Companions haven't been integrated into the vanilla versions of TES ever (as far as I know); FO3 got companions that, while interesting, eventually became little more than moving turrets. We've had some excellent companion mods (see the amazing Sydney mod, where they got the original VA to voice it) but companions have never been a priority. However, after playing Bioware games with such diverse and fully formed companions, I'm really hoping that they add some to Skyrim. I'm not going to lie, traversing the massive map of Oblivion without a companion isn't as much fun. tentative

So, who else wants fully written and formed companions if it doesn't detract from other aspects of the game?

Edit: Poll added for clarity.

Before playing FO:NV and DA I wouldn't have been bothered - but now I think it really can add something special (I know it's probably been done better and before these two, but I'm not a massive gamer, so it was the one that did it for me).

I wouldn't be surprised to see some elements of FO3 gameplay come over to the Elder Scrolls. Not everything certainly, I'd be astonished if there was a VATS equivalent, but I think companions have potential of crossing over. TES III Tribunal had a mercenary you could hire and since then Bethesda has experimented with short-term companions so introducing full-fledged companions wouldn't be much of a leap.

Not to say it would be a bad addition, but admittedly I prefer to go my Elder Scroll travels alone. I just love the feeling of traveling across the countryside with no one but myself ^^

That is one of the things I think they are inevitably going to pull from Fallout as well. I'm really just hoping they will spend the time to truly make us feel attached to our companions. FO3 wasn't bad, but Bioware has kinda spoiled me in this department.

Companions hold me back :dry:

I just hate feeling like I have to babysit them all the time. If they die I feel bad, so I usually end up just either keeping them out of combat or wasting healing items on them. No thank you.

Well, as long as it's optional. Never managed to make a companion work with stealth - or to keep them alive at all. Like that rich brat you had to rescue from his Oblivion-gate trespassing. Oh boy.

Maybe a companion-cactus for me ?

It think it would be even better if the level scaling was dropped - so that there were certain enemies/places where having a companion would be beneficial, and a real challenge if you went it alone (*cough*dragons*cough* ). But yeah, they would have to be well written and fleshed out for it to work, I think. Otherwise you tend not to care if they live or die.

Well, I meant more in the way of the FO companion style: you can choose if you want companions and if you don't want them, the game plays just as well. I do not want the Dragon Age-esque companion usage where the game is much harder without them, or even worse the Mass Effect style where you HAVE to have a specific number of companions.

After how well FNV did with companions, I am eager to see what Bethesda can come up with. I really hope they implement some feature like the Companion Wheel, that was very useful.

Hey, adoring fan will always be the defining Elder Scrolls companion. If he doesn't make an appearance, i'll be mad.

I would love more fleshed out companions. Especially if they had a couple quests to go along with them.
Also, the Adoring Fan should make a return somehow. Even if it is not technically the original.
Maybe a descendant or something.


My solution for that is just to make them invincible.
Although, I'm sure most would look down on that option.

For me, It is either that or create a really powerful healing spell.

I don't know, I've always liked how the hero is on this journey where, even though he interacts with people all over the continent, he's ultimately lonely and carries the burden of his mission by himself. Traveling through the Ashlands with no friendly face in sight and miles of seemingly abandoned roads, always aware of the danger that you will face, really made for a desolate feeling and that's what built the mood of the games for me. I'm not sure if I'd like that to be taken away, but after playing DA and ME, I've come to really enjoy the complexity and depth that relationships with your companions add to the game. I'm sure Skyrim could benefit from that greatly, it could add a whole new level to the gameplay experience.

How about where companions just get knocked out and you need to use a special spell (a la ME's Medigel) to revive them. Then they wouldn't be totally "invincible" in they would be out of combat, but having them die wouldn't make them a burden (which is why I didn't use vanilla FO3 companions).

Maybe an alternative to conjuration, that would be useful.

there was a companion in tribunal, if I remember correctly.
aside from that, yes, I would love non-essential companions to lug around and dress up and things
However, if they are an important part of the MQ, I would be against them

I completely agree, plus I got tired of the companions in FO3 and FO:NV getting lost or running half way across the wasteland to kill one enemy they say and hour ago...

Tentative no. I suppose it could work, but I don't think that they are part of the TES experience. I'm also not fond of companion AI.

Would love to see some companions IF, and I mean, IF the AI has been improved. Otherwise please refer to -> greatcarbuncle

I would like to see companions like they where done in Fallout.

It is more than likely, Obsidian made a big deal of incorporating them in NV and Bethesda did do it in Fallout so more than likely, and you could have companions in Oblivion, but they wernt that interesting

I think the game that handled companions the best for me was Baldur's Gate 2.

I like the idea of incorporating this into Skyrim, but only if companions are completely optional. Some characters I've created in Morrowind and Oblivion were more suited to being on their own. In fact, my favourite character in Morrowind was a ranger that wandered the wilderness avoiding civilisation completely.

I would like companions with their own storylines and dialogue, yes. Given that ES is far more sandbox than any Bioware RPG has ever attempted and more sandbox than FO3 or F:NV, it'll take some delicate work to make companions compelling yet not bound to the storyline. Honestly, my favorite Morrowind companion mods were the ones where companions could comment about random side quests you were on for different factions--with that in mind, I think it's easily possible to have companions without losing the open-ended ES feel.

If you want a companion game, go play something by Bioware. They do it the best. One of the things I have always loved most about TES is that feeling of complete isolation and freedom. I mean, my main character's name is He-Walks-Alone, lol. In FO3 I never even bothered taking companions with me. They just got in the way (sometimes literally) and detracted from the point of playing through the game on my own.

I wouldn't want to see any permanent companions in an Elder Scrolls game, personally (beyond things like random mage apprentice #2 from the Mages Guild). And if they were necessary companions (like in Bioware games) I would probably sell my game. It's the opposite of what the series is about. I mean, can you imagine being stuck with Martin in your party for the whole game? Eugh.

I like games with companions, I often feel alone without them, but I don't think I'd wan them in TES. I think they work well in shooters like fallout, where at least one of you is usually away from the combat and shooting something hopefully accurate, or Dragon Age, where you can be very specific with each attack, but TES has a more hectic combat system, and I've found that any companion they give me just gets in my way. I'm always accidentally hitting the battlemage they sent to help me take down a rogue mage, or having porkchop intercept the fireball meant for an enemy in the arena.