I really just want an intelligent deathclaw companion like Goris. Preferably that I can raise from an egg but that's not super important. Cmon Bethesda make it happen!!

I chose the first 8- 12 would peak my interest companion wise but 16-24 plus seems like you would have to sacrifice some character backstory detail and would feel like too much but I could see it happening given the sheer amount of companions Bethesda dished out with Skyrim but I would like to see the latter and have them progress into the character back story like obsidian did in FoNV , the companions were good in Fallout three but it constantly left me asking questions about the backstory of Jericho the retired raider or Charon the reluctantly loyal contract body guard , so for me more character depth an low side on # of companions.

Appended the list slightly with respect to the average skyrim nexus user.

I wouldn't know, as I never experienced any of the modded companions. However, I'm going to stand by my statement that New Vegas companions were done well regardless, and it wouldn't bother me one bit if Fallout 4's companions were just like them.

Those numbers are kind of high. Are we trying to start an army or something?

why would we need companions we got that stupid dog bethesda is so overselling it makes me question if they really did fix the companions AI , doubt it

This problem was mostly solved in Oblivion. Pretty common in earlier games.

Friendly fire now require that you move fast into the line of fire.

I think it should vary in involvement. There should be a good number of deep NPC. There is two ways to do this.

Individual stand alone stories [2-3 preferred]

Companion tied to faction quests [as many as there are factions]

Then there should be the shallower companions with a quest or two. [6?]

The wheel in NV worked well, it does not looks like FO4 have it so we will be limited to companions who behaves as we like, at least until someone comes up with an mod.

12 is too many.. that's getting into bioware territory. I've always disliked that approach to companions since it usually leaves them out of traveling around with you.. yet they all still act like they've been there the whole time, killing the big bosses and participating in the missions. Really quite annoying.

However, it really doesn't matter much to me since I just don't use companions in fallout. If they have a quest tied to them, I'll pick them up just for the purpose of that quest. Otherwise, they need to go away.

Unless they've fixed the a.i. for stealth mechanics there's simply no way to play a stealthy character in fallout with a companion.

Not really. With the sheer plethora of lines any decent companions will be able to be written around. Worst case we end up going the silent protagonist route, which many are planning to do anyway. I haven't decided yet. Will cover that once the game is out and we know what it is we are dealing with.

Ah, console pleb. No wonder why your standards are so low.

Ah, you're one of those guys. Could have guessed as much with the arrogance and all. But before you jump to more absurd conclusions, I've played my fair share of New Vegas on both console and PC. I've played with mods, but modded companions was simply something I never touched up on.

You can cool it with your superiority complex.

They would do well to learn from Obsidian on this point, but 12 is kind of high. Make 4 - 5 really focused and fleshed out companions that has an impact on the story and their own story to tell. Atleast they showed us with Dawnguard and Serana that they can write decent companions if they want to.

Chose few. I'd love to have multiple followers with party banter and more in depth background/quests, as well as the ability to utilize their skills (Have them craft me something in a skill perk I lack).

Wouldn't mind if the number you can have is variable (would change things up on multiple play throughs) . Maybe base it of Charisma, something like:

Number of followers = Round Down[1 + (Charisma - {1 per conflicting personalities}) / 2 ]

Somewhere between choices 2 & 3 (or "similar to Fallout 3")..... but that's because I don't use companions, so I'd prefer not to have too much content tied to them (thereby either making me miss a bunch of content by not using them, or feeling like I must use them because content.)

Yes, it's a selfish view. But the poll asked for my opinion.

This is true. Modded companions are done better in some cases than anything in the vanilla or dlc content.

Arissa the Wandering Rogue in Skyrim is a great companion mod, who is very lore friendly and has a ton of stuff to say and do

If they're well fleshed out (and no, Serana is not a good example of what 'well fleshed out' means, to me at least) I'd be happy with like four companions.

I don't see going anywhere with more than 2-3.

I voted quality as well. But, as I've been spoiled by modded followers like Inigo in Skyrim I doubt any vanilla follower will satisfy me.

i'd like a bit of a mix

like a fusion of nv and skyrim

have a couple fleshed out ones with quests that you can shape and even come to be at odds with, then a sizeable supply of generic mercs and whatnot scattered about in-between (with names and some unique lines and personality, but no major quests or anything)

Unfortunately, the BioWare dialogue wheel is going to extremely complicate any silent protagonist mod since you have a very limited space for what the response includes; indeed, a silent protagonist mod would essentially be reliant on a dialogue UI overhaul. Not that I would be opposed to either of those things--but it's not going to happen fast. Then there's re-using dialogue, which means writing yourself into a corner, since the protagonist has to give a response from something (s)he's already said to someone else and have it make sense (including in tone) to the context. Neither solution is going to be quick in coming.

1st choice definitely.

New Vegas almost did it perfectly except you learn most about the characters' past by filling out their intrinsic "Points Counter" and then talking to them after.
I'd like to see Followers who's stories are revealed during main quests as well. Maybe go to place and actually encounter someone from his/her past.
Maybe having a certain follower will randomly trigger someone coming after you. Someone who has a bone to pick with your follower...

Live by the sword, die by the sword. You want to be satisfied with crap, then so be it. Just don't expect me to be satisfied too.

No it won't. It will be gist answer:actual response. With the sheer number of choices that 13k lines provides you shouldn't have much trouble constructing what you want to out of it. The only really complicated bit will be if you go through and try an cut up existing dialogue, but that is entirely on whoever wants to take that route. I foresee many more people just being lazy and going unvoiced protagonist instead. Which by all accounts looks to be one of the first mods that will be produced. At least if gamesas doesn't go full [censored] and not offer full caption support.

Id say there should be a divide between main quest followers and generic NPC followers. 12 would have character and personality, the rest of the randomly generated ones would just be like towns people.

Here is how I want my companions to be handled:

#1.) I want to be able to house them where I choose. I want to build like a barracks for them in my main city or for them to have each their own house and I want them to guard it, live there, drink there and man my shops.

#2.) I want my character to be able to fall in love with one of my followers if I so choose.

#3.) I want full control over what my followers wear and the weapons they wield. If I want to dress them all in tribal garb, so be it. If I want them to walk around it their underwear, so be it. If I want them to walk around in full suits of metal or power armor with super sledges or Sniper Rifles, I want to be able to do that with them. It would also be nice if I could change their hair styles too.

Basically they should serve a purpose in our character's life other than just combat back up.