Just got the complete Plato

My logic for the groupings are:
Group 1: introduction to Plato and compilation of his shorter, easier vitrue-ethics dialogues. lays a good foundation for future dialogues
Group 2:Longer, more comprehensive dialogues that stand on their own, statesman is their because it should be read somewhat closely to sophist. I missed placing Philebus there as well
Group 3:Harder Dialogues which deal with more complicated subjects, is useful to have a comprehensive understanding of Plato's style and key ideas eg. theory of forms. Sophist naturally leads into Parmenides, Theaetetus contains some of the epistemology discussed in Republc, Republic is greatly aided by reading many of Plato's other dialogues and leads naturally into Laws.
Group 4: Timaeus and Critias don't really fit with Plato's other dialogues and should be paired together. Timaeus is arguable Plato's hardest work so it's best to be kept to last.
Basically, the grouping allows a degree of freedom in reading choice while also "locking out" dialogues that benefit from reading previous dialogues. I'm almost tempted to put Meno between Crito and Phaedo, but i'm unsure if understanding the concept of remembrance established in Meno then mentioned in Phaedo is worth ruining the narrative continuity.

The reason i don't like Thrasyllus' tetralogies (which is the order i read them in the second time) is that it front load many of the most complicated dialogues and then has a long stretch of easier virtue-ethics dialogues, while i think the order should build up form simple to complex.

Yeah i'll be add those, but i'm also looking for secondary sources to read along with Plato. I know the Cambridge Companion is quite sub-par and biased, so any recommendations would be great.

Group 1 is obviously good. Even though I would make a separate group for the "polemic dialogues" as I'd call them which are the ones where Plato tries to discredit the sophists (Protagoras, Gorgias, Hippias, Euthydemos)
I think not doing a group that is Parmenides -> Theaetetus -> The Sophist -> The Statesman is a mistake since they're pretty much connected thematically and narratively and since they're pretty hard they should placed in one of the latter groups.
Maybe taking into consideration Juan Bergua's order as a general guideline would be a good idea.
Group 1: Apology - Kriton - Eutyphro - Hippias 1 - Lacques - Charmides - Lisis - Alkibiades - Ion
Group 2: Hippias - Protagoras - Euthydemos - Gorgias
Group 3: Menexenos - Menon - Kratilus - Phaedro
Group 4: Symposium, Phaedo
Group 5: The Republics
Group 6: Parmenides, Theateetus, The Sophist, The Statesman
Group 7: Philebos, Timaeus, Kritias
Group 8: The Laws

Don't forget to add Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days.
I'm reading through Cratylus right now, and it makes my dick limp. Who knew etymology can be so boring?

I've read these, but I still don't grasp Socrates' belief system. Does he ever explain why he puts such a gigantic amount of importance on philosophy?

No. Read his students. Proclus, esp.

This has potential

>Does he ever explain why he puts such a gigantic amount of importance on philosophy?
Yes

Take Plato's books and fashion them into a kind of cylinder, and them shove them up your anus and experience a physical pleasure the likes of which any sustained reading of his works over the course of months would never give you.

Where?

Read the Introduction, pleb. The author gives you an in depth explanation.

Okay a bit of an update. Does anyone have that Plato translation image which offers alternative translations for some of the dialogues? (symposium and republic at least)

Group 1: Virtue-Ethics
Read in order:
Euthyphro
Apology
Crito
Phaedo
Then read following in any order:
Ion
Laches
Lysis
Meno

Group 2: The Sophists
Read in order:
Lesser Hippias
Greater Hippias
Euthydemus
Gorgias
Protagoras

Group 3: Intermediate dialogues
Read in any order:
Cratylus
Phaedrus
Symposium
Philebus

Group 4: Harder Dialogues
Read in Order:
Parmenides
Theaetetus
Sophist
Statesman
Republic

Group 5: Later Dialogues
Read in order:
Timaeus
Critias
Laws

I haven't nearly read enough of his works to give you a list, but I know Gorgias is one of them.

>I'm reading through Cratylus right now, and it makes my dick limp. Who knew etymology can be so boring?
The last 10 pages or so are fun as hell just because of the bewilderment you’ll feel. They also offer a well-remembered lesson that will be relevant for literally all of Greek philisophy afterwards. Keep going.

Looks nice. Let us know when you finish user.

You should read them in the order the edition you bought presents them.
Unless you wanna trust people on the internet, then look up the order they were written in online and follow that. Plato's one of the authors who changed the most, so reading say the Phaedo after Parmenides doesn't make much sense.