As for the original topic/question:
Personally, I prefer a smaller number of companions, with well-developed backstories and more interactions, to a larger number who are less detailed. So even if we would only get 8-10 companions on release, each as detailed as those we already have, it would be fine with me.
I like how the game varies depending on who is currently in your group (and what you already know about them): even after 655 hours of playtime, there is still something new to discover with each new group constellation, and I like the dynamics between characters.
It would be nice if we could have a companion for each PHB class (so 12 companions)- and dwarv, halfling, gnome, dragonborn, half-orc and tiefling companions are still missing.
I´m very confident there will be more "good" companions, but I can not complain about the companions we already got. I think they are very interesting and nuanced, and if anything, I have a hard time deciding who to take along. I like the premise that a group of people, who would in some cases most likely not even talk to each other, has to find a way to work together, in order to survive. I'm curious if/how much the way our Tav interacts with the companions will have an influence on them, in one way or another.
As for the dialogue cinematics: I like them a lot. The performance capture makes the characters come alive, with very lively facial expressions and body language; and to me, this is an important part of why I like this game as much as I do.
I grew up with very text heavy crpgs, and I liked them, but I think animations can show more nuances than I think could be expressed only through text and voiced dialogues: you get additional nonverbal cues, and to me, there is also more interactivity when I have to interprete the character's expressions/gestures myself instead of reading "character xy looks sad". It gets me more invested in the game.
I also like the use of cinematics for insight checks, for example (e.g. Auntie Ethel, Aradin).
I would really like to write more on this forum, but it takes me a lot of time to phrase something in English
