I do not really get what´s the difference.
As far as I know in DoS games (they´re the most popular games that use linking besides some JRPGs so I´ll use them as an example) you can actually see your entire party if you link them or let some of them go and flank the enemy from the other side if you unlink them, the same as in IE games.
I do not really know why Sven do not linked their companions in the gameplay and keep them separated at all times, but in DOS games if you link all your party they follow you along. And you can choose a party formation that they keep while walking or in combat, as in IE games. The only difference is that they do not do anything besides following you around unless you told them so.
You can select two, three or four of them, like in IE games. The difference is that you do not do that drawing a box with your mouse, you do that linking your character portraits. That´s it.
It´s actually easier to manage your party that way in exploration because the IA does not move your characters for itself and they do not attack automatically, break invisibility or run mindlessly into a web/poison cloud/trap unless you actively order them to do so.
As @Daze said, it´s pointless to have an IA managing your team members in a game like BG3 because you can fine-tune, control your characters and give them orders directly about what they have to do all the time.
Thanks for coming and give us some insight about the devs. opinions @Daze
- As far as I know, Raze is the community manager, not a dev. I think he said at one point that all he sais is his own opinion and he has no special information what the devs are thinking.
- In D:OS you have to link and unlink your characters all the time. When you walk from one place to another its easier to let them walk together. Before combat it is better to split up and put your characters in good positions. Lets look at when they enter the village. They lose a dialogue roll and combat starts, the goblin uses a fireball and damages all party members. Better would be if one char sneaks one one roof with goblins, another char sneaks on the other roof with goblins and a third char stand on a different roof. Then the 4th char walks through the gate. If you fail the talk roll and combat starts, the chars on the roof can kick the goblins down and shoot with advantage while the char on the ground can finish them if the goblins survive the fall and they will get an AoO if they want to run back on the roof.
- In D:OS and BG you can do exactly the same things with your characters. But in BG you can do it without moving around portraits all the time.
- Not sure if this was in BG or a strategy game like command and conquer: You can define a button to select groups. You select a group of whatever chars you like and assign a button to it. This plus a "select all button" should be more than enough to control all chars without moving portraits.
@Raze: Different people have different preferences. I never had any problem with controlling characters in any IE game, but for me the link mechanic in D:OS was very annoying.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Mad S. Tist 
