I play mostly stealth, but do run-and-gun when in the mood. When I stealth I usually tell Cait to "wait" at a convenient location, and then clear. In unexplored towns I stealth with Cait sneaking next to me. I like to see my enemies before they see me.

I know for a true stealth build, you should go alone, but I like Cait with me for role play reasons, and her dialogue. I plan on eventually taking her to Vault 95 to see if I can cure her addiction. (no spoilers please)

I wear ultra-lightweight shadow leather armor, and before looting carrying 73 lbs. 17 lbs is from my sniper rifle. It's heavier than the laser sniper rifle, but seems way more accurate, even though the range is less, and it's silenced. Which I don't think I can do with the laser snipe. I also use "The Deliverer" 10mm pistol which is silenced. But then a shotgun for run and gun. I've only needed my power armor 1 time when I had to fight Slag and The Forge in the tight room to get the guys son back for a quest.

Does it matter at all if I equip Cait in shadowed leather armor, or if she's equipped in combat armor for more protection, she'll sneak just as well?

Basically, does the sneak engine take into account your companion's armor for sneaking, or only what my PC is equipped with?

Thank you.

I never really experimented with it since, like you said, it feels best to be sneaky alone. I guess the only way to find out would be to shadow them all up or give them chameleon armor and then take them along and see if you notice a difference. I'd think that since companions go hostile when they see an enemy that it won't really matter at all. I used forced companions as meat puppets.. I'd send them ahead into a room while I remained safely in stealth.. have them draw out the enemies and then I'd snipe them. This is why I think companions should be able to die. I use terribly unethical tactics with them just because they can't. If they could die I would probably care about them dying.. but since they can't.. meat puppet.

Attributes enhancements of clothes does seems to apply on NPCs (easily verifiable on carry weight enhancements), so I expect sneak bonus of armor work as well. Just take in mind that companions does not have sneak perks so Cait will always be detected earlier then you, all other things being equal.

I would agree with you given their AI would prevent them jumping off the stairs and failing through the holes in the floor or killing themselves in countless other ways. Not to mention their not exactly bright combat AI, which makes them bravely charge super mutant suicides or fat man armed bandits without giving second thought.

If companions would be mortal, they would be unplayable in current state of affairs. AI is lacking and path finding is unreliable.

Yeah, that's probably true.. Don't know how many times I would have just had a dead companion because of game goofiness.

Perhaps there is some other way to punish player for using them unreasonably. Although I can't think of any.

Thank you for your feedback. Maybe I'll give her stealth combat armor and have the best of both worlds. I haven't used her as a "meat puppet" yet, hadn't even thought of it. I try to play as if it matters if she gets hurt. But yeah, she does seem to charge into some messy situations when she probably shouldn't. I may have to try equipping her with a sniper rifle so she hangs back a bit. Right now I just have her equipped withed with a modded combat rifle I renamed "Isaidno". She's pretty bad ass. I had to take away the missile launcher I gave her, she went a little nutty with it.

"Cait, is it really necessary to take out some bloodbugs with a missile launcher?"

I gave Piper a chameleon leather chest plate that I no longer used, the one that makes you look like you're using a stealth-boy when sneaking and not moving. When I first gave it to her, she had that transparent look that you get from a stealth-boy, but after that I never saw a difference or the affect. I'm not saying it's not working, it's just that I couldn't see a visible affect to know that it was working.

Companions have stealth perks built into them, however their ai does not utilize stealth effectively, so noise, line of sight, and brightly lit areas all make their sneakiness rather moot. I believe it is Cait who has 2 ranks of sneak, and a special perk that is supposed to make her getting detected not effect your detection, however most enemies will charge her, and thus find you so it's again a moot point.

Chameleon does bug out, and simply unequiping it and reapplying it to them fixes it.

Companions simply svck at sneaking, always making noise and running around in the open.

Is there a way to know what perks and/or stats you companion has?

Don't do that. NPCs are pretty bad at long range and they outright svck with weapons with low damage per second like hunting/sniper rifle. Combat rifle is good choice, mod it with long barrel and she'll be fine. Its range is not much worst then hunting/sniper rifle anyway.