BG is very un-like PnP. If it were exactly like PnP, nobody would play it.
- Rations, weather conditions, and everything else in Wilderness Survival Guide. - Poisonous gasses, bad water, and everything else in Dungoneer's Survival Guide. - Arcane spell components. - Arcane spell preparation time. - Training times for leveling up. - Fatigue & encumbrance for wearing armor. - Donning / removing armor takes time measured in minutes; in BG1 you can do it between sword swings. - BG diseases are a joke. - BG poison is a joke. - BG spell lists are a very sad joke compared to what PnP allows: spider climb, levitation, water walking and fly allow a lot of non-linear tactics to work in PnP.
On the subject of useful non-linear spells, teleport could be implemented with a little tinkering. All it would have to do is instantly move the party from one outdoor area to another: doesn't work indoors, can't take you indoors due to magical blah blah, but it would still be convenient for the reduced travel time.
BG is very un-like PnP. If it were exactly like PnP, nobody would play it.
- Rations, weather conditions, and everything else in Wilderness Survival Guide. - Poisonous gasses, bad water, and everything else in Dungoneer's Survival Guide. - Arcane spell components. - Arcane spell preparation time. - Training times for leveling up. - Fatigue & encumbrance for wearing armor. - Donning / removing armor takes time measured in minutes; in BG1 you can do it between sword swings. - BG diseases are a joke. - BG poison is a joke. - BG spell lists are a very sad joke compared to what PnP allows: spider climb, levitation, water walking and fly allow a lot of non-linear tactics to work in PnP.
On the subject of useful non-linear spells, teleport could be implemented with a little tinkering. All it would have to do is instantly move the party from one outdoor area to another: doesn't work indoors, can't take you indoors due to magical blah blah, but it would still be convenient for the reduced travel time.
There was a mod for vanilla BG1, called Fields of the Dead. It made most rules closest to PnP. But after some playing I've found it rather tedious. There were even armor sizes for humans, elves, halflings etc. Also, poison was deadly, IIRC ettercap and phase spider poison killed outright on a failed save (by inflicting 999 damage) while most other poisons dealt instantenous 20+ damage, which killed low level characters anyway. There were a few new PnP spells, and most spells were tweaked to fit PnP more closely. A lot of items were tweaked too. All in all, it was a fun experience at first, but after dying to poison countless times and not finding correct size armor for a smaller races it became a bit tedious.
BG is very un-like PnP. If it were exactly like PnP, nobody would play it.
- Rations, weather conditions, and everything else in Wilderness Survival Guide. - Poisonous gasses, bad water, and everything else in Dungoneer's Survival Guide. - Arcane spell components. - Arcane spell preparation time. - Training times for leveling up. - Fatigue & encumbrance for wearing armor. - Donning / removing armor takes time measured in minutes; in BG1 you can do it between sword swings. - BG diseases are a joke. - BG poison is a joke. - BG spell lists are a very sad joke compared to what PnP allows: spider climb, levitation, water walking and fly allow a lot of non-linear tactics to work in PnP.
On the subject of useful non-linear spells, teleport could be implemented with a little tinkering. All it would have to do is instantly move the party from one outdoor area to another: doesn't work indoors, can't take you indoors due to magical blah blah, but it would still be convenient for the reduced travel time.
All of those things sound awesome!
Ditto that. I would play a CRPG like that. I realize I'm in the minority on that, though.
As close to PnP as possible. Everything mentioned so far "against" doing this has not been on the mark. One assumes that if A was done, B would result, but if the Devs had known and planned for A being done, then they would have taken it into account, so instead of B resulting, it would be C.
In other words, if the complete PnP rules had been implemented from the start, then everything else would go from there - meaning the game would have to take into account such spells as Fly, Teleport, etc. Rations and Water, etc would be easy enough to solve, especially if one had a Ranger, Druid, or Barb along (and this would strengthen the inclusion of such Classes) as well as the Cleric spell Create Food and Water.
