I don't know if this is going to get thrown into other threads, but it is my opinion and I'm sure others will share it and have shared it before, and I have no idea at this point where the thread might be at to throw this one into.
Been playing Solasta today after the recent update and all I can say is the Solasta combat system has BG3's beat hands down no questions asked. Tactical Adventures has done the UI right, and Baldur's is losing to it HARD.
My suggestion here and feedback is that Larian would do well to copy Solasta's combat system as best they can or at least give us something close. I don't mean the grid movement and such. I like BG3's ability to move wherever during combat with the line movement and such. It's more fluid. I mean in terms of UI functionality and the ability to Ready Actions and control Reactions and spells and all the other things people have posted about. Solasta's UI and combat systems are SO much less frustrating and so much more true to D&D 5e ruleset and frankly a lot more fun. The initiative order works well and doesn't freak out and enemies don't take forever to take their turns.
Baldur's beats Solasta, in my opinion, in a LOT of ways. I love BG3 a lot more than Solasta because I feel a lot more drawn in by BG3. It has better graphics, better cutscenes, is more emotionally stimulating, the models are better, there is a lot more replayability and a lot more diversity in regards to where you can go and what you can do (at least in the Act 1 areas we are given. Solasta has BG3 beat now in that you can now travel the world map with the latest Patch, able to go to different world map locations). The story is more engaging and the acting, at least in my opinion, is better in BG3. BG3 has a LOT more potential to be a LOT more awesome than Solasta.
But in the UI department and combat system department and overall game mechanics department, Solasta wears the Crown (pun intended :P). I'm posting something similar to this on the Tactical Adventure's Solasta site as well. They may have a smaller budget and might not have all the things I mentioned above, Larian, but they are certainly giving you a run for your money. Frankly, their game is a lot less frustrating to play. You are going to have to step it up in the mechanics department or Solasta is actually going to kill BG3. They're doing an awesome job, and they are in EA too. So you can't use that as an excuse. They're even stepping up their side quest capabilities and they've even made a Dungeon Maker so people can craft their own adventures. Their inventory management is better, their merchant interactions are better and easier to use... it's all better from a User Friendly Player perspective. I even like that they limit a player's ability to just equip and unequip items and gear because frankly, logically speaking, a character shouldn't be able to just jump around like a super hero, drink a potion, equip a Two-Handed Sword after putting away their Long Sword and Shield, and then decide to go back to their Long Sword and Shield afterwards because they want to up their AC before an enemy attacks them.
You might be offended by this, and I'm sorry. I don't mean it to offend. It's just my honest feedback on things, and I'm only saying it because I love BG3 and am now worried that in the end BG3 is going to be left in the dust by Solasta. I WANT BG3 to be awesome. I want it to blow Solasta out of the water. I would really HATE for Larian to spend all this money and do all this work only to have Solasta destroy BG3. You HAVE to fix the game mechanics. You have to fix the UI. I know this post might sting, but whatever. It's my true, honest feedback, and I hope I'm not alone in this and you do something about it soon.
