I don't like companions...

[Mezla]

Companion AI is unbelievably crap. Especially when it is trying to CC an immune mob and doesn't heal at all.

[Egees]

Jawas and Wookies......... That is all.

[Aeriese]

Such a silly thing to say. For a MMO to have long term playability it needs to not only have certain systems included but it needs to give people the ability to make a choice on how they play.

 

What they said makes sense and if anyone doesn't want to have a companion tagging along with them, just dismiss the companion. As others have said, there are things you can do with the companion bar to improve their performance. Please also realize that your companion is never going to be as smart or as powerful as another player, so you'll have to adapt to their shortcomings or just play with other people.

Edited March 31, 2012 by Aeriese

[Jett-Rinn]

I think the forums have become a competition to see who can complain about something that hasn't been complained about yet.

 

Yep that's why we call it TORchan.

[Aeriese]

Yeh, it boggles my mind. They had an awesome companion/party control micro system with "Tactics" in DA:O, and they dont even give us a simplified version of it. Even KOTOR had something like this, so its not like its a new idea for Bioware.

 

I cant say I know why its not in the game, maybe there were legit reasons or it just never occurred to them, but it reeks of EA and unfinished content being pushed later so they can tote it around as DLC(hello there Legacy system!) because thats what game updates are - 15 dollar a month DLCs.

 

One problem with the tactics option would be that this is an online, multiplayer game. You cannot pause the game to direct your character and companions. You may be able to direct them without the ability to pause, but you may not get the precision that you want.

Edited March 31, 2012 by Aeriese

[Ketchum]

I wandered away from this thread... thank you all for the replies and advice! I'll take everything into consideration. I'm terribly desperate. I don't want to have to out-level the planet and overpower the mobs in order to get my quests done.

 

Perhaps he has burned through all his power/cooldowns healing you and has to stop?

 

Adding +presence gear can make his heals bigger, for the times that he does heal.

 

I will have to try this. Any improvement will help me.

 

You know you can manage your companions abilities right? Then they will do what you want, when you want.

 

I shouldn't have to add my companion's job into my own, already busy rotation. When this game was still being made BioWare said that our companions will not have to be micro-managed for those of us who didn't want it. Aside from gearing them, they pretty much did what they were supposed to do.

 

You force these companions on us, you make it so that we cannot quest or fight or leave the safety of our ships unless we have one tagging along, but we can't rely on them with our lives.

 

Team up with someone (or a group) and don't use the companions at all.

 

See, I shouldn't have to. Companions are there for those of us who want to solo quest. BioWare made it so that it's near impossible to quest without a companion with you, meaning I should be able to solo while regular questing without having to go through the trouble of dealing with other players.

 

And yet, knowing full well the use of companions in not only this game but every BioWare game ever made, you bought the game.

 

Now you want to cry about it.

 

You'll pardon me if I have zero sympathy for your concern, an issue you fully created yourself.

 

Your reasoning is as flawed as your attitude is bad. Yes, I knew this game was going to have companions. Of course I knew that. The problem is when the companion doesn't work like it's supposed to. I cannot move forward because my companion is broken. That's what I'm crying about.

 

I bet you change your mind if they added more appealing female characters or if your female in real life male characters.

 

In case you didn't notice the rainbow in my sig, that means I'm gay. Where are my companion options there?

 

OP: Just an FYI Blowing your cool downs on higher level mobs to stay alive is working as intended. Your companions are meant to aid you not carry you.

 

Companions are there because I can't quest without them, as I already stated. They aren't just there to aid me, they're required to actually get anything done. I'm fully aware more difficult mobs will require more than just spamming 3,6,7,s+7,4,2,7,6... and I do what I can to help myself get through it. I rely on my companion to keep me alive while I take care of the threat. All I ask for is his healing. A little help is all. If he can't do that, then questing, itself, is a futile gesture.

 

I ask this because you are a Jedi and I would assume you start a fight by force jumping in. Do you make sure you stay within range of the heals? If Doc is at max range, he only moves close enough to attack your target, if you are on the far side of the target you will not be in range of Doc's heals, make sure you position yourself between Doc and the target so that he can reach you with his heals. Healing companions will NOT move closer just to heal you.

