GameBanshee Forums

hey, just wondering, what are some peoples favorite parties to play? not powergaming or anything like that, only 6 person parties (5 npcs and one pc, no multiplayer games) need apply. i am just looking for a good combo of personalities, romance conflicts, etc. and some of the less played npcs (haer'dalis, mazzy). just some input on fairly balanced, fun parties with interesting interactions. any thoughts/comments?

Jan mixes well, since he usually has something wise and/or mocking to say to everybody in a party. Jaheira easily surpasses Cernd if you're looking for quality of party interactions. The same applies to Viconia over Anomen, and Minsc over Valygar. Aerie, Edwin, Sarevok and Korgan all add a degree of spice to a party.

I think that any combination of NPCs has its good points, and anyone's "favorite group" depends on individual preferences. But if you want some general recommendations, I think it's useful to look at the soundsets (which is the "dialogue" you hear the most) and the interactions between the various NPCs. For example, Korgan and Mazzy (despite what you might expect) are interesting together. So are Aerie and Haer'Dalis (especially if you want to romance Aerie), Aerie and Minsc, and Minsc and Jan. Jan is funny in almost any situation, and Edwin is funny (but not inte tionally on his part). I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed in the evil NPCs: they don't get along together very wwll, and they don't have much to say to each other. If you like sniping and in-fighting, it's actually more interesting to throw an evil NPC into a good party than to have an all-evil party. However, if you do that, you have to be careful not to mix the wrong NPCs, and you have to keep your Reputation at a suitable level, or you might lose some party members, at least in Shadows of Amn. When you get to Throne of Bhaal, party members might complain, but no one will try to kill other party members and no one will leave the party (probably because it would be inconvenient to the player, but also because the NPCs don't want to make the main character angry).

I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed in the evil NPCs: they don't get along together very wwll, and they don't have much to say to each other.

Possibly because they're really selflish neutrals, rather than "lawful evil" types? I've always thought that any of the three you can acquire in SoA might actually help out someone in need, entirely on their own, though Edwin is pushing it. (He's about as close to evil as your party NPCs actually get in that game.) Perhaps the divisive factor is simply the ego drive of the "evil" characters, while the good guys are united to some extent by something which transcends their narrow personal concerns.

The devs did provide us with a lawful evil party NPC in Sarevok, but he's really got nobody else to bond with save you as Bhaalspawn. Korgan's main concern is money, Edwin is stuck in infantile dreams of being some mad overlord, and Viconia has to reconcile an abuse-filled youth with a different culture that offers somewhat better, on the average--but treats her kind like scum.

Originally posted by fable
[BViconia has to reconcile an abuse-filled youth with a different culture that offers somewhat better, on the average--but treats her kind like scum. [/b]

Viconia never seemed all that evil to me... she became the way she is by being raised in a cruel culture and by being hurt by almost everyone she met. Without giving away spoilers, your pc can have a very beneficial effect on her behavior under the right circumstances. The same can be said about Sarevok.
So playing with a truly evil party is bit difficult in BG2. Only Korgan and Edwin are really evil, and the neutral npc's seem to have a tendency to do more good than bad. I can't see Jan Jansen, Cernd and especially Jaheira slaughtering peasants and commoners, siding with Bodhi or not giving Marlowe's daughter her soul back. Haer Dalis, I'm never so sure about.

I went with evil aligned characters in ToB, since the whole campaign seems shady and drenched in ill-intent.

I have a strict rule going back to BG--no resurrection for NPCs. If I lose one, that's it.

So far I'lve only lost Viconia, and I'm going to pocket plane out of the Marching Mountains and replace her with another tank. I need the added muscle against the fire giants.