I like party banter and trying out everyone as much as the next guy, but I find that running 6 person party is a frustrating chore in Infinity engine games.
Too much inventory micromanagement (especially in BG games where off-hand weapon/shield doesn't play nice with 2h or ranged on the switch), terrible pathfinding leading to most of your party getting stuck on choke points, bumping into each other and deciding to go off the long way, too much micro positioning your party during the fights. And not enough boots of speed for everyone
4 cuts down these annoying things to a reasonable level, while also giving good XP for everyone.
I think 4 is best from a powergaming stance. But I like full parties because it leaves you room to take NPCs that don't fit the roles you need, ones you want for their banter or their quest. There's something to said for small parties though, even the worst NPC starts to feel useful when that's all you have.
I like four, and not just any four. My perfect party would a single classed Warrior, cleric, thief, and mage. I dig tradition. This is how I run through IWD games, how I'm about to run through ToEE. It may not be the most powerful party, but it gets the job done...every time.
It annoys me that not only is this not the canon party for BG, but it's impossible to even do this kind of party in BG. There are no single-class non-specialized mages in either game, There's only one single-classed cleric in BG2, and she's evil. Finally, the one single-classed thief in BG2 doesn't exactly have a long shelf-life, and he's kitted, to boot!
I respect your adherence to tradition. ::tips hat::
I enjoy smaller parties, because (especially in BG1), bigger parties tend to boil down to "kill everything with bolts/arrows and when it comes closer, hack the last bit of their life with an axe" without the need to actually use any real magic.
I used to just play with fully created characters, but now I usually play with a party of 5-6 using NPC for more banter and such. Otherwise I try to solo.
I wish I could take all the NPCs so that there would be plenty of banter. I've tried to solo with sorcerers and such, and while I found it simple enough to get through the game that way, I also found it incredibly boring and never get around to finishing it.
Comments
Too much inventory micromanagement (especially in BG games where off-hand weapon/shield doesn't play nice with 2h or ranged on the switch), terrible pathfinding leading to most of your party getting stuck on choke points, bumping into each other and deciding to go off the long way, too much micro positioning your party during the fights.
And not enough boots of speed for everyone
4 cuts down these annoying things to a reasonable level, while also giving good XP for everyone.
EDIT: Apparently it was a full team of 6. These days I'm more inclined to run with a core of 5, though. I guess my playstyle shifted.
5 In BG2 soa part. To leave room for that one guy in ToB without needing to kick anyone out. Im sentimental that way.
6 in ToB