IMO Explorer is boring, Normal difficulty too. Honour Mode for a first run might be too much, hence I would suggest Tactician.
Don't bother to recruit all the Origins, as most are evil jerks anyway. You will not be able to digest all their backgrounds in a single playthough either, too much of sob! and edgy! tales flung at you.
Swapping them out - especially if you are learning the game - will blow your mind as there are too many classes and subclasses, too many skills, spells and items to juggle. Make a party (can be partly with Hirelings) at around 3rd level, no multiclassing, and stick to it until you learn the subtleties of the game.
Don't be afraid to "run away to live to fight another day" - once two are down/dead, have one sacrifice themselfves and have the fourth flee to camp, to revive the rest at Withers (or return to the battlefield with Resurrection Scrolls). I found that MUCH more rewarding than F8.
I agree with talking with animals - fun