Spell components would tend to limit the use of the more extreme spells, which is one of the reasons they were included in PnP. Just have a spell component "pouch" for your spellcasters. Fill'er up!
Switching armor in combat should not be allowed, obviously ("Time out! Time out I said! I have to switch armor!"). I don't do it anyway.
Training time would be a very interesting inclusion - no more training during time-related quests! It just means that one has to manage such a bit more, that is all. I think it would be interesting to have to find certain teachers to advance in certain classes for certain levels. That would perk my interest!
I really wish that Disease and Poison in BG were as their PnP counterparts. They should be feared. Weather should affect things accordingly. Kind of hard to fight in a full, raging storm! Severe cold should cause problems, and so forth.
I have never seen the point in strictly following the core rules. I'm sure that the majority of people who play PnP have house rules and that for a good reason, it improves their gaming experience.
With that said, BG is based on D&D and should for the majority of gameplay follow it's rules, otherwise it wouldn't be D&D. But if there are rules that doesn't work well with gameplay or game engine, then I rather see a game with house rules and good gameplay then one that follows the rules to the point with bad gameplay.
Agree with most of you people here and 2nd edition has aloot of optional rules...but at least thats 2nd edition rules what i mostly dislike is when they blend in 3rd edition classes and races in 2nd edition era... most of the time things get wierd... trust me no PnP Dm would not allow a player to use a class or race from let us say 4th edition of dnd into 3rd edition.... I would like if they keep the game into 2nd edition.. and remember there are not or almost no Tieflings in 2nd edition era of abir-toril... they are almost a common player race of Planescape.
I do hope that Overhoul if they ever want to introduce new classes they use the orginal (optional) 2nd edition classes and kits.. they are more balanced and takes less time (most of the time) to code into the game
The book spells and magic as you see the picture here show us excellent chose of speciallty wizards (Like the wild mage that is in the game) and good classes of Priest .. like Monk (2nd edition monks can cast divine spells they are more like the fantasy version of Chinise japanise monks with prayer power), Mystics, shaman, cleric, Druid. The Book Shai'rs show us what 2nd edition sorcerer are like and how they work in the game also shai'rs are a good grandfather class to todays warlocks.. they are the first pact mages. in sha'rs case they make a pact with genies and the genies grant them spells that they can cast per day (almost like priests pacts with their god)
Aassimar and genasi are more common.. and thats simple there are many angels and genies that mate with mortal of Abir-toril. Calimshan and Mulhorand are places that they are common as race
It all depends on if you're looking to get out of a CRPG exactly what you get out of PnP. For me, these are two VASTLY different types of experiences, and I expect CRPG makers to know and account for the differences. I think the Baldur's Gate games in general did an excellent job of this, especially in the way they paced experience and level gaining. Obviously some systems resolve better in PnP than they would in a computer game. Keeping my characters feed in the old-school Eye of the Beholder games was a ridiculous hassle nobody should ever be put through, no matter how much Create Food & Water trivialized the problem.
For instance, while I've found 4e to be a fairly subpar PnP experience, I would LOVE a grid-based strategy/rpg based on its rules.
I've learned that questions like this are quite ambiguous. Even if you were sitting around a table playing PnP, the level of rule implementation can vary greatly based on the DM.
I think a better question to ask is, of the rules implemented, how closely should they follow PnP? My stance has always been as close as possible. I say that because, if you don't want to follow the rules, why use them to begin with? Make up your own rule set if you want to change a lot of it, that way you can make any change you want and not offend anyone.
Again, it comes down to who decides what is close and what is possible.
If all of the above (very good) ideas about rules etc... were to be implemented, that would have to also include a very turn based and complex combat system. While I would personally love such a thing, not everyone wants to play that.
