just eat the cat... and op in the video todd himself says there optional. So no worries.

We do actually know quite a bit about the companion system from BGS's articles and tweets. There are 12 available companions, the known ones being Dogmeat, Codsworth, Preston Garvey, and Piper. You can have one companion with you at a time, or none, if you prefer. You can dismiss a companion in order to take a new one, and the old one will wait for you somewhere in case you want them back later. Eight of the 12 companions are humans who can be romanced regardless of gender.

For the most part, the companion system is similar to Fallout 3, with some of the additions from New Vegas, like companion quest lines and essential status while they are with you (if they go down in combat they fall unconscious instead of dying).

This! You can make him a cute little doghouse... and leave him there the whole game, if you can't just ignore him all together which I'm betting you can.

I'm with you there, it is kinda annoying how there's a focus on Dogmeat since it's clearly there for the hype, but I very much disagree with the assumption that the dog or any other companion is required. If the companion system is anything like the previous two games where they almost always screw things up for stealthy players and engage when they aren't asked to, I'll still grab every companion but assign them to my settlements instead of take them with me... plus I can take the lone wanderer perk.

I thought Sundercliff Watch was a fun dungeon to explore.

Yeah, I don't think that companions are required either. Usually I prefer to go alone actually, but I like the idea of reconnecting with Codsworth.

The Mantellan Crux is my favorite dungeon in any game ever, my jaw literally dropped when I first saw it, but every other dungeon in Daggerfall (a game I adore, for all the crap I give it) is awful.

I think Bethesda's putting out so much media on Dogmeat because they seriously did put a lot of effort into the dog to make him just as worthwhile a companion as all the rest. Plus, you know, they can talk a lot about the dog without really spoiling any serious story details - he couldn't have nearly as fleshed out a story or quests as Piper, Preston Garvey, or any human. (although I'd imagine the process by which we learn his actual name will be interesting, maybe not that involved)

What? I just..*sigh*.

Just to add to all that's been said, we can also only have one companion at a time.

Wait, isn't it like before when you could have 1 humanoid and 1 something else that isn't human?

We don't know yet.

Um, Dogmeat is optional. Todd had to physically take his character and go find the mutt to recruit him. Just like he had to physically take his character and go back to Howard/Nora's old home. Really, people. It's not like Cogsworth and Dogmeat are hanging just outside Vault 111 and instantly become your companions the moment you gain control of your character.

Lol.

Dog companions have become iconic to the franchise. You could get Dogmeat in Fallout. You could get the original Dogmeat in Fallout 2. You could get a descendant of the original Dogmeat in Fallout 3. Fallout NV had a robodog named Rex. It is not surprising that Fallout 4 has a dog companion. You can blame Harlan Ellison for Dogmeat being highly visible in all the promotional material.

You are not required to take Dogmeat as a companion. If taken as a companion, Dogmeat, like any other companion, can be dismissed. Dogmeat cannot die as a companion, Dogmeat can die/be killed if not a companion.

we have been told only 1 companion at a time.

Let's assume for one minute you were being genuine with your initial post and then subsequent replies. Even though it's not mandatory to have Dogmeat or any other companion, let's be honest, one of the first mods to be made will be a non-essential NPC one.

Dogmeat can be dismissed like any other companion, but your post reminds me of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwU2J25dAUQ.

He kept pushing the player character around, occasionally off a cliff - until there was a patch to fix it IIRC.

Dogmeat can be dismissed like any other companion, but your post reminds me of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwU2J25dAUQ.

He kept pushing the player character around, occasionally off a cliff - until there was a patch to fix it IIRC.

Why would you want him dead?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMA7_03pYs8#t=120

Ugh, that quest is excruciating! He still has the annoying habit of pushing me around. He is fairly useful if you happen to pick up "The Break of Dawn" in the chest behind Vile's statue, as he is basically an immortal tank.