Ok, the short version for those that don't want to read that essay is that in the original, your party was completely your family tree -- sure, they died, new ones born, but it was yours. In this one, they also introduce a permanent cast/party member that takes up 1 slot in your team and this pissed off fans to infinity. They no longer felt like they were fighting for their family, but for this permanent party member they weren't even 'related' to.
That said, the mechanics/systems that were loved in the original were by and large -improved-. There were a few issues (mostly related to costs of things, etc) that caused issues and have been [from what i can tell] patched.
The above essay says gameplay systems are even more refined than the original, which were beloved. So I think we're fine 'gameplay' wise.
There is no overall time limit like in Atelier games, where i'm out just like you. The only time limit is that each character eventually dies... but you get new, stronger ones to take their place. There is no overall time limit... you never 'lose' the game and miss out on anything, you just send new, stronger units in to finish the dungeon or whatever. That doesn't bother me at all, though Atelier style time limits are definitely a no go for me.
