Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

PnP:
100% DM oversight 100% of the time

Almost guaranteed to have a well-balanced party so that flaws in certain types, like a rogue's will saves or a tanks inability to see very high DC traps, can be overcome through cooperation.

If not a well-balanced party, DM can adjust challenges accordingly so no player feels like their character has a fatal flaw.



NWN:
Most players will have no DM oversight, no player will have DM oversight 100% of the time

Not guaranteed to have a well-balanced party

Fatal flaws often have to be overcome with store-bought solutions.




So... should "To be more like PnP" be the reason behind changes to the server? Particularly where spells (and therefore the potions and scrolls) are concerned? Discuss.

With the exception of more RP oriented spells that already have disclaimers in their descriptions of needing DM oversight, I personally dont see any reason DM supervision has anything to do with game mechanics.

That said, I personally like things being brought more in line with PnP, trying to stick to what we are here (a digital DnD world) and bringing that in line with proper PnP is ideal IMO. The more things that move away from PnP/DnD rules, the less it feels like what it is, a DnD game and the more it feels like it's trying to become a (really bad) MMO.

What would you recommend be followed instead?

By mainly finding base in PnP, there is consistency and direction in the changes. No one has ever said this is to be a 100% translation from PnP to game, but there are games out there that prove that a good adaptation feels amazing to play (Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, for example).

So again, I ask, what would you recommend be followed? Just change things on a whim based on nothing?
Idk about you, but I'd rather the server have a concise direction, and the current direction is one I very much enjoy and support

I think that PnP is a good start when making decisions. However, there are some things that just don't translate perfectly, or even well at all.

What comes to my mind is the discussion we had about the duration of Owl's Insight. I won't bring that totally into this discussion, but refer to it to bring up some points that I think don't translate from PnP.

First, when someone speaks in PnP, it's instant. Here, we have to type. So a conversation that would take a few seconds in PnP could take minutes here. So spell durations have to keep that in mind. Along with that, we have sudden AFK when RL happens. If that happens at a table, in game time stops. In a PW, it does not.

And now that I think of it, that's my biggest concern about keeping too close to PnP (durations of spells). Outside of that, I stick with my opening statement. PnP is a great starting place. But then I think that we have to look at it (whatever "it" is, a change, a spell, etc) and decide, "Does this translate 1:1 to a PW, or do we need to tweak it?"

The biggest issue is the major foundational difference between turn-based and real-time.

I'm sure lots of consideration will go into keeping what bits can be made to work with real-time action and discarding those that can't.

It will likely never be a clean cut either-or process. There are loads of things that won't, can't, or are best not translated 1:1

We have teams in place to discuss and adjust as necessary, its just that the starting point right now is pen and paper.

We'll I liked it when divine power followed the PnP spell.

I, for one, think this discussion would be better served is the OP was divided into two: the experience of PnP and the mechanics of PnP.

One should never expect the former on BGTSCC to be achievable. The latter could bring plenty of variety and excitement to the BGTSCC game server, however, there is literally a limit because the NWN2 engine is "blackboxed," and though BG does have some RL wizards able to bend it and trick it, vast limitations will never go away.

Mechanics obviously make for an Experience. There are some who even enjoy the (broken ) mechanics of NWN2!!!