76 replies to this topic

[Kaeloree]

For the purposes of a bit of research, I'm wondering what the most common party combinations are--or even better, which NPCs do you always take with you regularly as a pair or a threesome? What about in ToB?

Myself, in SoA I tend to take:

• Minsc
  
• Jaheira
  
• Yoshimo/Imoen
  
• Viconia
  
• Aerie/Keldorn

In ToB, generally the same, except I'll swap Cernd for Aerie/Keldorn, and sometimes Jaheira for Valygar.

What are your most frequent party combinations?

[Deva]

I just take my favorites along, regardless of how well it works. This tends to be;

- Viconia
- Anomen (Turned CN.) / Minsc / To be replaced by Sarevok in ToB
- Haer'Dalis
- Edwin
- Yoshimo - Imoen / Jan.

[Lysan Lurraxol]

I tend to take NPCs who are most connected to the plot, or the PC would have a reason to take, like old BG1 friends.

So usually,
Jaheira (I rarely don't take this one)
Yoshimo/ later replaced with Imoen
Viconia (more for entertainment than anything else)
Edwin
The remaining slot filled by NPCs I take along for quests or just interactions and then drop after a while.

I don't take Minsc because I don't find him remotely funny, just tedious and predictable.

[vilkacis]

I always seem to end up with Jaheira, Minsc, Yoshimo->Imoen, Viconia and Edwin.

[Bluenose]

Generally I have Minsc, Aerie, Yoshimo -> Imoen, plus whoever is most connected to the current quest. The fifth might be almost anyone who isn't Jaheira or Edwin.

In ToB the only one I always have is Imoen, I usually have Sarevok, but the rest are really variable depending on what I'm playing and how I want to fill out the party. Anomen is pretty common, otherwise any of the characters are powerful and useful to me, and I don't play favourites among the ones I like.

[the bigg]

I don't think I've ever done a Bioware-only in ages. However, I've always had Imoen (and my habit of rushing to pick her has always bitten me in the backside given how mods want you to require you to wait forever in CH2 for them to play out properly). Given the lack of proper modded clerics and druids (one-day mods and mods by low-reputation {modders,comunities} don't count), I usually also pick one of {Jaheira, Cernd} and one of {Anomen, Viconia, Aerie}.

[Jarno Mikkola]

Always; Aerie and Imoen.
Most of the time; Jaheira and Sarevok.
Sometimes; Minsc+Boo, Yoshimo, Korgan.

Also my BG1 party was: Ajantis, Minsc, Jaheira or Branwen, Imoen and Dynaheir.

[Scipio]

In the order in which I usually encounter them I most prefer to travel with:
Imoen/Yoshimo/Imoen
Jaheira
Aerie
Nalia
Viconia

We usually go all the way through ToB as well. With this party I need to be my favourite type of tank, a Beserker with long swords/Shield of Balduran/some mace slots.

I take turns romancing them. I love Aerie the most, then Jaheira, then Imoen (because her romance is more complicated), then Nalia (who is SO much like a rich social science major).

Nalia is usually sent home temporarily while we do the specific quests with Korgan, Cernd, Valygar and Keldorn. These four usually stay in the party only until their quests are done (or Keldorn reunites with his poor wife).

There are stronger parties, but this one can go all the way, so I'm happy with my bevy of babes.

** We need a mod where the PC can be the uncle or grandfather of the female NPCs. I always feel vaguely like a cradle-snatcher when I chat up these chicks. I should be Keldorn.

[Amaurea]

In order of meeting them:

Minsc
Yoshi/Immy
Aerie
Anomen

I rotate other NPC's out of the last slot for various quests. In TOB, I'll add Sarevok, or drop Minsc and take Sarevok. It depends on what class I'm playing.

Edited by Amaurea, 30 May 2008 - 06:27 AM.

[Cal Jones]

It varies as I like, er, variety.

I will always take Imoen (though this didn't used to be the case) and these days I'll take Yoshimo most of the time.
I always take Sarevok in ToB.
Usually I'll take 5 characters through SoA so I don't have to drop anyone for Sarevok in ToB (they level faster that way too).

