Here are three ways the minimap has spoiled things for me.
1. Showing the exits to the current map, even when they’re secret.
This happened in the Zhentarim hideout. The elevator to the underdark is hidden behind a false wall, but it still showed up on the minimap, telling me where to look and what to look for.
2. Showing npc attitudes. It’s fine if I see npcs are up ahead on the road, but knowing 100 feet away whether or not they want to kill me robs the encounter of intrigue.
That happened at the toll house on the risen road. Approaching the house, there are bloody corpses strewn about. I’m gearing up for an intense fight. Then a little green diamond shows up on the minimap, indicating a friend, and deflates the tension immediately.
3. Showing all traversable terrain. This one isn’t the minimap’s fault, the spoilers are just a by-product of how Larian design their maps. DOS2 had the same quirk : there’s something at the end of each path, every surface I can stand on has a purpose. So when I see some ledge on which I can jump or climb, I know it’s either for an encounter or a repository for some secret.
This happens all the time. Most notable for me was the watch tower off the road from the druid grove to the blighted village. Saw a platform on the minimap. Clambered up. And there, unsurprisingly, was a surprise.
