I can literally measure out in turn based mode every meter of the map.

Distance is therefore not abstract.

I can literally start a fight with an enemy at the beach and it can chase me in turn based mode all over the surface map, adding enemies after enemies and allies after allies wherever we go.

I can literally toss enemies from cliffs and buildings seamlessly from one location to another.

Distance is therefore not abstract.

I can see every area of the EA map from Waukeen's Rest's roof or from the Harper lookout. No borders. No shaded out areas. Nope. All appears to be one smooth landscape.

Distance is therefore not abstract.

Campsites exist somewhere in the area not on the map.

Distance is therefore abstract?

It doesn't make sense that harpies would live so close to the grove.

Distance is therefore abstract?

It doesn't make sense that Aradin and company would take so long to travel to a temple maybe 5 minutes jog away, but they've been gone a month and a half.

Distance is therefore abstract?

It doesn't make sense that Aradin and company were prowling around the temple so long, unable to find the entrance to the Underdark in the basement.

Distance is therefore abstract?

Back and forth, it's a weird contradiction.

In BG1 and 2, you had these map locations. You explored them. You got a feel that at least each location was step for step. Whether in combat or not, you were in a set location. It didn't feel exact one minute and abstract the next. Transitions were more gradual.

That said, I know what you're trying to say, but it makes no sense to me in this game.

In BG1 and 2 and others like it, each step could not have been literal on the game maps. Why? Because time passed on the clock quickly. If I did nothing for five minutes, a day might pass in the game. If I explored an entire map, by the end, it might transition from day to night.

So, it felt exact, but it was actually abstract. I get that. Larian's basically doing the same thing. The main difference is that you can zoom in real close and see all the details in all their glory.

Also, is Larian's campsite creations THAT different from original games? In BG1 and 2, I click Sleep button, trigger cutscene showing a campsite not necessarily on the map. It's not like there were exact map locations. You click the button, you camp SOMEwhere, who knows, and when transition ends, you continue the quest. Main difference? BG1 and 2 had random encounters.
BG3 has dialogue and interaction at camp. Not that different really.

So what's the issue? It FEELS weird. It's like it can't make up it's mind. Is it abstract or exact. In the previous games, each location was smaller with borders so you knew. One area was near the mountains. Next was heading into the foothills. It took 2 hours to transition from one to the other. Next is lower paths of the mountains. Took another 4 hours transition from one to the other. Next location was 3 hours away, etc.

BG3 takes what maybe should be multiple map locations and shoves them together with no borders and makes it feel all like one map. AND because you can measure it all out meter by meter, it makes it feel even more exact. AND there's nothing really telling you it isn't, like a clock or something to indicate, "Hey. I only went 2 minutes in RL through the map, but in the game 2 hours past."

Then, on top of it all, you can zoom in real nice - which I love and want even better camera controls - but it does give even MORE of the feeling that everything is very exact and not in the slightest abstract. I can pan that camera ALL around - which I like, again, more please - and I can view EVERYTHING.

Most games make it clear you're on a map that is not meter for meter. If you do enter a meter for meter map, you also know it. There's definitely differences. On the overhead map, your character is huge compared to objects, letting you know the character is a marker, not actual size. On a meter by meter location, everything is to scale. Player knows. Now it's exact, not abstract.

BG3 has nothing like that, and it messes with the reality and immersive-ness.

I'm trying to get some of that immersion feeling by suggesting SOMEthing they could do to at least make it so it feels less nebulous and weird.