Thoughts on Quest Design and UI

Hello, Patrons!  I hope everyone is having a nice October thus far. Work on the more intricate parts of the combat system has been contracted out, so I've been able to spend some quality time on quest design/writing.

Quest design, and its integration with the UI has always fascinated me, and there are so many different ways to approach it. In my history as a modder, my primary goal has was to reduce UI clutter as much as possible, I want to actually see the GAME and not just a bunch of HUD elements.

On the spectrum of quest-design we have games like the Witcher 3 on one end (minimap markers, HUD markers, on-screen quest tracker), and on the other end is Elden Ring, with offers almost nothing at all.  

Quest markers, while convenient, can strip away the joy of discovery. With Siren, we want to prioritize the players' journey rather than the destination. By relying on environmental clues and dialogue details, we can create a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when players solve puzzles or find hidden secrets. It's not just about ticking off objectives; it's about the sense of wonder and exploration.  

With Siren, we're trying to find a balance of systems that can cater to those who want/need some hand-holding, and those who want a more immersive experience (no quest markers). Quest markers will be able to be toggled off in the UI options. This pulls one main issue to the forefront: If I disable quest-markers, are there enough environmental clues (and information in the quest dialogue) to help me figure out where to go and what to do? It's a quest philosophy that informs everything from writing to level-design in very significant ways.   

We're also trying to keep the "go here and kill 10 boars" type of quests a little more broad. This will look more like "Jennah wants you to clear out the cultist hideout in the Towerlands". During the dialogue, he'd tell you that the Towerlands are just north of Mercuna island. This should be all the information you need.   

We're also experimenting with alternative ways to display things like health/stamina, etc. Not sure where will land with this, but either way, we want a system that hides these elements from the UI when they're not needed (hp bar only needs to be visible during combat, or when it's not full, etc).  

We're curious about what you think. How do you usually play your games? Answer the poll and comment below!