Thanks. That sounds somewhat reassuring, at least, especially that "based on player feedback" part.
I don't care for the Ultima V-style zoomed-out overland mode. Yet even the towns look empty and, frankly, quite crude. Yet you mention Ultima VII-style interactivity. Did they address this disparity?
And why the hell would they focus on combat in their prototype? Nobody ever played any of the good Ultimas because they enjoyed the combat!