Yeah, stealing is a bit easy - the part with "shady mercant" would be better..even better if you would have to join a thiefguild to prove you are "worth".
So we plundered every single house und mostly resold back to the owner. ;-)
But itエs the best way to get enough money for all those nice tomes e.g.

The rest... KEEP the game as it is.
Itエs very refreshing that there isnエt always a yellow questionmark to see where a questgiver is.

@lowlife: which puzzles are u talking about?
Havent come to a single one be now.
The journal is your best friend with EVERY info you need (if you cant remember what was told some time ago)
Example?... There is a murder..investigate, got to arhu...the murderscene is locked, go to that guard...other plane-back again...scene..loveletters..ask around...go to morgue..go to graveyeard..dog barking at grave (even without patpal its obvious that there MIGHT something be fishy..so take the shovel and see whats inside)...sheep..go back to morgue...3 suspects...investigate further...find possible facts...ask about..get more info...go to healer, look at evelins house...read...go to beach... should i realy carry on???? The game itself takes your hand and guides u every single moment.

About "area beeing to hard"..the guards tell you that u are to "inexperienced"..just another word for "stay inside and to more quests to level or they rip your...". At the beach, there are very big footsteps...
Its an RPG...so sneak ahead and see what will come. Running with blaizing weapons (and closed eyes) into an battle is plain stupid...scout, look for a better approach. Perhaps you could get somewhere to lure the enemies into water, near an oil/ooze barrel, or just to a doorway where they have to come one by one.

For me, my wife and friends..its one of the best rpgエs in the last time. hope to recive many many addons (land, quests etc)