Well that didn't take long, I'm a few hours in... and I'm completely stuck. I'm getting wrecked in fights with enemies my level (only level 3, no less!). Heh, Tactician mode seems a little harder this time around... you can't just charm, knockdown, or light everyone on fire on your first turn to win like you could in DOS1. Interesting.
I remember the first game, and how you really had to follow the quests in a fairly strict order in the first 6-8 levels, or it was lots of pain, so I went with Classic mode to start. It does appear, even in Classic mode, the game is pretty punishing if you fight at a lower level than the AI. They either have better gear, or more numbers, either way, it can be rough.
What I do really like, however, is the lack of hand holding. For most quests, unless they mark your map for you (in dialog), you have to figure out where to go, and what to do, based on the dialog (noted in log for some help). This is how RPG's used to be.