We still know very little about the game, but some key features (removed or otherwise) have been announced, and as you know, some of us are not pleased with some of them.
 
A recent thread brought me to BF3 Blog, a BF3 fan site, and I came across a few of their articles.  I found that they pretty well mirrored my thoughts on how BF3 should be developed.  My hope is that these articles will shed some light for those that are having a hard time understanding where we're coming from.
 
What Battlefield 3 needs to avoid
A short list of things that would be better left out of BF3 (but probably won't).
 
Why Battlefield 3 needs more than 4 classes
A short article that expands one of the previous articles points on why BF3 should have more than four classes.  Not necessarily BF2's seven, but more than four.  It explains the problem with BC2's limited number of classes, and why BF2's seven worked, using Team Fortress' nine as an example.
 
Top 10 things we wish to see in Battlefield 3
A little bonus article that includes things that this veteran hopes makes it into BF3, even if two of them are already out.
 
So far, Battlefield 3 is sounding more like Bad Company 3.  And hopefully, after reading the articles, you can understand why us BF2 veterans are a little upset.  We want a more complex game than BC2 was.  Of course, this doesn't mean I'm at the point of not buying it yet.  I'm waiting to actually see the game before passing judgment.
 
[Edit]
Come on people.  Disappointed =/= hating, boycotting, not gonna buy.  It just means that, so far, two of the major things I wanted in the game aren't.  If <developer> took out <game defining concept> from the sequel to <your favorite series>, you'd be disappointed too.

Yeah, if this was Bad Company 3 it would be amazing, but right now it looks like a remake of BF3 that probably will look better but won't be as good.

Meh, people will blame console sales and whatnot, while saying the XBL sales will be 5x what PC could ever do.  EA wants money, and EA owns DICE.  Maybe if DICE was independent, they would've done something different...but alas. 
 
Also, some guy is going to say "WAIT FOR GDC"...but these random bits of information are putting it on a low note.  -_- 
 
How the fuck do you have 64 players and only 4 man Squads, without any real organization? 
 
It could work on the 360 because KD ratios are the most important thing for your e-penis, but not on the PC with maps that size.

You know, outside of only having 4 classes, I don't see the rest of the complains as anything except people* whining about every little change in their favorite series.  
 
 
*Except the glorious and mighty Ahmad_Metallic, for he is no simple person but a god among men!

You haven't even played the game yet, stop getting your knickers in a twist. Dice know what the hell they're doing, they've been in the business of Battlefield for a long time, and correct me if i'm wrong, but every Battlefield game has got continually better.

" but every Battlefield game has got continually better. "

EA and Dice want some of that sweet sweet mainstream bro gamer money! 
and who could blame'em bro 

Regen effectively killed the genre imo...at least online. As the article says it discourages team work and dumbs down the game. 

" @Gizmo said:

" but every Battlefield game has got continually better. "

BF1942 > BF Vietnam BF2 > BF2142 BC2 > BC2 Vietnam  ....you see the pattern? "

" You know, outside of only having 4 classes, I don't see the rest of the complains as anything except people whining about every little change in their favorite series.  "

While I hope BF3 will turn out great and I am sure I didn't see every piece of information out there I find it weird that people already are disappointed in the game with the little information we have. The only thing that worrys me is the 24 players on consoles 64 on PC thing ... unless they find a smart way to do it I cant imagine how maps that support 24 playes will support 64 as well ... not without one side suffering.

The class number is a complete and total non-issue if you spent any time unlocking things in 2142. They totally fucked up the unlocks in BC2 though, making it seem like it was the limit's fault.

reading now, thank you

I really do not understand this disappointment with the game. I love Battlefield games and most of the changes from BF2 have seemed to be smart changes none of which suggest that it will be a dumbed down console pandering game. The player limit and map size may be a bit weird, not sure how thats going to work but frankly the game so far looks very good and so far we have seen very little to nothing about the game.

" You haven't even played the game yet, stop getting your knickers in a twist. "

" @Gizmo said:

" but every Battlefield game has got continually better. "

BF1942 > BF Vietnam BF2 > BF2142 BC2 < BC2 Vietnam  ....you see the pattern? "

"Fix'd BFBC2V is easily better than bad company 2... "

" You haven't even played the game yet, stop getting your knickers in a twist.  "

"

I haven't seen enough of the game to form any kind of opinion yet.

