Melusine is right - there is far less role-playing in IWD. You make all six of your characters, there are no recruitable NPCs, and as such, there is no NPC interaction like you saw in BG2. Additionally, the storyline is rather linear - there aren't a lot of choices as far as how you do something, or when you do something. It isn't quite as hack n' slash as Diablo, but it's still notably more so than the BG series were.
Now, that doesn't mean that IWD is a bad game - because it isn't, but it is significantly different from BG and especially BG2. I played it hoping that it would be similar to BG and found myself disappointed.
Torment is also a very different game than BG2 was, as there is far less emphasis on combat and a far greater emphasis on roleplaying and quests. In fact, alot of the experience that your characters gain in Torment is obtained by talking, not fighting [img]smile.gif[/img] . It also features an entirely different way of developing your characters from the other two games. Your characters will interact with each other, some have quests of their own, and in this regard it is similar to BG2. The story-line is fantastic, and the amount of detail that went into it is impressive. Torment is still, to date, my favorite game ever released by Bioware, Black Isle, Interplay, or any combination of those three companies.
In summary, none of the available choices are exactly like BG2, it's just a matter of what you enjoy more - roleplaying, or combat. [img]smile.gif[/img]
[ 01-12-2002: Message edited by: Erydian ]