Not really. You do however avoid masive headackes. That is why I do not use them anymore.

i guess it depends on what "class" (playstyle) you are/have. my toon is a sneak and im having a hard time killing stuff and could use a companion.. but they always screw things up so i won't. my main is a sword n' shield solo warrior and there is a huge difference as i can kill everything with almost no effort. but to answer your question, well yes i think so in some cases, but totally doable without.

Really? According to the Prima Guide, hirelings do level up when you do.

To give my opinion to the original poster, I found a companion extremely useful, especially at lower levels. Plus they can carry a bunch of stuff which helps with gold acquisition.

I hate them because keeping up with them is a pain.

in some situations yeah they help, but when you have companions you can't retreat very often if you want to make sure they live all the time, i like having em for company mostly, apart from that, its pretty easy to go solo and stealth kill things and generally take your time, but with companions you really need to engage the enemies once they do, companions are pretty agressive so they really give you away fast.

That's how I approach it also. Had Lydia for one dungeon and havent used her since. She just roams around Dragonsreach. I couldn't care less.

i used lydia on my first character until she got in my way and i killed her
three characters later i'm still rolling solo.

It's my understanding that they do level up sorta; their damage numbers go up, but their health/stamina/majika doesn't.

All of mine kept dying. Even after boosting their health and giving them very nice enchanted items. One of them disappeared after I gave a lot of valuables.
Their AI leaves much to be desired, they walk into traps, bring enemies to you, rush into piles of deathlords with no worries whatsoever, and dance merrily in a dragon's deadly breath, so um...no, I don't think they make the game easy. Except, perhaps, at lower levels.

I eventually gave up and just made my favorite one invincible. :unsure2:

The thing that drives me most crazy with companions is their pathing/following ability.

I'm a "never use fast travel" player, and whenever I take a companion with me on a long journey I inevitably end up waiting periodically for them to catch up. Sometimes they refuse to jump down rocks we can easily, and without taking damage, traverse; but they simply won't do it. Instead the companion goes around the long way, sometimes getting killed by a bear or a sabre tooth before I can even find them.

Others get killed on the way, even when with me, because of random dragon attacks or whatever.

Pretty much gotten to the point where I only use them as butlers, or not at all.

I'm thinking of RP'ing a healer

then they would maybe make sense to have

otherwise my experiences is that when I'm off IRL work minding metally challenged children I don't wanna come home and do it in a game also

I would personally say that companions are in the way. I always hit them by accident. So, I prefer playing on my own. Always. :wink_smile:

I never use them anyway, unless a quest requires it

I only use companions when im leading them to a horriable death

Hail Sithis

The game is a little harder without them. But the game takes a lot longer with them, since you're often standing around waiting for them to path correctly to you.

Sorry about that couldnt help myself =)

I actually feel the need to bring companions, since i do dead is dead and dying svcks even more

Just wanted to add that companions are useful for getting experience in Restoration (healing hands) and Illusion (calm, courage, etc)

^^ that... I get annoyed by companions and do better on my own

as a RPG and TES veteran (since Morrowind), I play the game on very hard, and it's so intens! the hunting, fleeing/running away, stealthing ect..., but it only feels so intens when it's "hard" and when there's no companion. even though there were passages where I recieved help from NPC, and I was happy and it still felt tens.

but the real feeling is when playing "alone" (in the first person view) on hard/very hard (but on very hard, one has to "run away" often, but even tha't intenss)

I agree... there a pain in the ass :wink_smile:

I would say you're making the game easier by using them, rather than difficult by not using them. Paradoxical maybe? Anyway companions are morons for the most part. I still find Farkas wondering around aimlessly even though i told him it was time to part ways and he told me he was going back home. Once i had to save him from 2 Frostbite spiders. He actually died. Luckily i saved coming up to the fight so i reloaded and sprinted up to kill them before they took him. He's a moron but he doesn't deserve to die in such a pathetic manner.

I sometimes enjoy having a companion, just because it's nice to have company, however, I hate it when they steal my kills. I wish there was a setting like in FONV where you could tell them to stay at a certain range, or not engage in combat unless told otherwise. I'll sometimes go back and fetch Lydia if I encounter a tough boss that I can't take myself. Feels more "real" than just adjusting the difficulty slider.

Actually IMO companions are mostly a pain in the ass. Though there are a few competent ones. The game can be easier with someone to watch your back but it isn't impossible by yourself either. ^_^

Companions are helpful at low levels but you're much better off without them at mid to high levels.