companion's place in story

[moriquendi]

The lack of companion quests is really a shame. there's very few, and

often very quick. More companion quests would really help with

pacing-it would mean more quests relating directly to your playing

character, more opportunities to interact with companions and make

them more life-like and dynamic, and a chance for moral choices that

would feel more personal.

 

Companions ironically are most involved before they even join your party. Then they have a role in the story, before they become part of the xp grind, where you gift them constantly for sometimes as little as 4 lines of dialogue.

 

Companions are such a key part to bioware stories being sucessful its a shame they aren't more of a key part of the game (i mean besides gameplay). Mass effect 2 was one of bioware's most popular games and it had the highest focus on companions of any game I've ever played.

[Chanez]

The lack of companion quests is really a shame. there's very few, and

often very quick. More companion quests would really help with

pacing-it would mean more quests relating directly to your playing

character, more opportunities to interact with companions and make

them more life-like and dynamic, and a chance for moral choices that

would feel more personal.

 

Companions ironically are most involved before they even join your party. Then they have a role in the story, before they become part of the xp grind, where you gift them constantly for sometimes as little as 4 lines of dialogue.

 

Companions are such a key part to bioware stories being sucessful its a shame they aren't more of a key part of the game (i mean besides gameplay). Mass effect 2 was one of bioware's most popular games and it had the highest focus on companions of any game I've ever played.

 

What class are you playing?

 

Some classes have more companion storylines and some have almost none.

 

Before they become companions they are important npcs vital to the storyline of the planet, so yes they are more important before their companions.

[rahmankhan]

I've started a Jedi Sentinel and at the moment have Kira (I think that's her name), she's got backstory, but little to no quest time, I still think it works pretty well. You just learn about her from conversations. I like games that have stories and exposition from one characters POV, rather than playing random missions to get that exposition. If that makes sense. Kind of like Half-Life.

[moriquendi]

yea I agree. Companion story should meld in with the class story. I'm just saying that they do that more before their actually companions, and then become more gameplay mecanic than character. It would be nice if they could be more involved, and dialouge with them for frequent and interesting that just a oneliner that many of them are, "please sign this report sith warrior sir so i can become captain." "ok" "thank you." the end. some of the are very interesting and fun, but some are just dumb.

[moriquendi]

and in reply to above I have played through sith and consular to the end and am lvling up smuggler and jedi knight.

 

 

I think the worst was with sith warrior and the soldier companion, you spend nine chats setting up a conquest of the bastion in Republic, its all ready after you collect all the people from black ops, and then you don't even get to participate, just blackscreen for 2 seconds and then he returns saying he was sucessful. It was stuff like that that really hit home that companions could be more.

[meatlocker]

Smuggler storyline really has almost no companion involvement outside of Risha and Guss Tuno. Bowdaar, Akaavi Spaar and Corso Riggs seemed kind of thrown in their. Risha was the only story I felt really involved in and Guss was the only person to actively affect my character's storyline after Risha.

 

 

In Akaavi Spar and Risha dialogue the characters would leave the ship for a time and I was thinking to myself "*** why can't I go with them!

[Gwena]

I agree that the lack of companion quests (not just conversations) after your first companion really hurts.

 

My first character was a Smuggler and I really like Corso, so having quests for him specifically helped me feel like my Smuggler was getting to know him and it seemed to fit well since he was the companion I always used. I realize now that I was lucky in this case. I felt disappointed on my Consular, Inquisitor, and Agent as I do not like Qyzen, Khem, or Kaliyo -- nor are they my characters' liked or "main" companions -- yet those are the only ones that you get the added quests for.

 

Basically, I think all companions should get about the same amount of "screen time" or be about the same level of importance in your story, as people have different favorite and hated companions.

[moriquendi]

I agree that the lack of companion quests (not just conversations) after your first companion really hurts.

 

My first character was a Smuggler and I really like Corso, so having quests for him specifically helped me feel like my Smuggler was getting to know him and it seemed to fit well since he was the companion I always used. I realize now that I was lucky in this case. I felt disappointed on my Consular, Inquisitor, and Agent as I do not like Qyzen, Khem, or Kaliyo -- nor are they my characters' liked or "main" companions -- yet those are the only ones that you get the added quests for.

 

Basically, I think all companions should get about the same amount of "screen time" or be about the same level of importance in your story, as people have different favorite and hated companions.

 

yes! this!

[bright_ephemera]

Companions ironically are most involved before they even join your party. Then they have a role in the story, before they become part of the xp grind, where you gift them constantly for sometimes as little as 4 lines of dialogue.

 

Too true.

 

I'm aware of the resource-allocation difficulties of a game of this scope, but if I went to a magical land of infinite dev resources here are some things I'd like to see:

 

• Players coming along for more of those 'lemme run out and do this' quests
  
• Players having the chance to make a difference in these quests: not just be supportive/be mean, or help/harm a random one-off NPC the companion knows, but actually say things that may alter the companion's ultimate development. The companion lines too often feel like noninteractive short stories. You can munch popcorn and commentate, but the companion will take precisely the same actions and reach precisely the same conclusions no matter what you say. The only exceptions I can think of offhand are Khem Val and Vette. What if you could help Doc snag some prestigious award or honorary chair, or you could instead sabotage the effort to prevent his grandiosity from getting out of hand, and either way from then on he knows and remembers that he has (or doesn't have) that shiny shiny reminder of his awesomeness? Stuff like that.
  
• More chances to ask companions for feedback on major quests. Class stories and maybe planetary lines. I love seeing an option to turn to my companion and ask advice on tactics, person-reading, smooth talking...love love love. Give me more. Let me work with them like team members rather than guard dogs.
  
• Possibly more talk during major class-quest briefings. Does Andronikos know something very useful about the inhabitants of Belsavis? Do some of Corso's old friends from the Peace Corps (or whatever) have some words of advice about Quesh? Does Jorgan have a strong opinion on how the Balmorran campaign in general should be handled? Are any of these people actually active citizens of this galaxy? Volunteer this stuff, guys!
  
• More inter-companion interaction. I heard a wonderful suggestion once to have companions occasionally move around the ship and talk to each other. BioWare's companion banter has historically been a strong point. Let's see more.