I'm hoping the fact that the game is being developed in Germany will result in a more hardcore RPG type game.
I know, you're right that they are going to do what they can to sell it to as many people as possible... it's all about the money. But it's sad to see games change like they are when you've been around long enough to remember the days when a 150 page manual was considered a good thing.
As a matter of fact, just for the heck of it I spent a little time and opened some boxes from my collection.
Fallout 2 had a 150 page spiral bound manual... wonderful.
Each original Realms of Arkania game had a manual with about 100 pages... awesome.
Wizardry 8 had a 130 page manual... loved it.
The Gold box games each had a manual and a Journal book. I know it was a form of copy protection, and some people hated the journals. But I loved every time the game prompted me to read a journal entry... more plot was revealed... it was exciting... but that was years ago (1988 and after).
The list goes on and on... those manuals were part of the game for me. They added "meat" to the game... made me feel like I was really playing an RPG.
As a matter of fact, to this day the first thing I do when I get a new CRPG is not to load it onto my computer, but instead to sit down and read the manual from cover to cover.
I know it's just the ramblings of an old grognard from the early days of PC gaming... and I know that things won't go back to the way they were... but it still makes me a bit sad to see the state of computer RPGs change for what I see as the worst.
However... there are still good and sometimes great CRPGS still being made. I really liked NWN2... and if Drakensang can pull off the feel of DSA like NWN2 pulled off the feel of D&D 3.5 (which I thought was done fairly well considering its real time/with pause - gameplay) I will be very happy.