The party size of 6, the ton of companions/personnalities and the freedom you have to create your team are main components of BG1/2 even if you don't care and if this statement makes you derailed a thread for the sake of it
So just to be clear on your inane statement - Any game that has a Party size of 6, a "ton" of companions, and the freedom to create your team - make something a Baldur's Gate game then?
So Wasteland 3 is a Baldur's Gate game by your 'not-arbitrary at all distinction?'
You know I WANTED so badly to give you guys the benefit of the doubt but I now know its exactly like I said, this is dumb sentimentality at work. I understand now why you kept prevaricating and didn't want to answer.
I've mentioned before why sentimentality is dangerous. I would say it's more insidious, because people don't ever want to analyze it, nor are they educated on why its harmful. It's one of those things that sits on the periphery of understanding so our eyes glaze over it but I assure you its behind a lot of really - really - ugly behavior.
In the gamer world it leads to a LOT of very abusive gatekeeping. Instead of allowing things to stand on their own people will have these emotional reactions to the idea of a thing being made which they feel doesn't respect some arbitrary idea of what used to be. They are not rational or level-headed about expressing dissatisfaction either. Very melodramatic stuff.
Anyway, up to you. Confront your sentimentality, or live the life of a sentimentalist (that's bad). Good luck.