"Better than pure wizard" what is this, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons?

Wizard/Rogue is the most egineer-y, but you get that combo on your crucial npcs anyway.
A summon-heavy class could feel like a drone engineer.

Yes.

The blonde one or the red one?

Need to suggest a Patreon I fund that they start making some of the Nerf Ladies into figures. Because I would love and Angie Elven Archer PVC style figure right now.

There's a good balance between being given too much and too little guidance, and it differs for everyone.
But that sounds like an oversight that would drive someone pre internet up a wall lol

I guess the closest thing to an engineer in BG would be either a druid, mage or a shaman (if you're playing the Enhanced Edition) focusing on summon spells, since the summon would do most of the fighting for you, like an engie's turret. Plus a druid can also 'fix' his 'turret' (use healing).

I'm all for the old-school approach, usually, but it's a real weird move to hand you a quest that you can't even begin to look into until half the game later. A bit of foreshadowing about Cloakwood's later importance, sure, but a whole QUEST...? A fetch quest, at that? That just throws you off.