So I was wondering, what party do you guys like to use? Or better yet what kinda party did you have on you're first playthrough?

Personally, when I first played through my party mix was essentially on shuffle. I must of picked up and dropped off at least 8 or 9 different party members before I ended up with my endgame party, which just happened to be the canon endgame party.... needless to say when BG2 came out that made me feel very sexy hahaha

I'll usually end up using at least one or two of that group, but I try to grab different party members to mix things up.

How bout you guys?

Usually canon for BG1.

BG2 I vary a little, usually with Jaheira, Viconia (a must!), Valgyar, Minsc.

My first playthrough i only ever stuck with the typical 'canon' party. I think the trouble was that by the time i hit a point in the game where i came across an interesting looking npc i just didn't think it was worth kicking out a party member who was already providing a solid party role.

In subsequent playthroughs i must have tried them all, although i still think having the npc auto leveled to 'your' level when you meet them is a pain and also some of the stats given to them are really pretty stingy.

I thought the BG2 'hub' of npcs was a good idea along with having a storyline/quest for them, it certainly encouraged me to party shuffle more, but i did miss the almost total freedom of the original and just stumbling across a character in some backwoods location.

In BG1, I think it depends a lot on the alignment of the protagonist I am playing. If I am good, I go with the canonical party. If I am evil, I generally go with (now, with 99% less spoilers!) evil cleric, evil fighter 1, evil fighter 2, evil mage and Imoen. Regardless of who I play, I ALWAYS keep Imoen with me... I just can't get rid of her.

As far as the characters always joining you at your level, I just instll the level1npc mod. They always start with the roughly same experience that I have, but they begin unleveled up (or at least as unleveled as the game allows for). So, imoen will be level 1, but some of the characters you meet in Chapter 4 or 5 might start out as level 4 or 5. At least this way I get a at least some input in how they are developed.

Also, there is another mod (included in the tweakpack for TuTu, iirc) that allows you to use the Freindly Arm Inn as a sort of Copper Coronet for the first game. Most of the good and neutral character can be sent there, and the evil ones mostly go to the Nashkel bar.

For BG2, I shuffle my characters around a lot. If I have a romance going, I keep that character in the party, but the rest are mixed and matched depending a lot on alignment.

I've only beaten the game once, but I used a Ranger as my PC, Imoen, Jaheria, Minsc, Dynaheir, and Khalid.

I've made several other games that I've played portions of, where I collected Edwin, Silvana, Viconia, etc. I hope to eventually replay it Tutu style with a more evil party.

same here :p even more so in BG2. It just feels like such a dick move to dump her somewhere >_>

I can't really ditch Imoen, Jaheira,Khalid and Minsc. The last party member is either Dynaheir or Xan, and I prefer the latter.

But its Imoen I'm really attached to.

I like her BG2 portrait better ... gonna edit that in this play 8-)

even tho it kinda doesn't fit BUT WHATEVER

I find BGII portraits artistically inferior to BG1 and Icewind Dale but full of personality - which is after all the point of a portrait. You can tell a lot about the character just by looking at them, whereas BG1 is less personal and ID practically stock fantasy.

main party mebers ? Minsc and boo... and big sword... ehm... ok, imoen also, and rest of party is random on each playthru

I prefer solo. But of course the road of adventure sometimes bored me and I'd like someone to talk with.

I (usually FMT or FT) + Minsc (because he is funny and capable) + Minsc's mistress (not a bad mage), and that's it.

I've only played through once as a Chaotic Good Half-Elf Fighter.

I think I went pretty mainstream with my party members:

Imoen
Jaheira
Khalid
Minsc (and Boo of course)
Dynaheir

Wow... see a lot more canon than I thought there'd be... I wonder is that just the popular choice or 'because' it's the canon party.... hmmm or maybe I guess the game did a good job making us feel like we need to keep Imoen, Jaheira, and Khalid around... I know I always felt bad leaving them. And of course you need Minsc =P

Do feel like I need to say that I felt gipped in BG2... there are so fewer possible choices and If you wanna make a full evil party you're just screwed =(

Haha... everytime I think of Garrick I get this insane urge to watch Monty Python Typically I'd agree with ya but.... I gotta say I think they really screwed up with Jaheira's BG2 portrait.... I mean they changed it into an innocent fairy looking one..... essentially her opposite haha