RPGs that tactfully encourage the player to do a quest/do something the devs want you to do?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I remember walking into Solitude and seeing a guy about to be executed for being a patriot. This happens in real time and there is no UI or quest NPC telling you to save him. The game just has something dramatic happening, and jumping up on stage to save him just seems like the obvious thing to do. In FF15, if you run by the noodle store, one of your party members will idly talk about how it would be neat to eat cup noodles, so it just seems like the natural thing to do to swing by the cup noodle shop and get involved in that activity to feed your party.

What other games do this?

[Oyster Sauce]

Despite his claimed innocence, Roggvir is still executed for treason. If the Dragonborn tries to stop the execution, whether by attacking the guards or simply walking onto the execution platform, Roggvir will make a run for it. If the guards are distracted long enough, he can escape. But if the Hold Guards are not distracted enough, they, Ahtar, and Captain Aldis will rapidly stab and kill Roggvir and the Dragonborn will be attacked, but receive no bounty. However, he will either disappear or drop dead if the Dragonborn attempts to speak with him, and all NPCs still comment as if he were executed. Attacking Roggvir before he is killed will cause the guards to become hostile, but will accrue no bounty. If saved, Roggvir will sometimes go to the grindstone near his planned execution site and work on a sword. He will not leave the grindstone unless the Dragonborn attempts to use it.

Lol

[J1M]

The traditional method is to put a light source next to it. Players are like moths.

(Dusty and nocturnal.)

[Tangerine]

The traditional method is to put a light source next to it. Players are like moths.

(Dusty and nocturnal.)

Using a light source to direct the player has become such a crutch it annoys me when I see it. Especially if it's random candles or glowing crystals.

[Acrux]

I prefer yellow paint.

[The_Mask]

The traditional method is to put a light source next to it.

This very true. Dark Souls does this a lot.

[Nessa]

I remember walking into Solitude and seeing a guy about to be executed for being a patriot. This happens in real time and there is no UI or quest NPC telling you to save him. The game just has something dramatic happening, and jumping up on stage to save him just seems like the obvious thing to do. In FF15, if you run by the noodle store, one of your party members will idly talk about how it would be neat to eat cup noodles, so it just seems like the natural thing to do to swing by the cup noodle shop and get involved in that activity to feed your party.

Roggvir scripted dies if you try to approach him. If you attack the guards he dies instantly also. Another case of vanilla Skyrim being slop.

In Oblivion there's a Kvatch guard that the player is tasked to save by another guard. You get into the Oblivion gate and he refuses to let you save him, even though there's plenty of time to do so.

FO4 would qualify all over the place here. I'll hit the low hanging fruit though: towards the end each major faction wants you to blow up the others for no reason whatsoever and you have no choice. (Well you do, I stopped. It's why I never finished FO4's dumb main plot. )

[ArcaneLurker]

I remember walking into Solitude and seeing a guy about to be executed for being a patriot. This happens in real time and there is no UI or quest NPC telling you to save him. The game just has something dramatic happening, and jumping up on stage to save him just seems like the obvious thing to do. In FF15, if you run by the noodle store, one of your party members will idly talk about how it would be neat to eat cup noodles, so it just seems like the natural thing to do to swing by the cup noodle shop and get involved in that activity to feed your party.

Roggvir scripted dies if you try to approach him. If you attack the guards he dies instantly also. Another case of vanilla Skyrim being slop.

In Oblivion there's a Kvatch guard that the player is tasked to save by another guard. You get into the Oblivion gate and he refuses to let you save him, even though there's plenty of time to do so.

FO4 would qualify all over the place here. I'll hit the low hanging fruit though: towards the end each major faction wants you to blow up the others for no reason whatsoever and you have no choice. (Well you do, I stopped. It's why I never finished FO4's dumb main plot. )

It's crazy that RPGs have gone downhill from here

[NotAI]

Thief Deadly Shadows has "quests" like this, you just have to listen for details then follow up in the hub area. Likewise in the main mission areas, to find hidden loot. No quest marker or log entry is made.

It's crazy that RPGs have gone downhill from here

Yep.