DAO was far more simpler when it comes to games mechanics then bg3 or any dnd is.
I don't dispute that.
But being simple tends to help non-RPG fans stick with a game. So, once they get into the game for whatever reason (Such as, because of sexy characters) they stay around because it's not overwhelmingly complex to actually play the game.
I doubt it matters to general populous if the game has turn-based or rtwp system. You not liking rtwp is your prerogative, same as me not liking turn-based combat.
For the most part, no (Though TB can help some people because it gives you more time to think through your actions which provides a buffer for learning RPG mechanics)
My comment about that was more interjecting my opinion about that particular facet than it being a reasoning for BG3's popularity.
Something about this game caused to appeal to non-rpg minded gamer. At the start you hinted that the popularity of dao was Morrigan and Allister.
When I look on bg3 companions none of them provoke the same feeling as allister or Morrigan from dao. Maybe I just loved Claudia Black performance in Stargate.
Companions generally seem to be a key factor in an RPG's popularity with the masses. In DAO it was Morrigan and Alistair. In ME it was Miranda (With Tali and Garrus coming in big once people played ME2). In BG3 it's Shadowheart, Karlach and Astarion.
It's interesting to note that DA2 and DAI which featured less sexy companions also had less mass appeal (Also, the upcoming Veilguard is not getting much love and its characters are being memed about for how awful they look)
There is definitely a trend with modern RPG's that have more detailed character models and thus sexy characters being more mass marketable than CRPG's that usually have less detailed character models and PNG portraits.
On a side note, if you liked Claudia Black's performance in Stargate, you should definitely check out Farscape if you haven't already. Her performance in that was amazing (Also, Ben Browder's performance was also top notch there too)
