Sadly Bethesda just reassured me that they don't have a clue what made Fallout1/2 great.
The presentation of Fallout 4 was underwhelming.
First. For a RPG there was next to no talk about you know "role playing". No mention about C&C. They just said there's a lot of stats. Wow thanks.
Second thing. Fallout was dark, often depressing game with heavy atmosphere with small dose of dark humour here and there. Fallout 4 was presented as cheerful sandbox do what you want game. Where everything is easily obtainable. No fight for survival whatsoever. Just collect stuff and play with it with happy music in the background.
Third. Fighting system still looks clunky as hell. And easy as hell so it will get boring pretty fast ... again.
Its a shame that the only successor to this great series that comes remotely close to originals is New Vegas ...not made by bethesda.
Pip Boy was cool tho
I was a bit worried too about it.
Atmosphere: Well, they got rid of the green filter. yes, it made the world look more apocolyptic, but most people hated the filter so I can easily see why they got rid of it. That being done, I liked the filter cause I did feel like it made the area feel more wasted. I think they did an excellent job of having it more colorful and still feel like a post apocalyptic wasteland.
Also, the bomb site is going to be a lot more wasted/less colorful look. Look at the image of the deathclaw, that's from near the bomb site.
RPG wise: This I'm not sure of. Not until I can see how dialogue works out. But... they have said they worked more on making the storyline branch a lot more. That says that yes, they did pay attention to the fact it is a roleplaying game. And now you can fail quests without dieing too. So things like that says to met hey haven't forgotten it's a roleplaying game. (Yes, I worry like you so that was a little re assuring there).
I don't know what C&C is supposed to mean...
As for no fight/survival? Well, Todd has said that it is going to be a bit like Vegas in that different areas are going to have different levels of mobs (you'll have some areas where the mobs are 30+ higher levels). So you will have to worry about going into an area where your butt will be kicked. It sounds like the lower level areas though level up with you so that they don't get too easy.
Also, they are going to have radiation storms you will have to worry about. That definitely is a survival aspect.
No, this doesn't mean that it may still kinda suck for that stuff, but I do think those things they mentioned does say they haven't forgotten people like that stuff. They've also said they haven't told us everything about the game yet (maybe there is a hardcore mode).
Anyways, I understand your fears. I'm saying though I wouldn't completely write it off yet because there is also some hints that we don't need to worry so much about those fears (I mean, it is Bethesda so I wouldn't expect ti to be New Vegas level but it sounds like it may not be "they dumbed it down to not being an RPG and having no survival" levels either).