Just wondering what party you think would work best with these self-imposed rules:
1. Any character who is in your party when you first reach Arnika must not benefit from the Trynton +5 Intelligence fountain. (In particular, you must replace your starting party at that point.)
2. You must use the Trynton fountain (and get the +5 Intelligence bonus) before you pick up any of the artifacts.
3. You must pick up all 3 artifacts before entering the Cosmic Circle. (I know of no way to violate this rule, but it's there just in case someone finds a way.)

So, what party would you use?

(Related question: Would these rules affect your route through the game?)

Since i am forced to replace the 1st party as i must get the CM from the Mook
i start with an Import party and avoid anything except the 6 spawning spiders
in the room with the red button for the Gate to Upper Monastery.
(they can also be skipped but that would require the tedious job
of 1st luring Gregor down the hallway and deeper, preferably over the bridge)
Once arrived at Arnika some mixing for money may occur before heading back to the monastery beach
where a new generated party of any thinkable composition will find a nearly untouched monastery
along with the fancy stuff the other guys imported from 6 and 7.
This approach does not affect the route in a way that i changes what i consider the "best" route,
at least not from creation of 2nd party.

Fun fact, in Arnika the new party will be treated as if they had already been there.


OT counterquestion:
If the spells Missile Shield, Armourplate, Enchanted Blade and Magic Screen are combat only
(though they do not automatically wear off at the end of combat) and Resurrection is a non comabt spell.
Would you be willing to play with these rules at all,
and if so would that change your party composition and/or route, assuming its Iron Man?

Likely would still play in a similar way in this case. With that said, I likely wouldn't use the rules, or at least not the rule about Resurrection, just as a matter of taste.

Although, the "assuming it's Ironman" rule basically means that it would technically not affect my playing style, since that assumption will only ever be false for me (I don't intend to ever play on that mode), making the criterion meaningless. Another fun fact: You could have Vi in your party right away, even if not using an imported party.

Then again, using an imported party that allied with the T'Rang, and with the help of combat running to sequence break LMB, you could get one part of the Port-O-Potty early, then include a gadgeteer in your second party, getting access to that ability right away.

By the way, actual likely self-imposed rule for my next playthrough of Wizardry 8 would be to forbid Element/Soul Shield, just to keep things on the edge. Of course, I still need to (maybe) wrap up Saviors of Sapphire Wingd (self-imposed rule: no Paladin, meaning no iron Defense; also this was an MDP in a game where magic is really powerful) and maybe re-play Stranger of Sword City Revisited first.