I've been stopping myself from reinstalling BG2:SoA for a few days now, I had thought that BG3 was definately never going to be made until I saw an announcement mentioning this as well as NWN2.. here are my wants.
1) Top-Down Isometric view: This is what, for me, clearly distinguised BG2 from some of the more recent RPGs like Morrowind or NWN. The graphics in the game can be considered 'artwork', while as pretty as some of the more recent games are, they dont prevoke the same emotion.
2) No inescapable betrayals: As anyone who has played Bg2 or NWN knows, there are parts of the story that you cannot avoid, parts that involve being betrayed by those you call allies. For me this totally ruins any replayability.. Why should I help out Shandar the wise old monk when I know that 2 chapters from now he will reveal himself as Bobbob, Archlich of Hell.. betrayal is obviously a powerful tool in storytelling, but incorporating it as a linear twist in a plot just doesn't work for me.
3) Ownership: One of the features I most enjoyed in BG2 was playing as a Druid and gaining ownership of the grove. I don't want to get all 'Sims' here, but being able to permanently affect a piece of the games geography is a really thrilling idea to me, especially when ownership of that area can affect you as well by invasions, sickness, past-owners claiming ownership.. etc..
4) NPC dialogue: Have a look at the NWN expansions and the NPC dialogue that was put in. This is something that BG2 had, it was not put into NWN and that was a mistake. CPRGs are not PnP RPGs, but having your NPCs chant amongst themselves gives a little of the social back into a game, plus.. they're funny..
5) Vastness: Faerun is huge.. use it..
That's all for now...
Gee I hope they make this game approach what we all wish...
PlatinumWeaver