The more rules you put into place, the more customization involved (and there would HAVE to be customization), the less and less it is going to appeal to a general audience. Don't get me wrong, I do NOT want BG3 to be what DA2 turned into. Or Diablo 3. Or any of the MMOs that have come out in the past 10 years. I think BG hits the right mark of adherence to D&D rules without bogging it down and making it unappealing to more mainstream RPG players. Ok, maybe there is a little more rules additions that could be made, but go too far and the player base declines.
Implementing everything from a table-top roleplaying game into a video game blindly is an awful idea. Both settings are designed for a different experience.
Cutting away PnP mechanics that translate poorly into a video game scenario is always the best way to handle this type of game in my opinion. I personally cannot understand why people would rather a game be pushed around by its rules rather than the game selecting its own rules that suit it the best.
PnP rules/mechanics should be used where they either (a) define the basic gameplay (e.g. Combat mechanics, Spell memorisation) or (b) add something to the of the gameplay (e.g. Magical Items, some Status effects). Adding rules in that don't improve the game or take away from it (My example is some of the race/class restrictions are incredibly arbitrary) is just making the game worse in general to make it appeal to a specific crowd.
Remember: When people pick up this game they are probably doing so because they want a quality RPG experience, and not a single-player D&D experience. The rules should DEFINE a game, not overshadow it.
BG is very un-like PnP. If it were exactly like PnP, nobody would play it.
- Rations, weather conditions, and everything else in Wilderness Survival Guide. - Poisonous gasses, bad water, and everything else in Dungoneer's Survival Guide. - Arcane spell components. - Arcane spell preparation time. - Training times for leveling up. - Fatigue & encumbrance for wearing armor. - Donning / removing armor takes time measured in minutes; in BG1 you can do it between sword swings. - BG diseases are a joke. - BG poison is a joke. - BG spell lists are a very sad joke compared to what PnP allows: spider climb, levitation, water walking and fly allow a lot of non-linear tactics to work in PnP.
On the subject of useful non-linear spells, teleport could be implemented with a little tinkering. All it would have to do is instantly move the party from one outdoor area to another: doesn't work indoors, can't take you indoors due to magical blah blah, but it would still be convenient for the reduced travel time.
I agree (and believe it is possible) with : Spell components (just have the spell use a specific item)
Rations , weather conditions (just add the effect in certain areas, but there should also be some party banter about such things)
armor restrictions, diseases and poison (also possible on Infinity Engine)
I disagree with: "BG spell lists are a very sad joke compared to what PnP allows: spider climb, levitation, water walking and fly allow a lot of non-linear tactics to work in PnP."
BG/BG2 , or even IWD, has a spell list that is richer than games such as neverwinter nights . There's a big variety of stuff . Of course more are always welcome, but it is NOT a joke.
I dont know if it will be possible, but if a BG3 was to be made I would love that it used dnd rules. But I doubt it, first because not all editions are great and questions would arise, 2, 3, 3.5. 4?! As inxile did, they just used another ruleset, easier rules and probably cheaper licence too.
Whoever owns dnd licence isnt being very smart imo. They have every interest that games like BG and DA used them.
I'd think that if a BG3 were to come to pass and atari/Hasboro were still driving it, I would suspect that they would use the same rules or similar to what is in the BG series. That, by and large, is what keeps the franchise fans happy. To introduce 3 or higher or even a completely different rules set would (IMHO) upset a lot of consumers. Just a guess on my part.
I'd think that if a BG3 were to come to pass and atari/Hasboro were still driving it, I would suspect that they would use the same rules or similar to what is in the BG series. That, by and large, is what keeps the franchise fans happy. To introduce 3 or higher or even a completely different rules set would (IMHO) upset a lot of consumers. Just a guess on my part.
I think the most likely scenario is they'll use whatever rule set is current when they start production (either 4E or Next). I suspect WotC will insist on that.
Now what I HOPE is completely different. I hope they find a way to keep the modified 2E. I'm not sure which plan would work best for sales. But if they want my money it will need to be 2E. Well probably. Its possible they could sell on something newer; but 2E is what would excite me most.
