Nah. As "anti-consumer as it gets" would be removing the classic version, NOT giving it to you as a bonus, and CHARGING you for it as a DLC.

I beg to differ. If you're going to put money down on it, you should do a modest amount of research. That's how people buy games their computercan't run, and then want to blame the store front that won't give them a refund. People SHOULD be investigating the things they're buying at least a little.

As noted by Trueshot, the Ranger is less than ideal in NWN. If you want a good ranged option, your best bet is actually either a ranged Fighter (you can bolster to hit and damage with their feats), or go Arcane Archer. The last really doesn't start to shine though until late pre-epic and epic levels. But either way, until you get some levels and add attacks per round, you're likely better off having a melee option as well.

okay, I'll switch to something else.
A fast melee who can detect and disarm traps. Duel Wield. Something like that.

Rogue/Fighter. I love that combo.

My personal favorite was always the Fighter/Bard though.

If you want fast combat, NWN is the wrong game. ;)

My preferred ranged classes are casters. Granted, their regular attacks suck, but you get 1-3* free party members in the form of animals that can distract your opponents and engage them in melee, so you have an easier time casting and shooting at them compared to your opponents running straight at you. NWN is maybe the first D&D game where low level mages aren't as helpless as usual, but do actually have kind of an advantage over solo melee characters.

(* or 1-2, I don't remember exactly what combination is possible; familiar, summoned creature, and druids can also enchant wild animals to help you)

Real-world people don't work that way, and a business would quickly dissolve if it isn't able to recognize that.

My mistake, I logged out and can see my discount for $10, the amount that I originally paid; leaving my original post as I hate it when people delete and re-edits their posts!

What the HELL!? I just bought the EEdition and NOW you release the DDEdition a day later!? I would have bought this version over the EEdition but now, I have to spend double in order to get this version! Why not discount it to $10 for those who were duped in buying the EE version!?

Dick move beamdog, for not even allowing for an upgrade path...

I missed this announcement then. I tend to just browse the client and the store.

What? Real world people do work that way, at least around here. I don't buy much of anything I haven't done some research on simply because I won't get burned. I bet you sign contracts without reading them too...

Refunds available, help yourself.

Yeah, I'm not too nuts about the first chapter, perhaps because I've restarted it so many times due to unhappiness with my character. Chapter 2 has always been the point for me where the game really starts to get fun.

For someone who does not buy much around here, you spend a lot of time bitching about everything.
As for research.....for god's sake, you are just deciding on spending 20 bucks on a game, not buying a new car.
Let's be honest, the main attraction of NWN has always been because it came with a full scale kit for creating your own adventures,rather then for the main game itself.
IMHO the main game is not as good as the previous Infinity engine games, but a lot better then iit's critics maintain. The real problem is the first...and very long..chapter is pretty weak.

not really ... they can pretend as much as they want that the original game is some bonus they are giving away "for free", but that simply isn't the case. Maybe this doesn't apply to everyone, but some people there is no value in the 'enhanced' version but they want to buy the original ... be it for nostalgic reasons because they played it years ago, or simply wanting to try the original version their friends keep talking about. But now that original version is gated behing the paywall of the hiked up price of the enhanced version.

In the end, anyone interested just in the original is forced to pay extra for product they don't want nor need.

I just can't get on board with this argument because it requires statistics and (unlikely) data. It strikes me as improbable for the following reasons. NWN Diamond has been available in box form for over a decade and in digital distribution for almost the same length of time. This is basically making a mountain out of a molehill because the game didn't just get released and has likely been in a sales equilibrium for 5+ years. Individuals aged 16-24* right now have likely never even seen a game like NWN, nor heard of NWN, nor read about NWN- and this is a significant demographic for gaming revenue. I can't imagine the gamer who cares so deeply- right now, at this very instant- about being forced to pay extra for an unmaintained product that's been available for ~10 years. The sales contribution from this kind of user is probably less than 1/1000th of a percent. Yes, Diamond has had a dedicated and prosperous community for its entire lifespan but to suggest that this community was still capable of growing (at all?) before EE without any intervention is somewhat specious and dubious.

Edit: it's also fascinating that you mention nostalgia. Nostalgia directs me towards EE far more than it does Diamond. The nostalgia factor, if you will, causes me to envision the game being restored to its original glory and popularity (which was immense around ~2003-2006). And this is in no way even a remote possibility without a remaster and ongoing support.