Multiplaying With 5-6 Players

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I'm about to start a multiplayer game with 4-5 other irl friends. Of them, only one has played BG2 before, everyone else is at least moderately familiar with AD&D PnP games. So I need to ask you some questions about it.

1: How important are the system specs and connection for this? I mean really, not just the information on the manual. I have an AMD 1400Mhz, ~500+ RAM, and connection speed of 2mbit/512kbit (downstream/upstream). Most of my friends have a computer with more Mhz and RAM than I do, but their connection speeds are either 512/256 or 512/512 at best. For what kind of a combination should the server go for? How important is the downstream relative to upstream, and is it even possible to play BG2 with 6 players with such a connection?

2: How will the custom-made and fully player controlled characters have any unbalancing effect on the game? As the pausing has the slight lag that it does, I'm not sure wether fights will be more difficult, or easier. Also, is Ascension mod a good thing in multiplayer or not? Especially since there are newbs involved?

3: Any things that you should teach first-time (well not first-time players as they've been forced to train some in singleplayer mode, but newbs nevertheless) BG2 players when multiplaying? Not the most basic of basics, but some important aspects of the game that one might usually forget?

4: Anything else that I should know? Note that I've played BG1 almost through in multiplayer once, and both BG1&2 with their addons some way through around twice each. But I've never done that with more than 1 additional player. This is the first time I'm starting a true RPG multiplayer where each person controls only their own character. And each person is supposed to at least somewhat stay in their roles. So anything that you can think of, tell me. An answer to question #1 is especially important. Thx.

 

I've played a two player game with my 56k dial-up without any problems. And my comp was at the time a 400 Mhz P2 with 256 RAM. So it shouldn't be much of a problem.

 

I hope that is true. I'd think that Ascension isn't such a good idea, as it's often responsible for some real heavy lag (for the lack of a better word, even though network connection is hardly an issue in singleplayer game) even on my computer.

Obviously people haven't played much multiplayer, right? For I seem to remember that each and every thread concerning it have died just as quickly as this one is about to.

 

I've played multiplayer twice. One was a network game, the other was a real online game.

The online game was a bad experience for me. Everytime the game saves or loads a new area, I get disconnected. Now I have a firewall, so I can't even play online anymore.

About the characters: I suggest all characters created from scratch. This forces the entire party to work as a team to overcome battles, especially those early in the game. This "distributes the fun" and gets everyone involved. If you let one player hold an edge on the others (via exp or items), then its no fun for the others becuase he gets all the kills.

I say that because it happened to me. My friend had a hacked up kensai/mage... I was new and chose a lousy cleric. Every time I join the attack, he's already done the battle. So my job was just to heal him, which was pretty boring.

 

I had some experience in multiplayer with friends, and i think all your connections would be fine.

Secondly since there are 5 of you guys all playing, and you want to keep the game as balanced as possible avoid dual classing and multiclasses, this way you can avoid ability clashes and arguments over weapons and equipment.

lastly have fun, don't let your friends make it into a competition, about who can level up the fastest, this way they will just end up dying, you will have to work together and compliment eachothers abilities, and if it all works out, with no lag then it should be a great laugh.