In a new video (at around https://youtu.be/5v6GDsC1Kbo?t=2m34s), from MrMattyPlays, we are shown a possible first look at Piper, who it seems has been waiting outside Diamond City for us the whole time. The links to the video, and the related Gameinformer article, are shown below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v6GDsC1Kbo

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fallout_4/b/playstation4/archive/2015/07/26/fallout-4-quakecon-presentation.aspx?utm_content=buffer11c8a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer&PostPageIndex=2

EDIT: added a direct link above to the correct portion of the video

Nice spot by matty...hmm wonder if we can take things from companion inventories, I really love that coat, but it be a shame to kill her for it.

I've just had a thought to do with settlements.

Now that we know the number of possible companions, and all indications suggest that we can only have one with us at a time, I think we have also just been told the total number of settlements.

Twelve in total, one for each companion. And so we would have a place to leave each of them, if we so wish, to form a 'network' of sorts. This would certainly be a very cool gameplay feature, and would be an added incentive for building up all of our potential settlements!

EDIT: note that the first settlement we can rebuild, namely Sanctuary Hills, already has a possible 'caretaker' in the form of Codsworth.

I can travel with one ONE companion this time? Bummer. There goes my plan to travel with Garvey and Dogmeat.

I like this Idea, but karma (or alignment) I expect might get in the way. (then again maybe not, It might be they just dropped companions having a preference in who they follow, which I think would be a shame.)

(also gk you said in a post you had a flash of Inspiration, and I thought 2-caps had that once turned out to be gas.... Damn mirelurk meat )

As Matty suggests in the video, this could well be one human and one other, as per New Vegas.

Also regarding Piper. I wonder if she could be connected somehow to http://i.imgur.com/xmSnUM7.jpg individual.

But what if SkyNET unable to locate the PC sends something back to eliminate our lieutenants and steal caravan supplies?

I hope karma has nothing to do with it. Though faction reputation and quests completed being factors would be nice.

He says only one at a time. Also some sort of perk for those who go it alone.

Speaking of caravan supplies, this would actually give a plausible reason for leaving more 'responsible' individuals (ie possible companions) in charge of each settlement.

The twist now is of course that we can romance any (including Codsworth?!?) of the twelve.

Romance is human only and it will be tied to how much they like you.

Well we now know four of those companions, the dog, Codsworth, Preston Garvey and this Piper.....so we are likely to have the dog or Codsworth and a choice of one out of the other ten.

I'm not sure the companion to settlements ratio will match up since while Codsworth (and maybe the dog) is at a buildable location, Piper is apparently at Diamond City and Garvey is at that museum location......its likely that Piper and Garvey will return to these locations rather than a new settlement.

That's kind of a relief! (down dogmeat down!)

But you do all realise that if this is really Piper in the video, she was first showed to us in the trailer, and not the demo!

See what I mean about easter eggs!!

Is karma even still in the game?

the male VA mentioned karma in some interview he gave.

Don't forget that Todd told us the whole settlement thing is completely optional. I just think that if this is included, it would add an extra layer of depth to proceedings.

To expand on this, each of the twelve would likely have an additional 'default' location in case we lose track of them. And so dogmeat would be found at the garage, Codsworth would be hanging around our old house, Garvey would be at the Museum, and Piper would be at Diamond City.

Don't forget you can set up all kinds of defense AND assign NPC's to them.

Which is why I think this would work perfectly. Garvey, for example, is already the leader of a known faction, namely the Commonwealth Minutemen (last five surviving members). And so I would imagine that if we assigned him to a settlement, they would accompany him there.

The 'random' NPC's we see in the showcase at the Sanctuary Hills site could be the result of not assigning an actual known companion.

Speculation: I wonder if the Robotics Expert perk + scrap parts would let us create securitron/protectron/mr. gutsy defenses. I would be impressed.

I hope she's more interesting than Preston Garvey seems to be

From what I've heard, it sounds like her personality sounds feisty like Veronica or Cass which I'm okay with though

That would make sense however, to be the twelve companions to twelve settlements ratio one of the settlements would have to run by the dog.

Its also likely that most people will have two companions at a time, so that is two possible settlements with out a viable companion leader.

As to the settlement guards, it may be as simple as (like the merchants supposedly) building their type of building and having enough beds, food and water or you may have to recruit guards, farmers etc.....I really hope we get some ability to hire NPCs to fill position in our settlements. I'm also hoping that the game will acknowledge in some way that we are the person building and controling multiple settlements.

Reading the article, and how SPECIAL now affects things in game, I have to wonder just how much settlement building we can do. It may be that a low Charisma will mean we do not attract very many people to our settlement, regardless of how big and awesome it might be. So much for my 1 in Charisma....

Looking at how big some of the settlements are, as per the showcase, each will probably be able to facilitate several fairly large buildings. Also, taking into account what you said about the dog, perhaps a more sensible number would be eleven. Sanctuary Hills plus an additional ten locations spread across the wastes.

This way, if we have dogmeat with us, each of the other companions could manage one of the sites. If we then choose one of the others, dogmeat would stay at their settlement (in a kennel), and somebody else would take the reigns whilst they're gone.

I like the sound of settlement building, if it works as speculated.

This from the second linked article: "It's one in a series of all of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. videos that we're going to be releasing between now and the release of the game." ~ Really looking forward to seeing these.

Edit ~ I just now wondered if we will be able to have all of our companions at one large settlement instead of spread out over several places?

hey, i just noticed that hot little red sports car for the first time when i just watched that vid..

they didn't have these in fo3

(also, in that quakecon-blog on, uh, was that pcgamer? (steam linked there), they said "entered a place called 'corvega'. it's a power plant.".

i say it's a car factory, folks.)

...and i'm really curious what that "lone wanderer" perk's gonna do. think i'll use it a lot anyhow