I think the bit about the battlegrounds really speaks to me: I found them pretty hard going and a celebration of quantity over quality. I think it's safe to say that they learnt from it and subsequently ED, D:OS and now it appears D:OS II have a much more handcrafted soft of feel to them for the most part.
I also found the aesthetics of BD to be rather hard going too: too much red and black and generally alien-looking stuff. Which I guess was the point, but I like greenery. Again, the subsequent games gave me the greenery I want.
