Hello. Just started my first playthrough. I really like the game mechanics, story, characters, pretty much everything!

I am playing a Cipher. I've only picked up Aloth, Eder, and Durance so far. We are all character level 4. I think Kana is coming up next.

I've looked at the list of companions. I will probably finish the game (the first time around) with my dude (a Cipher), Eder, Aloth, Durance, and Pallegina. My last spot might be either Greiving Mother or that Devil of Ciroc.

I've heard that these last two companions, and indeed all of them, have very interesting stories.... making this a tough decision!

In Baldur's Gate 2, my sixth spot was a rotating door of NPC's, to try to do all their personal quests, and otherwise get a chance to try them all out.... to get to know them, so to speak.

Would that approach work in this game? I think the Devil chick would fit my party better.... but I've heard so many good things about Mother's story....

Any opinions and advice would be welcome. Thanks!

In a word, yes. It's feasible to play out the game as you have outlined.

It's already possible for you to remove companions from or return them to your party as you see fit by speaking to the innkeeper of any tavern. Later in the game, it is possible to have a more centralised/convenient location from which to do this. The companions aren't required to beat the quests that don't specify their inclusion. The game is designed so that it can be completed entirely alone as a solo run, or with them. You may miss out on certain flavour texts, rejoinders, or options to solve certain problems in an alternative manner if the respective companion is absent, however.

On your first play through I image you would rather use the companions, but you may also hire mercenaries and, should you discover you would rather use a different party composition that what is prescribed by the companions alone, mix-and-match with supplementary mercenaries of your own creation.

I want more specific information about certain things may function, just ask. This response was deliberately a little vague so as to allow you to maintain a sense of natural discovery.

Works pretty well. The experience from BG2 will be very well translated into PoE.

P.s. the only "recommendation" that I can give you, always have a character at the party with high mechanics. Devil is the best but you get it too late into the campaign. Normally I create my own mercenary in all the games for this specific requirement (But that is me)

Thanks Sultan and Belsirk for your well-thought-out answers. I will try to have my last spot be a bit of a rotating door, with Mother being the first priority, and Devil being the second (and end-game) priority, with as many others as I can get too before reaching the end. I'm planning a second playthrough with the others, so I can do their stuff fully too. Thanks again!