Board 8 > How do you like to choose your party members?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I generally rotate my party members through, but when it's time for the end of the game, I roll with my favorites.

Kind of a mix of all of the above? Depends on the game and the characters.

Favorites if possible, but moderated by utility. If theres an omission in my party (no heals, buffs, etc.) gotta bench a fave for the utility

I like to rotate everyone for traditional RPGs, though if I have to Ill pick the strongest, though I prefer variety too (even if one class is OP, Ill still go for balance instead of everyone from the OP class)

Depends on the situation, but typically I would pick those who would fit the best supplementing my style of play after getting a better understanding of what everyone is capable of. BioWare's Mass Effect and Dragon Age series are some of the exceptions in that I tend to do a blend of things with shuffling between squadmates that I expect will help with the battles ahead, want to hear their thoughts on what goes on, and simply to change things up.

Chaeix posted...

Favorites if possible, but moderated by utility. If theres an omission in my party (no heals, buffs, etc.) gotta bench a fave for the utility

Something like this, yeah

Chaeix posted...

Favorites if possible, but moderated by utility. If theres an omission in my party (no heals, buffs, etc.) gotta bench a fave for the utility

Basically this, yeah, but I'd add that my favorites are the starting ones a lot of the time, because they naturally get more development. So for me it's often a mix of all three.

It really varies based on the game and its mechanics. One constant: If there's a character I can't stand, I don't ever put them in my party, unless they serve a role that no other party member does or I'm forced to by the story. After that, I find some combination of characters I like and those who are good in battle and come up with a rotation based on that. I often bench one or two full time unless they don't get EXP if they're never in battle, but even though Persona is like that, I still bench one or two because I know I can. See why it varies so much?

Rebirth, however, I'm rotating all six, using some more than others. I really wish I didn't need to have Cloud in my party at almost all times, though, because I'd bench him for the ones who are more him to play as. As much as I find Yuffie obnoxious, she's a blast to play as. So is Tifa (and you know I love me some Tifa).

fav characters no matter how it hurts me

Leonhart4 posted...

I generally rotate my party members through, but when it's time for the end of the game, I roll with my favorites.

Basically this. I give everybody a shot, try not to let anyone fall too far behind, but finish the game with my favorite threehopefully that includes the character you control, too.

If forced to pick one of those it tends to be optimal lineups. But really it's a mix of all the above for me as well.

the ones that seem most relevant during the part of the plot that Im doing

Always favorites. If I don't have a clearly defined top 3/4/5/whatever the party size is, I'll pick the most fun to use/most useful members from the pool of characters I like. Same applies to superbosses and hard mode. Favorite character is always in the party, even on replays. If I dislike a character they are never used regardless of utility unless forced, or if there aren't enough characters I like to form a full party (looking at you FFIX)

Chaeix posted...

Favorites if possible, but moderated by utility. If theres an omission in my party (no heals, buffs, etc.) gotta bench a fave for the utility

This, and also try different combos on subsequent playthroughs

favorites, although gameplay/gimmick can help a character i dont particularly have an affinity for cut the line

as someone who just cleared classic in pokerogue for the first time a few hours ago with a team i deliberately used a phione for as a starter (and kept through to the end), yeah i'm definitely all about personal favourites

I rotate them regularly as much as possible, though I veer toward certain favorites. I also factor in whenever there's a possibility that a party member may have additional dialogue at set points.

Combination of all three, but if I have to pick one option, whatever seems to be most functional. I remember playing FF13 with Vanille because, as much as I hated her, she was who I needed to round out the party with Fang and Sazh.

It's extremely rare that games are difficult enough to the extent that I need to be min/maxing my party's potential in a casual playthrough, so I tend to pick the guys I like

Ones I like the personality and/or design of

Favorites! (which usually means, all the women >_>) I'll sub somebody out if it makes a weird team comp tho, like if I have element overlaps.

I do try to go with option 2 if possible, but I usually default to option 1 or whatever I need to get any related character trophies.

Chaeix posted...

Favorites if possible, but moderated by utility. If theres an omission in my party (no heals, buffs, etc.) gotta bench a fave for the utility

I'll specifically note I'm someome who voted personality and specifically am NOT this and will use completely impractical teams as long as they're playable. (eg. in Suikoden 2 I won't use a team with 5 close range guys since I'm not gonna run a team where two character can't attack, but I might use one of the flying Squirrels even though they suck hard, for example)

RikkuAlmighty posted...

favorites, although gameplay/gimmick can help a character i dont particularly have an affinity for cut the line

Though this also

Back to the Suikoden 2 example I'll use Flik + Nina sometimes because they have a fun unite even if they specifically aren't in my top 5. But I do like them-- not going to put bad characters in no matter how fun the mechanics are.

But healing buffs etc this stuff doesn't matter. I think teams without standard things tend to work better than you expect. Like in Tales of Symphonia I'd often run Lloyd Zelos Sheena Regal and despite having no proper healer Zelos's scant healing was often enough because of Sheena's debuffs and the sheer comboing stunlock potential the game had.

Can't vote in the poll because its a mix of utility and personality.

And it especially depends on the game.

I also like doing this thing where if a quest or story section favors a certain party member (plot wise) I gotta keep them in.

I guess if I have to choose, I favor personality?

Depends on tha game in all honesty.

I do try and use characters I like story/personality wise. I tend to like healers/white images/priest type roles too so will usually have one if available.

I might throw in ones for gameplay advantages bldepending on difficulty.

Personality first, favorites second, utility third. Lord knows I dump Eiko and Amarant like a bad habit ASAP in FF9, and I'd drop Zidane if I could (I might like his playstyle but really dont like him as a protag.) Quina gets a pass for being probably my favorite Bluemage skillset in the series, which leads me to agonize if I drop Vivi or Dagger, and likewise Steiner and Freya.

Then you have FF8 where stats don't matter beyond limit breaks, and I find myself gravitating towards an endgame team of Selphie and Irvine, maybe changing out the latter for Quistis.

Then you have non FF. Baldur's Gate 3, it's a weird case where I pick favorites but drop their main classes like a bad habit for giggles, or try NOT to take advantage of fringe benefits unless the situation is really dumb - and yes, this does mean Astarion always enters combat as a martial class with a full belly, when he is in use, while someone else gets reclassed Rogue or Bard to cover his normal uses. Even then, it's probably some combo of Shadowheart, Gale, Karlach I use the most, with Lae'zel not far behind and poor Astarion/Wyll and later followers in the dust. I really ought to give Jaheira more of a go one of these days.

I rotate everyone.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

It really varies based on the game and its mechanics. One constant: If there's a character I can't stand, I don't ever put them in my party, unless they serve a role that no other party member does or I'm forced to by the story. After that, I find some combination of characters I like and those who are good in battle and come up with a rotation based on that.

this is my standard answer, almost word for word, as it applies to most games.

two exceptions to this rule;

etrian odyssey -- I'll come up with one or two interesting builds and then create a party that is capable of supporting this interesting/creative idea that I want to try. typically when I get to the endgame I'll train up more than just the standard party of 5 because I enjoy testing out all of the different game mechanics and seeing how well they work in certain situations, if they perform better or worse than expected based on theory crafting, etc.

fire emblem awakening or fates -- I'll come up with interesting builds and then work my way backwards to see which characters are capable of obtaining those skills. Then, I build my run around making those main unit builds complete. secondary units will be used until they pass along skill or class access to a main unit. any character who isn't needed for passing skill/class access will be used as little as possible.