One advantage of fighting with comrades at your side, is that if you are somehow knocked unconscious, or just plain hit hard enough to knock you senseless, one of your comrades can sometimes assist you, if the time comes to flee. By being able to keep track of the battle, one can see when a fallen comrade needs assistance, and can sometimes give that assistance in order to remove him from the battle safely. Check 'party rescue' and 'party rescuelist' commands for further info.