DT involves multiple genre-type elements: some western (the "old/dusty/moved on" thing), some ordinary (think NY city), some horror (creatures/violence/death), some fantasy (alternate societies, jumps in time etc.) - to me, it just seems that there will be plenty of other opportunities for those kind of effects (stargates, glowing symbols) without treading on the "moved on" stuff. I think it's crucial that, as much as they may have changed, they preserve some of Roland's "wandering the dusty plain" identity/background - he's an utterly human being, albeit one with a singular background.

Also, and I admit that my memory is rusty of most DT details, but - aren't Roland's guns free of magic etc.? I thought his firing of the guns was a product of skill and well-crafted guns, no magic to fuel a glow etc. - again, I don't want a Star Wars-y DT (not criticizing SW; it's just a good example of what I don't want DT to be).