So, I've run into a bit of a problem regarding sidequests. It seems like I've outleveled most of them...

Currently I'm level 18 and am ready to move on to Skellige as far as the main quest is concerned, but I'm the kind of person who likes to do everything there is to do before moving to a new area. Some of the Witcher Contracts are in the 20's and I'm fine with coming back to those later - but it seems to me that there are just way too many sidequests and no-one could possibly be at the right level for all of these.

I tend to pick up every quest I can find and do them here and there when I get tired of doing the main quest, or if I happen to be in the right area. My main issue isn't with the number of quests, but rather the fact that they are no longer challenging since I'm such a higher level then what was intended. Plus any gear I'd be finding would be worthless. I'm worried that if I keep going like this I'm going to shoot myself in the foot and run into the same problem in Skellige - but with the main quest, which I'm already two levels above as it is!

What should I do? Forget the low level sidequests and move on to Skellige? Keep doing them and move on after I'm done? Have you guys run in to this issue too? Surely I'm not the only one who is obsessive about finishing side content like this.

Witcher contracts are my favorite quests, and I really enjoy them when they are challenging, so I'm really hoping I haven't already screwed myself for any that are in Skellige. I was actually hoping I'd run in to the quest xp bug so I'd stop leveling so much!

Personally I love sidequests and the more unique ones the better. I don't really care about overlevelling, so if you were to ask what I would do, I'd probably go and do all of the sidequests I could, or as many as I could before I got tired of them before tackling the next part of the story.

That said, you seem super weary of sidequests and being overlevelled at this point, so it's really sounding like maybe you should advance the story at least a little before revisiting those things. I say, going by what you've written here, move on to Skellige.

I started having a similar problem where I started really outleveling the main quest by doing side activities.

In my situation I kinda just let those sidequests go. I am level 15 and my main questline is rated at level 12 which means I kind of have to stop doing side stuff until the main quest catches up. My main fear is that I'll shut myself off from some of those side activities purely through main story progression which is why I save quite often. Just recently I had two quests going at the same time and when I progressed one of them the other suddenly gave me a FAILED screen which was weird. So I reloaded a checkpoint and went on to finish the previously failed quest before moving on.

Ultimately I just don't think you're meant to do everything. The game starts off kinda slow with leveling and money but now I'm making truckloads of cash with nothing to really spend it on and I'm leveling fairly quickly. Maybe a little imbalanced but it does make you appreciate how far you've come.

I love those Griffin school side quest that upgrade my armor and swords. SMALL TIP: The quest for the first run of upgrades can be undertaken really early on as you don't even fight anything if you're careful. Just run to a chest and nab them.

I definitely tried to do sidequests early, somewhat below or at the exact level recommended. But you will overlevel for some quests, that's just inevitable. If I'm not mistaken the grey quests give you less or no xp, so just enjoy their story.

If you'd like it be more of a challenge I recommend not using any signs or potions (or at least limit the use) and maybe bump up the difficulty. There was a contract for a Katakan (vampire) where I only used my sword and dodged, which made the kill a lot more satisfying.

Don't worry too much about that, to be honest. Main quests give you a lot of experience points anyway (I think it scales with your level) and they have often unique goals and mechanics.

And don't worry again and advance the main story. You'll probably gain some levels from that, but Skellige has some fairly tough points of interest on the map and witcher contracts.

I'm all for side quests, especially if they're as well written as they are in this game, well most of'm. But yeah, I'm also a bit overleveled for most of them right now (I'm lvl 14 and just entering Novigrad for the first time) and haven't been really challenged in a while, despite playing on the Blood and Bones difficulty or whatever it's called. Maybe I'll switch to the hardest difficulty. The biggest problem for me are those damn question marks. I tend to check them all out, and usually it's just hidden treasure this, monster nest that...filler crap basically, the same thing I utterly dislike about so many games these days (especially looking at you Dragon Age...)

Still while in other games, like Far Cry, this would be a major issue for me, I don't mind it so much here because the rest is so freakin amazing. Best game I played in years, even beating the Souls games which I'm a HUGE fan of.

If you bump up the difficulty, you get less xp. I was about ~5 levels over the main quest going into Novigrad. I turned it up, and still with doing some side stuff I am 1 level up now that I landed in Skellige

For my experience there seems to be a big disconnect between your gear strength, your level and the recommended levels on quests and the possible loot rewards on those quests. I find myself being one or two levels below recommended for the most part while usually always having gear that are just a few points above the things I find on those same quests. And I am generally always over-leveled for main quests. At some point I just accepted this weird out of synch progress.

The sidequests are excellent so there can't be too many.

It bothered me a bit in the first area but as the story progressed I just kept going back to do side quests when I wanted a break from the main storyline. I finished the game last night and I only had one failed side quest because I didn't get to it in time, mainly because I didn't like the character I was working for in it. Also once I'd finished I ran around for a bit to a few locations on my map and got a random quest which was for level 6 while I'm at level 37 by now, so I don't think you should worry about it.

