This is the first in a series of discussion posts, if this one gets some decent hits, I'll think of more. PM with suggestions also.
The ground rules.
1)Do not flame or bash peoples choices, you may question thier choices, but keep it civil please.
2)Give details! This is not only a discussion post, but also a chance for others to learn.
Post your Ideal XP party, this can range from the casual players XP grinding parties, to the hardcore gamer XP party. Explain why you choose each member of the party.
Post your Ideal moneymaker parties. This does not include soloing with your boxed prophet/SE. Give reasons WHY this party is great for moneymaking.
I've never been in a money making party and I'd never join one if I was offered (which I haven't been, btw.) I won't say how I get money, cause you said my method doesn't count! XD Anyway, even before I rolled my SpS/SE, I would never have taken a money making party. My EE needed xp way more than money. Heck, I used a gladius from like level 48 - 58 and did just fine. The amount of money I got in normal parties was fine. Not that I was rich, I wasn't at all. But I personally value xp more than money (which is why I've always been poor!)
Anyway, my favorite xp party is an Archer party somewhere like the 2nd bridge or portal. There's an EE, a SwS with a bow, a SpS for crowd control and the rest archers. Either a boxed prophet or a live prophet. Boxed prophets = more xp, however, live prophets are my friends so just whoever/whatever is available. I prefer playing the EE in that set-up, but playing the SpS is cool too. This type of party is the ONLY party where I can get as much (or slightly more) xp on my SpS than soloing (actually duoing with my boxed SE, but since I'm alone I call it soloing.) Any other party is less xp than soloing.
Best money making party was an AB group I was in on the PTS. I pulled with my summon back to two ESes who one/two/three shotted the mobs. We barely spent any money-- each pull gave way more cash than was spent on beast bsps. And that wasn't just PTS cash-- I was making way more money than regular ol' soloing.
Xp wise I suppose it was either that same AB group or one of the Catacomb ones on the real servers. Catacomb AOEing can be done with a very small amount of people present, meaning better exp-- can be done with just one dwarf and a healer. On Gustin I was in a group with an SE healer and prophet buffbot (not in group), and the two mates dealing damage we my Merrow and my orc destroyer friend. Mazin' killspeed to match the good xp per mob.
I like to try to have both XP and adena. Lately my favorite place is AI. Have been duoing with an OL there, but any DD wiling to manor will probaly be good. Manor with chily or golden cobol, with carent Liona prices on cbp, steel and varnish we can end up with about 1 mil woth of mats between us 2 in 1 hour of play.
Do i need to mention that we hunt non stop? ;)
My favorite money making party is me, an PR, and my friend who is an ES. We can go for a long time with her summon tanking and regening her MP and me just shooting away. If I don't use shots I never steal agro from the summon (which is also not using shots)
XP party: 9 Mages, each with boxed SE/EE to regen mana/buffs. :p
Money party: 2-3 BH, 1 Bishop, 1 Prophet, 1 SE, the rest dd's. 2-3 BH's depending on the killspeed vs. BH mp regen.
it has been my experience that if you have a good xp party you will make good money as well just by default. anyhow my best xp party is an archer party and me along to heal.
In my experience the best XP parties are not necessarily a certain class, though having a tank, a healer and a DD is usually great. Instead of ideal party makeup what I find is best for XP are smart players (regardless of class) and choosing the right mobs.
What you want is non-stop killing of the highest con mobs you can quickly kill. You are looking to maximize your XP per hour, so you need people who can play their class smart and are not going to spend as much time regenning mana and health as you do killing.
Also, more than anything you want to avoid death since it will really cut into how much XP you get.
So..it's not the classes as much as the players, IMO.
By best XP parties were in C2 doing DVC (antharas lair), some big room with pytans, malruk lords & stuff.
The groups were usually something like: BD SWS PROPH SORC SR AW SE TANK + misc dds and sometimes a "tank" (varies)
PP: no comment...
BD SWS: greatly increases dps from archers and daggers
SORC: AE sleep or/and AE dmg
Archer: great dmg with SWS/BD, fast pull
Dagger: great dmg with sws/bd
Tank: usually DA or Pal, but we did great several times with a SR or SwS as "tanker"...
SE: recharge for nukers if you have any, or for archers, heals
There was not a setup written in stone, but i'd says BD+SWS+Light armor dds were the core of the group, sometimes we had several nukers in group and went into AOE madness, sometimes it was just about sleeping adds and killing extra fast with several archers/daggers.
As for money, I have never seen a group dedicated to that, or bringing more money/time than what you can have soloing with a good solo class).
I'd say a BH would get the first slot, and the others... well 8 summoners? :)
1xProph 1xSE 7xBH with poles, uber money, and exp :p
Why 7 BH's? 2-3 will be enoughf to do all the spoils and sweeps, unless you be too greedy and pull to many mobs. Rest can be something like WL or destroyers. Or someone else with aoe skills.