Is there anyone else that think that the XP you get for finishing quests is way to high compared to what you get from other things like killing enemies? In the beginning you get about 5xp for a kill and 250xp for a quest. I feel this makes the game feel less free in a way, since you are not awarded really for going on your own path and "creating your own adventure". Instead it is much better to just do the premade quests. I have also noticed that the actual xp reward for enemies is not always that even, for example I got more xp for killing a harmless ragstag compared to a dangerous mirlurk.

I don't remember if it was the same way in the previous Fallouts that you where very very rewarded for questing, but not so much other things. But then again I feelt you had more freedom in the quests also before so that was not so bad.

I have always thought that the "xp system" if you can call it that, in the ES series have been leaps and bounds above anything else in the genre, just because it maximize the potential for freedom. You don't have to do a single quest to develop your character if you don't want to. You can just do whatever you want, and you will develop your character as much as a person who just does quests. Now I understand if the way ES increases skills based on what you are actually doing, like your swordskill goes up when you use your sword and your lockpick skill goes up when you lockpick might not "fit" Fallout (but when I think about it I don't know why it would not). But it could still have a more even reward scheme so questing is not always totally mandatory almost if you want to go up in level anytime soon.

I wish killing gave more XP to even it out as well.

I feel , almost, forced to do the quests just to level at a consistent pace.

Plus, random encouters seem rather scarce as well.

The ES system is broken in practice. Letting yourself get hit by a mudcrab to let yourself level up your heavy armour is a common thing.

As for quests XP, it is more rewarding earlier on, but late games enemies start giving around 50+XP a piece. With Idiot savant, you will certainly earn a quests worth of XP from a single battle.

Unless you're unlucky.

Ragstags aren't harmless, though, since they lead you right to the mirelurks and other aggressive enemies.

This type of unevenness is common in a universal XP system RPG, though. Whether that is good or bad has been debated for years and probably always will be since it's pretty subjective.

I don't agree that it is broken. Sure the specific example you mention about the mudcrab is one thing, but if you want to practice your blocking skill you can go out and let yourself be attacked and block. You are practicing blocking. It makes sense that you will get more skilled at it. I understand this freedom also can be "abused" but that is a part of giving the player the freedom, and I would not even say that is broken either, you would still have to spend time training your skill. It is way more realistic then you going out to bring back a lost teddybear to a girl and then you get better at blocking (because you spend the xp you get on your blocking)

I would actually like some sort of diminishing return though on the skill you are practicing to better balance the thing you are talking about. Perhaps the first 5 minutes of training blocking you increase it a lot, but the more you increase it the less return you get, so you will actually be better off waiting a day or so before practicing again. It actually makes sense also, because in reality you learn better by doing something regulary but not to much. (like practicing playing the piano one hour a day for 100 days is better then doing it for 100 hours straight)

Quests being the main source of exp has been a staple of any RPG out there, its kinda one of the ways they are suppose to be attractive to do, out of a gameplay perspective (tho other obviously being story)

And honestly ya still "creating ya own adventure" by being able to choose which quest you do in which order, or if you chose to do them at all, etc.

Considering you get XP from so many sources, it's not that bad. Crafting, killing, hacking, picking locks, and questing all give you experience, which you're doing practically all the time. Then there's dialogue checks, but they're less accessible.

Questing just gives the most XP because they have a process to them and are delayed in their rewards. I can kill several enemies, grab a location or two in the same area, and crack open at least 3 terminals and/or locks within the time I complete a quest, and collectively they give about the same experience.

I never care about leveling in a single person game. The slower, imo, the better.