As a DM, I am perfectly happy with the surface stuff etc. I also love the push mechanics. I let a player try push an enemy overboard during combat in pnp D&D session im running [Ghosts Of Saltmarsh]. It was innovative thinking and outside of the box of just straight combat. It ended up making the encounter a lot easier. I think this is what Larian's aim was. Allowing us to do more and think outside the box. Sometimes there are things in plain sight we don't always see right away that could have made a difficult encounter easy. When I got imprisoned by the goblin priestess. The escape combat I solo'd. Easily killing her and the ogre without taking any damage whatsoever by playing tactically.

Love and sausages xx