New guy here, and I can see the withering volley of tomatoes now, but...I have a huge problem with the dogs and companions. How to enumerate my whaa-whaa's without running too long here...

First off, I know this game is supposed to be more "hardcoe" than other games and therefor the HUD, UI, and menus are supposed to make you feel like you are seeing the world through your own eyes, thus no persistent life bar, ammo counter, etc. (Though why there's no oxygen meter I have no clue. It's not as though I can feel my character's lungs burning for air, though this is made moot by Volsung)

I digress.

Why is there no simpler way to manage my companion's equipment? I know most people scoff at the word "streamline," but If they're taking orders from me, they'll wear and wield what I tell them to, or don't let me "swap" equipment with them at all. This guessing game as to what proficiencies my companions have is just ridiculous. I freed a captive the Empire was taking (I assume) to the executioner, and one of the options is "Free and give equipment."
"Okay, Mr. Free Man, here's a sword, have at them! Wait, equip the sword, stupid, fists don't work on steel! *sigh* Thanks for my sword back, Mr. Dead Man..."

"Hi, Lydia, I'll be your new master. Here's some sweet armor and a new sword just for you. Onward! Bandits? Piece of cake. That's right, Lydia let's get at them! Lydia why aren't you wearing that sweet new armor? Lydia? Lydia? Where'd you g...LYDIA, NOOOOO! You Bastards!

"Who's a good dog? Who's a good, good dog? You are! Wait where are you? I can hear you, you're in trouble! Wait, there you are! Good boy, you ran off and attacked those six Forsworn aaaaaall the way on the other side of the fort without me even having to ask! Wait for me, here I come! How the hell did you get over there? Hold on, I think I found the way...Yes! I'm here, boy! You and me, side-by-side to the death! Doggy? Nooooo! (this happened twice.)"

The point of my long-winded boo-hoo's is this: Would it break the game to have either
A ) Streamlined companion management screens (or even one at all) where I can see my companions strengths and weaknesses and equip them accordingly. I know it's supposed to be a living world populated by people who think/act for themselves and I'm just a part of it, but this is annoying.
B ) The ability to issue standing orders, such as "Stay Close and only engage who I do." or "Hang back and shoot them with arrows." From what I've seen, all companions I've had seem to live (and die) by the same code: "****ING CHAAAARGE!!!!" I'm seriously tired of companions and dogs running off to who-knows-where and I can't find them until it's too late.
C) A dog that's at least as strong and useful as Dogmeat. I seriously don't think Dogmeat broke Fallout 3, so I don't see a tougher, more resilient dog causing any problems in Skyrim. Or at least something like the "Puppies!" perk, which would actually make more sense in this game because I took the perk in FO3, but since Dogmeat's so beastly with his health, I never had to use it; in Skyrim, I'd be using it every, oh, 10 minutes or so. I just want a dog...
D ) Either non-permanent death (I know, I know: BOO!!! HISS!!!) or tougher companions AND a semi-persistent health bar for them so I know when to heal them. You say it's not realistic to see someone else's health? I say it's not realistic to see my own, yet I do, so what's the prob, Bob? Maybe I can resurrect my companion after a, say 2-hour real-time cool down and a price of 5,000 septims. Maybe even companions that gain levels and get harder to kill. That way you're rewarded for keeping these simpletons alive by having to worry about them less and less the longer they're with you.

Anyway, for those who slogged through this and are still here, I know it's too late to implement some of these things into Skyrim, but I think it's something to think about for the next big, giant game they put out. Far be it for me to tell professional game-makers how to make games, but I think you can make a game user-friendly while retaining its hardcoe status.

P.S. Can you make the combat 3rd person camera the default 3rd person camera? That whole "takes up half the screen" thing isn't working for me. I like 3rd person view for overworld and big areas, and 1st person for cramped dungeons.

P.P.S. I know. I ran too long...

Why are they so stupid? So that we can have moments like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTMwjYgJsFQ

Eh, i don't know about lydia, but i thought that companions would "pant on the ground" for a while and regenerate health? Then the enemy would attack you instead of your follower, and your follower would start regenerating hp.
though yea they should allow easier equipment for followers.

what platform are you playing Skyrim on?

LMAO!

Companions are supposed to equip anything you give them that's better than what they have. And I think you could have made your point much better without the narrative. But we all have urges, I understand.

This is the first time I went into a dungeon with Borgahk:

"Alright, killed those draugr. Wait, where's that Orc chick? Ugh, she probably got stuck on a rock further back, better look for her."
*after five minutes of searching, an indicator comes up "Completed: Clear out so and so cave"*
"Da fuq?"
"My blood is calm, I prefer it boiling."
"Did you.... You....... cleared.... the........ Take me. NOW!"

I dunno about you, but I'm fine with companions the way they are. They can whoop some ass, and I have yet to have any die on me. Hell, my Lydia was level 7 and she murdered five bandits by herself and had a quarter of her health left.

I play on PS3. Dang, I guess it's just me, maybe I'm a crappy leader! I was all excited I got Lydia and she died in the first fight we got in. Bandits. Effing Bandits, for crying out loud. Another guy wasn't really a companion, but instead the hippy you have to escort to Eldergleam. How many times did I re-load because he was just too certain he could take that big ol' mean saber cat with nothing but his fists and a wild dream? This, plus my two very cute, very stupid, and now very dead dogs kind of put me off of recruiting companions, even though I'd love to bring one along as a pack-mul...uh, brother-in-arms.

Can I get an "Amen" on the dog issue, or am I alone there, too?