To take flamebait or not, that is the question? I guess I'll bite, it is a game with dragons after all.
This game MAKES you feel endangered
I disagree. If you mindread a few people you will find that Larian has a great sense of humor about it. Apparently contrary to one Phoenix Inn patron, you can wring a few more quests out of the NPCs and grab some extra xp in the process. If you're so endangered why can your character even do all those silly little quests. It only feels rushed if you think the shield is going to fall at any moment. But like any movie made within the last 30 years, the shield never falls until you've acquired some awesome mindblowing power. In fact, if you play to the end, you don't even need to trigger the final sequence until you feel you're ready. Real big rush, eh?
Of course, if you do feel the rush, thrill, and drive to push forward and become engaged with the atmosphere...this is a great thing for Larian. They definitely, need more supporters like you. No sarcasm. Personally, I don't feel it perhaps because I'm jaded from too many games. You need to make me feel it, for it to work for me. Strong storytelling does this. But it does vary from person to person. And I'm glad it worked for you.
