Hey!
Yes, it is still Q1 as release date, I'm not sure exactly when but I'm guessing some time in the lovely middle.
As for the second question I'll quote the two following things we said in recent interviews.
"The changes were few; we just compressed our planned content. The end result is a more concentrated story, which will give players a richer gaming experience. We believe Black Plague has a much better flow than we’d originally planned."
Read full text here:
http://www.avault.com/?p=1431
and
"There is a relation between the two games, but we have designed it so
that you can play Penumbra: Black Plague without having played
Penumbra: Overture. But, this also means that there are many things in
the game that has a more in-depth meaning to someone that has played
Penumbra: Overture. Many questions raised in Overture will be
answered, but for a newcomer those pieces will "only" be part of the
BP story and not have that extra meaning."
Read full text:
http://www.broadparkgames.com/news.php?extend.430
Hope that answers your questions!
-Jens
Frictional Games
