What percentage of game play is for party size 8?

Hello,
We have a group of 7 friends that want to play together, but we're having trouble getting information about how much we would actually be able to play together as a group in this particular game. At what level do you finally get to the point where you can play at the max party size? And then how long can you play together as a large party before you have to go somewhere else that has a smaller party size. Any thoughts on what percentage of the game we would be playing as a group?
Thanks for your help!
Charity

Ah yeah, you're gonna have an issue there. A party of 8 isn't available in prophecies until quite far through the game. However, it's available much sooner in factions. If you're only going to play as a group of 7 then it'll cause problems.

Look up party size on guildwars wiki, linked from the top of this page on the tabs. That'll tell you how far each campaign you have to go before party size 8 is available.

Hope this helps

Max

As MaxBorken pointed out, it will take quite a while until you can get a party size of 8 (or bigger) in Prophecies. In Factions it's a bit sooner, once you get to main capital I believe, som ~10-20 hours of game play. For Nightfall I believe it's similar, ~10-20 hours of game play when you reach Consulate Docks.

You could try make the party limitations a bit of a challenge. Start with two teams at same time and see who will be able to finish first?

Are you all able to play on exactly same hours? Very nice.

What Max said. Prophecies has a party of 4 at the start then of 6 for the most part...so you'd have to eventually cut the group in two or something. Nightfall and faction give a party of 8 almost right away though. Oh, and EoTN is all for 8, being an expansion. And anyway, after you reach 8-men one it will never be smaller as you go on in the campaign, and all endgame content is for 8, safe for 2 areas which require even more.

I must say I'm amazed though at seeing such a big group of friends who all play together...must be fun So don't be discouraged by the areas with smaller parties, since a huge part of the game is for 8 and the rest doesn't take too long, imho.

It's earlier actually. Blacktide Den (which becomes available after completion of the second mission) and the Beknur Harbor outpost support 8 person parties.

@OP: However, that said, I'd like to point out that most missions require you to have a specific hero in your group, meaning you'd need to split up. The latter suggestion from Bristlebane is a good idea. Might be annoying though, if only one team succeeds and you're waiting for/trying to get the others through. Factions is probably your best bet (and it allows you to play an assassin or ritualist (though if you wanted to play a dervish or paragon you'd need to start in Nightfall)).

Well if they're only 7 friends, there's always room for a single hero, am I wrong?

This is great info and really helps. I will share with the group and see what they think!
Yes, we have been playing every monday night (mostly) for 7 or 8 years and it is a really fun group!
-Charity

Enjoy the game Charity
I suggest you guys don't get too tempted to try get runs, buy max armors, or skip contents, or cheat reading walkthroughs on wiki. Game is great fun when playing through for the first time, and it can be fun to discover and solve the mission bonuses with your friends rather than just read how to do it.
Runs and all that is good later in game when you played through on several characters and just want to skip ahead a bit

I can't give percentages, per say. However, the majority of Nightfall is with a party size of eight. Its only the southern shiver peaks onwards in Tyria, and all of mainland cantha in factions. You will start as a party of 4, and in Proph/Factions, you get periods with 6 in a party. Which I hate, btw.

As mentioned above, you could split for the party of 4 bits and challenge each other. Generally, as the party size increases, there won't be bits where it will decrease afterwards, except maybe those solo missions.

I would check the wiki. On every mission, and in every outpost entry, they will show you how many people you can take from there.

Proph ~50%
Factions ~80%
Nightfall ~70%

These are just guesses. But the minimum after pre-searing Ascalon is 4, so you could comfortably split into two parties for most areas and reform when you get to the 8 mans.

You will never go down in party size after you've already reached 8, unless you go back to do the 'noob island' missions of the other full campaigns, or vanquishing earlier areas.

Most of the fun you will have is after reaching the 8 anyway. Dungeons like Sorrow's Furnace, Fissure of Woe, Underworld, Tomb of the Primeval Kings, Domain of Anguish, Slaver's Exile might be areas you would go into more than once as a group. Good fun!

After you have acquired some Nightfall/Eye of the North heroes (or pugs!), you can head into the 12-man areas in Factions: Urgoz's Warren and The Deep. They take good coordination to beat, so you should be set for adventure!

Wish you all the best!

eotn 100%...........

Honestly I'd say mor elike Proph 30% and Nightfall 90% :P

Bottom line - most of GW1 is 8 player or more.