Actually Dodie you bring up a great point with the Festival of the Hunt because it's NOT a side quest. You have to do it, and that was a major moment for me in the game when I realized that there weren't many options or choices in what I wanted to do. For example, the Hunt would have been great if you had the option to do it, and even if you did it, to go back and do it again later. But no. And you're right that there are some other things that eventually you can get to. I said it matters what disk, because heck I've played 45 hours by the time I'm on disk 3, and that's the first time I start getting any side quests? Too little too late in this game IMO. And even in some of these quests there weren't many big payoffs. I just didn't dig them, nor see the relevence. They felt half assed and though they were just sort of thrown in to say they were there. But I don't know.

@ LOAF - Oh come on man, you did not complete IX in 20 hours. :-) I'll need some proof on that one.