How to start the game properly? | FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Dragon's Dogma Guide

You start the game in Cassardis, a small fishing village that does not stand out with anything in particular

from this chapter, you learn several things that you should knew while starting the game for the first time. There is no point in shopping at the first shop in Cassardis. Start obtaining equipment after you get to Gran Soren. It is best to go to that fortress straight away (this takes place during one of the main quests- you cannot just enter there).

The same goes for specialization selection. This is not a binding matter - in Gran Soren, you can change that, which is why you should start by selecting vocation for your character to test it. If you do not like it, you can simply change it. Some of side quests need to be completed within a time limit (e.g. Flovers Delivery in Cassardis), which is why you should not keep ignoring them.

You gain experience faster, at the beginning of the game, by killing monsters, rather than by completing quests. You can earn your first fortune easily by picking items from the coast - especially in the corner, by Cassardis, you find several thousand coins. Do not buy any healing potions at first and sell the ones that you find, because at the beginning, you will have greater need for money than for potions. Your initial health level does not require specialist mixtures to be replenish and food will do. Watch out for some opponents - the area has been divided in the way that makes you encounter impossible opponents already after several hours of playing.