When do you steer away from the main story and do some sidequests?

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For me, I wait until I get my party together the way I really want it.

 

Same for me. I get as close to my intended party as I can and then go off exploring all the side maps.

 

I tend to do it by areas. If I'm in an area and there's a miscellaneous quest to pick up, I do it. There's no time limit on the great majority, so even if the objective is in a different area, it can wait. Gurke in the Jovial Juggler in Beregost, for example. The first time through Beregost, I deal with everything there (including the spider house) and pick up all the quests. When I actually do them depends on when I'm in the area that the quest objective is in, which for Gurke's cloak means heading to Cloakwood in Chapter 4. If I'm doing someone a favor, they can damn well wait until I'm ready.

Of course, which areas I visit when can be pretty influenced by putting together my party. If I want Kivan, I'll probably head to High Hedge fairly early, if I want Xan or Coran or Yeslick, I'll probably stick mostly to the main quest areas until I'm to them. But I'm not going to bypass quests that are right there. Greywolf always bites the dust the first time I head to the Nashkel Mines area, regardless of how many people I have. It may end up being hard, but I usually don't use those healing potions anyway, so...meh.

In the end, it means your party is higher level sooner. Because with a smaller party the experience is split fewer ways, and when your additional party members join, they may be at a higher level because of your party's higher level. Of course, that can be a bad thing if you want to distribute skill points or proficiencies differently than the higher level version do, but I almost always take my thieves very early; typically Imoen, PC, or Monty. And the proficiencies are pretty well proportioned for how I would use the NPCs anyway, plus there's always a little editing if they're not.

 

Well, I don't actually decide at any point that I should go doing sidequests. I just happen to stray from the path from time to time, sometimes doing plenty and sometimes doing only one or two quests.

 

When I get to Beregost, which is usually when I have the party I want. Plus, there's my stash barrel at the JJ.

 

Whenever the feeling to explore kicks in even tho I already know what's waiting for me... basicly, it can be at any moment.

 

I have a fairly set routine. If I want Viconia in chapter 1 (i.e. early on, instead of waiting until after Cloakwood) then I'll pick her up while looking for Joia's Flamedance Ring.
Then in Beregost, I'll take a west turn to High Hedge and pick up Kivan, then completing the Melicamp and Bassilus quests.
However, I only really branch out after completing the Nashkel mines. From there I go all over the map, completing all of the awesome wilderness areas before stopping in on Tranzig at Beregost. Then I go to Peldvale and Larswood and clear the bandits, before going to the camp (I used to get to the camp by 'joining' the bandits...these days I just end up entering normally and letting heads fly).
After Cloakwood, the Farm area, Wyrm's crossing etc. and then Baldur's gate of course.

 

More or less the same for me. I'll usually stick to the main plot until I'm done with the Nashkel mines. I will do the quests in Beregost and the gnoll fort before the mines. After the mines I'll branch off if I have most of the team I want, or push on and do the bandit camp if not. Invariably I'll do a efw sidequests before Cloakwood, even if I want one of the NPCs there. I think there are too many tough fights in Cloakwood if you haven't strayed from the plot a bit by then.

 

i tend to pick-up Khalid and Jahira then work my way down to the mine. generaly taking branwen and a random with me, solwing that. then i go of doing sidequest and tweaking my party.

 

Depending on wich class my PC will be then count me in...

 

I try to do the quests that are in a general area all at once to save on the traveling. There are probably quite a few quests I have never done. I usually only do the best rewarding and essential quests by time I get to Baldurs Gate.