I just started playing Might and Magic 1 again after a couple of years. It's really fun, but it's very hard. I don't play a lot of RPGs, so figuring out which factors to a character (endurance, might, intelligence, etc.) is difficult for me. Would someone be able to give me a few tips or directions on making wise decisions when creating a party. Which classes and races should I have?

Thanks!

I wasn't that interested in the standard party, but I messed around with them for a while and it did help me understand the stats much better. I actually "cheated" a bit afterward and transferred the default party's gold, food, and items to my custom party. Now the game doesn't feel quite so impossible (it's still quite hard though).

Thanks for the suggestion!

I wouldn't consider it as "cheating" as characters you create yourself are massively disadvantaged. I'm glad I was able to help you!

Also, all characters - the default ones and custom-created ones - are all part of the same in-game economy, so trading goods and gold between characters is not cheating at all.

I have a healthy mixture of default characters (Crag the Hack, Zenon III, Serena and Wizz Bane) and a few of my own. The only reason I have Serena tagging along is for her Lasting Light spell - other than that, she's useless, and I generally advise against the inclusion of a cleric.