Party of four in IA, avoiding 4-party burnout Options

[kilolima2]

My last few games of BG2 I have used at most 4 party members (including the PC) with a few "guest npcs" for special sections.

I feel that any number over 4 makes control difficult. I also like to use powerful npcs (like Valen or Solafein) which make other npcs dead weight. In the beginning of the game a small party can make the game very difficult and a tactical challenge. But since they gain more exp per kill (even using multi-class characters), by mid-game my party is way over-powered and the game starts to get boring.

However, the appeal of a < 6 party is the increased exp reward, so I don't want to use a reduced experience mod. Can IA provide a satisfying gameplay experience for a small party from beginning to end? (or will my 4-member party just get their collective butt's kicked?)

I guess this question doesn't really have an answer, but I'd like to hear if anyone else has had a similar experience.

cheers,

kilolima

[panama]

Shaitan,

I probably didnt make myself clear. I'm not too technical when it comes to this, but I'll try to explain what i mean. For example, if you play a protagonist Thief, I'm not saying the new Mage or Ranger stronghold quests should be triggered mandatory. I'm saying that, if the player has installed an optional component related to IA that is similar to multiple stronghold, then and only then, should the said quests be revealed to the Thief. So if you didn't install that component during the installation of IA, you would just be playing a pure game as you said - "each game with a new protagonist yields a new playing experience".