Questions on MM8 - just starting out

[mrPassenger]

So I've just started MM8 - and am already thinking of restarting. A couple of things about the game have caused me to wonder if I should play it differantly:

Since I seem to have just 1 main character, should I have my main character take all the barrels I come across for the stats bonuses? I'm not sure if the other characters I pick up are going to be around for very long....so am I wasting those bonuses if I give them to anyone other than my main chracter?
Will the extra characters I pick up be with me very long? Or will I be swapping them for others on a regular basis?
What is a good starting class since it seems like you very early get a better cleric, necromancer, vampire and knight?

Thanks all,
-mrP

[Gaidal Cain]

All characters will stick you once you can recruit them- you'll have to leave one behind on a very few occasitions to use a specific character for a quest, so whether to give the barrels to those early characters is a matter of taste- if you want to have characters of those classes, then go for it. As for starting class- I like Dark Elves. There is one level 50 dark elf you can rescues and get to join your party when you're of a much lower level though, but that's about as cheesy as using a dragon charcter (dragons are über). If you want a reasonably easy party, go with Necromancer, Cleric, Dark elf, Vampire (mainly for their special levitation spell, which can spare you of a few traps and other unpleasant stuff) and Dragon (can be exchanged for some good fighter like Knight)- it's very spellcaster oriented, which can be a bit troublesome early on, but once you get started, it will be much easier.

[Lord13]

Well, if you want to finish the game very easy w8 until you will
go inside the dragon's cave(i can't remember the locations name).
There you will find a dragon to recruit to your party and the things
will become very easy. Later if I remember well you can find and
a second dragon character for your party(things will become a joke
then). Anyway, MnM 8 is very easy(but a great game thought) so
don't be nervous about barrels or starting char(I finished it with
vampire and a dark elf only, I just took some other chars for few
quests and then throw them away :p). Mmm...after that post I'll
start it over again

[HodgePodge]

Yeah, but still … MM8 is still lots of fun. Love those Dragons. Get at least one in your party. (Perferably recruit the adolescent one in the cave at Garrotte Gorge).

Don't forget to visit me and other members of the Guild of the Wooden Flute guarding Lord Brinne's Tomb at the northeast area of Ravenshore. … we've been at it for six years and still going strong.

Some Mild Spoilish Below:

Anyhow, I usually start with a Dark Elf, pick up the Cleric in Dagger Wound and the Minotaur in Ravenshore. Then we're off to Garrotte Gorge to get our little Dragon friend before finding Cauri Blackthorn. Remember to keep all those SCROLLS of Stone to Flesh to unstone her. Nothing else works. So …

Good Luck & Have Fun!