I usually play a fighter (I have played all classes, but I prefer to tank where possible) so in most instances I'll take a cleric or druid, a mage (usually Edwin, though not always) and another fighter-type (usually Valygar - I like him, and he seems sad if I turn him down... The reverse is true of Keldorn, who is awesome, but I feel guilty for keeping him from his family. I probably invest too much emotion in my pixels!)
Minsc has travelled with me often but I've grown tired of him rather, though I won't discount him from future runthroughs. Cernd and H'D have only come along for the ride once (and H'D has never been through ToB). Nalia has never come along. Prehaps I need to do one play through with her in party but I hate her wittering on about the poor all the time. Bah!

Being female I'm the opposite of Scipio - I like to travel with hot young studs rather than girls. Imoen's acceptable, though, being the little sister and all.

[Paloesha]

Every time I start a new game, I say I'll change. Yet I always end up taking the same kind of group.

Me
Jaheria
Minsc
Yoshimo(turn to Imoen)
Aerie
(Random NPC for whatever quest)

I don't know why, I just feel like Jaheria and Minsc should be there, even if Jaheria gets on my nerves occasionally. I can't seem to drop Aerie. And Yoshimo should be there for Spellhold.

[Vicen]

Well right now Im using

PC who is a wizard slayer dual wield

Imoen /Yoshimo

Aerie (had to romance her once to check it out)

Jaheria

Anomen

Minsc

I almost always taken Edwin but this time like I said I wanted to romance Aerie hehe

[Zyraen]

Myself - Sorcerer
Anomen
Keldorn
Minsc
Yoshimo / Imoen
Aerie (main Good Character Romantic Interest)

Edited by Zyraen, 30 May 2008 - 08:55 AM.

[theacefes]

Me (KILLER FIGHTER DIE DIE)
Imoen/Yoshimo/Imoen
Jaheira
Minsc
Nalia
Mod Character

Between Minsc and me killing on the front lines and using Jaheira and Imoen/Yoshimo for missile backup and Nalia/Imoen for spellcasting, I don't usually have any problems.

For ToB, I typically keep the same party but this is assuming that I don't get bored silly in ToB to just start a new SoA game.

[Abigail]

Jaheira (usually)
Edwin
Yoshimo/Imoen
Haer'dalis (although I pick him up somewhere in the end of chapter 2, so I an get other NPC for a while)
Sarevok

[Kaeloree]

Some very interesting results--there are a few NPC-groups who keep popping up! I'm surprised at how popular Yoshimo is (glad too, since I believe the Yoshimo friendship will be in development in a few weeks!).

This thread is mainly to find out who we should be adding banters to (and group banters to) with IEP Banters, but hopefully it'll come in handy for other modders too.

Keep them coming!

[the bigg]

I'm goint to bet that Yoshi's popularity is largely because the YoshImoen combo is highly optimal for the traps needs for 90% of parties - which is why you don't see Jan or Cernd, and Viccy and HD are mentioned only once.

Whatever the reason for that, it's reassuring to know that you can skip the turnip stories in your NPC (or making up a bird name for him) because nobody's going to notice the absence of any <NPC>/{Jan,HD} banters

Edited by the bigg, 30 May 2008 - 02:23 PM.

[Kaeloree]

Good point. Heh, that'd be another interesting question: "Do you choose NPCs for gaming or story reasons?"

[Sir_Carnifex]

This is the closest I can come to a "usual" party. I switch characters in and out fairly often.

PC (Generally a fighter type)
Minsc/Valygar (Valygar if I have Keldorn)
Yoshimo/Imoen
Viconia/Anomen (Anomen if I have Valygar generally)
Nalia
Jaheira/Keldorn

[Amaurea]

Good point. Heh, that'd be another interesting question: "Do you choose NPCs for gaming or story reasons?"

Well, a bit of both. I'll do one or two for story reasons, then chose the others to have a balanced party for gaming reasons.

I seriously wish I could wave a magic wand and become a gifted writer to help with this project. I'd love to be able to come up with additional talks for Anomen's romance.

Edited by Amaurea, 30 May 2008 - 03:07 PM.