Meleager

That sounds rather good actually.  I assumed that if Return to Windspear went beyond the standard AI of frequently encountered monsters (such as vampires, beholders, mind flayers, etc...) those changes would be in effect for the entire game, once the mod was installed.  Given what you and Quitch have said with regards to the elimination of  the cheese factor, I would not have minded a permanent improvement in AI, especially since at this point, I am looking to maximize the challenges of the game.

We intend to keep within the rules laid down by AD&D.  If your opponent can do it, you can too.  This obviously doesn't include racial powers.  The person responsible for our AI is Xyx, the cheese Nazi.  We won't be allowed to cheat.

We are also introducing our own difficulty system, so you can experience as much, or as little combat as you like, without changing experience and damage settings.

Concerning the improved AI and the added difficulty system, are they limited to the mod, or will they effect the rest of the game once the mod is installed?

It is your mod, therefore you and Quitch can develop it any way you see fit.  I would not quibble with your decisions regardless, if I find it objectionable enough I will simply uninstall it.  That said, your post seems a bit stark and perhaps even dogmatic.  But then, it may be that you are creating this mod for yourself, as opposed to as wide a cross-section of the Baldur's Gate community as possible.  Nevertheless, I look forward to Return to Windspear, and I believe that I will enjoy the challenges it offers.  I do not expect it to be easy, or to be a hack-fest free of tactical and mental trials.  At the same time,  I also hope that it will employ fewer supercharged antics, that raise the difficulty of some mods by enabling the opponents to cast spell sequencers, triggers, and contingencies (as well as to multi-task within a single round) in a way that is not allowed to the protagonist under the rules of the game.  Given what I have seen of Return to Windspear, as well as our limited exchanges, I believe it will be a grand experience.  Thanks, and good fortune with your future endeavors.

Am I correct in surmising that there is no specific timeframe set for the release of this mod?