Why adventuring parties?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

I'm less confident about other editions, which may have worked to make the low-level followers more useful.

There's no edition where the first level followers won't die like flies. The situation for 62 point minions in GURPS is rather more favorable, mostly because they won't die as collateral damage to AoEs, though you'll pay a lot if you want to give them good gear.