@atcDave I'm not so sure WoTC could force them to move away from the liscenced use of the version that has been part of the series since the get go just becuase they have a new version in current use for other games.
In fact I'm fairly certain they could not do so. They could of course make their own case to convince the liscence holder that the newer version would be better but if the dev team involved knows anything about the fan base they will opt for the modified 2E that has kept the game on the radar for going on 15 years now.
@atcDave I'm not so sure WoTC could force them to move away from the liscenced use of the version that has been part of the series since the get go just becuase they have a new version in current use for other games.
In fact I'm fairly certain they could not do so. They could of course make their own case to convince the liscence holder that the newer version would be better but if the dev team involved knows anything about the fan base they will opt for the modified 2E that has kept the game on the radar for going on 15 years now.
If it ain't broke - don't fix it...
Wasn't the whole reason ToB was pushed out fast as an expansion instead of a whole new game because the licence from WotC was about to expire? And that was 14 years ago. I don't think anyone can do anything without WotC blessing. Currently, Overhaul has an agreement to do EEs on BG and BG2 in their entirety. But BG3 would require an all new agreement, WotC would be in the drivers seat. If Overhaul doesn't meet their terms, WotC can shop the licence to someone else. And I think convincing WotC to allow anything new using an older rules set would be very difficult.
I hope I'm wrong and we can see "new" 2E content. But I'm not very optimistic for now.
Why wouldn't it be up to WotC? They hold the license, so it'd make sense that it'd be their choice. It's not a matter of them having to force the developers to change; all WotC would have to do is refuse to grant the devs the license if they aren't going to use the newest ruleset and, boom, no BG3.
From what I've been reading Edition Next is very modular and highly customizable. So I suspect that it will be the ruleset used for BG: Next. My hope is that the ruleset developed for BG3 (aka BG: Next) will integrate most of the Infinity game mechanics that worked so well for the the BG series, but also improve upon the whole framework in various aspects.
There is also an overall move back towards low magic roots for the Forgotten Realms in the events that unfold in the Sundering. So there is no doubt in my mind that we'll be starting at level one in a perhaps surprisingly low magic world. (Where magic will mean more, and be a mysterious and wondrous thing. Magical items are truly precious, etc.)
From what I've been reading Edition Next is very modular and highly customizable. So I suspect that it will be the ruleset used for BG: Next. My hope is that the ruleset developed for BG3 (aka BG: Next) will integrate most of the Infinity game mechanics that worked so well for the the BG series, but also improve upon the whole framework in various aspects.
There is also an overall move back towards low magic roots for the Forgotten Realms in the events that unfold in the Sundering. So there is no doubt in my mind that we'll be starting at level one in a perhaps surprisingly low magic world. (Where magic will mean more, and be a mysterious and wondrous thing. Magical items are truly precious, etc.)
hmmm last time i checked Abir-Toril is extremly magical planet.... after mystra died the whole planet went berserk and now there is flying earthnodes everywere... and the magical races as thieflings,dragonborn, aasimars, Genasis and even more elves are there now and they love it... just look at the pictures on how magical Abir-toril looks out now...
@The_Shairs_Handbook I don't disagreee with you, but some articles I've come across speak of returning the setting to "it's low magic roots" in first edition. The completion of the events in the Sundering will do that, reportedly.
A lot of the stories in the Forgotten Realms setting never struck me as being that big on huge amounts of magic anyway. Mages and magical items tended to be relatively rare, and focused on the high level people.
The big exception to this is Ed Greenwood's writing where everyone and their dog has a cupboard full of magical items and every evil empire has an endless stream of medium-high level mages to die fruitlessly all through the story.
Why wouldn't it be up to WotC? They hold the license, so it'd make sense that it'd be their choice. It's not a matter of them having to force the developers to change; all WotC would have to do is refuse to grant the devs the license if they aren't going to use the newest ruleset and, boom, no BG3.
