I honestly never cared enough to look up what Volo was. That's how much I didn't like him. I didn't like him in NWN2 Storm of Zehir, and I like him less in BG3. He's more annoying than C-3PO, and I think he's Faerun's sad attempt to recreate Tom Bombadil.
Eliminster is Gandalf.
Volo is Tom Bombadil.
But it doesn't matter. I only brought up Volo because he joins you at camp. I though maybe he'd be a playable companion even though I'd never actually put him in my party... Unless he had some interesting story development reason.
The point is, more companions are coming, but OPs right. That's not really what they're suggesting.
As far as party size, that's a whole megathread. I believe others have brought up this idea also at one point or another. Start with 2. Get up to 6 eventually or even 8; slowly over time. Only allow a few at a time and gradually increase.
I personally don't like it. I'd like to start with party of 6 max. Makes the most sense from a story perspective. If I crashed in an airship and landed in a hostile land with intellect devourers, goblins, gnolls, giant spiders, bugbears, owlbears and ogres - not to mention other nasty things - an army would not be big enough. I'd accept ALL the help I could get as I travel the area every day. A party of 2-4, in my opinion, does not equal "Full up".
And, multiplayer. You can have up to 4 players. So, I'm fighting for Party of 6 partially because Party of 4 doesn't allow you to even have any other party members at all. Thus, no side quest story elements like Lae'zel intimidating Zorru or Shadowheart freaking out at Moonhaven. No Wyll and Spike. If you're party of 4-ing with multiplayer, you can't fully appreciate the game, and I'd love to play 4 players with a few slots available for at least 1 or 2 origin so I COULD play seriously with 3 other players and enjoy the game to the fullest.
But then... Doesn't sound like multiplayer is being designed for adventuring together fun so you can fully enjoy the game with friends. It's for trolling friends. So I don't think they care. Want to play BG3 seriously? Play single player. Nevertheless, single player game experience is influenced by multiplayer. So...
Nothing really matters... Anyone can see... Nothing really matters. Nothing really matters... To them.
Anyway the wind blows!
