Jeff is trying to get away from his old system where all he did was apply a multiplier to monster stats to change difficulty and have monsters able to do more things to you at harder difficulties. It's no longer make a defensive build because you can't one shot monsters and prepare for a long slog through ridiculous monster health.
Welcome to Spiderweb Software. Please leave your sanity at the door. It helps with the endgames.
Yeah what you said is very true, and I'm glad that Jeff made it that way. The intelligence of the various foes caught me completely by surprise and it was a humbling experience. Icewind Dale for me was very much combat oriented, and was merely a case of rinse and repeat...buff spells, whack, buff spells, whack. Not once did I feel that the enemy had truly outsmarted me.
With Escape from the Pit, even now on normal I am still getting outsmarted on a regular basis...I have just completed the Slith underground fortress after several attempts, but when I finally got it right I felt my tactics were spot on and it was very satisfying. This is what compels me to play the game...the feeling of satisfaction when I know that my tactics are working. Perhaps I will attempt the game on hard again once I have finished the rest of my playthrough on normal. Take my "criticism" as a big positive...the game has been a big learning curve for me and is so much more than just "rush in and slaughter everything". I have learnt that the hard way :-)
I think you should get the game and try it on torment. Just thinking of attempting to play it on that difficulty sends shivers down my spine. I personally don't think it is the build of my party...I am happy with all my skills and attributes etc. I think it's the intelligence of the various foes and how they use their own skills against you. For me one wrong move and your facing an uphill battle.