First time on the forums in a while, and this is also my first time looking at the upcoming changes, so here is my initial reaction. A lot of this seems likely to just make the game more tedious and complicated. Berry bushes, fat, ladders, and some of the smithing sounds pretty rough. I'm looking forward to rivers and waterwheels, though.
Also, is item bloat of any concern? Doesn't it make searching for anything harder?