Yep, or something like in Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun series. A hub and missions. The TDE Blackguards games were structured similarly.The original Pool of Radiance (at least in my memory) was something of a tactical game, where you were offered "jobs" which usually meant going into a mission, defeating some enemies and then going on the next job. It seems this was a good fit for a rpg with a deep and complex rule system. I like Baldur's Gate type of games as much as the next player, but a tactical, mission based D&D game (x-com style if you will) seems to me like an easier approach, especially for an unknown developer.
I miss exploration and freedom in this type of games though.