Valkanna Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Let me start by saying that I really love the idea of companions. A lot of time and effort has been put in to design them, give them personalities and backgrounds, give them a story that unfolds with affection etc. BUT a lot of that effort is frankly wasted, great companions will sit roting on the ship only even being used for trade missions. why? simply because they're the wrong role eg: BH gets cute little Blizz and virtually noone uses him. He's a tank so you need to spend a chunk of time healing him meaning that he's really only useful for heal specced merc and even then NONE of the mercs I know use him (or the other tank) I know you can turn off tank and make them DPS but why do that when you get a DPS companion that's better. Let's not forget the companions that are (currently?) useless because they use techblade/techstaff... By far the most popular role is healer, after that ranged DPS and lightsaber wielding melee DPS, the rest sit and get bored on the ship for what seems to be the majority of players. And also there's the whole romancing side. Some players have it easy because their romancable is a good companion to run around with, others have to bring gifts back to their ship for their useless *** other half (suprising how like RL that is though ) That is a HUGE waste of potential. Also it limits the choice for players, we mainly don't chose companion based on which we like, we feel forced to take specific one just due to their role. There's an easy fix! Allow us to pick which role we want our companions to fill, that companion they learns the relivant abilities and we can gear them apropriately Trooper likes M1-4X but doesn't need a tank? fine, throw away the shield, give him a blaster cannon and allow him to be ranged DPS spec. BH like Gault but wants a healer? swap his sniper rifle for a pistol and take him to med school It's WIN-WIN! We get to have a companion we like AND we get them in the role we want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyle Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) I actually support it, kinda. At least they should give more roles to certain characters. I love Vette, yet apparently I will have to take that treacherous son of a bantha Quinn everywhere I go since he's the healer. Edited January 16, 2012 by Khyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkanna Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Exactly. It shows how well they did the stories for companions when players get drawn in and actually end up liking/hating them. Quite a few SWs seem to have the same attitude as you. They feel forced to take a companion they don't like and not use a companion they do like soley due to their role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthDemens Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 My personal favorite example of poor companion design. Ensign Temple for the Imperial Agent. Quests that reward companion gear will give her a Vibroknife. Which is fine, she has prof in Blaster Rifle, so you can give her a rifle and knife, and let her go nuts. The problem: Every attack skill she has that isn't Force Push or the Grenade requires 2 blasters to be equiped. Why even bother giving her Rifle prof and vibroknife rewards if using them means she's restricted to basic attacks and a grenade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freor Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Nice suggestion, +1 support from meh I'm lucky enough to have rolled a class and spec that can actually use the companions I like the most (Nadia and Tharan for my balance Sage). Although I wouldnt mind at all if I could train Nadia a bit more into tanking, and Tharan could move a bit more (annoying when kiting if he likes to stand in one spot lol - more of a AI tweak though). Since we're on the subject... would be cool if we could choose where the companions stand in the ship (why do they have to stay still at one spot anyway?). Iresso (that I don't use nor really like) seems to have invited himself to my cockpit, while the two (Nadia, Tharan) I'd actually like to see there are hiding in lower deck. Also, Qyzen who in one of his first convos said something about having always been forced to travel in engine room or something. You'd think that now he wouldn't be forced there anymore lol. Dunno if this changes with his companion quests though. Minor things, but would just add a bit more depth. Easiest fix could be having active companion in the cockpit. There's also the holodeck room with couches etc... why can't the crew be there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilella Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Why can I not be a female toon and get busy with Nadia, this is a pure anti lesbian move Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aethusa Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Everything should not be customizable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keano Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I agree with you totally, playing as a Jedi Shadow tank, the only usable companion is Tharan Cedrax(healer), using any one but him just makes everything so much harder. One of the things BioWare touted a lot was the whole using different companions for different situations, but theres just no situation at all where the other companions are better than the healer for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idali Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Lets face it, companions right now are glorified pets. Outside the specific companions story lien they offer very little else. True they might make a remark at times when you enter a new zone, or throw some lines in a dialog with a npc. But that is it. You can't comment to them on their remarks, they don't care what they wear. I would