Companions have always been an interesting part of the Bethesda world that I never have cared for. In a way, I feel they get in the way of my "lone wanderer" role playing and almost feel like having them is cheating. I've always enjoyed clearing out areas using guerrilla tactics and having to decide what items I can carry and can't. Having a companion always just left a "fast track" approach feeling in me, a feeling I'd rather not take. Both in Skyrim and Fallout 3/FNV I always chose not to have them with me when I could.

This is not to say that I wish they were omitted as I see they are a popular attraction to many gamers, I'm just asking if there is anyone else out there who feels the same way and does not ever use them as in my playing experiences.

Sorry but even Mad Max had a dog.

Also they spent a lot more time on making Dogmeat an even better companion than ever so going to have him certainly for the first playthrough of course.

Can spend time on subsequent plays as lonely boy wanderer of the wastes.

My companions have always been mules. They really have never been particularly effective at anything else in my experience but I gotta say watching Dogmeat take down that raider or w/e he seems pretty effective this time around

As long as you have the option to let him go or let him die, then it shouldn't matter if you don't want the dog.

I like companions and all their combat banter, but usually leave dogmeat back at base since he'd be deadmeat against a horde of super mutants. He's ok as a starting companion.

I generally don't think vanilla companions are interesting enough to fool with unless they have quests associated with them or something. In fact, Dogmeat is the most appealing potential companion to me for this very reason ... she is a dog. A dog companion doesn't have to have dialogue, and won't make the same repetitive comments over and over (RI'm rorn to rarry your rurdens!). The only thing a dog has to be is a dog.

I'm sure a year from now I'll be using some modded companions as they tend to be better fleshed out than vanilla ones, but unless Bethesda really surpasses expectations I'll probably be going it alone for the most part.

dog meat is a boy

Do we have a choice to leave him be? If not, then a character I play who will not need a dog companion will just leave him in his cute little doghouse lol

Hell no, leave that mutt in a closet if I can...I don't want game play forced on me with regards to characters. Which it kind of seems like from the footage possibly, though I hope it was just to show him off and not a forced thing.

In the game yes, but the motion-capture "actor" is River, a girl. River's a good name for this dog, I might use it in the game because it's a nice name for a boy dog too.

Meh I'm not a huge fan of dogs so I'd rather have a more vocal human companion. Although Dogmeat's combat mechanics actually look pretty sweet this time around, where he can pin someone down while you shoot them.

That's what I hear, but not what I see.

lol it just hides up in his stomach it's a new defense mechanism

All the dog companions in movies die, saving the master. Dogmeat being immortal takes away some immersion. There is no stress or wqorry when he charges a supermutant. Also, is the game balanced to have am unkillable tank on your side? Can't I just send him into battle, and when he goes unco, walk away, and have him run back to me; rince, repeat?

I use them if I like them, and rarely do I have any sort of...pointlessly existential reason for not taking them...

In Skyrim, I almost never took companions with me. I hated the A.I. and they were always finding ways to get on my nerves. Serena was a little bit better about it, so I spent some more time with her. Other then that, I found it more fun to head out on my own.

In New Vegas, I really liked the companions. So, I often had them with me unless I needed to sneak into a place.

We do, Todd mentions this, think it was the companion video.

I've never really been interested in taking companions either, to be honest. The only game I really liked having them in was Tactics, but that was more of a squad thing. So no, I won't be taking Dogmeat, or likely anyone else. If we're able to kill them while they aren't our companions, I'll honestly probably end up doing that to more than one.

I may give Codsworth a good try first though. I like him.

Definitely to have...

Need something to soak up all da bulletz...

If the AI isn't god awful then yeah I'll probably take dog meat along. I enjoy companions in New Vegas, but couldn't stomach them in 3.

Will take him along but likely leave him at base, often find melee isn't something I want with me.

the companion part of the E3 demo?

In real life I'm saddled with pets I don't want (long story) so I'll be damned if I'm going to have a dog following me around during the 1-hour per day I can escape from them. That being said, perhaps on a second play through I'll give it a shot.

I'm torn.

On the one hand, Companions often have dumb A.I. and/or get stuck on geometry of the world, or they start fights I did not even know about, or they natter on endlessly and they can often trump my "hero" in combat, taking out foes before I knew they were there (since the companion A.I. instantly knows where to spin and shoot). I also hate it when my companion (especially Dogmeat / Rex) gets killed.... if a human Companion gets whacked by raiders, it's unfortunate, yes (and I'll likely reload) but even a reload won't save me the anguish if my puppy gets keeled.

On the other hand, they CAN help me carry extra loot and if done well they can be amusing / entertaining. In New Vegas, I used the Willow mod, and she was GREAT, making just enough comments when we get to new areas, etc, reminding me that she hates deathclaws, etc. I had another Companion mod (Vanessa) who was even, dare I say, a little better in that she seemed to interact with the other companions, making coo-ing baby-voice chat with Rex, for example. Or asking Boone about his wife (ooo, touchy subject!)....

I can appreciate both having a Companion and ~not~ having one.

If I DID have a companion, though, I would not bother to augment them in any way ---- they're already threatening my feeling of Hero-ness as it is.

I know that Bethesda said that you can only have 1 companion at a time and I'd rather have a humanoid companion if you only get one period then no Dogmeat for me. If its like Fallout 3 and New Vegas where you get one humanoid and one non-humanoid companion then I will take him, or if he is the first companion you encounter I'll take him along with me until I reach someone I want more

Yeah melee companions tend to have an annoying habit of getting in front of what I'm trying to shoot