Besides DRM, Bioware`s games do not interest me these days because they are leaping into perspectives and gameplay they ought not.
I became hooked on Icewind Dale (DESPITE the lame/archaic D&D systems at play...) and Knights Of The Old Republic #1 because of both the depth of story and the superb action in the isometric perspective. The real-time action combined with the start-stop command of my Diablo-style party of characters, Icewind Dale particularly, was most engaging.
When I look at the stuff Bioware is cooking up now I honestly can`t be less thrilled. Its a betrayal of the perspectives Bioware made a name for itself with. They seem to be jumping into this third-person console realm and abandoning the isometric scope of their classic forefathers. Third-person can be fun, but it can also be more work; I can`t just click somewhere and send a party there, I have to ASDW my way but without the benefit of a *First*-person point of view. 3D Yes, "advance" away from isometric view No. Certainly not for every action-adventure experience. One can wish for EA-Bioware to return to its roots but thats simply not going to happen measured against all media on their upcoming projects.
I would hope that somebody else might not forget about the classic iso adventure... . Besides the lame underlying mechanical rule system (D&D!), the only thing that ever hampered the Icewind Dale/Baldur`s/Knights series was the limited range of camera zoom, which of course restricted the opportunity for ranged combat/combat at range. Of course with a Supreme Commander engine, this could be mitigated completely.
