Aside from alignment based, does anyone on here ever do theme parties? I was just considering doing a 4 man shorty party. Korgan, Mazzy, Jan and a dwarf Fighter/Cleric for my PC.

I haven't using the stock NPCs, but I have done it with a self-created party. I've done a group of Dwarfs and a group of Gnomes. Started an all mage party once as well, but never went far with it.

It's interesting what limiting your options in the game does for a party dynamic and PC choice. For instance, in my shorty party the NPC's provide me with a tank, an archer, a thief and mage, so it makes the most obvious choice some sort of cleric. And in an all female party the shortage of female melee fighters makes me both want to roll one and to swap Mazzy to short sword after she gets enough proficiency points.

Side note: Naming my main file "Doin' It 4 Da Shorteez", like Sir Loin song in Aqua Teen, if anyone gets that. :D

I did a "family" themed party in BG2 once, with just me and my love interest (in this case paladin+Anomen) going around doing quests, and then eventually added Imoen and Sarevok later. It was pretty darn fun, actually. In the early game it was neat because it was Bonnie & Clyde (except not evil) plus whatever NPC we were helping at the time, and in the later stages it was a highly effective 4-man party with some very interesting inter-party banter.
 Shortswords on Mazzy are a waste, honestly. She's essentially a hurricane of devastation with a bow, but if you really need her for melee I'd recommend a powerful proficiency that's mostly unused by other NPCs, like bastard swords or halberds or flails. I even modded the Purifier sword to be usable by Mazzy because I ended up liking her with Bastard Swords so much. It takes a while to get the proficiencies all the way up, but if you grab her early it shouldn't be a problem.

Yeah, there aren't a lot of good short swords, even Short Sword of Mask +5 pales in comparison to so many other weapons. Shame too, I like the idea of a halfling with a half sword and she looks so cute holding them.

About my 3rd or 4th time through BG1 (before BG2 came out, yes I'm a fanatic!), I decided on the all b!tch patrty! I played a female mage, then gathered the meanest/craziest women I could find. I think I had Shar-Teel, , Dynaheir, Jaheira, Safana, and Viconia

I've seen references made to Mazzy's skill with a bow, but that's just as NPC's go, right? I mean, the archer ranger kit still blasts her out of the water, right?

In terms of damage, yes. But the Archer kit doesn't gain levels as fast as a fighter, can't wear chain or plate, and can't even specialize in melee weapons. Mazzy is good because she's heavily armored and versatile, and has useful special abilities. Really though, any well-made protagonist character will blow a similarly-themed NPC out of the water, simply because the NPCs aren't really optimized.

It's very hard to do themes parties in BG2, because of the very few choices when it comes to party members - at least if you don't want to miss out.

The closest I've come to doing a themed party was "Human nobles". Me, Nalia, Keldorn, Edwin, Anomen and - because she's my sister - Imoen.

Unfortunately, there is no romance to be had here.

I really hated how they cut down on all the NPCs for BG2.. :(

Luckmann, there aren't a ton of options. There are of course the alignment based parties, made all the more INTERESTING if you're strict about it. Throughout SoA a purely evil party would be a 4 man, but some serious big hitters.

I've come up with a good party, a neutral party (including failed Anomen, lol), an evil party, a shorty party and an all female party thus far.