Does this game get more interesting once you've joined one of the camps? Does the story really unfold? Because right now, all I'm doing is running around doing quests for people. not a lot of fun, but my hopes are still up.

Hmm, it'll stay the same somehow. You'll keep running around doing quests for people, but it'll involve more fighting outside. Of course the story will unfold further once you join one of the camps, but especially the first time after joining includes little quests for members as well. After that, the story and quests take a wider scope. Anyway, part of the fun in Gothic is to immerse in the environment with all its little competing factions and choosing your way. Less action, more role-play, which switches in the later parts of the game, when your character has become stronger.

It is the best formula for this sort of game to have you start at the bottom of the chain. There would be zero fun beyond five minutes if you floated around as a god simply wiping out everyone with no effort. It means you're forced to learn what life is like there and given goals. It also encourages you to come up with inventive ways to get around obstacles. There are a ton of ways to be sneaky and beat monsters you shouldn't be able to or rob people to get access to higher level equipment before you can afford it legitimately.

I'm not saying I don't like the weakling or the difficulty part of the game, I just am having a hard time really enjoying the gameplay. And you're right, the game really widens up as you join the camps. I just joined the old camp going to fighter-thief route. It is pretty fun so far. :)

Glad to hear you're having more fun. It keeps getting better.

Good stuff. It's a game that really does benefit from a player who enjoys experimenting and pushing the boundaries, kind of like Ultima 7. It's fun as well to try and fight a monster or character way out of your league, because sometimes you can get lucky or clever and win despite the odds. Really makes it feel like an achievement if you do something you "weren't meant to (be able to) do". I like games where I can freely wander and also easily get my ass handed to me by blundering into powerful enemies. Go nuts with it! :D

Also, the game has some replayability thanks to the different character builds and faction choices, etc.

The quests at the beginning can be tedious but as you've noticed the game opens up once you join a camp

Later in the game if you haven't got there already, you will be doing some dungeon crawling as well so there's a nie change of pace.

Just hang in there, when I finished Gothic 1, it became one of the best RPGs I played :)

I'm not sure if "opens up" is the best description, since the game only gets more and more linear from then on.

But yeah, the story doesn't really get rolling, until you've joined a camp.

All I meant by "opens up" was you could start to explore more of the game world without having the scavenger blocking your way lay the smackdown on you. Instead of having to avoid the scavenger, you can whack him and explore what was once closed off.