Hey, Pangur Ban! I recognize you from Wizards & Warriors!
Yes, I understand fully the desire to play everyone under your control. That's why I like IWD/HoW as much as I do. BGII is worthwhile, however, with the NPC's. You may consider doing two different games: one solo multiplayer and one single player with NPC's. Try them both out and see what you think.
Each NPC in BG2 has a "special quest": they yield a small amount of XP and add some interest to the story. It's not crucial to the main storyline, but they can be fun.
Hope you have fun!
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