Well, I finally caved and bought the game, and am in the terrible starting phase where even common Looters can be hard to run down.

I tried the MP, and it was pretty neat, although I got discouraged pretty fast when I had 1 kill to 45 deaths. Without a horse, you're just in big trouble, and it wouldn't let me buy a horse, so yeah.

The new map, faction and merchant quests are pretty neat. As I'm still just starting, and basically just running around with a dozen Vaegir Recruits, I can't speak on any of the other new plot features like marriage or feasts.

Before I knew how to couch my lance in M&B, I found combat a nightmare. Not even that it was hard, but more that it took forever, since the enemy could rarely hit me, and I could rarely hit them. Countless times I'd thrust with my lance, watch the tip pass right through a head or shoulder or torso, but deal no damage because it didn't hit the hitbox.
I don't mind things like auto-couch or a wider mounter sword radius, because for me they make up for the fact I have to play using a 2D monitor. If they wanted to balance combat, formations would have gone a longer way, IMO.

I'm sure I'll enjoy the game more when I have a few months worth of game-time under my belt. I really hate the starting phases, though, so for now I'm just trying to grind it out.