love to have an actual reaction from the companion when sticking her into a slave girl outfit for example. They are fixed int heir roles, they are fixed in what we can teach them, nothing. all we can do change their gear and they don't care about that either. No companion ever makes a simple comment about getting a new piece of gear handed to them for example. Give a weapon nut a gun he can actually use? nada, zero, give it a gift weapon that shows nowhere and he loves you more ... Can only talk to them in cantinas or your ship, not in the open world ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jounar Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 The ability to pick a companions skills would be awesome that way players could experience all the companions they get not just the healers ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacenHallis Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I believe that the original design for companions was to outfit them with "role kits" that determined what they'd be able to do. Each companion would have base abilities, but you could outfit them with a kit that gave them another move, be it a heal, a grenade, or so on. That little bit of customization was removed for whatever reason. I would really like to see each companion, just like a PC, able to fulfill at least two roles. I really like Tharan (and Holiday), but I would like to pal around with Nadia when I am able to get her. Unfortunately, I'll be getting her affection up through the Galactic Market, rather than naturally via questing, because I'm a tank shadow, and I need a healer when soloing. It's the same with my healing scoundrel. I keep using Corso instead of one of the other more interesting characters because he's a tank. Why can't Risha put on a shield generator, as well? Or even Akavi, who seems tailor made for melee tanking? Yes, I know I can use Bowdaar, but I prefer Corso's grapple move to Bowdaar's "I hit you and you land in a new group of enemies that aggro" move. My Powertech is fine with Mako as his full-time companion, but I might like to switch it up with Blizz every now and then, just because a big dude running around with a little Jawa (complete with rocket launcher) would be pretty awesome. For the "TL;DR" or "Too Impatient to Actually Read Text" crowd: I would like to see some companion customization, because the companion that serves me best is rarely the companion I'd like to use. Gaining affection through only gifts feels incredibly artificial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Areka Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Let me start by saying that I really love the idea of companions. A lot of time and effort has been put in to design them, give them personalities and backgrounds, give them a story that unfolds with affection etc. BUT a lot of that effort is frankly wasted, great companions will sit roting on the ship only even being used for trade missions. why? simply because they're the wrong role eg: BH gets cute little Blizz and virtually noone uses him. He's a tank so you need to spend a chunk of time healing him meaning that he's really only useful for heal specced merc and even then NONE of the mercs I know use him (or the other tank) I know you can turn off tank and make them DPS but why do that when you get a DPS companion that's better. Let's not forget the companions that are (currently?) useless because they use techblade/techstaff... By far the most popular role is healer, after that ranged DPS and lightsaber wielding melee DPS, the rest sit and get bored on the ship for what seems to be the majority of players. And also there's the whole romancing side. Some players have it easy because their romancable is a good companion to run around with, others have to bring gifts back to their ship for their useless *** other half (suprising how like RL that is though ) That is a HUGE waste of potential. Also it limits the choice for players, we mainly don't chose companion based on which we like, we feel forced to take specific one just due to their role. There's an easy fix! Allow us to pick which role we want our companions to fill, that companion they learns the relivant abilities and we can gear them apropriately Trooper likes M1-4X but doesn't need a tank? fine, throw away the shield, give him a blaster cannon and allow him to be ranged DPS spec. BH like Gault but wants a healer? swap his sniper rifle for a pistol and take him to med school It's WIN-WIN! We get to have a companion we like AND we get them in the role we want I think that it was like that for a time but was one of those things that changed. I wish I could use any companion in the role I want or at least that each companion had two possible roles. If Elara could be a competent DPS, I'd not mind to use her for normal leveling instead of Vik. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scar Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Been requesting control of companion spec/advancement (like just about every othe BioWare game) since testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojbor Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I use Jaesa (dark) on my jugg - she is The companion (dual lightsaber DPS). The problem is I can't stand her - at least give me option to mute her... I don't need another (sister) angry rebelious teenager... Kaliyo (from IA) is what would make me more than happy to deal with... but I don't need/want ranged tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMalag Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I highly endorse this. I see no reason for Elara to have her DPS skills, which I have to turn on and off again constantly, when her main proficiency is a blaster PISTOL. I could bring out Jorgan with his modded up super cannon (a hand me down from myself I keep current just in case). A skill tree that