I think a problem with how people are looking at this is treating it more like skipping Two Towers in Lord of the Rings, or multiple volumes of the Wheel of Time (although that sounds like the RIGHT move arguably) when its probably more like reading Discworld out of order. Or to use a gaming based comparison, they're treating this as if it were missing episodes in a Telltale series or Mass Effect when its really more like Suikoden or perhaps Dragon Age, where you'll benefit from having played other installments but can appreciate them alone.
I can see skipping to, say, Cold Steel II or Ao/Azure being an issue though and more like the former, but they're avoiding that.