I'm no lawyer (god forbid) but I would think that WoTC in fact GRANTED the license (or use of ) to use the modified 2E version for the BG series (in return for $$) and thus may not be able to stop the license holder from continueing to use that license within the series - they no doubt still have to be paid for it's use but they may not be able to force them to change to a new version (depending of course on how the original deal with them was forged)
All speculation of course on my part but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilty.
Why wouldn't it be up to WotC? They hold the license, so it'd make sense that it'd be their choice. It's not a matter of them having to force the developers to change; all WotC would have to do is refuse to grant the devs the license if they aren't going to use the newest ruleset and, boom, no BG3.
I'm no lawyer (god forbid) but I would think that WoTC in fact GRANTED the license (or use of ) to use the modified 2E version for the BG series (in return for $$) and thus may not be able to stop the license holder from continueing to use that license within the series - they no doubt still have to be paid for it's use but they may not be able to force them to change to a new version (depending of course on how the original deal with them was forged)
All speculation of course on my part but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilty.
WotC WAS able to force Bioware to publish ToB before they were ready because the licence was about expire. I expect any BG3 property would require all new terms with whoever publishes. I HOPE its Overhaul and they're able to use 2E. But WotC has no financial stake in promoting a "dead" rules set, so they are unlikely to be very interested.
I think the best possibility is if they can be convinced that as an older property with limited appeal in the current market, the game will be most successful if it honors its roots and uses the existing game engine and rules set. At least that's how I'd present it to WotC.
I'd think that if a BG3 were to come to pass and atari/Hasboro were still driving it, I would suspect that they would use the same rules or similar to what is in the BG series. That, by and large, is what keeps the franchise fans happy. To introduce 3 or higher or even a completely different rules set would (IMHO) upset a lot of consumers. Just a guess on my part.
I think the most likely scenario is they'll use whatever rule set is current when they start production (either 4E or Next). I suspect WotC will insist on that.
Now what I HOPE is completely different. I hope they find a way to keep the modified 2E. I'm not sure which plan would work best for sales. But if they want my money it will need to be 2E. Well probably. Its possible they could sell on something newer; but 2E is what would excite me most.
What you say makes some sense. I can tell you right now that if BG3 comes out using 4E or Next rules, I probably will not buy it. The further along in the generations they get the more they seem to be catering towards MMO style rules. I won't play that. And it won't be 'D&D' to me.
I'd think that if a BG3 were to come to pass and atari/Hasboro were still driving it, I would suspect that they would use the same rules or similar to what is in the BG series. That, by and large, is what keeps the franchise fans happy. To introduce 3 or higher or even a completely different rules set would (IMHO) upset a lot of consumers. Just a guess on my part.
I think the most likely scenario is they'll use whatever rule set is current when they start production (either 4E or Next). I suspect WotC will insist on that.
Now what I HOPE is completely different. I hope they find a way to keep the modified 2E. I'm not sure which plan would work best for sales. But if they want my money it will need to be 2E. Well probably. Its possible they could sell on something newer; but 2E is what would excite me most.
What you say makes some sense. I can tell you right now that if BG3 comes out using 4E or Next rules, I probably will not buy it. The further along in the generations they get the more they seem to be catering towards MMO style rules. I won't play that. And it won't be 'D&D' to me.
I don't know enough about "Next" to judge. But I agree I have very little interest in 4E. It's funny that what interests me most with a BG3 is very little changed with the engine or rules, but an all new story.
And for Bhaaldog above; yeah I tried IWD2 and found it tedious. I think I got to about the halfway point when I got bored and quit. I have played 3E in PNP and it wasn't quite so bad, but that may just mean I had a better DM!
Comments
- Rations, weather conditions, and everything else in Wilderness Survival Guide.
- Poisonous gasses, bad water, and everything else in Dungoneer's Survival Guide.
- Arcane spell components.
- Arcane spell preparation time.
- Training times for leveling up.
