One of my major complaints while venturing the wasteland is the way companions navigate. I explore primarily with dogmeat and he gets in my way at every conceivable moment. As soon as you start to walk forward after doing almost any task he begins to walk beside and then in front of you blocking your movement. He blocks doorways and on occasion he will stand behind you when you engage preventing you from ducking to safety in time. I find myself often yelling at a virtual dog to get out of my way and if it weren't for his ability to carry items I would have ditched him long ago.

A smaller issue I have with him is selecting him to navigate his options. Sometimes he just keeps walking away from you as you try to select him for storage or command purposes. Could potentially have a "summon companion" feature. Double tapping the A button or something similar could be used to call your companion to you and immediately open their command tree. This could make things far less frustrating and more streamlined.

The most obvious solution for collision would be to just improve his a.i. pathing but I would think turning off companion collision altogether would work wonders... or at least the option to do so. I think fixing this would be a huge quality of life improvement for everyone.

Thoughts?

i have found that companions can be most annoying at times for getting in the way.

especially when trying to sneak around areas theyll stand right in the way of where im trying to go.

and they dont move out of the way quickly

ive also had a companion knock me off a high ledge/ladder a couple times.

once i died as a result.

id like an option for companion collision off.

That's the option I like the best. Just seems like it would be such an easy fix with very little consequence.

Turn off collision .. I love Strong but good god he is WAY to big to take into any sort of hallway or sewer type area.

Even with the ability to tell him where to stand it's still a hassle.

As bad as it is, I think it's still somewhat better than Skyrim.

Just to comment here. One of the more frustrating gaming experiences of my life (30+ years as a gamer) has to be the No-Nose quest in the tunnels. My idiot companion, a clinging tinker guy, his blindly bright robot and the moron ghoul leader all apparently trying to make absolutely sure I have no chance to travel thru a bunch of narrow tunnels and pipes much less fight enemies in said close quarters surrounded by a bunch of telephoning, semi-mobile obstacles.

Would someone at least make a mod so the 5th or 6th time I bash an NPC in the face, they get the hint and follow about 10 ft behind me?

One companion is fairly manageable, but 4 in close quarters had me swearing like a sailor....

I don't use companions because of stuff like this. Their pathing is terrible and the thing that needs fixed the most. Making them not collide with the pc in any way would help a little with some situations, but not necessarily others. One issue I've had with some of the NPC's that I couldn't stop from tagging along in a few quests (that's also a thing that I wish never happened; let me be a lone wolf and do all my quests in solitude) is that they have a terrible habit of walking right in front of me while I'm shooting, which causes me to waste whatever ammo I end up dumping into them. Sometimes even wasted AP if they happen to walk in front of a VATS shot a moment too soon.

Oh and they occasionally die, too, if they aren't essential. Shame, that.

The problem, as usual, is the navmesh. It only tells the AI where they can walk, but not much more. I think there was an option for the navmesh in skyrim, that told the AI where they could jump down, but I′m not entirely sure about that though. If the navmesh for example told the AI, "hey, you, here′s a doorway, don′t stand here!", I think a lot of the problems could be fixed already through that.

Next up is the problem, that the AI can push the PC around with impunity, even if you wear PA and they don′t. I hated that to no extent in Skyrim, even to the point that I ragequitted the game more than once. In that regard it is time for Bethesda considering adding weight to an actor and then use that weight against other actors to determine whether they can push said actor around or not. Because it is ridiculous to see Dogmeat pushing a car or Lydia a Dragon around.

And last but not least, tactics. We had them in FO3. Why can′t I just say to a companion to not follow me so close? Why can′t I tell a companion to use ranged or melee attacks? Granted, the second question is debatable whether it makes sense or not, given that FO4s companions are more fleshed out than Skyrims for example.

I love when they stand in a doorway and block you. Hmmm a Deathclaw, turn and get out. Oh wait, I can't....you are blocking the frigging door.

Ok, now at a safe room, let's deal with that Deathclaw...I can't you are still blocking the doorway and I can't get a shot off!!!!!

I play a sniper and my companions CONSTANTLY get in the way of my aiming. I like having them but I'm gonna have to start messing with giving them orders and/or flanking. As for collision I say just turn it off. it seems like an easier fix and more likely to fix the problem.

This explains a lot actually.

Cant count how many times I got stuck somewhere or couldnt go through a door because of a companion. This is 2015 we should be able to pass through them, there really is no excuse to ruin our gameplay trying to get the companion to get out of our way.

I shoot Codsworth all the time and he gets all snippy..

I have forgotten have many perfectly lined up long range shots Cait has ruined by stepping in front of the muzzle lol & forget doorways just wishing there was a kick command

Yeah, it's really bad. Probably the worst I've ever experienced. Not that I'm an avid gamer but I have played quite a few on the PS3. I just got the PS4 for the sole purpose of playing Fallout 4.

Controlling your companion's was a lot better in Fallout 3 because you could tell them to stay back or stay close or be hostile or not be hostile. Here you have no choice. You either tell them to stay or they do what they want, and the 'do what they want' option seems to be totally the opposite of what you would want them to do in every situation I've encountered so far.

I've gotten in to the habit of commanding Piper to stay in a certain spot and then I go scout out the situation and then go back for her.

I'll have to vote 'Other' and request it be like it was in Fallout 3. It was almost perfect in my opinion.

I choose other.

I really want something like in FO3 / FONV. I run with Dogmeat from beginning because of Lone Wanderer perk. I would really like to be able to tell him to be passive / defensive and stay behind me, so he only attacks when I am attacked. I play a stealth character, and having Dogmeat running ahead and attacking / alerting whatever there is for miles, is really "smack face" situations. Also, he opens doors because of pathing. Whatever is shortest. Which can be really irritating if I know there are enemies on the other side I don't want to alert at that time. Doorways is a combat in itself with Dogmeat at times, and here no-collision would works wonders. If it wasn't for his ability to be a super large trunk, he would have been left at Red Rocket a long time ago

Haven't played with any of the other sidekicks yet, so can't comment on their behaviour, but I suspect they are similar to Dogmeat.