increases or changes their weapon proficiencies or grant them new abilities would be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagadeath Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 yes please..... bring back the kits so we are not forced to use just the 1 useful companion all the time and can pick who we keep with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilella Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I actually would have to agree, I would much rather have Nadia at my side as my companion all the time then that darn Lizard Qyzen. But I can't cause she is not as good a tank at taking damage and I do have her geared pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laeris Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) My personal favorite example of poor companion design. Ensign Temple for the Imperial Agent. Quests that reward companion gear will give her a Vibroknife. Which is fine, she has prof in Blaster Rifle, so you can give her a rifle and knife, and let her go nuts. The problem: Every attack skill she has that isn't Force Push or the Grenade requires 2 blasters to be equiped. Why even bother giving her Rifle prof and vibroknife rewards if using them means she's restricted to basic attacks and a grenade? BEcause like in every other MMO ever made, it is used as a "stat stick." Same goes for shields and generators for trooper types and foci for jedi. Edited January 16, 2012 by Laeris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fro_do_fraggins Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I support it as well. I want a healer as my companion, but not Talos. The problem is that I'd like to use my jedi companion if she had useful skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekkanon Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Everything should not be customizable... I giggled at this. Your basicly saying nothing should be customizable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vydor_HC Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I agree with you totally, playing as a Jedi Shadow tank, the only usable companion is Tharan Cedrax(healer), using any one but him just makes everything so much harder. One of the things BioWare touted a lot was the whole using different companions for different situations, but theres just no situation at all where the other companions are better than the healer for me. That's kinda weird, I use Ozyen for nearly everything with my consular. Works pretty good for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMonger Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Actually, I would have preferred if we got a choice of companions at each stage. That way you wouldn't see everybody of the same class running around with the exact same companions all the time. You could even give them the same voice acting, companion stories, whatever. Just make them different enough from each other in appearance and abilities to give a little variety. Who knows...maybe that's one of those future things.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandrax Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) Exactly. It shows how well they did the stories for companions when players get drawn in and actually end up liking/hating them. Quite a few SWs seem to have the same attitude as you. They feel forced to take a companion they don't like and not use a companion they do like soley due to their role. The problem is initially there were kits to change the role of your companion so you could have them performing different roles. This meant that if you found a companion you really loved you could use them to perform the role you wanted just by changing their kit. Unfortunately there was a lot of complaining on the beta forums that everyone had the same looking companions so they made changes so that the kits changed the look of your character rather than change their role. I had to use Khem Val on my sorc because without him I was squishy as hell. I would have much preferred to transfer the tanking role to Andronikos Revel instead as he is way cooler. Unfortunately Andronikos is far to squishy to use as a tank and therefore he just sits on my ship doing sod all. It's a waste having all these companions but our own class and spec limiting which companions are useful to us. Edited January 16, 2012 by Mandrax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PibbyPib Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I don't know-- aren't the companions sort of a part of your own spec? You have different options to compliment different specs and playstyles, or just to fill empty slots in a group. I play an Operative, for instance. I can't imagine ever using Dr. Lokin while soloing, no matter what spec I use. Operatives aren't tanks and I don't need someone healing me. But if I'm playing with a friend and he's also some sort of DPS or tank, the doctor might be a decent third wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vydor_HC Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I don't know-- aren't the companions sort of a part of your own spec? You have different options to compliment different specs and playstyles, or just to fill empty slots in a group. I play an Operative, for instance. I can't imagine ever using Dr. Lokin while soloing, no matter what spec I use. Operatives aren't tanks and I don't need someone healing me. But if I'm playing with a friend and he's also some sort of DPS or tank, the doctor might be a decent third wheel. Yeah, I think so. However, I believe what the OP is suggesting is she's not happy with what Bioware provided and would rather compliment her character with the companion she likes and allow that companion to fill the role she prefers. It's an interesting suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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