I am glad to hear it. I am just curious, what do you mean by "streamlined"? That is definitely not what I would call BG3. It is one of a more granual RPGs I played in a long time - I just don't think it does much with it. I would describe both PoEs as far more steamlined.
Can't talk for my friends there. My guess is that BG3 has multiple things going that makes it appealing for many. Some of them in no particular orders : It has a very high production value with those cut scenes that hook you as soon as you launch a game. The character creator is welcoming with its "sims-like" approach to it. You get attached to your Tav very quickly. It has multiplayer, which makes it waaay more fun. It also allows the game to be promoted by big names in the Youtube and Twitch domain. Oon the french side we had a BG3 playthrough with 400k views, which is unthinkable for other CRPG out there. The rule set is based on DnD5 which is one of the most casual system out there. The early access is quite easy, there aren't any fight you can't win without going for meta plays of hyper optimized builds.
