It's a shame that the scheduling is getting messy and people can't attend, I'm a big fan of following this game.

One of my games is only 3 characters and I've taken to a Dragon Age style playstyle: They have accrued a number of NPCs that they get to level up as Sidekicks, and when going into situations I tell them if they can take none, one, or two of them. It gives them some tactical depth by choosing different sidekicks, whilst allowing me to use more challenging encounters.