What classes would everyone most and least like to see represented?

I'll start!

Like: Kensai, Ranger>Cleric, Fighter/Thief at top of my list. I wouldn't mind seeing Archer, Assassin, or Sorcerer though.

Dislike: Any Paladins (though if Dex was good... MAYBE), Any Bards, or Any Druids. I feel like we have the best of those for the most part.

I second the Kensai and fighter/thief. A sorcerer would be cool. A fighter/mage would be fun too. I also think a vampire would be awesome

Eh guys, looks like you're thinking about BG2 Enhanced Edition already. Haven't you taken a look at baldursgate.com? Even before the release of the news you could see it's about Baldur's Gate 1, just take a look at the NPC portraits used as a backdrop. So Kensai would be a hard character to put up. You'd have a level 1-8 (if I'm not mistaken) Kensai in the game. Not the levels at which a Kensai shines.

There already IS a very good fighter/thief, for the good parties: Coran. While Bards in BG1 are really underwelming. But balance is a thing Trent Oster and the like need to keep in mind: some classes are very overpowered in traditional BG 1. How to prevent them to become overpowered in BG EE? Sorceror and Blade for instance, could easily unbalance the game, though they're nice classes to have.

A fighter-mage would get my vote anytime (even tough it's my favourite class to chose for a PC).

It would be beneficial for the second installment of BG EE (BG2 EE) to have some characters from BG 1 transferable to BG 2. There's lots of nice thieves for instance, that might give more choice for the second game than just Jan Jansen and Yoshimo (and Mages that have some skills on the side). Coran for one and Alora as well (Alora mostly because of her nice-to-have personality and banter possibilities it provides).

Yeah, first a new edition of BG1, later BG2 (both plus expansions)

Most classes are pretty well represented in BG1, enough mages, clerics, fighters, thieves and druids. Baldur's Gate II could use some more evil characters. When you play the evil route there isn't enough choice imho.

They have already announced BG2:EE though, even if it's coming out later. They have also stated that the engine they are using for both BG:EE and BG2:EE is an enhance version of the BG2 engine. So BG2 kits and races WILL be available in BG:EE. They may have to make adaptations to balance them, but they will be there.

I agree that 1-8 Kensai wouldn't be my pick, I was indeed thinking ahead to BG2:EE. I agree too that most the classes were pretty well represented in BG1 and that they should bring some of them over to BG2:EE when it is released. And if they bring over someone like Kivan, who is an ranger archer, they should definitely make him an Archer (noticed the capital A?). I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Coran make it to BG2:EE. And my comment on bards was that I DIDN'T want them! In either of the games! BG1 they suck and BG2 you have the best kit already represented.

It's true, there aren't enough evil characters in BG2 to make a true evil party. Though the ones they give you are all pretty leet.

This.

A jester NPC would be fun. And some of the BG1 thieves (Alora, Tiax, Shar-Teel) should be added to BG2 so you have an evil thief option and a good one.

Ranger/cleric and sorcerer would be nice but they'd need really bad stats to avoid being overpowered and therefore barely anyone would play them.

True about Kivan becoming an Archer is the way to go. I'm so used to giving kits to BG1 NPC's in my Tutu campaigns, I'm already used to giving Kivan the Archer kit. Another character that might get a kit, is Alora: I can never imagine her backstabbing and so I never do, so Swashbuckler is a nice kit for Alora. Though I often opt to keep her a Thief, and just don't backstab.

As to Jester's: I myself think of Eldoth as being one, or don't you agree?