In both fallouts it's completely feasible to get through the entire game without any npc assistance, after all some are more helpful then others (some are just plain bad). But they also add a dimension to the game and in fallout 2 can deepen the plots of some areas...
so were you a lone wolf or did you gather a group before storming through the wastes? would you reload if you lost an NPC in a fight? and Lastly do you have a soft spot of a certain NPC?
Personally I always aimed to have as many npcs as I could, talking more non-combat skills and relying on their strength (In fallout 2 much more then 1). I'd find myself needing to go further out of my way to find things (new armor and weapons) for them but overall it was a more enjoyable experience for me...
as NPCs go My favorite, for nostalgia's stake if anything, was Dogmeat. I never successfully got him in Fallout 2 but in fallout one he was a beast and I could always count on him to pull his own weight while the humans were far less useful... Other then him I'd say Sulik was great, I always enjoyed chatting with him, his voice actor did a really good job mixed with nice dialog I would happily commune with 'Grampy-bone' when I enter new areas and I knew I could relay on him as a bodyguard and lesser extent pack mule. A good sidekick.

I would reload if I happened to lose an NPC. That being said I would usually end up leaving them in a town somewhere after I was able to acquire the robot dog. I think I would bring along Sullik, Marcus, and K-9.
Vic had a nasty habit of shooting me in the back with the shotgun.

I - personaly - don't take more then 2 NPCs with me. If one of them dies, then I reload. On the start in Fallout 2, I have Sulik and Vic. If Vic dies _after_ I visited Vault City, then I do not reload. Vic sucks. :)
In Fallout 2, I take everyone with me. I like it to have Dogmeat, Ian, Tycho and Katja with me.

charisma is always my expendable stat, and alongside with "gifted" perk i usually have it around 2. so i can be called a lone wolf, having no more than one NPC companion with me.
in fallout 1 i pick dogmeat, in fallout 2 my choice is with sulik, whom i swap for dogmeat (again!) after encountering cafe of broken dreams.

Hmmm I generally pass this game alone because my NPCs acts stupidly and get killed most of the times ;p
Yet having high charisma could be useful ;/

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with 10 points of intellect high charisma does not really matters, but that one is a question of playstyles. i personally prefer to play scientist-sharpshooter style (luck, int, ag, pe = 10, all other stats downed :))
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I let my char to have 5 int and 4 ch stats at begin :] Just to have Cassidy joining me later :]
It's difficult at begin but it keeps better later :]
But with good charmisma you can speak easily with other NPCs :]
In Fallout Tactics I don't care about charisma because it's useless ;/