Multiplayer or Single player?

What's everyone's opinion? Play the game with one PC or more than one? I'm thinking about starting over (I have a Paladin/Cavalier) but I want to do something different while using as many of the game NPC's as I can, but I don't want to miss out on a needed class (like a mage or paladin if something happens to Keldorn later on, etc.) I'd like to be a pure mage, but they're weak fighters and get in trouble anytime they cast spells in the city, so I was thinking about having a mage and a Dual-class fighter/thief. Any comments?

Memnoch: Those guys eventually did show up in the Five Flagons Inn, so I was able to continue, thanks!

I started the game in multiplayer with three of my own characters and then transfered that file to a single player save game. That way you don't miss out on the healing spells cast upon rest thing.

I personally like how my party is set up now. Three slots for yourself gives you a good opportunity to experiment with other classes and the three npc slots gives you the room to do some of their quests.

You could always go 5 of your own and one npc. Just transfer out that npc to do their quests. Make sure you balance out those 5 slots though so it does not matter who the other npc is.

I am playing with Undead Hunter, (Half Orc) Wizard Slayer, and a Fighter that I dual classed to a theif right away ('cause I don't like Yoshimo nor Iomoen). The other npcs I usually have in my party are Nalia, Aerie, and Jaheira.

Between the undead hunter and the wizard slayer, I haven't had much trouble with anything in the game so far.