can just walk to it without checking over any directions or maps. For the most part, you can follow quests by just following your compass. Again, many quests have alternate paths and secret parts, where nothing gets marked, and that's open for you to discover.
