It's so strange, but I feel the exact opposite. I despise those cinematic games where I feel like I'm less in control and actually playing than watching a movie. Even in those games, the dialogue I WANTED was never there. I feel much more connected with characters in a world where you can use your imagination than other linear games that force your development and hold your hand. I don't want or need to be the center of attention or have my ego stroked like so many other games out there. That feels fake. THAT feels robotic.
I'm a very visual creature. I do agree that its more fun to be in control than to watch cutscenes. But I find characters in a game like Mass Effect, like the Witcher 2, feel more alive. Their voice, their faces, their movements all have personality. I understand what you mean though. You feel more on rails. I could agree with that. Honestly, I might have a better opinion of the game, at least visually, if animations weren't so stiff and wierd. As the author of the article in the first post, its starting to be tough to swallow brooms appearing out of thin air 2011.
I think what makes the game feel so soulless, what keeps tearing me right out of immersion and reminding me I'm playing a game (a clunky one at that), is the limited dialogue characters throw at you. Guards in every city say the same thing. Things that should be unique flavour to a single character. And that dialogue doesn't chain well.
I just saved Skyrim from dragons. One guard'll clamour "YOu're the Dragonborn! You saved us all." The one right next to him'll say, "Get away, sneak thief!"
A companion will greet me as "You are a friend I value greatly!" and then says "Pheh, what could a whelp like you possible teach me?!"
Its too all over the place. Its not thought out and not believeable.
But I do RP more. I use my imagination. I'm often saying aloud things my character would say, things that will explain what I'm doing next. GF thinks I'm wierd too.

In conclusion, I think Bethesda would do well to cut back on silly stuff like this. Stop with the stupid endless greetings, and put more effort in your dialogue trees. In fleshing out more specific npcs.
In my opinion, it would be fine to have tons of "cannon fodder" npcs. à la Assassin's Creed. Just npcs there to crowd the streets. And then you have your specific, fleshed out npcs.
Take whiterun, keep all the NPCs it has now, all the quest givers, and then add the crowds. Have the important characters greet you, give them visual presence.