It's clear that Fallout 1 and BG1 made a technological step forward in comparison to previous CRPG. They follow a period where less CRPG was released and their graphic quality made a huge step forward because of a higher definition and because they didn't jump into 3D like graphics. BG1 add to that another huge "technological" step forward by its more intensive use of voice actors.
That definitely make them quite more modern than all CRPG released before. Then followed a period mixing CRPG still using 2D Iso and those jumping into 3D. During this phase 3D Iso games could still had a clear edge in term of graphical appeal but 3D was clearly the future. This was a transition phase between 2D Iso and 3D. You can read the story in different way, myself I felt that Dungeon Siege has been the first clear signal that time was over for 2D Iso and KOTOR closed the tomb of 2D Iso CRPG. Not that it wasn't clear before that 3D was the future of CRPG but after those games it was clear that 2D Iso AAA games wasn't anymore possible.
And for me that's where start modern CRPG with some precursor in advance on their time, mainly Gothic 1 and 2.
So what modern CRPG I consider better than BG1 and BG2? In fact quite many, Gothic 2+NOTR, DAO, The Witcher, Mask Of the Betrayer, and even Drakensang. The point is if I find a rare charm to BG1, it has too many negative points. BG2 could make a better candidate because of the better polishing alas myself I don't remember at all that it had the same charm and I never succeed replay it for now.
For me those modern games has a much better writing with possibly the exception of Drakensang, they have much better or better fights, they have better class system, they have a much better story with possibly the exception of Drakensang, they don't suffer of a poor simple vision of Evil/Good system (even MoTB manage that quite better despite its base of D&D).
Despite the appearance I'm rather sad that there won't be any BG1 like CRPG. For me BG2 failed to be the BG1 successor with better polishing and BG1 was worth a better polishing. There's few other games that was for me on the road of BG1, I'm thinking of Avernum 1 and The Sword Land Trilogy, there's perhaps some other. But the gap is also huge and it's not a surprise that Indie games can hardly compete fully with an AAA CRPG like was BG1.
EDIT: The very recent chock have been to learned that 3D graphics cost 10 more time for a same level of detail and quantity, that destroyed my hope that there will ever be a BG1 much better polished.