Don't followers just steal experience you could be putting into skills?

Really depends. If you go into an area crowded with enemies or an area with maybe one or two? I find having a follower in crowded areas can be a lot of help as it helps getting a task completed and I won't have all these enemies blocking me in, attacking me all at once and ending my character's life faster.

Followers are really annoying to deal with, even with the new mechanics they annoyingly get in the way and say you're both low on health there is no option to make them freaking sneak, they'll crotch, sneak with you and then an enemy appears and suddenly ALL THE DEATH

This is also a roleplaying game. Some of us enjoy roleplaying characters who are sociable and have friends.

I don't really like followers. Seems like they are always getting lost and I'm alone again till they show up. My current character that I'm RP'ing is antisocial and prefers to go alone so I don't need one. My character before that was best friends with Mjoll, but she usually just visited her in Riften.

you can alway tell sidekicks to wait. i have done that to get blocking up. found a weak nasty and let it bash me until i leveled up.

I don't know. http://i.imgur.com/vBiNWH5.jpg Yeah sometimes they can be a nuisance but when they pull off unexpected things like this it's all worth it.

Agreed with you on that.

Depends on what your game is about. I travel with three, Jordis, Serana and Cienna (Helgen Reborn). I use Amazing Follower Tweaks and they all level with me. I can leave them someplace if I want to solo a dungeon, but for the most part we travel the "road less traveled" and see the sights. I also use Convenient Horses so they all ride and can attack from horse back. They all sneak very well as you can assign their skill points. Obviously this style isn't for everyone and only available if playing on PC.

Play your game in a way that you enjoy...

Don't underestimate meatshields, they are very good to have, especially if you're using mods for increased difficulty. Like in the final boss battle, those essential distractions allow you wail on the boss without a care in the world

This.

Followers have saved my butt countless times. I suppose you learn how to deal with their tendencies to rush into battle. I've even taken advantage of it when I play a character who prefers to keep his/her distance. Or like yesterday, when my character had some disease I hadn't have the opportunity to cure. RP moment as her follower/hubby rushed to her defense!

Well, Jenassa came in very handy yesterday when a Dwarven Centurion came stomping around a corner at pretty close range, she dodged around in front of it with her sword, while I opened fire with a crossbow. Luckily my wife is pretty ridiculously strong, she only actually went to her knees a couple of times... Plus she can carry an enormous amount of scrap metal. I rarely play without at least one follower, other than for particular missions. I think my current character has been going around 30 hours and is level 30, so that seems a decent pace, to me. Possibly even a little faster than I'd like.

If you want to increase your levelling speed, you can always marry your favourite follower and sleep in their company every night for the Lover's Comfort bonus (I think you're supposed to also get the (well) Rested bonus although I don't seem to be getting both, but like I say, if anything I'd rather be levelling more slowly, so I'm not bothered.)

Ive had followers save my bacon several times. Also, I enjoy having a companion. Good for the role playing.

They're nice to have when you clear a drawven ruin. Let them haul all that scrap metal for you.

I'm still trying to decide whether my character's been saved by an arrow from my mod-added Khajiit Ranger companion's timely arrows (And the paralysis is great against tough foes), or killed by paralysing friendly fire.

Some people like to RP travelling as a group, and a follower can really take the heat off of you in a tough fight.

That being said, I travel alone. Any follower usually ruins any tactics I might try to use, unless that tactic is 'run in yelling, spam attacks, and get in each other's ways'. I was helping Illia for all of 2 minutes before she ran right in front of me and I accidentally one-hit kill cammed her with my great sword.

Bait or personal slave to carry everything for you. Besides that, they get in the way and ruin sneaking. Thus I never use them.

To haul loot and protect my robe wearing mage butt. Mjoll and a Demora Lord keep me alive. I also haven't put anything in Stamina on the mage so his ability to carry items is limited, but Mjoll can carry a good bit of gear.

Bossing people around and making them carry your burden. Pretty awful friendship to me.

It's just as bad as marriage : having a slave who'll never see the sunlight again, to prepare your meals and give you money. It's more like pimping.

Well, my follower is never carrying less stuff than I am.

I hated the "I'm sworn to carry your burdens" line... Shut up Lydia, I'm giving you a full suit of awesome enchanted and legendary Ebony armor and Daedric weapons.

Vanilla followers are a nightmare. Modded followers on the PC however are amazing.

Not so much a follower as a porter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_(carrier)

This. Some of my chars are very social, some are completely antisocial, some have a hatred for the opposite/same gender and so forth.

If you live in a Hearthfire home, your husband/wife goes outdoors pretty much every day. I think some of them also walk to their old job if it's near enough. Certainly marriage could be more, but it's only a small part of the game, so I guess they didn't put that much into it. And I give my followers nice presents like fancy armour and weapons and jewellery, so they don't do too badly out of it.

Marcurio has saved my bacon numerous times. Other then him, I love having Vilja along as she acts so realistically and says things so relevent and interesting that I find myself talking back to her as we travel. She even converses with other followers and random NPCs for some hilarious and really interesting conversations.

I usually play solo, but now I find the road too boring without Vilja.