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What party formation do you use most of the time?

lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
edited December 2013 in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
Which party formation do you find yourself using most of the time.
  1. What party formation do you use most of the time?139 votes
    1. Default vertical 2x3 box
      40.29%
    2. Triangle with leader in back
        6.47%
    3. Triangle with leader in front
        3.60%
    4. T shape
      14.39%
    5. Pentagon with leader in the middle
        7.91%
    6. Line (horozontal or vertical)
        0.72%
    7. Hexagon
        5.04%
    8. Staggered 2x3 (either)
      16.55%
    9. Follow the leader
        1.44%
    10. Horizontal 2x3 box
        3.60%
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Comments

  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited December 2013
    Normally I'm just too lazy to change it (or at least apathetic towards what it is currently set at) :D
  • lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
    edited December 2013
    I find myself using the T shape most of the time. Leader in the middle of the front row, front line fighers on the flanks, and squishier casters and archers falling in behind the leader.
  • SilverstarSilverstar Member Posts: 2,207
    The horizontal box one

    x x x
    x x x

    Though the other 2*3 one is more practical, I think it looks better having 2 goons at my side than just one.
  • EudaemoniumEudaemonium Member Posts: 3,199
    I use the Pentagon because it looks most aesthetically pleasing to me. Even if it makes no sense strategically (e.g. Charname is front-line Fighter type).
  • lundgrnnlundgrnn Member Posts: 27
    Silverstar said:

    The horizontal box one

    x x x
    x x x

    Though the other 2*3 one is more practical, I think it looks better having 2 goons at my side than just one.

    I guess it makes more sense to call that a 3x2...but my brain is weird and wants to call it a horizontal 2x3. Oh well, it seems to have gotten the message across in the end.
  • styggastygga Member Posts: 467
    Stagger with slot #1 in the fourth position. Why? Charname is currently a wild mage :)
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    I like being surrounded by my minions. Meat shields up front, nerds and ne'er-do-wells in the back.
  • RajickRajick Member Posts: 207
    Unless I'm a Mage then I do pentagon with leader in middle
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    Rajick said:

    Unless I'm a Mage then I do pentagon with leader in middle

    I'm the same
  • FablewyndFablewynd Member Posts: 79
    Not sure why I prefer this formation, I just always go for it for some reason.
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    Default Vertical Box, allows to help defend against ambushes as well as flat out forward fighting.
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    I alternate between staggered 2x3 and the line. I use follow the leader when there is a section with *really* bad pathfinding. SOMETIMES, very rarely I use the default. In big open areas when I want both the two front men/women to be attacked rather than just the guy at the very front.
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    Hmm, I also used to use the Triangle, the Pentagon, and the Hexagon. But only use Default now.
  • nanonano Member Posts: 1,632
    Oh my god, I had no idea there were other formations besides the 5 quick ones
  • MechaliburMechalibur Member Posts: 265
    Default. Even if I'm playing a mage or an archer who shouldn't be in the front. I guess I'm just too lazy to try something else.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    edited December 2013
    Most of the time I default to this unless the PC is going to be my main tank or use short range melee weapons (i.e. not 2hers).

    Other weapons are the stagged 2x3 column formation and the triangle formations (both of them). Finally I usually have the arrow one that's basically follow the leader.

    Edit: due to too many miniature wargames growing up, I hate running in column of files (2x3 vertical or 1 vertical line. Even the stagger leaves me kinda wary but its often necessary on bridges.)
  • Xei_Win_TohXei_Win_Toh Member Posts: 43
    edited December 2013
    I use the default 2-2-2 formation, mostly because of how economical with space it is - most corridors in the game seem to have been designed with it in mind.

    The other reason is that I like the 2-2-2 division for a party: 2 tanky characters, loaded up with AC and spell defenses. 2 midline characters, being less loaded up on defense but packing a punch. And 2 backline characters who mostly just want to stay the heck away from combat.
    Then again, one might wonder if I like setting up my party like that because of the formation being the default...

    EDIT: I should probably experiment with something else when my charname isn't built to tank. I just can't have anybody but myself being the party 'face'.
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    I often have a ranged charname; thief or bard, so as party leader, he'll be in the middle, with the damage dealer and tank on the sides; mage behind the leader, cleric or backup caster/secondary ranged on the back.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    Staggered 2x3 keeps tanks in front just like default, but the narrower, closer formation of it cuts down on pathfinding problems.
  • CoryNewbCoryNewb Member Posts: 1,330
    I just switched to the T with my 3 melees up front and I will probably never switch back.
  • MadhaxMadhax Member Posts: 1,416
    I play caster PCs, but prefer them to still be the party leader. So, pentagon makes sense for me, especially since I habitually have combat-buffs ready to turn my caster into a warrior.
  • AcridSyphilisAcridSyphilis Member Posts: 129
    i was surprised so many people didn't use the default! Mostly because it's a pain walking through corridors otherwise. I'm pretty impressed with the some of the reasoning though, things like the T shape seemingly being obvious but it wasn't to me.
  • Montresor_SPMontresor_SP Member Posts: 2,208
    Usually the default, though I sometimes switch to "Follow the leader" when it's convenient - for example when pathfinding makes your NPCs get in each other's way and walk all over the area, such as in Suldanessellar and the Firewine dungeon.
  • WilburWilbur Member Posts: 1,173
    I use the default 95% of the time even though another formation would often be better. Too lazy to change it i guess.
  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344
    I like the narrowness of the staggered 2x3, usually with leader+tank in the front.
  • BaldursCatBaldursCat Member Posts: 432
    edited December 2013
    I tend to go for bunched formations because, and it's a shame, the widths of a lot of the areas on the maps just don't allow for the wider formations. I either put a tank or a character with stealth upfront and casters/archers in the back line.
  • Smoke_JaguarSmoke_Jaguar Member Posts: 24
    Default works best for me.

    Tanks/heavy armor dd's in front, clerics/druids/thieves in back, squishies in middle
  • StuckinMudStuckinMud Member Posts: 45
    we will hold the line!
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,393
    I occasionally switch it up, especially if the person I want doing most of the talking is sort of squishy, I'll switch to something that let's me put the leader in the middle or back.
    I also sometimes switch to using a single line forward for some of those very narrow subterranean areas. I especially used to do this in vanilla BG where movement was much trickier than it is in EE.
  • SCARY_WIZARDSCARY_WIZARD Member Posts: 1,438
    Follow the leader. :D REMINDS ME OF DUCKS
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