Amen to that. I dare anyone to crack open the 2e DnD reprints (off which the Baldur's Gate ruleset was based) and have a read. The game is nigh unplayable by modern standards (as is Baldur's Gate - go on, burn me at the stake).
If anything, Pillars is still too much like DnD, IMO.
With that said, it is "infinitely" (DYSWIDT?) better and nicer to play than BG. So... progress!