Great thoughts, but too much! Too much! Action games become a lot less interesting as they become more complicated. I say, if there are horses, you can ride them. If you buy the Horse-Riding skill, your combat penalty reduces and eventually becomes a bonus. It could also help to control the creatures if they panic.
I don't like the idea of a travelling interface for some reason. I think the maps in Divine Divinity were a very good size. You could travel between places without it feeling like a drudge (mostly because of the beautiful scenery), and for really long distances, you have the Teleporter Pads. I do agree that you should be able to select a destination by clicking on the map, though. The travelling just happens in the main game screen.
