Oh? You mean they replaced a hook to motivate players with... the bland start we have now, and wonder why the press doesn't get hooked?
Not saying that start specifically has to be it, but emotional hooks and generally a motivation to engage a game needs to be there, or it fails utterly as an RPG.
I do not think they replaced it
Most probably, it has just not made its way into alpha yet. At the very beginning of alpha Swen mentioned in one of the numerous videos, I think, that in the alpha build you begin right on the beach without any introduction. There should be a proper introduction in the final game.
