I agree with you generally.
DA:O is a classic RPG. A big bad evil is coming to save the world, and the inexperienced young warrior must now save it against all odds, bringing different people with their own problems together.
DAII was something else- it was personal, it was small scale and it was VERY detailed in the personal lives of the characters - and that was it's point.
People seem to mistakenly think (and Bioware unfortunately made some bad advertising choices to encourage that belief) that the plot of DAII is, eventually, Templars vs. Mages, with some minor Kunari plots mixed in the middle.
That is, in fact, just not true.
DAII is the Sims of RPGs - you have a character, she has a family and friends, she's looking for work to gain money, gets into all sorts of messes, etc.
What this game has that other games lack is the sense that your friends are real people - I remember how much I enjoyed watching Fenris and Verric talk to Avelin regardless of their relationship with me, or Elves' reactions to Merril when they see her. It made the NPCs feel far more alive than DA:O NPCs (some of which may have had great stories and quests, but it still felt more like an old person telling you his life story instead of you living it with him).
It's true that the choices you made had very little consequences in the game. But you know what? So did DA:O and DA:I. Those games were great at pretending, but eventually there was very little true difference in consequences (though I admit, there was a lot of difference in gameplay and available options).
I always like to give the final battle as an example: what is the difference between having elves or werewolves in the final battle? Different graphics. It's not that elves (being archers) prevented the AD from jumping around by shooting arrows over his head, or that the werewolves somehow reduced the number of enemies you had to fight in melee combat.
Even in the landsmeet, there is very little REAL difference in consequences. The only really big difference is whether or not you take Logain as a companion.
Not that DA:O was a bad game, but the main difference is that is was based on world plot, while DAII is more personal and VERY different in its concept, which I think is fantastic.
Of course, neither of these games come close to BGII, which seems to have had all the good aspects of BOTH games, but that's neither here not there 
There was also very little conquensions in DA2. None of your actions bloody matter, but people tend to gloss over that sense they clearly what another DA2. I hate DA2, I hated Hawke. They weren't down to earth, they were lucky bastards that got away form the horrors of Kirkwall without dying in the process. I pefer the Warden, becuase although they'd don't speak, they're far more personal to me. This is also why I happen to like Skryim, too. They're unvoiced, and yet people don't make a big kaboom about the Dragonborn not having a voice besides shouting.
And in the Landsmeet? Remeber drunken Alistair? That's choice for you, I personally pefer DAO becuase I have a very special love for Alistair (which will never dimish. Ever.) And I love how my Queen Cousland went from this blunt, happy go lucky young woman living happily in Highever to a strong, ambious battle hardened woman that was in love with Alistair. Yea, I like having free choices. Btw, nobody awnsers me when I type "your choices in DA2 don't matter what so ever". I wonder why? If I'm wrong, tell me rightly so. But I know I'm right, and that certain people are under the impression that I'm bluntly honest about my oponion about DA2.
I am, becuase DA2 was like a REALLY long DLC, it was like the Awaking of the two other games. I agree with the other person who said this, thank you. And by the way, the Dalish were fine for me, they shot enemies, which is what they were programmed to do. They didn't block me, although I do know they died like dominos if the Darkspawn hit them once. The Werewolves? I don't know, sense I always allied with the Elves. I assume they're very proficient at there job. And so what? Less enemies, the better right?
And btw, I pefer DAO's way of collecting companions. They came to you (like Leliana), or tried to kill you (Zevran), or just some random guy you let of jail (like Sten), or someone who saved your life (like Morrigan), or were with you sense the beginning (like Alistair), overall, I think companions in Origins were more like orindary people trying to what's right, and at the end of the day, you know they'll be at your side as you make relations at camp. I love the warm, personal aura of camp. It mad DAO feel very special to me.
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I'm glad they toned that down in DA3 even though they recycled the mage animations.
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