'None' of the side quests seems to be rather inaccurate based on the encounters seen in various Streams and vids. And perhaps they remind some a bit too much of elsewhere, or other quests that are not enjoyable. After a decade of NWN1, I tired of rat infestation quests. But as it appears that it is early in the campaign, the idea of the absolute 'none' appears to be in error.
And I played SWTOR solo and enjoyed my time, so this should be even better.
Yeah, "none" is incorrect. The real answer is quite a bit. There are also set-piece battles in that beginning zone as well as being a good reason for roving bands of baddies - you're establishing control over hostile territory. They go away as you start to control the map.
As for people thinking the story is weak, or generic, or non-motivating as some reviewers have stated, I can see where they're coming from. After the prologue you're more or less dumped into the Hinterlands with a plot quest that's kind of vague and power-gated, and then immediately confronted with a HUGE amount of potential side quests. And yes, some of those are fetch-quest type stuff. We're hungry, bring us meat. We're cold, bring us blankets. It's daunting and I think it does act to relegate the main plot to the shadows for a time.
But things clarify and the story builds as you plow through it. And those fetch quests, you have to go talk to those people, they don't demand things of you. They're not keeping you from closing rifts or establishing camps or stopping wars, or any of the more meaty things you can do to increase your power and influence.
IMO it's a matter of perspective and I can certainly understand those who feel a little (or a lot) detached from the plot with fetch quests. But a little persistence solves the problem.