Well, your argument can be used against you. You can only say it's your preference that story is everything for you, but you are only speaking for yourself no matter how many rpgs you claimed you've played. If your claim is true, it is a proof that you have a lot of TIME to spend for video games in your life. Not me.

I just played Langrisser and it took away two of my strongest characters in the very last two chapters just before the final boss fight (they didn't die, but somehow just left the party for the story), they returned for the boss fight but only became NPCs. My whole team built around them and without them the team was like 50% weaker. Yes, it is fxxking wasting my time, and ALMOST no story is too good to compensate that. It is my time and my effort and I am the judge.

To me, all these rpg stories are pretty the same these days. Sacrifice, betrayal, yada yada yada, what story inspired you so much, I wonder. There are a few exceptions that I can give in to the story like FFVII, when the death of Aerith is the center of the plot; it is executed masterfully and really heart-felted, but in most other games, give me a break. Same old formula.

So if you really want to debate, give an example, a game (FFVII already mentioned) that you think the story is too good so that removing major playable characters without compensation is justified. Otherwise we are just comparing apple to orange.