As a player in the game you've documented here, I think there's a good rule to follow when designing a module, which is something like "If your players' stated goal is to make it through Door A, don't just lock Door A and put all of the fun behind Door B. Chances are, your players will spend more time breaking your lock then just taking what they've been told is the WRONG door."
In the case of this module, "Door A" is "Complete your journey across the ocean," which led us all to create characters who are hyper-capable of doing exactly that. But I think the module seems to want players to make a lot of obviously bad decisions (like wantonly exploring spooky sidequest stuff) in order you to find the Fun Bits.
As a player in the game you've documented here, I think there's a good rule to follow when designing a module, which is something like "If your players' stated goal is to make it through Door A, don't just lock Door A and put all of the fun behind Door B. Chances are, your players will spend more time breaking your lock then just taking what they've been told is the WRONG door."
In the case of this module, "Door A" is "Complete your journey across the ocean," which led us all to create characters who are hyper-capable of doing exactly that. But I think the module seems to want players to make a lot of obviously bad decisions (like wantonly exploring spooky sidequest stuff) in order you to find the Fun Bits.
Sounds like a great game! So nice that you are acknowledging the creators by name! Lots of talented artists and creatives make these games succeed