I think it's more fair to say you're new to the game and still adapting than to say it's bad game design. I like the fact that there are irreversible consequences to actions. I hit lvl 5 in 4.5 hours in Tactician and left Fort Joy way before that, but I played the Alpha a whole lot, so I know my way around.
You are not "bad" you are just new, and it really helps to take your time and press F5 before initiating a dialogues and battles. Not sure what else to say, but to say it's bad game design is totally unfair to Larian.
