I'm having some trouble keeping my follower from attacking, especially when sneaking. In Fallout 3, we could dialog with the follower and tell them to hold back and engage at range or close in and melee. No sort of option seems to have made it into Skyrim.

The companion wheel in New Vegas was the best, Bethesda should have copied that.

You can make them wait... and if following, hold "E" or whatever you action button is... and they will do that... if doing that is a kill... they should kill.

I no longer use a companion. They are useless. Like a broken sword, like an unarmored snail, like rainbows...

Dragon Age Origins was MUCH better. At least there you could set up some tactics for your follower to adheir to.

I recall trying to make Lydia an Archer so she'd stay out of the way. I took all her weapons away except the best upgraded bow I could find. There we are going through a tomb and all the sudden she's standing next to me with an ancient nordic axe. Seems she picked one up from one of the dead Draugr we left behind us. I didn't know whether to congradulate her for great AI, or send her home for switching back to melee again.