What is the big deal about the companions being immortal!? : Fallout 4

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 5:15 pm

I see this same complaint here and other places on the web. I just don't get it! First off, who wants their "buddy" to die in the middle of a battle,especially if their carrying all your crap! Its not like they can't be knock unconscious...good grief. In my opinion it can be a challenge to try to revive them in the heat of a battle,like in Mass Effect or Dragon Age games. Furthermore, I'm sure FO4 will have a hardcoe Mode for that people! :bonk:

» Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:30 am

The only way I ever played FNV was in hardcoe mode because I liked the challenge. Yeah companions became very mortal in that but sometimes keeping them alive when they suddenly decided to charge a super mutant with a penknife actually turned into a challenge of its own. For me it also became sort of a reality check when they would get killed in combat because I knew that either I wasn't keeping up on their gear, or I needed a better strategy to take out a target. I will also admit that usually when my companion died in a fight I would reload from my last save and then take a minute or two to actually review what I had them wearing and using.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:34 pm

I totally agree about the challenge of keeping them alive! Yeah..I'm sure tons of people did the reload thing.

» Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:09 am

It doesn't bother me. I'm fine either way.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 3:09 pm

I want my buddy to be able to die just like I want to be able to die myself. I'd also prefer that my buddy is *not* carrying my stuff. It is hard to respect a companion that acts like a slave.

But I completely understand that this would be a nuisance for most and it's an easy mod if not an option in game.

» Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:56 am

The best stories in games are often ones the developers didn't write.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 10:14 pm

It's not a big deal one way or the other to me personally, however some people do see it as immersion breaking and a decrease in combat challenge. So naturally people with this perspective would see immortal companions as an issue. Even though it doesn't really affect me, I can see their point.

» Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:18 am

im glad about this change, normal i will never use companions since they tent to do stupid [censored] around dangerous areas, so i find out that i end just using one to do quest and that all, but now i can actually use it, and if they fell unconscious u just rez it back to life.

I know some ppl hate it, but i like tent to make the companions more useful now that before.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 3:06 pm

What I would like to see is a system where they can die but have an item where if you make it to them within 10 seconds you can revive them. If not then they are gone and the item only has 1 use or can be used a few times before it can no longer be used. Also only once a day per companion. Robot companions should be able to be fixed.

» Tue Dec 08, 2015 12:32 am

this is the full reason why game stop been like this, u asking to over complicate a mechanic. Remember game arent made just for 1 person, they are make for all, so all those archaic mechanics from past RPG arent coming back bc they are old, and they dont improve a game they just over complicate it.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 5:28 pm

Yet this would be perfect in a hardcoe mode!!

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 8:04 pm

No, it wouldn't be.

It's fine for a modification but the fact is that the companions should either be revived by a stimpack or just left for dead.

If its "Hardmode" they should just die and likely should die cause they ended up blasted into red paste.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:05 pm

This wouldn't be an issue if they let us toggle the "Essential" flag on or off.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 10:37 pm

There's a reason most people (most people) reload when a companion gets killed, especially one that's actually interesting and irreplaceable. It's worse when they get constantly killed. I'd think Bethesda prefers to just nip that problem in the bud than try to write AI packages specifically to keep them from dying (which doesn't really solve the instant-reload problem when they do die) or placate the "hardcoe" fans who want everyone killable.

I just don't think babysitting our companions is part of the experience Bethesda wants us to have with Fallout 4. And I'm totally okay with that.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 6:31 pm

they need to be how they are in skyrim or NV, basically not being targeted by enemies when low on health, because having to keep them from dying is immersive breaking, they often go into combat all gung ho and giving away your position and getting way in over their heads, they don't hang back or retreat and take cover very often so they need to be kinda immortal.

» Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:10 am

I could sort of agree with a system where the more damage the companion takes the more likely they are to get out of dodge and come back when the fight is over.

But till that happens I'll work around the mechanic where they charge in guns blazing like unstoppable tanks even when their health is at the borderline bleed out point.

» Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:30 am

Gopher made https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDQDaN_Y26E

This was my response (In agreement):

Spoiler

The death of a follower isn't a 'reload scenario'; it's an opportunity for character development. I've found that in Fallout and TES, defeats of any kind are the most powerful moments of character development. For example, my Skyrim character, Hana, underwent two major developments: First was the addition of her blood-frenzy-inducing hatred of the Falmer, after her first ever major defeat was in battle with them. Second was the beginning of her transition from warrior to mage, after her battle with Alduin ended with him escaping and Hana bleeding out in the snow, simply because melee weapons aren't effective against flying dragons. Both of these scenarios are defeats, not victories. For an RPG to be fun, in my opinion, one's character must be able to develop, grow, and change; and the best opportunities for this are not victories, but losses; and as such, it must be possible for the PC in an RPG to suffer a loss such as the death of a follower; as a result of the mistakes of the player, rather than the results of a scripted event.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 3:18 pm

I never really reloaded. I had companions die, and accepted it, but on subsequent companions and playthroughs, I adopted the habits of scouting ahead, or leaving them at the entrance to a building, so they wouldn't die on me. Characters dying forces you to plan. To play smarter.

At the same time. A work around, for basically having them die... without mods- you can simply fire them if they go unconscious, once they wake up, and never look back. Or if it's like NV, where they can't die with you, but can when not following you, just fire them and shoot them.

hardcoe mode(?). Mods. Ultimately, I'm not sure it matters.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 11:56 pm

this, the whole reason of the new system, hardcoe mode mean a challenge for the player, babysitting a companion bc AI isnt that good isnt hardcoe, is just a problem, since there isnt a single game out there right now that have a good companion AI, bc lets be real, every time u have companion they end getting kill when u dont control it. Everyone here will admit that every time u lose a companion no meter what u end reloading bc u will try to save it, bc if u didnt care about that companion u will not bring it with u.

That way Bethesda made then immortal. Isnt bad since u cant exploit that mechanic since they will be just fell unconscious when they run out of HP.

Is the best way to fix 2 problems, one not bring companion with u bc u always babysitting them, and 2, prevent the reload.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 3:15 pm

Companions being mortal can really add to the fun and challenge of the game. In Fallout 1 and 2 I usually just let companions die if they died. I mean, there's always the option of reload if you don't want a companion to die so them being immortal really isn't that great of a perk. If they were constantly getting killed I wouldn't want them as a companion anyway.

It will be interesting to see how it's handled.. Will it be like Skyrim where they recover all by themselves after the battle is over or will we have to actually heal them to get them up and moving around.. If it's the later I might just leave them on the road in a coma.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:24 pm

It's a RPG: your choices, your consequences. Just like real life.

Plus, stories are never perfect. Sometimes it's better to have an imperfect one, because imperfection means unique.

I mean, if you want ''everyone lived happily ever after beating the bad guys'' watch a Disney movie or something. Just saying.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 4:50 pm

What is the issue with companions being immortal?

I can send my companions into battle to kill every single enemy NPC('s) if I want to without going into combat myself to kill every single enemy NPC('s).

I hate the Essential NPC's system since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion released for sale in 2006 when I purchased it.

I will always hate NPC's being immortal in video games.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 7:40 pm

i agree with u, BUT, and is a big but, companion death arent your choice or consequences of u, normally is a bad AI.

I will give u a good example, Bone on Fallout NV, tent to run and attack Cazadorez for me alot bc since he is a Sniper class he can target the enemies from far. So i was all the time fighting enemies that i was trying to prevent, and 9/10 he die bc of some reason he like to melle them and no shoot.

So yeah RPG is doesnt imply they can put or remove stuff, there are a lot of extents rpg, where u cant kill whatever u want.

So having a immortal companion isnt a problem. I can guaranty u that ppl using Dogmeat will reload the game over and over if the dog die. So basically u end with immortal companions.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 7:34 pm

u cant

since your companion will run out of HP and fell unconscious, till u revive them. So u end on combat. If u play Skyrim u will know what i mean, normally ur companion will always end getting unconscious letting u deal with 4 NPC, lol on Skyrim was worst bc companions tent to run to traps to get to a enemies, i hate that soooooo much. kill my full experiences about exploring a dungeon.

» Mon Dec 07, 2015 11:26 pm

Yeah I know the companion will run out of HP and fall unconscious. It is still possible to do it though.

Choices and consequences are also needed. We need those in Fallout 4. If your companion dies tough luck.

Also as always I'm against immortal NPC's.