I hope fucking not that DPC got rid of the RomCom/Comedy elements. This is a college story, with a Fraternity and the whole premise is still College Adventures. If DPC gets rid of the comedy early on, well:
(i) This game will be one long melodramatic spiral because if he can't use comedy and lightness to keep the plot going and interest high, he will use melodrama, and once you start there, you always need to top yourself.
(ii) Derek will be useless and something will be done towards him. Main comic relief guy isn't going to survive or fit well into this Nicholas Sparks story.
(iii) DIKs will either become like Derek, things to phase out, or, worse, also become a font of even more drama (please God no).
(iv) this game will be a chore. Sure, it will still have DPC's great writing, but it will indulge on his worst habits and tendencies, specially for overdramatic moments and 'events'. The entire premise is based on the American Pie/Animal House story, and DPC himself said it'd be much lighter than AL and stuff (or so I remember). If this drastic change is done, so early, it's because DPC decided to say fuck it and indulge himself in the worst way possible. And that's how we gonna get WoT later books.