Yes, but again: it's not BG1&2 - it's not a game design with single player experience in mind, or roleplaying or immersion, or overall, a narrative experience.
You (and hopefully your buddies) jump into the game and pick your avatars. Ones you don't choose will appear as "companions". That's it, that's all. Whenever it makes for a good narrative experience is a lesser concern, I would imagine.