"

" You know, outside of only having 4 classes, I don't see the rest of the complains as anything except people whining about every little change in their favorite series.  "

Maybe it will be a good game in it's own right. It doesn't need to be a carbon copy of an existing game to be a good Battlefield game.

i don't understand the whole 4 class complaint. BC2's classes weren't terrible, though i'll admit they werent as good as they could be.
 
however, if BF3 built on the BF2142 class model with branching unlocks to give each class two separate but distinct subclasses, then that could be really awesome.
 
If forced to pick between BF2's class system and BC2's though, i'd pick BC2's. BF2's classes were very poorly balanced. engineer being outright useless outside of a tank. the medic being a better assault than the assault. the medic being a better spec ops aside from c4. the sniper being even more useless than BC2's bushwookies. support was rarely needed since people didn't run out of ammo that much and if they did they could pick up another kit, which would probably match theirs since medics were way better than anything else lol.
 
there seems to be alot of panic about the changes they're making, some i can understand alittle bit of concern over, but overall i dont think anyone has enough info about the game to warrent this level of panic. once they announce killstreaks or something crazy like that ill jump on the panic wagon too, but until i see something that i can tell is going to be bad then i'll give DICE the benefit of the doubt. i've loved all the battlefield games so far.

" You know, outside of only having 4 classes, I don't see the rest of the complains as anything except people whining about every little change in their favorite series.  "

" @Ahmad_Metallic: Lol, just because I haven't played BF2 for 12 hours straight, I'm not not allowed to voice my opinion on it? GTFO! "

" Also you are welcome in the Halo and Killzone forums, because guess what, I don't fucking own them! "

"  Also I'm not an arrogant prick.  "

" You know, outside of only having 4 classes, I don't see the rest of the complains as anything except people whining about every little change in their favorite series.  "

" @Enigma777:   
 
here : 
 
@Enigma777 said: 

" You know, outside of only having 4 classes, I don't see the rest of the complains as anything except people whining about every little change in their favorite series.  "

I'm one of the people with all the complaints. so your comment includes me when i said "me" in the previous posts, i didnt mean myself personally. i meant me and every other BF2 junkie with complaints.. if that wasnt obvious, here i am clarifying it. "

" @Enigma777 said:

" @Ahmad_Metallic: Lol, just because I haven't played BF2 for 12 hours straight, I'm not not allowed to voice my opinion on it? GTFO! "

you're not having an opinion when u call me a whiner, you're being ignorant and disrespectful by telling a biker about his bikes while all you drive is cars .. 
I love how you come on here, look at us die hard BF2 fans who'd give our testicles away to have a glorious BF3 we've been dying for, tell us we're "whining", and call it an opinion... 
 
  

" Also you are welcome in the Halo and Killzone forums, because guess what, I don't fucking own them! "

I'm welcome as a passer-by who's checking the shit out or actually has something to say on the matter 
but i highly doubt that you'd welcome me on the KZ3 forum calling you a whiner for wanting something in KZ3 than KZ2 had (and was pretty damn essential), and tell me its my 'opinion' .. what kind of fucking opinion is that ? it doesnt have the definition of an opinion.
you'd call me a PC elitist troll and tell me to GTFO in a matter of seconds. 
 
 
 

"  Also I'm not an arrogant prick.  "

I'm not an arrogant prick. im a person who's spent most of his gaming years bathing in Battlefield 2 and is deeply hurt by the new tragic changes that take some of the franchise's essence away, only to find someone like you come on here and say im bitching and whining. where the fuck do you get off "

" @Ahmad_Metallic said:

" @Enigma777:   
 
here : 
 
@Enigma777 said: 

" You know, outside of only having 4 classes, I don't see the rest of the complains as anything except people whining about every little change in their favorite series.  "

I'm one of the people with all the complaints. so your comment includes me when i said "me" in the previous posts, i didnt mean myself personally. i meant me and every other BF2 junkie with complaints.. if that wasnt obvious, here i am clarifying it. "

If it makes you feel better, I will clarifying my initial comment to include everyone but you. There, happy? You're no longer a whiner, just a really loud and obnoxious complainer... You're welcome. "

Enough.