So, it comes back to a discussion we have in the TES threads about lockpicking. I recently picked up Strong, and to my surprise, he dislikes every time I lockpick. Well you know what Strong, I still want to know what kind of loot is in there. Maybe there is something I need.

If you're going to make a character who hates the way someone plays a certain way, then you need to create alternatives. It was a discussion we had in Skyrim, but it seems now it needs to be a discussion for future Fallout.

There has to be other ways of breaking a lock then. In Two Worlds 2, and I know two different genres, they gave us a magical way to unlock locks, a thief way with bobby pins, and a melee way where you smash the crap out of the lock.

Clearly we cannot have magical ways of opening locks, but what about a gear piece you fasten upon the lock and some kind of sciency way using waves to open the lock?

But now I cannot play with Strong as a companion, because......

he hates me every time I lock pick. It's the only way I can get the goods. So you don't want me to ransack and figure out what's behind this locked door? Or unlock the entrance to a quest?

Blargh.

The answer is probably just to use a different companion, then. You shouldn't be able to please everyone unless you deliberately change your character choices to do so.

In the context of lockpicking alone, though, I kinda have to agree. It always feels weird in any RPG when they dedicate an entire skill simply to cracking locks... Fallout 4 does it better, since it's just a ranked perk and a lot of the time they give you a safelock terminal to hack instead.

Haven't experienced this myself since I haven't had him as a companion much, but I have to agree. Sometimes terminals are the alternative to lockpicking but usually that's not possible. I also noticed Strong dislikes the player putting on Power Armor. Guy seems difficult to please eh.

I doubt Strong would have any more patience for a "sciency" solution for locks, but I would love a strength perk that lets you kick the [censored] door off its hinges.

he doesn't dislike the act of picking the lock, he dislikes that your not asking him to do it.

I had the same thoughts initially when I tried having Strong as my companion, but then again it kind of made sense for his character. He just likes to go smash things and eat humans, and suits a playthrough that matches that (basically just kill randoms and be a cannibal). He wants to battle, and hence likes the straight forward approach in just running through and melee everything. He would also likely see lock picking (or even forcing-locks if that was a possibility) and running away from a challenge as being cowardly.

Doesn't bother me too much anyway. Strong is an annoyingly dumb character, and his perk is pretty useless unless you are a melee character who likes to live dangerously. Though I would say props to Bethesda for creating a companion to basically match a more evil playthrough.

My favorite companion so far is actually Cure. I find her voice hilarious. I like her pensive nature.

And it's funny when she kills someone and says "yahoo"

Really I like going it alone.. How many times I lose count that I am set up for a sniper shot hold my breath and just about to squeeze the trigger when I start sliding to the side.. Because insert any companion just started walking into me. I have been pushed off roofs thru a steel railing none the less by Dog meat.. Companions can be helpful or a pain in the butt.. Hey just like real life kinda. They are handy at carrying weight and on occasion actually come in useful in a fight even if only as a distraction. Every companion has things they like / dislike and rather then get all crazy trying to please them I try to get the perk by figuring out what they like and sticking to it for a couple hours and checking in with them in conversations on occasion. I get the perk and off they go.. Until I need a pack mule, Dog meat don't care if I use drugs, pick locks or try to up the payout from a new quest giver.

So for a non judgmental companion hes great. The others you just have to please until you get their special perk and then if they don't like something who cares.. They can't take the perk back. So just try to humor them for a bit.. Most don't take long to get thankfully.

I think he doesn't like you wearing power armor because one day he plans on killing you himself. Either that or he feels it's humans "cheating" and the only way that's fair to fight is to fight in regular armor. Either way, he's a super mutant and he deserves to die.

And yes, I gunned down Fawkes too.

Companions are cannon fodder for me. I am stealth player, but I keep getting my ass handed to me by crowds of enemies that keep [censored] flooding. I miss solitary combat, where I don't have five [censored] feral ghouls coming at me all at once

Right I hear ya.. Just try to get the perk is my advice. Then you do not have to worry about affinity unless you plan on taking him as a "romantic" companion for the Lovers Embrace perk or bonus thingy.

I still use companions mainly when I need to scavenge but really they can be a total pain when I am trying to open new areas up. I mean some stuff they say is so crazy funny and stupid we just have to take it all with a very big grain of salt. Preston Garvey who wants us building settlements is constantly saying to me "Well I guess you can carry that but I dont see any value in it" or some such every time I buy a supply shipment or pick up materials to build those settlements with.. Yeah it don't make best sense or any at all, but hey thats why he calls me General I guess.

I feel the exact opposite. I really enjoy that companions react to what you do. It makes them feel more real.

We here at the Grand Hipsters Who Shall Not be Named Due to Hoodies or Lack Thereof agree wholeheartedly:

Strong simply hates you.

Doesn't matter what you do.

He will hate you when you

Put that Power Armor on...

He's a demon, he's a devil...

He is Strong!

Am I the only one who hates the term of "milk of human kindness"

it sounds so wrong and dirty

Luckly strong has a hidden like gain from just killing mobs in combat (as in it doesn't show the likes this message, but apparently it does rise his affinity) so as long as you get into fights in a semi frequent manor ya be fine even if ya lockpick.

I am a stealth based player. I rather not take on crowds of people.

Then... why are you traveling with a Super Mutant?

Uh.. because hes green and thus more camouflaged. Yeah okay good point there!

It was a tactical decision. As said before, if there is one thing I really dislike on F4 is the giant firefights that go on. Glad the enemies are smarter, and not Skyrim as they see an arrow whiz by, hit their friend in the skull, and say "must be the wind".

But at the same time. It's like every game I go into play, only rewards one type of player. The gun and run big shooter. And yes, I can play a stealth character, but I keep constantly getting caught up in crowds eventually, I just found a silencer, but the point was that I chose Strong, so I could quit f-ing dying because I have six, five, feral ghoul feral fights after me.

Tired of the fire fights. It's the only thing that ruins combat enjoyment for me.

you can't please everybody. that's about as realistic as it gets.

You'll probably find stealth much easier if you ditch your companion and use mines

Stealth is more OP than run and gun in my view (same reasons it was in skyrim) but each to their own

Fairly sure companion perks are only active while they are your companion, so it's not worth sticking with him just for that

Companion perks are always active, not just with your companions. Still getting double XP from discovering locations without Piper, and bugged never-miss headshots without MacCready.