 

I assume I'm in range of him; he's never too far away from me even when I'm jumping all over the place. I'll have to keep my eye on this!

[Bluerodian]

My only issue with companions is the AI is pants-on-head stupid, a lot like dealing with other players, and working with them can be quite frustrating.

[ferroz]

My level 47 Jedi Guardian is in great gear. I'm able to take things down within an acceptable amount of time. I'm fulfilling my role. Now my Doc, my healing companion, is also in level-appropriate gear and when he heals me he can actually help me out. The main subject there being when he heals me, meaning he doesn't do it all the time. Even if I had Doc decked out in all purples and the best gear available to me, it wouldn't make a damned difference if he doesn't actually do his job.

I'm skeptical of this, and suspect that either you just don't have him set up to actually use those abilities, or you're not doing the stuff that you should be to mitigate damage.

 

I had no problems with Tharan, and they're virtually copies of each other; I solo h2 champions with no problems

Edited April 2, 2012 by ferroz

[KimbonaterX]

horse has been beaten, drug back up and beaten again, but the companions aren't the problem...its your situational awareness.

 

Turn off all your healing companions crowd control and special attacks. Put him in healing stance. Position yourself to where your companion has clear line of sight to you. Now he won't use his cooldowns on attacks while you're getting pwned. He will only use his default shots and his heals now.

 

/profit.

[Master-Nala]

IIRC Doc has that crappy channeled CC, carbonized stream. I find that turning that off works wonders for healers. And it's why I love Tharan, idiot though he is.

[DoctorNordo]

The only problem that I have with companions is their virtual requirement in most of the major storyline bosses. How am I supposed to feel like a big ****** sith or a legit Jedi Master when every other Jedi or Sith I go up against I need some dude in the back lobbing Kolto at me throughout the fight?

 

I am not really an MMO RP'r by any sense, but I still enjoy the stories and it really takes something away from your character's accomplishments when they can barely take a piss without a companion helping them out.

[Havokk]

There are no pet classes in this game. However, all the content in the game is group content, so they provided an optional group for you if you don't want to group up with someone else.

 

I think that is the point many posters on these forums have missed. This is a MMOG. Grouping is generally required. The companions are there so you have someone to group with when you can't find an actual other person to group with. It is part of the "solo-friendly MMOG" that Bioware have been talking about for the past year or two.

 

As a bonus, the companions have conversations with you and small quests (it is a Bioware game and companion conversations are something of a trademark for them).

 

If you don't like the companions then don't use them for anything except trade skills.

 

Some missions are solo-able. Some require a group.

 

Grouping also gives you the reward of social points.

 

Please note that by default, other players can't join in y6our class quests. To enable them to do so, check Allow other players in story areas (or whatever it is called) in Preferences.

[Moromillas]

Then dismiss them solved

 

No, not problem sovled. You're required to have them out for leveling and dailies.

[Havokk]

You're required to have them out for leveling and dailies.

No you are not.

You are required to have help for some quests. That help could either be another player or your companion. Alternatively you could do lots of space combat and outlevel the quest then do it with no help.

 

Companions are just one of your options.

[kirorx]

I dont like them for story reasons. My guy does not fight anyone one on one. When I beat the baddie at the end of my inquisitor storyline, Talos should have gotten the same love i did since he did a great deal of the work.

 

No one on one fights makes me feel my toon is weaker than the NPCS.

[vincent-]

Are you making sure that none of his attack abilities are active? I mean mine helps me out on my bounty hunter tank and I just make sure mako is completely set in heal mode, no attack specials active and she keeps me up.

[jorill]

What are you talking about? Almost every class minus Trooper has a cunning healer. Smuggler's has a cunning healer, so does Consular, Imperial Agent, Jedi Knight, Sith Warrior, and Sith Inquisitor.

 

but other than those!

[Grayseven]

While there are some AI issues like not moving, not healing you while you have an enemy stunned but are still "in combat", using important cooldowns at inopportune times and the like, most of those can be mitigated by active management of your companion.

