I like to thoroughly explore areas - I go down one path, then when it looks like I might be about to progress the story ("What's that? Werewolves standing ahead looking like Plot? Not yet!") I backtrack and explore other paths. I make sure I go down every path and gather the loot or whatever is there.
The massive areas in this game are a maze of interlocking pathways and it seems you can even cut through areas off the path too... The lack of logical routes to follow means that fully exploring an area is going to be an absolute nightmare, if not impossible... and yet I know I'll probably try anyway, and have a nervous breakdown because of it.
Please note, this is not me criticising the game - it looks like an amazingly realistic living world BW have created. This is mostly just me lamenting my own lack of self-restraint and mourning in advance all the countless hours I'm going to be wasting in this game just to find "leather boots x1" or a random sprig of spindleweed... and still missing a bunch of stuff anyway.
As a completionist/perfectionist person and player, I surely feel your pain.
- Let me guess, you feel like you have to get it all in the first playthrough? Even though you realize full well, that in a future playthrough, you can potentially find almost everything important especially since you know where the loot is located? Of course, it drives you nuts when certain "important" loot is randomly generated and changes after each save/load. ("Important" being defined by you, as you see it.)
- I hate the constant feeling like I missed some loot, then I realize it was something worth 3 bronze that I spent 30 minutes searching for. Don't get me started on the Leather Boots, lol.
- Or how about in the middle of a long quest and your backpack is full? That drives me nuts, what do I drop and what do I keep? "Oh my God, I can't possibly drop that item, my Inquisitor or one of my companions might need that later in the game." It might be the difference in me defeating the Elder One or failing? Grr...
- How about collecting herbs like there is no tomorrow because there might be that one difficult fight later in the game where you need countless potions to get through alive on your umpteenth attempt? You know there is always one battle somewhere in the game which gives you grief.
- How about spending hours crafting items to get it "just right" by comparing every single stat? Then, you now have to do the same with EACH companion. Ouch!
I think you get the idea...