My party consisted of good mercenaries and freelancers, and then I got some recruits on the side, who weren't supposed to participate in the fighting. Then I just went around, buying mercenaries and things like that.
I have to admit that in my most successful game, I enlisted in a Lord's army until I was around level 16 and had good equipment. It takes a bit of time early game, but a lot of people seem to be prefer the early game, as it is actually difficult. You can't just fight any bandit party, and you can't just easily conquer a castle or town by yourself. Perisno isn't actually all that hard, you just have to be cautious. Just level your Trainer skill and walk around, earning money while just having them with you. You can always just train your troops without going to battle.
Buy mercenaries or freelancers if you can't find bandit parties appropriate for your recruits.
