No, you can't.
BG3 in it's current state is a beautifull modern game for casual/modern gamers that don't want to think too much or for players that want to play with friends. Deeper companion and story pathes but poor tactical/DnD combats, theme park map, classes all played the same,...
Solasta has deeper and consistent mechanics that works as a whole. It makes you live a journey accross it's world rather than throwing you "fun gameplay" on your face everytime for the sake of it. Despite the size of the project and the custom world, Solasta is far more like BG1/2 than BG3. The only things it lacks is freedom and a deeper story.
According to me BG3 has close to nothing from BG1/2 exept a bit of lore and names.
These games aren't the same at all even if they uses DnD.
I have to disagree with your stance on BG3 - I don't think it's a no-brain game and lacks tactical functionality, in any respect. DOS2 was lauded for its tactical combat, and that influence has been brought over fairly well for BG3 despite the more limited class structures based around D&D. Many a time my friend and I have had to think about what we're doing in an encounter - and more than once we've hobbled our way to victory simply from changing tactics. In that respect, I enjoy BG3 immensely and only wish to see further improvement on the combat to make it feel like a D&D encounter.
I also don't particularly feel the map is "theme park" in any way. There is already a lot to explore just in Act 1, more than we've managed to. Classes also do not remotely play the same, at least from my experience. Some of them are suffering from the very low level we can go to for the EA currently, but that's about it.
Freedom and a deeper story, to me, makes a BG game. BG3, despite the limitations thus far in Act 1, has hit that note quite well and I feel a lack of freedom would not make for quite as fun of an RPG.
Calling it a 'modern game for casual gamers' seems very disingenuous and downright insulting to anyone who actually enjoys BG3 right now-- whether or not they feel it needs improvements (which I feel it very much does, but that does not detract from the enjoyment I'm finding in it currently).
Honestly I feel more informed from a combination of these piece-by-piece reviews than I would from one or the other, so thank you both much for that!
Can I presume Solasta is to BG3 what Icewind Dale was to BG1+2?
Yes, I would be wary of categorizing Solasta as a Role-playing game, at least to what I personally would expect to get from a role-playing game. Icewind Dale is best comparison I can think of - custom party, linear adveture, very dungeon and combat heavy. It is nicely paced, and I find story, VO and characters are bad-mediocare but in a charming and indearing kind of way. With a bit more budget and development it could become a really neat IP. What they did works, in my opinion (I wouldn't want Solasta2 to become full fledged RPG for example) but pretty much every aspect of it would benefit of a cash injection.
Thank you, that was what I was assuming. I did enjoy Icewind Dale way back, though it didn't quite scratch the itch for story and immersion as well as BG1+2 did. So I fear Solasta would be the same way in this case. Both in TT D&D and in video-game form, I prefer the RP aspect and grand storytelling first over combat. So, seems I'll be continuing to wait semi-impatiently for the full game release of BG3. : p