 

The problem with active management is that most players are already managing multiple full toolbars of their own character abilities and adding in another bar of abilities can be overwhelming.

 

Not sure of any way to fix that outside of better AI for the companions. That might take a while. In the meantime, as long as you aren't trying to do anything too crazy companions seem to work just fine.

[Moromillas]

No you are not.

You are required to have help for some quests. That help could either be another player or your companion. Alternatively you could do lots of space combat and outlevel the quest then do it with no help.

 

Companions are just one of your options.

 

Yes you are, you even posted that it's required.

[DoctorNordo]

I dont like them for story reasons. My guy does not fight anyone one on one. When I beat the baddie at the end of my inquisitor storyline, Talos should have gotten the same love i did since he did a great deal of the work.

 

No one on one fights makes me feel my toon is weaker than the NPCS.

 

Exactly my opinion.

[Esproc]

I like my companions, mostly or most of them, but I do have a problem with the AI. If a person knows something very basic (or should) then I would hope that my companion would also.

 

Like a simple one, "Don't Stand In The Fire/Poison/et. al.!"

Or as someone so kindly pointed out, don't shoot them (a mob across the planet away from all aggro, Khem would run and bring his toys back with him) and Heal me instead.

Little things that are annoying, and is such a pain.

So I would just be asking for better AI and would only be less than happy:) with some of my companions.

[darthmorbous]

i hate the fact that you almost HAVE to go out with your companion.

it kills RP sometimes.

*** a sith marauder going amok in a rebel base...with a companion; thats so freeking lame.

did darth maul have a companion?!

does Asaj Ventress go solo or does she have a lame companion?

i would love to have em all the time on the ship crafting; i do so most of the time, but sometimes you just need em; AND I HATE THAT

[Snakeyees]

Doc will have a bug that if you get to far away your out of his range to heal, what i do put him in passive wait a sec or to he will run up next to you. then take off passive and he will heal again.

[darthmorbous]

I think that is the point many posters on these forums have missed. This is a MMOG. Grouping is generally required. The companions are there so you have someone to group with when you can't find an actual other person to group with. It is part of the "solo-friendly MMOG" that Bioware have been talking about for the past year or two.

 

As a bonus, the companions have conversations with you and small quests (it is a Bioware game and companion conversations are something of a trademark for them).

 

If you don't like the companions then don't use them for anything except trade skills.

 

Some missions are solo-able. Some require a group.

 

Grouping also gives you the reward of social points.

 

Please note that by default, other players can't join in y6our class quests. To enable them to do so, check Allow other players in story areas (or whatever it is called) in Preferences.

 

i correct you here m8, BIOWARE´s companions in other BW games, KOTOR, specially DAO were amazing; you could talk to them at ANY TIME, PLAY with em to get into more conversations and even stat bonus ( ok that was KOTOR 2 and that one wasnt done by BW).

Companions in SWTOR are boring, get in the way of RP, were poorly implemented, dont add significant story for me to even care talk to them.

for me they r just crafting/collecting bots that are not in the same league from Carth Onasi, Bastilla Shan, Morrigan, Alistair, even the dog from DAO.

[Alkazarr]

i correct you here m8, BIOWARE´s companions in other BW games, KOTOR, specially DAO were amazing; you could talk to them at ANY TIME, PLAY with em to get into more conversations and even stat bonus ( ok that was KOTOR 2 and that one wasnt done by BW).

Companions in SWTOR are boring, get in the way of RP, were poorly implemented, dont add significant story for me to even care talk to them.

for me they r just crafting/collecting bots that are not in the same league from Carth Onasi, Bastilla Shan, Morrigan, Alistair, even the dog from DAO.

 

^ ^ ^ THIS

 

Whatever your stance on the utility of the companions, one can not possibly and objectively argue that STWOR's companions have the same level of depth as in Bioware's previous titles.

 

However the game is young, and should SWTOR live on for several years I can imagine the companions' emerging out of their current mediocre shell. But here is to hoping