The above-mentioned games are some of my favorites, primarily because the player's party changes constantly throughout the game. I think this keeps the game fun, as you have to learn new strategies for battle every hour or so. I writing about FFIV in which you start off with two tanks, then tank/red mage/black mage, then tank/medic/worthless character, then tank/tank/summoner-red mage/ white mage-archer/worthless character...all in a few hours, and the party members rotate throughout the story so you have different party configurations to master, then at the end you're stuck with 5 permanent members and you have to level grind the sh*t out of them to beat it, but that's ok, because you have a lot of skills between your characters (Paladin, Dragoon, Summoner-black mage, White Mage-Archer, Ninja!). The RM game I just reviewed, Chain of Retribution worked like that too. Does anyone have any suggestions about different party configurations that would make for fun strategies throughout a game? Also, if there anyway to implement a five character-party system?

Well I think your thinking about it wrong. When I think of party strategies in battles and basic gameplay I want it to be realistic more then anything, if its not I lose interest very fast. I dont think there should be any set combinations of char types or anything to make a game more fun. I want it to be hard and real, Real battle is not always fun or easy, sometimes you dont have that heavy weapons expert in your team that you need, sometimes all you have is a bunch of medics to fight with and you realize your in a whole world of #%$


I would say dont follow any set setup for this, just make it true to your story. Now I do love the FF games like crazy! But sadly they are way to balanced when it comes to party balance/types.