Given that you have a map in your hands, and they just pointed to the place they need you to go, asking for directions would be rather redundant and illogical.
Quest markers exist because journal entries in a game where you have a map make no sense, since anyone would just say "point where it is" and have them point it out.
However, since its difficult, if not outright impossible, to have NPCs actually point out the location on your map directly without having the game hijack you and force open the map and highlight the area, they just give you a quest marker. Not to mention it would be difficult for the player to remember every place pointed out for them if you are doing multiple quests, even if the character could remember them all.
Morrowind only had journal entries because the graphics were so bad the map couldn't show anything, and was just forced to sort of run with the illogical nature of them.
While I do agree that the map marker should go away once you get to the location, instead of always being fixed on the item inside the chest at the very end, since that's overly hand-holdy, the lack of asking for directions is simply because it makes NO SENSE TO ASK FOR THEM in the first place, since you have a map, and they pointed out where you need to go.
Asking for directions when you already have it pointed out on your map is like commander Shepard asking what a mass effect field is despite living in a world with them his entire life.
Having played all TES games since Daggerfall I personally think each game has it's own charm, but Skyrim has the most.
Daggerfall - well I was a child then and honestly remember very little of the game other than finding it fun.
Morrowind - First game where I really got immersed in the world, discovered role playing (despite not even realizing I totally RP'd that game). Bunch of good customization options, some things (like magic crafting) was too advanced for (at the time) little me to really get into, bunch of walking around on foot and directions lost somewhere in the journal, and the combat kinda sucked. But the world, the exploration, the guilds, all the gear you could mix and match! Great game, awful combat.
Oblivion - It was alright, level scaling was horrible, but I finished it and all the guild quests while remaining entertained. Voice acting made the world feel more alive, but people looked like bloated babies and a lot of people sounded alike. And Sean Bean dies (Seriously, that surprised you?). I mean the game starts with captain Picard saying something like "Today I will die",so I assume you where surprised by that death too then? Unless you didn't know who Sean Bean was at the time, then you are forgiven and may let go of your guilt - and get back to sexual deviancy once more. Oh, don't give me that look, we both know you like some kinky shit - and that's fine.
Skyrim - First thing I did was turn of those damn quest markers and set the difficulty to Master. Then I roamed around until I got to OP, restarted. Repeat. I love it for the relaxation it provides. It's like playing in the woods around where I grew up, but with more dragons, mountains, adventure, few guards with Swedish dialects.
It's also the best looking, best feeling and familiar in a "home but more fun" kind of way - and I love it. I've probably sunk like 600 hours into the Xbox 360 version and 500 in a seriously modded PC version (got it on a sale for like 10$ including all DLC). And with mods Dragons finally fucking murder everything and pick their remains out of their teeth with mudcrabs (Unofficial patches, Deadly Dragons, Dragon Combat Overhaul, Frostfall and Realistic Needs and Disease pretty much fixes the game and adds a bunch of immersion).
That's why Skyrim is my favorite, not because it has the best story (Morrowind did), scarier dungeons (Morrowind did), actually forces you to think and trusts you're of average or above intelligence (Morrowind does)... see a theme here?
Skyrim = awesome, despite the many immersion breakers and the (mostly) outright stupid - and short - guild questlines. I mean the companions one is alright, but far too short. So when
Kodlak
dies... well who really gave even half a fuck? The guy had said like 10 lines to you over 5 minutes of gameplay, at the most. I cared more about Brenuin the town beggar/drunk than him.
I mean that guy took my 1 gold bribe - that buys him absolutely nothing - and gave me +10 speech.
Kodlak
had a nice beard and made me
hit Vilkas
3 times, as well as
kill some hagravens for him
- neither which gave me any money. The same goes for the
Arch Mage
- Oh noes, some dude of no use that I've barley had contact with is dead... and I care, why? Why can't I
loot
him?
And the thieves guild... so full of "I'll just shut of my brain and fetch what I'm told to fetch" instead of proper stealing and heists. Topped of by
selling your soul for a Skyrim themed batman suit(?) - I approve - and a dungeon delve with 2 "master" thieves
about as discrete as an firing an M60 in a kindergarten during nap-time.
Haven't really played all assassin so I can't say if the DB one is any good. Main quest's fun, but I haven't actually killed
Alduin
yet, too busy doing other stuff or starting new characters to bother flying of to beat him a second time
So yeah, Morrowind might just be the best at much but, for me, nothing beats the general feeling and atmosphere of Skyrim - despite strange, poorly paced or outright stupid quest design. I might give Skywind a go, if it's ever completed, but for now I'll just keep playing Skyrim to relax and have some mindless people/dragon/animal killing fun.
Why do I keep posting when I should be sleeping?! Obviously the lack of sleep's made the worst come out of me IN GLORIOUS INTERNET ANONYMITY! That's it, I'm taking my beds and going to drug.
Asking for directions when you already have it pointed out on your map is like commander Shepard asking what a mass effect field is despite living in a world with them his entire life.
However, when nobody goes "Oh, that place - it's just of <something notable, like a settlement>, here let me show it on your map". Not even in the journal entry being "I need to find X near Y", then turning off quest markers is not quite useful. Instead they say the same thing but without the italics.
Everything is far more streamlined and refined in Skyrim, the combat system is second to none in an RPG. I agree with how they took certain fairly needless skills out and how they removed the stats system that was present in Morrowind.
However, I'd certainly say that Morrowind was the most atmospheric of all the games, it also did not hold your hand in any way. Enemies were not leveled to you - if you went into a dungeon that was filled with Dwemer Spheres without being prepared, you will die. That also meant that you could get some real high level equipment from the very start if you knew what you were doing. I hated it in Oblivion when you reach a certain level and all the bandits were in Ebony armour; just the cuirass in Ebony was worth more than a house.
You could kill people who were essential to the storyline and it would tell you "the thread of prophecy is severed" but it wouldn't stop you continuing.
I wouldn't say its the greatest in the series, but it certainly is the most immersive. Oh! and the music, just listen to the title theme on youtube and tell me it isn't something special.
*edit* also love the lack of quest markers: when you actually have to follow written instructions and look for landmarks. I always expected myself to get lost, yet I never did.
Here's the reason I still think Morrowind is the crowning piece of the series.
Skyrim does more things better, but everything Skyrim does other games yet do even better (although without the things Skyrim does worse).
Morrowind does fewer things better, but those it does do better you rarely see in other games and never really of that level of quality.
Just the world of Morrowind, the simple sense that it was it's own real world. You could get lost like you simply can't in Skyrim or any other game. You could explore and actually discover things even if you don't have the correct prerequisite quests. The factions you could join actually interacted and doing certain things had real consequences preventing you from other paths.
And it's easily seen in the modding efforts. Compare the efforts of Skywind (Morrowind in Skyrim's engine) vs the efforts of Skyblivion (Oblivion in Skyrim's engine), the difference is immense.
And I can guarantee that when TES6 comes out the first major project of that kind will start with Morrowind. It won't be Oblivion, it won't be Skyrim. Because when it comes down to those few qualities that truly define the Elder Scrolls Morrowind still reigns supreme.
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