- Fatigue & encumbrance for wearing armor.
- Donning / removing armor takes time measured in minutes; in BG1 you can do it between sword swings.
- BG diseases are a joke.
- BG poison is a joke.
- BG spell lists are a very sad joke compared to what PnP allows: spider climb, levitation, water walking and fly allow a lot of non-linear tactics to work in PnP.
On the subject of useful non-linear spells, teleport could be implemented with a little tinkering. All it would have to do is instantly move the party from one outdoor area to another: doesn't work indoors, can't take you indoors due to magical blah blah, but it would still be convenient for the reduced travel time.
In other words, if the complete PnP rules had been implemented from the start, then everything else would go from there - meaning the game would have to take into account such spells as Fly, Teleport, etc. Rations and Water, etc would be easy enough to solve, especially if one had a Ranger, Druid, or Barb along (and this would strengthen the inclusion of such Classes) as well as the Cleric spell Create Food and Water.
Spell components would tend to limit the use of the more extreme spells, which is one of the reasons they were included in PnP. Just have a spell component "pouch" for your spellcasters. Fill'er up!
Switching armor in combat should not be allowed, obviously ("Time out! Time out I said! I have to switch armor!"). I don't do it anyway.
Training time would be a very interesting inclusion - no more training during time-related quests! It just means that one has to manage such a bit more, that is all. I think it would be interesting to have to find certain teachers to advance in certain classes for certain levels. That would perk my interest!
I really wish that Disease and Poison in BG were as their PnP counterparts. They should be feared. Weather should affect things accordingly. Kind of hard to fight in a full, raging storm! Severe cold should cause problems, and so forth.
A full PnP simulator...*sigh*
I have never seen the point in strictly following the core rules. I'm sure that the majority of people who play PnP have house rules and that for a good reason, it improves their gaming experience.
With that said, BG is based on D&D and should for the majority of gameplay follow it's rules, otherwise it wouldn't be D&D.
But if there are rules that doesn't work well with gameplay or game engine, then I rather see a game with house rules and good gameplay then one that follows the rules to the point with bad gameplay.
and 2nd edition has aloot of optional rules...but at least thats 2nd edition rules
what i mostly dislike is when they blend in 3rd edition classes and races in 2nd edition era... most of the time things get wierd... trust me no PnP Dm would not allow a player to use a class or race from let us say 4th edition of dnd into 3rd edition.... I would like if they keep the game into 2nd edition.. and remember there are not or almost no Tieflings in 2nd edition era of abir-toril... they are almost a common player race of Planescape.
I do hope that Overhoul if they ever want to introduce new classes they use the orginal (optional) 2nd edition classes and kits.. they are more balanced and takes less time (most of the time) to code into the game
The book spells and magic as you see the picture here show us excellent chose of speciallty wizards (Like the wild mage that is in the game) and good classes of Priest .. like Monk (2nd edition monks can cast divine spells they are more like the fantasy version of Chinise japanise monks with prayer power), Mystics, shaman, cleric, Druid. The Book Shai'rs show us what 2nd edition sorcerer are like and how they work in the game also shai'rs are a good grandfather class to todays warlocks.. they are the first pact mages. in sha'rs case they make a pact with genies and the genies grant them spells that they can cast per day (almost like priests pacts with their god)
Aassimar and genasi are more common.. and thats simple there are many angels and genies that mate with mortal of Abir-toril. Calimshan and Mulhorand are places that they are common as race
For instance, while I've found 4e to be a fairly subpar PnP experience, I would LOVE a grid-based strategy/rpg based on its rules.
I think a better question to ask is, of the rules implemented, how closely should they follow PnP? My stance has always been as close as possible. I say that because, if you don't want to follow the rules, why use them to begin with? Make up your own rule set if you want to change a lot of it, that way you can make any change you want and not offend anyone.
If all of the above (very good) ideas about rules etc... were to be implemented, that would have to also include a very turn based and complex combat system. While I would personally love such a thing, not everyone wants to play that.
