"One of the more "ingenious" aspects of BG1 in turn was the stark contrast feeling you had when you finally could enter Baldur's Gate, which is comparable late into the game's campaign. Rather than adventuring oft barren plaines, woods and mountains, you suddenly had a place that was busy with stuff to the hilt."
That is an excellent observation! I recall that the people who were complaining the most about the open space exploration (Draconis, et. al.) were doing so only after they had played the game several times. When the areas are totally new and you don't know what is coming, the feeling of exploration is awesome. And yes, then when you gain access to BG City, the feel changes completely (in a good way).
Contrast and dynamics are an important part of any type of art. The pastorale sections in a musical piece add to the emotional impact of the more dramatic sections ... like in Rush's awesome song, Red Barchetta.
