It's entirely different to develop systems specifically to let players screw over each other in creative ways. BG 1&2 simply allow PvP or attacking your own party members. It's not the same thing at all.
Probably you can cheese in the old games too, but it's not as in your face obvious as in BG3 where the player is being showered with powerful consumables, barrels and environmental exploits.
Speaking of environmental exploits... Why do you always have a 100% chance to hit a rope or a beam from maximum bow range that collapse a platform or a bridge for easy mass destruction? Because Larian chose to ignore D&D rules and promote fun cheese.
Lol, there is nothing "probably" about it. The spellcasting system was already cheesy in BG1 and became even worse in BG2. And instead of fixing the numerous bugs and exploits, once ToB came out the devs just went for it with abilities like improved alacrity. BG2 sorcerers became a joke on how you attain godhood long before the game end, that is how overpowered they were. Pay attention when playing a mage, and it's very noticeable. For example, you can murder your way through Candlekeep in the prologue using the charm spell, because for some hilarious reason Gorion is scripted to only kill your character on the stairs to the keep. Charm him, move him a bit, and your character can start on the quest to become the next lord of murder already.
Same goes for items. BG1 lets the player have so many powerful arcane wands (and every shopkeeper is capable of recharching them) that you can go through the game with a level 1 character with ease. I've never tried BG2, but there was a funny yt playthrough of a playere beating it with a level 1 character thanks to the overpowered items.
