What does exploration mean to you?

[Kurogaea]

It's a little funny really; it's almost as if SE hands you a map to the Grand Canyon and says, "the view is amazing and you'll see all these animals like this and that and you definitely should go" and you respond, "ugh, roadtrip ruined. Thanks for that".

Without the list, there's just less motivation to take detours really. I don't really see anything gained by it's removal.

Lmao, your right a little lol. Compared to the Grand Canyon it'd seem to be a trivial matter to worry about, though this isn't the Grand Canyon as its a common tourist spot. These new lands they are sending to us are untouched and inhabited by creatures we don't know about. Like how in the world do we know that there's 8 bronze chests just sitting out there? Was it dropped by a flying air ship? -insert funny yoshi p scenario, I'm too tired to do it lol- .

The gain from not having the side bar could be put in an easy example:

Raif: Hey guys I found a chest! XD
Spaghetti: Fricken A! Wait for us, it might be a trap! :U
Raif: Okay
Scuttlebutt: On my wa-- Oh s%#$ there's a giant monster over here! It saw us!
Raif: Fly away dude!
Scuttlebutt: It got Dirtnugget man! We need a raise!
Spaghetti: Darn it, ok regroup! Raif, mark the map location and the rest make our way to the monster!

^ When there is no side options (assuming that there is no hidden content)

Spaghetti: Ok first we look for this monster name, Gurrr.... I miss Invader Zim. Ahem anyway all of you scout this area for it while this team go seek gathering nodes.
everyone: Got it
Raif: found the first chest!
Spaghetti: Nice! mark that one and move to the next.
Raif: On it! X)
Scuttlebutt: We found the Gurrr thing!
Spaghetti: Sweet, engage!
Scuttlebutt: Got it! ....this thing hurts. D:
Spaghetti: Ok we're on our way!

Don't see the difference? The genuine excitement of discovery is taken away when we know what to expect. The side bar of things to find becomes a task without actually being one since we know its there for optional purposes. It may be exciting to find them, but we knew what to expect from the start.