CRPGs are best when they create atmosphere, immersion, drawing you into the game world, you need a sense of the real/mundane/everyday to keep you grounded in a world full of magic and monsters. Small things like weather and the passing of the day are intrinsic to this and I just cannot fathom how they don't deem it important.
Different people find immersion in different things! For me cinematic dialogue is very important for creating immersion, and for you it is not important. For me day/night cycle and weather are not important but for you they are.
I can understand both sides. Personally, I find cinematic dialogues one-sidedly immersive. The animations like the encounter with the Owlbear are nice and the non-verbal narration is great, but cinematic dialogues are only really immersive in your own native language.
I'm also ambivalent about the weather. I like summer and sunshine can always stay that way. In the predecessors I almost always rested so that I play during the day. As a result, for years I even didn't notice that there was a Shadow Thief merchant in Waukeen's Promenade. xD
On the other hand, I find the 5e gimmick spells & cantrips such as Prestidigitation, Druidcraft and many more super exciting to test in interaction with weather effects and surfaces. Of course the size of the surfaces need to be reduced at least by 25%. Blood effects for surfaces I also find exaggerated.
