Personally I'm planning on going with a classic(at least for me) four person party. In the old IE games I always felt like 6+ was a crowd, while less than four and you're a little lacking utility wise/too easily mobbed. I might go with five depending on the in game NPCs and how the game works, but no more than five!

Druid: They just sound more interesting than wizards to me, and I almost always main a caster in this style of game - even if sometimes that caster is a melee juggernaut cleric or whatever.

Ranger: The animal companion sounds like it was done right and less of a liability like they could be in many other games. I'm also just kind of animal enthusiast. There's a little dog sleeping on my feet right now in fact <3

Chanter: These kind of make me think of the pagans in the old thief games for some reason, funky but awesome. I have never been a fan of the more faith/deity focused healers in RPGs, so this seems like a great alternative.

 

Those are the main classes that interest me with what info is currently available at least. 4th and maybe a 5th character I'm undecided on - I might even double up on one or two of the above.
 

• Paladin (me)

Druid/Chanter

Priest

Wizard

Ranger/Rogue

Fighter/Barbarian

Edited June 26, 201411 yr by LordCrash

6 barbarians carrying pistols.

• Wizard (me)

Priest

Fighter

Paladin

Cipher

Ranger/Rogue

Chanter me

Barbarian

Cleric

Paladin

Druid

Cipher

Depending on the final tally of companions, I'm gonna pseudo-randomly choose a race and class, and then just use companions.

I'm going to go with whatever companions seem to fit me well the first playthrough, but my second playthrough will probably be a classic fighter/rogue/wizard team, maybe with a priest.

Im probably not going to use a class that needs to "charge up" their powers so that removes Monk and Cipher. It may change based on the companion NPC's but for now Ill probably go with:

 

Paladin

Wizard

Fighter x 2

Rogue

Priest

I was thinking of playing a rogue, since I usually play a wizard or fighter type and I'd like to try something new. 

 

As for the party composition, in addition to the main PC rogue, if its anything like BG I'll have a fighter-type, a wizard-type and a healer-type at minimum. Beyond that, I'm more interested in which companions I enjoy having around more than I am which class they are. I don't think I'll be designing any characters other than my main PC.

6 barbarians carrying pistols.

Speaking of custom parties and guns, ever since I seen the top right char in this image:

 

 

I have been pondering the possibility of 4 fighter party, named: Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. That or some kind of wacky dirty pirate party using a verity of exotic weapons.

Edited June 26, 201411 yr by Mor

i will probably play as a barbarian, other than that I will use whatever companions I meet during the story. Not planning to use the adventurers hall much, I consider that cheating.

I'll want to see some of the exotic stuff, so I'll probably go something like this, if I like the characters when I meet them.

 

Monk

Barbarian

Cipher

Chanter

Wizard or possibly Priest, Druid, or Paladin

Ranger or Rogue

 

Depending on the final tally of companions, I'm gonna pseudo-randomly choose a race and class, and then just use companions.

Probably going to reason like this as well.

I shall assign a value to all possible options, then roll percentile to determine, from my table, which party members to assemble.

It depends on how "safe" I feel with the pre-made PCs.

I'm tempted to go with a cleric for my main character. For the rest, I'm going to improvise, as I play through the game,

On my first playthrough, I'm just going to use the companions that I like the most, no matter what their class is (as long as that doesn't totally cripple me in battles).

4 x Red Mage

Main will be a Chanter. I find them compelling.

 

I'll likely roll with whomever happens to be the Fighter, Wizard, Monk, and Cipher.. 6th member up in the air as of yet.

My initial plan is the same as before; try every class for the PC and roll with whichever one is the most agreeable to me. Chargen is the golden hour of RPGs for me.

Edited June 27, 201411 yr by AGX-17

Party will largely depend on the joinable NPCs for the first playthrough so it depends on who's available, at what point in the game (Sorry Alora) and who I like.

 

Probably something like this

PC: Druid

Sagani: Ranger

Cadegund: Priest

Edeir: Rogue

Orlan Dude: Cipher

Aumaua: (Barbarian? Chanter?) If there is such a companion

 

Of course, that may vary depending on which companions are actually available and when.

 

2nd playthrough will probably see a PC-Rogue or Ranger and the unused companions plus adventurer's hall (unless previously used companion had awesome quest that bears repeating so soon).

 

So basically: I dunno really

PC is  toss up between druid, chanter or monk.

 

Party will simply be whoever makes the most sense plot wise for the first run through.

My dark paladin will require the service and like-mind of a fighter, dual-wielding alongside a rogue in black. The fourth member is the slight form of a godlike wizardess. Uncanny similarities to Lord Soth, Snake Eyes, Black Widow, and Gal Gadot are entirely intentional. 

Edited June 27, 201411 yr by ManifestedISO

I think I'll try a cipher on my first Pillars outing. It doesn't sound like my usual build type, so it should be a fun new experience. As for the party? A full six please. Whichever characters seem to compliment my character personality/story-wise.

As before I will be a male human, not sure what region of origin yet.

 

Class wise I will either be a Fighter or a Cipher.  The more we learn the more I lean Cipher though...

 

The rest of my party?  No clue.  It will ride a lot on the companions and the different bases they cover/personalities they have as I don't want to do my first play through with anything less than full companion party.  No mercs until playthrough 2 at best.

With crpgs including the IE games, I've always picked the melee Fighter/Warrior archetype for my first play through. PoE will be the first crpg I haven't picked the Fighter type class but I'm still going with the melee heavy hitter (Rogue). Then I'll balance out the rest of the party.