Can you make a list of these greater than three to four story and quest designers? Also, how many of them had an important role on Fallout: New Vegas? (which as I said earlier, is the critical game in Obsidian's history despite the greater fan nostalgia for the earlier AvelloneGames such as KOTOR2)
Personally, my tentative opinion is that the only person at Obsidian who really had a noticeable "signature style" whose loss will be felt was Chris Avellone. George Ziets, for example, is seen by some as a kind of "Avellone Jr.", when in reality his talents are rather different (he doesn't even like writing dialogue). And Brian Mitsoda...uh, let's not go there.
But anyway, you seem pretty convinced that Obsidian are irrevocably ****ed, so what else is there to say.