I'd argue that a mix of exp from defeated enemies, quests, exploration, and dialogues is best for a Larian-style game. It still allows the freedom to explore wherever you want and to do/not do certain quests, while still being able to level up. It averages out the exp into many smaller chunks, which is it's own method of ensuring that most players are around the same level of exp.
Agreed ...
-1 to this topic. :-/
