Best exploration oriented quest you have experienced?

[JarlFrank]

Morrowind had some boat hidden in a crypt, which was mentioned in an ingame book. It wasn't a quest, just a location mentioned in the lore that you could discover. No journal entries at all. That makes it so awesome because you actually have to explore by yourself rather than following directions. I forgot the details but DraQ knows more about it.

Morrowind was cool in general with explorefaggy quests, I liked the Imperial Cult quests where you had to retrieve artifacts and were given some cryptic hints as to where they are located, some vague descriptions of the surrounding landscape.

 

[sigma1932]

Find the Water Chip.

Seconded. Examples don't get much more quintessential than this.

 

[razvedchiki]

finding the money to free imoen

 

[Jimmious]

Both Fallouts main quests were excellent examples of exploration quests. Especially the first time you play and have no idea where to go.
Also I've to admit WL2 had this going for it in the beginning where again, you don't know what is out there apart from some hints here and there.

 

[valcik]

Many quests in Arcanum are great in this regard. Exploring the surroundings of Black Root in search for Liam, old dwarven ruins in the Black Mountains, Vendigroth ruins.. Huge maps full of dangerous monsters and nicely hidden surprises, very rewarding.

 

[Doktor Best]

Fallout New Vegas - Vault 11
Haunted Mansion - Vampire Bloodlines
Ring the 2 Bells - Dark Souls
The Stranger Quest - Gothic
NOTR prequest - Gothic 2
Baldurs Gate 2 - Windspear Hills
Baldurs Gate - Durlags Tower

There are so many other good examples but i am too lazy right now.

Those are some dubious choices there. I don't think non-linear dungeons fit in exploration. I was more thinking quests that involve you travelling about the overworld. The Ocean Hotel from Bloodlines for example is almost fully linear though well hidden and still an excellently scripted quest.

Well what do you do in a dungeon other than... explore it? What you describe is ofcourse a part of exploration, but so is anything else you do that involves searching your surroundings for clues, challenges, enemies, loot.

 

[Shaewaroz]

The top spot has to go to Morrowind, it had many absolutely awesome quests that had huge emphasis on exploration: The dwarf quest, the Seven Graces pilgrimage etc.

 

[Dreaad]

Gothic 2.... passing the three mage trials.... Not the longest or most difficult but so much fun. Figuring out how to get the hammer, following the trail of the novices, finding the hidden cave behind the bush.

 

[Xathrodox86]

The NY's sewers exploration in first Deus Ex. Haunted mansion in VTM: Bloodlines.

 

[Delterius]

The old gods quest in Arcanum.

 

[Ladonna]

Exploring and mapping Britannia in Ultima iV without a map (pirated copy with copied spells and runes). I swear half the fun of the game was gone when I got a map with a retail copy later on. I still recall making sense of obscure bits and pieces of conversations to find cove, literally stumbling upon Yew when trekking through the forest. Fleeing from pirates and discovering Moonglow...and many more. If the cloth maps weren't so excellent, I would say it was a mistake to provide one with the game.

 

[Eyeball]

finding the motivation to free imoen

Fixed.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Finding Megaton.

 

[razvedchiki]

Nuking Megaton

fixed.

 

[Gentle Player]

The hunt for Elizabeth and Abraham in Ultima VII: The Black Gate.

Finding the talismans in Ultima Underworld.

 

[octavius]

Morrowind had some boat hidden in a crypt, which was mentioned in an ingame book. It wasn't a quest, just a location mentioned in the lore that you could discover. No journal entries at all. That makes it so awesome because you actually have to explore by yourself rather than following directions. I forgot the details but DraQ knows more about it.

If it's the same quest I'm thinking about you can get some hints if you buy drinks for a thirsty nord in one of the pubs in Vivec.

Morrowind was cool in general with explorefaggy quests, I liked the Imperial Cult quests where you had to retrieve artifacts and were given some cryptic hints as to where they are located, some vague descriptions of the surrounding landscape.

Finding the missing armour (Lord's Mail?) in Enonheart was a highlight for me when playing MW, acting just on a rumour and then gradually unraveling the who, where, and why. It would of course be impossible to have some quests today without quest arrows for comsumers with the attention span of a consoletard.

 

[M0RBUS]

Both Fallouts main quests were excellent examples of exploration quests. Especially the first time you play and have no idea where to go.

Amen to that. That's what came to mind as soon as I read the title of this thread.

Although I think Fallout 2's main quest is a little bit better, in regards to the first part of the quest.

 

[Damned Registrations]

No love for Might and Magic? Finding the power orbs in Isles of Terra was some awesome shit.

Also, for the obligatory weeaboo nomination; Blue's quest in SaGa Frontier.

 

[rohand]

The first time I SAW a desert random encounter with a merchant caravan slaughtering / being slaughtered by raiders in Fallout was something else.

The amount of loot from the raider's bodies really gave that "anything could happen in this shit!" feeling that you so rarely see in today's games.

 

[Morkar Left]

Finding the Amberstar parts in Amberstar. Especially cool at the time was escaping Vielauges (Many-eyes in English?) realm for me.

 

[Kalasanty11]

New Vegas - Return to Sender

Spoiler

Seriously though, initially the quest seemed to be kinda boring... but the outcome was worth it.

 

[MilesBeyond]

No love for Might and Magic? Finding the power orbs in Isles of Terra was some awesome shit.

Right? IMHO Morrowind was best for these quests, but the various MM games are second best. World of Xeen in particular. Also the Obelisk quests from MM 6 and 7 (objectively 6's is probably the better one as its areas tend to be larger and more fleshed-out aka more interesting to explore, but subjectively I prefer 7 just because I absolutely loved visiting a bunch of major locations from HoMM3).

Could never get into 3, though. Just find it hard to get interested in a pre-made party. Maybe one day...


Anyway, most of the other great examples I can think of have already been said.

 

[Damned Registrations]

? You can make your own party in 3. I always run with extra sorcerors and less meatheads.

 

[JarlFrank]

World of Xeen is still one of my favourite dungeon crawlers

 

[MilesBeyond]

? You can make your own party in 3. I always run with extra sorcerors and less meatheads.

Wait what. Daaaamn son I've been missing out.