You might also be thinking about Planescape Torment, which was developed by BlackIsle with licensed BioWare technology (the Baldur's Gate engine). As far as I'm aware, Planescape Torment is the closest BioWare has ever gotten to the creation of an excellent game.
BioWare developed the Infinity Engine, BG1 and BG2. Interplay was the publisher. Black Isle was an internal division of Interplay and box label. Black Isle developed Icewind Dale 1 & 2, and Planescape: Torment using the Infinity Engine.
No, I got the joke. I'm fully aware that Baldur's Gate 3 is not related to Bioware at all.
Also that Larian is basically eating Bioware's lunch right now because Bioware has dropped the ball on Dragon Age which would occupy a similar space to BG3
It's actually even funnier that Larian is doing it by using a franchise that Bioware built 20 years ago.
But generally I think many people who love these games are in it for the writing, the character romances, the storyline, and the exploration. In this regard, Baldur's Gate 3 has a lot of similarities with Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition, and presumably Dreadwolf whenever that comes out.
The individual details of the mechanics are less important to many.
I agree with what you're saying, but I think it's not stretching too hard to say that gameplay also matters for games. Romances, storyline, and so on are fine and dandy, but at some point you have to have some gameplay. Or not, if you want to make a visual novel. And that's fine too!
I thought they were just the publisher, Black Isle was the developer? Do I have that backwards?
Edit: I looked it up and I do have it backwards.