jgelling Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 In green gear, often with no mod-able equipment except for their weapons, if that? What possible point is served in having random companions still showing up so late in the game when it's very difficult to actually do anything with them? I just don't get the pacing of companions in this game - why aren't they all in place by level 25 or level 30 at the absolute latest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimirz Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I don't see what your problem ist with us getting companions at high level. You still get gear for them from quests and if you don't like them you don't have to use them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgelling Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) I don't see what your problem ist with us getting companions at high level. You still get gear for them from quests and if you don't like them you don't have to use them Well, if the alternative is just never getting a new companion, then yeah, more is better. I just feel like I can barely scratch the surface on characters that make a very very late appearance in Act 3 and who, by that point, I don't have any of the good equipment I've been collecting for the main companion or two I've been using. And then after you finish the story, companions don't have much use at all. I just think it's very strange how late in the game some of the companions show up in some of the stories, when you have all this time on earlier worlds where they could've been introduced. It's not like you're crowded with companion options early on as-is so these late-comers need to be held back, and it's not as if the late companions are game-breakingly awesome compared to the early companions. It just seems like the devs thought - well, we need something to happen late-game, so let's hold off a couple of the companions for the final few planets just for the sake of something new happening. But in a lot of stories half or two-thirds of the game goes by with just one or two companions and then they rush in the final companions at the last minute. That just doesn't seem like good pacing to the story, to me. Edited May 15, 2012 by jgelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatghost Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Been mulling this over myself. Each class gets five companions (not including the ship droids) so in theory that breaks down to a new companion every 10 levels. It doesn't always work that way depending upon how you choose to level and since companion acquisition is based upon class story/planet progression (and since you don't get your first companion at level 1, which would be ridiculous anyway). It does seem to me that you get stuck with the first companion for far too long and then there's the last companion squeezed in at the end with very little room to do much with them except pursue their individual stories at 50- -which, come to think of it, isn't so bad as it gives you something to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgelling Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Been mulling this over myself. Each class gets five companions (not including the ship droids) so in theory that breaks down to a new companion every 10 levels. It doesn't always work that way depending upon how you choose to level and since companion acquisition is based upon class story/planet progression (and since you don't get your first companion at level 1, which would be ridiculous anyway). It does seem to me that you get stuck with the first companion for far too long and then there's the last companion squeezed in at the end with very little room to do much with them except pursue their individual stories at 50- -which, come to think of it, isn't so bad as it gives you something to do Sure - if they're not off on hour-long crafting missions I guess you can pursue their stories (although sometimes on the really, really long crafting missions the companions actually do seem to be available for chat on board the ship, but not always?) But you'd have to admit - it's strange for any kind of adventure game to introduce companions as late as this game does. The only similar thing I can think of is an RPG that might wait until the near end-game to let you recruit an optional, very powerful ally, but in TOR the late companions aren't any better and actually are probably worse, in that they show up in trashy gear without implants or earpieces, etc and the companion with the best synergy for your class usually shows up first or second. I'd imagine there will be at least an Act 4 (if not three new acts) in some future expansion, and if that happens the pacing of the companions' introduction would make sense. Edited May 15, 2012 by jgelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacenHallis Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I'd imagine there will be at least an Act 4 (if not three new acts) in some future expansion, and if that happens the pacing of the companions' introduction would make sense. When you complete a character's class story, they are in what is called the "Interlude." An interlude is basically a break in the action, if you will. So, yes, there will be a chapter four, and I would be willing to wager even more chapters after that, for as long as the game is around. I wouldn't expect a full three chapters with every expansion (though, a controlled release of class stories over the lifetime of an expansion pack would not be a bad idea), but there will definitely be more story to come. And, as the developers have stated, more companions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatghost Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Sure - if they're not off on hour-long crafting missions I guess you can pursue their stories (although sometimes on the really, really long crafting missions the companions actually do seem to be available for chat on board the ship, but not always?) May be better to try and build up the affection of those last companions so when you do send them out for an hour they don't come back empty-handed? I hate that, really do. Example: on my 50 SI I don't send out Xalek at this point, learned my lesson the hard way, failure after failure; I just haven't bothered to buy his affection and haven't taken him along on dailies (though that latter may change now that they've "fixed" him with today's patch). Funny though how sometimes they linger on the ship and sometimes not...ever sent the ship droid out thinking you'd get some relief from the prattle only to find him still lurking and prattling? Horrid LOL I'd imagine there will be at least an Act 4 (if not three new acts) in some future expansion, and if that happens the pacing of the companions' introduction would make sense. I have to admit- seeing that "Interlude" does raise my spirits every time I log in with a 50 even if I know I'll have my fingers crossed for a good long time yet. Edited May 15, 2012 by thatghost my grammatical OCD :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arodin Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Getting a new companion is a fun reward-type moment in the leveling game, so I think they just wanted to space out those moments. Leveling progress is already a bit of a drag sometimes at higher levels, and it would be worse without any new companions to look forward to late in the game. On some classes, it does seem to take forever to get to that second companion, with it coming in sometimes at around level 30. But I guess the thinking there is that during the early levels you are already getting a lot of rewards -- new skills, your ship, your first speeder. So they hold back some companions until later on when there isn't anything else to look forward to except more and more quests. It's probably for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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