Most of the time I go solo because I suck at multitasking but the other day I read some posts about people playing, and winning, Icewind Dale solo and I HAVE NO CLUE how one could even get out of the 1st town playing that solo.

Solo is for me always better for immersion. Also, AI followers tend to get stuck in the terrain or run after nearby enemies which I'm trying to avoid. A bit of party banter is not worth having to look over my shoulder every ten seconds to see if the AI is still there and not stuck at the foot of that steep mountain I've begun climbing.

Party please.

I generally prefer to go solo, especially in Skyrim. If I have to have companions try and keep it to as small amount as possible.

I go Solo.

But small parties are ok when they add to the game.

I hate having to develop each character individually within a party.

I always go solo for Bethesda games. I took one into a trap filled dungeon once. It was not pretty.

I always play with as many party members as possible, and the more I can influence them the better.
I have a hard enough time already just deciding in what direction I want to develop my 'main' character; if I had no way of compensating for those skills and traits I would miss, I'd feel hopelessly underpowered :)
(I usually play with a magic-oriented character, so at the very least I need a melee/defense based companion)

I tend to get wholly immersed in my games, and without followers I start feeling all alone in the big bad Wasteland, even if they weren't fighting oriented NPCs (yes, I know they basically all are), it would help. I even find many shooters to be like that. I don't mind doing all the work, but I like having people around. Must have some issue to work through...

Plus, I need those grunts to carry extra stuff so I can loot myself rich. they aren't there just for the fun, they have to work too!

Agreed... and then you realise that your playstyles differ by a lot. One's a story explorer and the other's a minmaxer.
This, too. I don't need the extra weight allowance (I'll throw stuff away if I can't carry it), but it's a nice bonus with having company.

I've never played Skyrim, so I cannot comment on that game directly, but I hate NPCs with the fiery burning passion of a thousand suns! I always resent it when a game forces me to accept an NPC.

I actually enjoy party-based games as long as the whole party are PCs though.

Depends on the game. Sometimes I'm in the mood to solo (and also sometimes just want the challenge). Other times I like having the skills and abilities of companions available. If the game is designed to have good NPC interaction or good party-based tactics, then I go with the group.

I don't mind company, I just hate it when I have to babysit them due to their bad A.I., when I end up spending more time on trying to keep them alive than on defending myself or when they sabotage each and every plan.

I remember Lydia mostly for her habit to trigger traps, for her inappropriate noises when I'm tense because I'm sneaking and paying attention to every sound, and for the massacre she caused when she felt compelled to draw her blade and intervene in my harmless one-on-one fist fight in a tavern. :P

The henchmen in NWN have a notoriously bad A.I., too, which often makes it a chore to keep them around, at least without mods. When you have some control over your party like in Baldur's Gate 2 that's cool though.

Generally speaking, I prefer company. My caveat is the same as many others in this thread already- they have to be useful in some way, and not get on my nerves too much. Otherwise, accidents happen... ;)

One thing I don't like about RPGs is not being able to open chests and doors when I'm playing a non-Thief type character. In those cases I like having someone around who can crack every safe we run into. In this aspect I love how Skyrim works. I can wear heavy armour and wield a two-handed sword and develop my lockpicking skills? Excellent.