The funny thing in all of this is that at the end of the day we all like the Baldur's Gate series because of the Story and the characters right? No? The Combat system was always just a means to an end.
I remember Severok, Minsc, IRENICUS! the Saga, not the fact that I reloaded the game 20 times to time the pause and casting/attacks so that I could win a fight I was underpowered for.
To that end, if the story and characters grab me, then the system will be as it will be, like with say Witcher 3, make my choices matter, make things come back to haunt me later on, engage me and remind me that this is the Sword Coast and Baldur's Gate! I just think too much emphasis is on a a pre-alpha build right now that is heavy on showing off system and light on story and tone and visuals.
I am mindful that I am waffling though in the debate specifically around TB vs RTwP. It's tough, I like both for different reasons and Baldur's Gate 2 is my favourite PC game EVER (and I'm over 40), I just want to add that I guess there are those who place less emphahsis on the combat system and more on the story and that Pace doesn't have to be provided by how quickly you clear a large area of scripted encounters.
But I do understand those who worry how TB might impact a game and lead to a diluted combat experience (quantity wise). I too am not sure I could imagine fighting my through the Underdark in BG2 with a TB system, but I would miss the option of being able to do so if I chose to.
