Let's be honest though, either way the controlling of the party has to be improved and ten fold if we are to integrate more paty members.

I need to dig Tuco's other thread out, because having now played the EA, managing the party is a nightmare. I will save the sailient points for the other thread, but if we are going to have more obstacles/surface gunk, then party management is king. SO Yes to more characters in a party, but ONLY in combination with improvements to the handling of said group. Otherwise I will reduce my party to solo or MP with friends so that my stupid party members don't run back and forth to a new leader just because I didn't unchain them all and decided to move jump them individually around obstacles.