What quests do you lose when joining a camp?

[Hippias Minor]

So, I'm enjoying doing minor quests for all the camps before joining the Old Camp. But I'm frankly too weak for some of them, and these quests I'm happy to put off for a while. But I'm wondering if, when I do so, I'll be able to complete them when I'm committed to the Old Camp.

In the New Camp, the quests I seem to be too weak for are: (1) dealing with Lefty, (2) taking Shrike's hut, and (3) the damn dam lurker In the Sect Camp, I'm a bit nervous about taking out those bloodflies amidst the swampsharks in order to collect the harvest. Would any of these quests be lost to me if I committed to the Old Camp before completing them?

[Tiago Rocha]

None of those quests will be lost. In fact, I did them when I got away stronger!
I just defeated the swampsharks in chap 4. Don't worry, keep doing all the possible quests, but don't join until you're ready. Save a lot, and you should be fine.
But I recommend you to play a second time, just to try a different approach!

[Hippias Minor]

Awesome--glad to hear it! But as I'm thinking about it...

...are your sure about the one in the Sect Camp? It seems like the whole point of it is to impress one of the gurus in order to get consideration for joining them. (I'm thinking of the swampweed harvest quest.) It just seems like the sort of thing that wouldn't quite make sense after I'm committed elsewhere.

At any rate, though, I might be strong enough for it, so long as I manage to avoid the swampsharks. Those things look terrifying!

[Tiago Rocha]

You should impress the Gurus before joining any camp at all. The ideia is that you do as many quests for all camps as possible. Don't join any camp until the only quests left are the ones where you actually gain a rank in any camp. :)

[Hippias Minor]

Okay, thank you very much...although there seems to be a bit of inconsistency in your answers. But my guess is that I'd better complete that quest in the Sect Camp to impress the guru...but that perhaps I can leave the ones I mentioned in the New Camp for later, since none of those three are explicitly connected to joining the New Camp. Surely they'll still be waiting for me after I'm committed...

[Tiago Rocha]

Sorry, my main language is not English.
The game lets you join one of the three camps, that's your main goal on chapter 1. If you click on your stats menu (B), your profile will show up, with all your skills, level, experience points, etc. But will also tell you what rank you have. Unless you join a camp, that rank won't exist. This also means you have yet to enter a camp. Until this happens, you can do all the quests you want.
This method works in case you are having issues understanding when you'll be stuck with a camp. Save often, and check your stats to see if you have any rank, in case you do, chapter 2 will initiate.

To join the Swamp you have to impress 5 gurus, (4 depending on your choices). The old camp requires you to gather feedback and eventually talk to Gomez. To join the New Camp you need to raise Lares attention by doing favours. They all work in the same way, when the time comes to join a cam, you'll know. Just don't do it, until you are ready.
The perfect time to join a camp, is where you could be accepted in all the three camps, or at least in 2. The main idea in Gothic is to grab the experience, so you really want to do as many quests as possible.
Quests like killing the Lurker, or dealing with Lefty are not to be held in chapter 1, those types of quests will pass on through later chapters, when you can complete them by grabbing yourself better armour and a better weapon.
Because the player is so weak in the beginning, the game makes you do as many quests as possible, avoiding fights. For an instant, in the old camp there is a Templar from the swamp, just by letting him show you the way to the Swamp gets you XP. That is the most important, grabbing the XP.
I'm near Chapter 6 and I only failed at 2 quests, joining 2 camps I didn't choose.

Don't worry, do as many things as possible! Leave the fighting quests for later, they will remain active.

[Hippias Minor]

Excellent--thank you very much! This is very helpful.

Incidentally, I think your English is very good, especially given that it's not your first language.

[Tiago Rocha]

Thank you Hippias Minor, I hope you're enjoying Gothic. :)