I'm a little concerned about building a party in MM8. Since there's several hirelings from the same classes, I can't help but feel like I'm wasting time and energy investing in level ups and skill points. If it was a party 100% my own, I would know what role I expect someone to fill, and raise their skills accordingly throughout the game. But now the new hireling will, presumably, have an entirely different pre-defined skill set.

I'm just trying to figure out where one hireling fits in when compared with another. It makes me worry I'll be stuck with the first character I hire of any class, (namely, anybody on Dagger Island). Like, I might pump up the first necromancer's Alchemy, only to find that the next necromancer hireling will have 0 points in Alchemy. See what I mean?

Also, I do not have the time to constantly swap and level up 20 different characters, if that's what you're supposed to do.

I know there's a fix to be able to create all the characters from the start, but I would at least like to try to get into the game as was originally designed. Maybe I'll do that if I just can't wrap my head around this.

Thanks!

I tend to keep the early Dagger Wound Island characters throughout the game. I've played both Knight and Dark Elf. If I play the Dark Elf, then I take the Dagger Wound knight with me. When I played the knight I took the Dagger Wound Vampire with me--- then traded her in for the infamous Cauri Blackthorne. (I play the game with four. Five member teams are too much IMHO).

Other points. If you want a walk through the Park, pick dragons.

Without Paladins, Clerics are your healers and the only way to get Light Path Spells.

Necromancers are the magic makers in the game as they have access to the highest levels of elemental magic and the dark path spells. (Dark Elves do have Darkfire which is good later on.)

Knights can deal out a whole lot of hurt later in the game. With the right weapons, 150 to 200 points.

You don't have to replace hirelings all the time, in fact - it would make your party very weak.

Hirelings are here to make your own mix of the party. Hirelings of higher level are there just in case if you would want to try necromancer but don't feel like going with initial one who is only 5th lv.

I usually stick to what could be considered as default party of MM 8, those 3 characters you get from starting island (necromancer Devlin, vampire Elsbeth and cleric Fredrick) and keep 5th slot mostly vacant. They give you access to most of spells and skills, and if you rolled as knight or similar class on first character, your party will be balanced well.

It's been a good decade, but I remember cycling through lots of party members. In the end, it was me, a dragon, the cleric from the very beginning and a strong fighter from later in the game.

Ah that's kind of too bad. I at least thought mixing up new party member's on occasion would make it a bit more interesting. If you boil it down, it sounds basically like: MM 1-7: Choose your party. MM8: You will always have the exact same 3 characters in slots 2 through 4, and we choose them for you.

I don't know, I almost feel like I'm breaking the game making my own party. I would definitely skip making a Dragon, though.

I also liked party generation in previous MM more than in MM 8. The first party members in MM 8 already start at level 5, invested in not really useful skills at that point (like Learning), and what is even worse - having penalties from old age or being close to it. I think MM 8 Dragons are MM 8's version of wishing well from MM 7 :) Both have potential to instantly break the game. But you won't break the game by making your own party if you simply avoid Dragons (and perhaps Trolls and Minotaurs too).

I always generate my own party through the editor now rather than hiring folk, its not a matter of breaking the game for me but rather just creating 4-5 good balanced individuals you can train up as you please.

If that isn't fair then taking dragons/minotaurs also isn't fair, likewise taking the lvl 50 Dark Elf in Murmurwoods as soon as you hit Ravenshore also shouldn't be counted as fair then.

Do what you feel is the most comfortable for yourself :)

Cauri Blackthorne not fair? Say it ain't so! LOL.

She definitely makes the middle part of the game real easy real quick.

I enjoyed the game. But the game series was clearly running out steam with all the imbalances in this iteration.

Exactly. She makes the 'from the get go already-not-that-hard-anymore' MM8 a cakewalk. If you go to Garrote Gorge afterwards and pick up the dragon the game becomes literally just a 'press space repeatably to victory' bore.