Exploration

Mamalque

This is my first time playing the game. Up until now, I've been going where the game points towards, but it's tempting to just go off exploring. What I'd like to know is, can I freely explore the surrounding areas or should I wait until I'm directed there via a quest? Will I break any quest by going ahead and exploring an area before being told to go there?

baaddare

yes you can go offscript if you want. There are a few things you must lookout for though. 1) some of your party members might have to be heading someplace and if you do not go there within a reasonable time they could leave. 2) some quests have a time limit and if you do not complete then within that time limit events could take an ugly turn In both of these cases you should have received information when you received the quest or an NPC discussed joining your party. As a non spoiler example NPC X takes to you about traveling to Y if you do not go to Y in a reasonable time they might start to get mad of you get a quest that says you have 10 days to do x y and z if you do not do x y and z in 10 days something bad happens

Luigirules

Also, keep in mind you may run into some very nasty monsters that will butcher you like cattle.

So, make sure you quick-save often.

baaddare

oh i should also mention some areas are not accessible until some quests are completed. Also if you kill mob X who is needed for a quest that you do not have you can usually talk to the quest giver get the quest and then talk to him and he counts it as having been completed. Also remember some mobs might drop and item you will need for a quest you have not received yet so be careful what you sell

Madhax

Definitely go off exploring. If you wait for the game to specifically tell you to go to new areas, you'll probably miss over half of them.

bigdogchris

At the beginning of the game I would stick to the roads and follow the main story (as a beginner). Once you accomplish the first task in Nashkel, you will be high enough level to comfortably start exploring off the main roads. I would stick to the area's around the roads by Candlekeep and between Nashkel and Friendly Arm Inn until you are higher level.

Zutti

bigdogchris said:

At the beginning of the game I would stick to the roads and follow the main story (as a beginner). Once you accomplish the first task in Nashkel, you will be high enough level to comfortably start exploring off the main roads. I would stick to the area's around the roads by Candlekeep and between Nashkel and Friendly Arm Inn until you are higher level.

I actually think the Nashkel mines can be fairly challenging for a low-level party. Those kobold commandos can be nasty, and even regular kobolds can nail your sturdiest of tanks on a crit.

Of course, I may have some bias. Back in the day, my BG1 disc was filthy and would slowdown/crash on the road north of Nashkel, so I had to go offroading and usually found an alternative way into the town.