The game is definitely built in a way where you most likely isn't supposed to do everything before moving on. But I am the same way as you, and it really does screw up the difficulty curve something fierce. Personally I don't mind toooo much since the combat in the end, is not one of the biggest reasons I'm playing anyways. You could try bumping up the difficulty I suppose? I mean, it's hard to see how they could change the game now since leveling is already slowed down to a crawl, and taking away content is a terrible idea.

There are far more than you really need. It's not really designed for you to do them all. You can change difficulty on the fly, so if you're finding it too easy, kick it up a level.

It's tough to balance having enough content to reward completionists while also not screwing up xp gain in a game that doesn't scale its story missions to your level. I think that would be the ideal, rather than removing quests.

That said, I am not a completionist, and I passed up on a good dozen or so quests on my way through the game. My biggest complaint was that the chosen level for these quests was sometimes puzzling. For example, the Nilfgardian camp in SE Velen, which I ignored until the mid-game as I was never sent there, turned out to be a low level area. In another case, a level 16 or 17 contract chained into a secondary mission that was level 14 and gray to me. I wouldn't say this is a common problem, but these things would be easily fixed.

I'm not doing them anymore, unless I can do them after finishing the main quest. It's pretty annoying doing a side quest and then being unable to continue because I'm missing knowledge or the enemy is too overpowered. I don't like RPG mechanics. Anything to make them more bearable.

You don't need to do everything is all.

Some side quests are the best content in the game so far. I am exactly at the same level and position as you and decided to do as many as i could before moving on. You can complete quests that are about 4 or 5 levels above you (way harder on blood n bones though) so if they are green you can do them even if your under leveled.

I am just starting to get a little overleveled (Next main story quest is 11 I am 13) but I have been finding a balance so far, I don't really care if I stop gaining XP I have been able to avoid that so far but I love the side quest so much.

Well, I feel they should also be there for enjoyment. If you don't need to get stronger you can just do them for the immersion/fun moments.

I think there should be more.

I have definitely hit a point where I'm doing fewer side quests and more main story stuff just to get deeper into it, but I appreciate a huge unfinished quest log because when I start a new game there is a high probability that I will end up doing a different combination of quests and hopefully it will alter the way that I experience the story (different characters/plots/equipment.)

For instance getting to Novigrad:

@pete0r: Not spoiling anything, but to comment the game there are actualy several ways.

I'm level 32 and I have over 20 quests yet to do, with a good chunk of them 6 levels or further below me (no exp gain). That said, the stories are worth it for their own sake.

You don't have to do them?

They have a suggested level beside them in the quests section. Just do them when you are at the proper level for them and they will be the right amount of challenge. Trying them too early will get you killed. Trying them too late will make them too easy (unless you just feel like bringing the pain to some weaklings)

Inquisition had the same problem. Mission enemies in these games should just have a hard minimum which tracks to 0-2 levels below your own if you level beyond the default mission level (maybe vary it a little depending on difficulty setting). They should never be scaled down to your level, but I'm all for scaling them up so that they at least still pose some form of challenge. I don't really care about the XP issue, I just don't want to be able to breeze through stacks of content I've outlevelled.

If this proves contentious (what doesn't?), it's a pretty simple choice to give people in the options.

after playing the game for 100 hours i run outta side quests so feel like i can use a bit more side quests before i can put this game down.

Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about the number of quests - quite the opposite actually. There are so many I want to do, but I don't want to outlevel the main quest too much.

And to everyone saying "just don't so them." Clearly you aren't completionists. ;)

With so much side content it seems like it would be a LOT better to turn off point of interest icons and explore the map on your own and pick up whatever sidequests you come across. Sounds much more fun to me. I think I'll do that. I'm no completionist but I can't play this like I have my first ten hours - running from question mark to question mark to clear the map.

Now that I realize older quest give no xp anyway, yeah way to many sidequests. What's the point in doing quests with no rewards? I have main story quests that won't even give me xp anymore, wtf kind of design is that? If the story wasn't actually good, i wouldn't even complete the game. Really bad leveling design IMO.

Doesn't bother me too much, because I can see this game being one I will replay at the very least 2 or 3 times. Currently on my first play through on PS4, planning on playing it again on PC once I can build a new one. I'm planning on doing different side quests that I miss the first time. More content makes me happy!

Just up the difficulty.

Simply, difficulty shouldn't be why you're coming to game. Enjoy the story's of the side quests and forget about progressing with challenge, about 40 percent of the story heavy quests have little to no combat anyway. I tend to find a lot of walking around and talking during most of the side quests which is why you really shouldn't pay attention to out leveling the content.

I'm still on Death March and can't currently comprehend The Witcher 3 and "too easy" in the same sentence.

Or we just got a bad ass over here.