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[rSt]

d2 builds yes - but WoW builds are (not expert here!) based on many many skills usable at the same time. That's a difference

I see your point, but can you really compare WoW, which differs in so many ways? Its gameplay is based around playing in groups, while D3 offers you the option to see every single piece of content playing solo. Classes in D3 don't really have roles (sure, barbarian looks like he can be better tank than demon hunter, but it's more of a playstyle matter than 'role'), so things like healing, or tanking skills aren't needed here at all. I, myself, would love to have say ~20 skills to choose from, but it really doesn't feel different than d2, that's why i'm optimistic. At least till I'll get to 60

[GuN]

Well WoW is a way more complex compared to Diablo 3. Beside the fact WoW PvP has resilience, i think lesser spells will make the game easier to balance and a way more fast pace. In the beginning of the beta we had as bednarz wrote the complete flexibility of choosing our skills and now the skill system had a huge redesign. Im quite unsure about the whole  idea of dividing all skills into categories, but the balancing problem should had a big influence. For exsample take a look at the monk. Could you ever imagine a proper pvp build without breath of heaven and serenity at the same time ? Having categories will solve in my opinion the problem between, having a powerful class or an overpowered class.

[Jonias]

You are able to place which ability on what place you want. There is an option in the gameplay settings. I think it is called Elective (and something else) Really, try it.

[Bednarz]

and a lot of those "funny and cool" spells i read about few months ago are in the same "skill tree"(?) so i can't use them freely as i want.

you can, open game settings, gameplay options, tick "elective mode", enjoy

ye but it's still only 6 spells

not trying to be an expert here, but iirc most d2 builds oscilated around the same amount of skills/spells usage

not for all classes (and i mean pvp wise) + only 4 "skill slots" that you can use probably means that there will be no items with "abilities" (such as enigma/cta etc. from d2) and smaller number of buttons will be good and bad at the same time - game will be "easy to learn" for the newcomers, and it will force more advanced players to make though decisions which skills should they use, on the other hand if d3 will have the same "pattern" as d2/wow (some skills will be usesfull only in pve, "perfect builds" etc.) - by lowering the skill number blizzard will probably try to make them all equal (or divide them into pve/pvp skills) and the number of "good epic skills" will be rather small - we can even end with 4 usesfull skills for pvp like in dota/lol and the rest will be used only as a fillers/good locking-lag making abilities, however it's hard to make any statements now - the game will be changed in patches/expansions, and pvp section of game is still a mystery (even for blizzard perhaps)

You are able to place which ability on what place you want. There is an option in the gameplay settings. I think it is called Elective (and something else) Really, try it.

ye i found it, and loved it from the start - but it still means no "aura mixing" but "mantras" probably have cd/gcd anyway

[ness]

I'm ok with limiting number of skills in use. More is not always better imo even less is better if it does not restrict players' options too much. Imo in this case those several (7 or 8 ) bindable skills will be enough.

What I don't like is steering.
Contrary to D2 where you gotta bind skills to keys then by pressing that binded key chosen skill was mapped to left/right mouse button in D3 skills are executed just by pressing binded key. You don't have to map them then aim and execute by clicking rmb/lmb)
While it's better and more efficient way to execute non-targetable skills (like selfbuffs or some nova like attack spells that are always centered on players' avatar) it pretty much sucks with targeted skills (single or aoe doesn't matter).
It's just unnatural way to execute them because you gotta time pressing a key with one hand and aiming a skill with the other.
It might not hurt that much in PvE because you don't have to execute skills and move there precisely also probably you will be able to play efficiently with standard binds (no elective mode) and with default settings targetable skills (which are grouped in primary and secondary skill categories) will be binded by default to mouse buttons, but in PVP it's gonna suck.
I'm pretty sure that there will be many pvp builds employing 4 or 5 targetable (by mouse cursor) skills and players will be forced to use 2 or 3 of those skills from keyboard with limited precision.

btw it's not my research or theorycrafting based on 2 days of D3 beta.
Path of Exile uses same system and I'm in PoE alpha for about a year now.
Still I can't switch or force myself to cast a fireball or corpse explosion directly from keyboard.
It's like half of tries miss a target by a wide margin while if I rebind them on mousebuttons I hit where I want to pretty much every time.

Some kind of workaround might be option to bind some skill to mouse function buttons (thumb button and so on) but still it's less comfortable then classic RMB/LMP remapping. Dunno if it's possible now, forgot to check that last weekend.