The more rules you put into place, the more customization involved (and there would HAVE to be customization), the less and less it is going to appeal to a general audience. Don't get me wrong, I do NOT want BG3 to be what DA2 turned into. Or Diablo 3. Or any of the MMOs that have come out in the past 10 years. I think BG hits the right mark of adherence to D&D rules without bogging it down and making it unappealing to more mainstream RPG players. Ok, maybe there is a little more rules additions that could be made, but go too far and the player base declines.
Cutting away PnP mechanics that translate poorly into a video game scenario is always the best way to handle this type of game in my opinion. I personally cannot understand why people would rather a game be pushed around by its rules rather than the game selecting its own rules that suit it the best.
PnP rules/mechanics should be used where they either (a) define the basic gameplay (e.g. Combat mechanics, Spell memorisation) or (b) add something to the of the gameplay (e.g. Magical Items, some Status effects). Adding rules in that don't improve the game or take away from it (My example is some of the race/class restrictions are incredibly arbitrary) is just making the game worse in general to make it appeal to a specific crowd.
Remember: When people pick up this game they are probably doing so because they want a quality RPG experience, and not a single-player D&D experience. The rules should DEFINE a game, not overshadow it.
I agree (and believe it is possible) with :
Spell components (just have the spell use a specific item)
Rations , weather conditions (just add the effect in certain areas, but there should also be some party banter about such things)
armor restrictions, diseases and poison (also possible on Infinity Engine)
I disagree with:
"BG spell lists are a very sad joke compared to what PnP allows: spider climb, levitation, water walking and fly allow a lot of non-linear tactics to work in PnP."
BG/BG2 , or even IWD, has a spell list that is richer than games such as neverwinter nights . There's a big variety of stuff . Of course more are always welcome, but it is NOT a joke.
As inxile did, they just used another ruleset, easier rules and probably cheaper licence too.
Whoever owns dnd licence isnt being very smart imo. They have every interest that games like BG and DA used them.
Now what I HOPE is completely different. I hope they find a way to keep the modified 2E. I'm not sure which plan would work best for sales. But if they want my money it will need to be 2E. Well probably. Its possible they could sell on something newer; but 2E is what would excite me most.
In fact I'm fairly certain they could not do so. They could of course make their own case to convince the liscence holder that the newer version would be better but if the dev team involved knows anything about the fan base they will opt for the modified 2E that has kept the game on the radar for going on 15 years now.
If it ain't broke - don't fix it...
I don't think anyone can do anything without WotC blessing. Currently, Overhaul has an agreement to do EEs on BG and BG2 in their entirety. But BG3 would require an all new agreement, WotC would be in the drivers seat. If Overhaul doesn't meet their terms, WotC can shop the licence to someone else. And I think convincing WotC to allow anything new using an older rules set would be very difficult.
I hope I'm wrong and we can see "new" 2E content. But I'm not very optimistic for now.
There is also an overall move back towards low magic roots for the Forgotten Realms in the events that unfold in the Sundering. So there is no doubt in my mind that we'll be starting at level one in a perhaps surprisingly low magic world. (Where magic will mean more, and be a mysterious and wondrous thing. Magical items are truly precious, etc.)
just look at the pictures on how magical Abir-toril looks out now...
The big exception to this is Ed Greenwood's writing where everyone and their dog has a cupboard full of magical items and every evil empire has an endless stream of medium-high level mages to die fruitlessly all through the story.
All speculation of course on my part but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilty.
I think the best possibility is if they can be convinced that as an older property with limited appeal in the current market, the game will be most successful if it honors its roots and uses the existing game engine and rules set. At least that's how I'd present it to WotC.
And for Bhaaldog above; yeah I tried IWD2 and found it tedious. I think I got to about the halfway point when I got bored and quit. I have played 3E in PNP and it wasn't quite so bad, but that may just mean I had a better DM!