My favorite thing on the last one, Fallout New Vegas, ended up being the companions. I just absolutely loved them and the depth of their stories and how they protected my character no matter what. They've already said they won't be doing companions like that for Skyrim and I was a little sad at first but each game shouldn't be just like an earlier game so it'll be ok. They want to have more companions with less depth. Since I conjure anyway, maybe it's something like that. I'm hoping they'll do it like FNV for Fallout 4 though. It did feel like I had a friend along in FNV.

:tes:

It took me a few minutes to get where the previous poster was coming from. I think he's talking about how contemporary Bioware games give you simple "Make NPC Happy"/"Anger NPC" options, often with color-coding to make sure you can't possibly get a result you didn't want. IIRC, earlier games like Baldur's Gate would slowly develop companion interaction between each other and you. Various gameworld choices would slowly draw them in or push them away--in addition to the dialog choices which were about developing the story, rather than toggling an NPC function. In Dragon Age you could act pretty much however you wanted, then just hand them a gift, or select the correct choice in dialog and fix almost anything. In recent Bioware games, consequences have been reduced or removed from companion interaction, and companion relations are essentially a customizable slider like brightness or sound volume. Though companions get a lot of design work and deep stories, the interaction with the PC has been gimped.


I agree, but I'd say Bethesda usually gives you less story. The Morrowind MQ was deeper than ME1/ME2, and maybe DA too, though the companion elements don't exist.

companions svcks and prefer solo it always been like this in tes ( except those annoying bosmers *shudders*) well utleast i think there were no companions

I'd like to see both many deep companions, and shallow mercenary types. But they should be quite optional, as to not bug players who hate companions.

companions are awesome, for aid/ supplies / firepower / your own gang

I don't like them but I don't care if they are in there as long as they are not tied to any quests. If they are then I will be forced to use them because I must do every single quest available in a game like this.......and I do not want to be forced to use them.

Or miss content because I don't want to use them.

I'm more of a stealth char. so I think companions would get in my way, but I can see how they might be useful in certain situations or quests. I'd much rather prefer some sort of pack animal for extra inventory so I can explore for longer periods of time without having to sell my stuff or go back home and put it into storage containers/chests.

I'm kind of torn on this. When I play a game with no companions in a large scale game sometimes it can get well.. lonely. However, I have yet to play a first person perspective game where companions were really good, I mean I love how they were set up in DA:O, with them adding to conversation and such, but I'm not sure how that would work in Skyrim. Even having a character that you stayed in contact with throughout the main quest would be an upgrade, someone to report to or to seek advice from, kind of like a better version of Martin, who during certain events would fight along with you, but maybe wouldn't be a persistent companion.

If I remember correctly, Todd already said in an interview (can’t remember which one) that the companions would not have a lot of depth to them.
To that I say, why bother with them at all.

I’ve always enjoyed games that had compelling companions. I got my first taste of this in Baldur’s Gate, as I’m sure many of you did as well.
Frankly, I believe that game set the standard for NPC companions.
I can remember even more releases that had memorable characters in them.

Point being, the companions in Beth’s games seem to be just one step above a necromancer’s pet. They are good as a pack mule and a meat shield, but personality wise, you could find more depth in a shallow puddle.

I would like a companion to act like a "moral compass". I want them to question me on why I chose this course of action or why I supported this group, whatever the case may be depending on thier own personality and beliefs.
If you do something that contradicts something they would do, then they should say something to you about it and (without the players knowledge), derive an opinion about you based on your decisions.

I want the companion to ask themselves (again, without telling the player) “Is this someone I want to trust at my back?” “Why am I following him/her?” “Is this a good idea?”

If they happen to agree with your decisions, they might stay in your company. If they begin to like you, then they would offer more suggestions on a situation, or make more of an effort to help you out. For example, if you have trouble picking a lock, then the companion (if they have the skill) would offer to do it for you.

If they don't like your actions or your responses to their comments, then they could leave your company and warn others of your approach or maybe become a new nemesis, raise an army against you…whatever.

It probably isn't feasible to inject this into the project at this point and I’m probably asking too much; but as far as I’m concerned, I would rather have a few believable companions to chose from than a lot of mindless zombies.

I can summon a Daedra Lord and have them fulfill the same role.

There will be companions. I hope better than the FO3 companions.

Personally, I enjoyed the level of depth of character of the DA:O companions. I saw ;the development of those characters as a step in the right direction for player character companions.

Take them, or leave them, players choice. Companions should not be forced onto the player, unless somehow they are part of the plot/story.

In Todd Howard's reply to a question http://theelderscrollsskyrim.com/bethesdas-todd-howard-podcast-interview/ (at 25:10), there is the oddly placed, perhaps, off-the-cuff comment that states:

...And there still will be some like that..."

I believe that strangely placed phrase means there will be some characters with "...deep personalities and uniqueness..."

I would like to know more...

Yeah, they say that they have mercenaries and such

Nice find on that podcast quote!

I use companions every once in a while, but would prefer deeper and fewer companions than plenty of lackeys with no personalities. If I wanted that type of companion, I would just make my own in the CK so I could make them how I want and come up with a backstory on my own.
I liked Mass Effect and DAs companions for that type of game, but the system of raising approval and such is pretty easy, it should be hidden from the player's view and only visible in comments, not an obvious bar.

Hopefully, if they do go for a few deeper, storied companions they will comment or interject in conversations and decisions to remind us that they're around. Smarter AI as well, they can be dumb as a pile of bricks sometimes, at least give us some interface to issue orders to them like pick lock, sneak attack target, heal, etc. They need to be
kept optional as well, some players won't want them and stealthier playstyles don't work well with them unless the AI is revamped quite a bit.

That's not quite what he said. In reference to the FO/NV style companions he said there would be some like that, but also lots of more temporary style companions. So we are getting some of each.

I want companions, I do not see why others would not.
It adds variety to the game, and you would not have to use them.

No ! This is not Fallout, This is TES ! In this world there is no room for any1 else to share my glory, I will accept companions and many of them, but I want them to be weak, like at least 3-4 lvls beneath me and not good in a fight beyond being a draw for my enemies, so I can get away if too tough, or fodder for my big fights and replaceable (easily so), I really would like to be able to have many companions, for guarding my house, my mines, my lands, what have you, and I want many types like miners, farmers, housekeepers, with little or no background and very limited conversation beyond being ordered to change outfits, move here, guard this area, mine this area, clean this area , ect,...