I don't think I have really simplified any of the paths, to be honest. For better of for worse, the game's design has stayed more or less the same over time. If you have something specific in mind, I could maybe you give some more details.
Viewing post in Caliross, The Shapeshifter's Legacy comments
That's still a thing. There are some ways around that: you can find a magical being (a dragon) well hidden in the game, and he can grant you 3 wishes to undo certain paths (so you can in theory see some mutually exclusive content). Then again, that probably counts as making things more complicated. XD