"I don't understand your first point. You're told where the githyanki patrol is and it's pointed out in the map. Straight, village, bridge, left. I didn't mention the gnolls precisely because they're on the way, just like the inn is, but for Karlach you just have to willingly go the wrong way.
Don't get your second point either. At the end of the day i said what you said, which is that there isn't any real story reason to explore the swamp other than one dialogue with Ethel and the situation at the grove.
As for your third... same. What i said is that it makes no sense for the mindflayer to be placed in a less accesible part of the map than that of the optional area it sends you to, and that the area exit sitting in the middle of it all makes just as much sense.
I also don't see how the badly implemented rest/dialogue system is anything more than a case of ludonarrative dissonance. To get every dialogue available you gotta rest twice before reaching the grove(SH+Astarion's camping dialogues, then Gale's mirror scene), twice around the grove(at least one SH dialogue and then Raphael), once to get Astarion's reveal, thrice if you get all the dreams, and so on and so forth.
So, about two/three weeks worth of rests to explore a relatively small area while you're constantly reminded that you might just turn at any moment. Or maybe you won't. No hurry. It's not like we're reminded by every npc/companion, and indeed shown in one of the first scenes in the game, that the situation's pretty FUBAR.
This to say, it's not my opinion that the plot should be more urgent, that's all Larian, and neither do i believe that the areas should be gimped. What i'd like is for the latters to make sense with the former, and that until the urgency's reduced. All it takes, like i said, is for the level design to be a bit cleaner.
For example, roughly keep the Underdark as it is, with the encounters spread all over and the 'main' entrances at the bottom(Hag's lair and goblin's fort), but move the tower and beach at the upper corners with the myconid village more to the middle. Slide Karlach a bit west, maybe above the gnolls or something. That way i'm still exploring, i'm still getting reward for exploring, but doesn't clash as badly with the over-reaching story.[/quote]
Yes, i seems we are at a bit of difference of communication. My first point is that there are two - yes two - ways to get to the githyanki. One, the way you described, the other by the path just to the right where Scratch is and jump over the river. This leads to the road with the hyenas which leads etc etc.
Second point you ACTUALLY said: "but the only real story reason to venture that way, other than playing an entirely trusting character who confides in random old women, is the whole Khaga situation, which isn't really all that overt. " I pointed out this was not the case. Not hard to understand, to be honest. If you're prepared to try a goblin priestess, you're equally prepared to try an old healing woman. Your companions mention this as an option too, Wyl especially. Again I pointed out it doesn't apply for all characters in all walkthroughs, just that it's there.
Third point, I completely misread you, sorry. I normally get to the UD from the temple as you're told there is an entrance that way. The myconids are basically the first friendly faces you see if you arrive that way. So if you do it that way you get the quest before the tower.
I'm pretty sure the map isn't to scale, meaning that the area it represents is probably supposed to be much bigger.
As for sleep, your companions pretty much yawn and demand bed every so often, so I take that as what is supposed to be the passing of another day in story terms. It never seems to be what would be a full day, granted, but there you go.
