I am also looking into playing this game with long lost friends who i've moved away from, and who have had to move away from me. it is this which also makes me realize that i can also play with people i do know on the internet, but have never met.
as for the bg pseudo real time combat, the combat in nwn isn't like that at all. it is a completely different game, new rules and of course, new combat.
seeings how swiming and climbing are currently out of the game (maybe in the expansion pack), maybe the weapon disarm and weapon grip skills are for the fighters, who would end up having to take alot of ranks in ride (while there are no hidable horses, animals either), or profession: baker. or something like that.
as much as a massivly multiplayer baking simulator is, i guess we're going to have to live with their decision.
the reports for this release (on all those websites, like amazon, and ebworld and so on) aren't accurate, as the actual game developers don't even know when it will be done, but they are trying for the next few months, sometime before summer this year.