Would you like single looting and no ranged weapon ammo too? Because that is also missing from BG2. The game is much better without these stupid tedium things and I love that they can balance it without pre-buffing. Those backward minded people who can't accept these should just go back to playing Baldur's Gate and let the people who enjoy this game to have the game balance around no prebuffing.
This is pretty much the OP's arguments right now. Pre-buffing is terrible for the game and the game is much better now tactically with without it. I still fail to see any argument proving otherwise besides the above quote.
Raedric's Guard: Boss, those 6 tresspassers are standing at the foot of the throne 20 feet away making themselves glow with funny lights. That one just burst into flames and looks very threatening.
Raedric: Its fine, we'll worry about it when they reach 10 feet.
The game is so much better without it. I love this new change since you have to do your buffing during combat, not stand 20 feet away, prebuff while your enemies stares at you and then go in which IMO is more illogical than not allowing prebuffing.
For created characters, if you dismiss them and later hire them back in again, they lose their voices PERMANENTLY. I'm hoping there's a workaround for this but can't find a way to. Please fix, thanks!