Your RPG Party: Specialization or Versatility?

[Laddy]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I want to know your opinion.

In RPG's, do you prefer a party of characters with specific skill sets or do you prefer characters who can perform a variety of tasks?

[Wolf Kanno]

Largely depends on the game. In games where you have free reign to build the characters how you want them with no real restriction, I tend to gravitate towards Red Mages with Chrono Trigger style themes, so for instance in a game like FFVII, everyone uses magic but only Cloud can use Bolt, Aerith uses Ice, Tifa uses Earth etc... Though nowadays, I realize how boring these set-ups are so I purposely make my party into specialist cause I noticed I tend to gravitate more towards RPGs where the party all have iron clad roles to play.

I actually find it more fun to build these type of parties and it makes me more likely to use everyone whereas versatility makes you just use the few characters you like and you never bother to really learn to appreciate the rest of the cast.

[Bolivar]

I tend to specialize and I like to give every party member about the same face time throughout the game. Even when I make a hybrid character, I tend to have them focus on one thing, like Dark Magic in FFXII, or Alteration in Morrowind.

[Pumpkin]

Specialized.

[Madame Adequate]

Like WK says it depends somewhat on the game. I tend to prefer more versatile characters, not jack-of-all-trades, but ones who generally have a sub-role of some description aside from their main duties, so for instance a thief who can heal, so that they can step in to help if the healer's losing ground to DPS or goes down themselves.

[qwertysaur]

I have more fun with specialized characters and large casts of characters to choose from. It adds the strategy of choosing which party members will be the best fit for the job, and it allows the player to use their favorite characters if they are inclined, so people with different playing styles will enjoy the game.

Example: pokémon. There are 649⁶ (74,725,388,357,583,601) possible 6 pokémon parties, not counting different forms and allowing for repeats.

[Mirage]

Depends on the game. In most easier games, I tend to just go all out physical damage with as many characters as I can, while reserving one character to healing/support. A lot of games aren't hard enough for this not to work.

[Skyblade]

Part of what I love about the job system is that I feel it provides the perfect balance of both. Each job is specialized enough to be unique and special, while being customizable enough to let you play around a bit and optimize.

[escobert]

I'm a jack of all trades so my characters tend to be also! Probably why I usually play a support class of some sort in most online games.

[Greatermaximus]

What's wrong with a mixture of both and/or none of the above? I've already posted what I play so I might as well not post it again.

[Unbreakable Will]

I have a tendency to branch out in different class directions if I have many characters to chose from, that way I have my bases covered. Some enemies can be resistant, or invulnerable for that matter, to different types of attacks and in this way you have an ensured manner of winning.

If it's a small number of characters I tend to use what I call the tank/ranged/healing method. One character with a high level of health/defense and (if possible in the game) attention grabbing techniques, a ranged character (preferably a mage, but an archer will work as well), and a healer whether it be by potions or magic.

As for the single character build rpg I tend to favor the mage class for high damage output and some defensive spells.

[Loony BoB]

Depends on the game and on the characters. If I can pick and choose the characters, I want the characters I like to be able to be in the party regardless of whether or not they are the 'best'. If they are all white mages, I'm screwed, so I like versatility in that regard because I can just have them all be red mages (hi, FFVII). On the flipside, some games have characters that fit my ideals in jobs and personality. When this happens I suppose I enjoy it most as it feels like they are there with more purpose. I like having tank/brawler characters involved such as Wrex in Mass Effect.

Actually, maybe that's what it comes down to... hate. If the game has a hate system, I want to have specialists. If the game has no hate system and the mobs just attack at random, I'll probably want versatility. If the game has a hate system but it is set up so that there isn't an effective tank system (ie, hate goes to the healers or something stupid like that), I'll probably be forced into versatility and feel the gameplay is terrible.

[black orb]

>>> If i have a party I take specific skills, if its one man army like in Dark Souls I need all the skills possible..

[Pike]

I've been playing "single-player" RPGs lately (TES, Deus Ex) so this question threw me off guard for a bit I forgot that you can have parties!

I usually lean more toward specialization. You know, get your token warrior, black mage and white mage in the party and then you have wiggle room for whomever (red mage, I'm looking at you!)

[Psychotic]

Usually jack-of-all-trades, especially in single character games.