Are there any changes that can be made to current companions to give them more appeal

[ValidAvailable]

I would just hope something cool and character reasonably appropriate to have standing next to me. I know Treek is really really useful but....you're running a big beefcake Special Forces Commando with a 2 meter assault cannon or an icy Chiss hitman with a taste for poison blades, a murderous cybernetic Sith overlord.....and an Ewok. Waitaminute. And if we're gonna go refuge in audacity, then hell go all-in and hire Ahmed Best, say Jar Jar got caught in a time warp.

 

Pure tank maybe, so he gets punched a lot?

[Reno_Tarshil]

Good idea. I will write up a suggestion with a Voss Mystic. What would be the best healer companion to use as a template (aside from Treek of course)?

 

My Favorite healers were

 

Quinn

Doc

Mako

Elara

 

But the Mystic needs to be on Treek's level of Healing to be worth it over Treek, with Force/Voss inspired abilities.

[Cuiwe]

I'd like but one thing:

 

Rebalance/redesign their bloody skills! Example:

 

Bowdaar's punch. Wth does it knockBACK instead of knockDOWN?

Tow cable that ranged tanks of yore used(and m1 still uses ) were equally, if not more aggrosome.

Wth do the RDPS comps have stances + a defencive cd? Just give them 3 more attacks.

Healer's CC is borderline insane. You leave it on, you're asking for it!

etc etc

 

I am only concerned about their combat performance. Why? Well, because I find it an easier problem to deal with(cheaper too). Would I like the rest? Yes, sir I would! But if they don't even want to bugfix/rebalance comps...where's the hope that they'll actually implement sth new?

[DomiSotto]

Bowdaar's punch. Wth does it knockBACK instead of knockDOWN?

 

I hear you! And Bowdaar is not the worst cause at least you have a range. I am going through a torture testing of getting 1000 kills on Broonmark with a Mara... with Broonmark throwing characters away then chasing them down along with the Mara.... you gotta be kidding me! I think she lost 10 lbs since getting Broonmark in the party!

[Darth_Wicked]

^^ You can always disable those abilities, assuming you find them aggravating.

[LordArtemis]

My Favorite healers were

 

Quinn

Doc

Mako

Elara

 

But the Mystic needs to be on Treek's level of Healing to be worth it over Treek, with Force/Voss inspired abilities.

 

Should I use Treek as the template then instead, and just adjust the tanking abilities to ranged AoE abilities? I'm thinking of designing the willpower healer like a Sorc or Sage.

[Gwena]

A Force-based healing Companion would be awesome! Actually, I'd really like to see two new Companions released, to cover all the bases, so to speak. Preferably, both reasonably attractive near-human types with non-irritating, non-gibberish voices.

 

1. Female. Can tank or do mDPS. Vanguard/Powertech type. Bonus points for assault cannon use (possible, because Companions are each like their own "class").

 

2. Male. Can heal or do rDPS. Sage/Sorc type Force user. With an actual lightsaber, none of this staff or stick-waving business.

 

I suggest it this way because of the class Companions, we already have more female Jedi/Sith types than males, and we only have one female tank.

[Reno_Tarshil]

Should I use Treek as the template then instead, and just adjust the tanking abilities to ranged AoE abilities? I'm thinking of designing the willpower healer like a Sorc or Sage.

 

I think it needs to be have some Sorc inspired abilities but named Voss Mystic style.

[Daekarus]

I would just hope something cool and character reasonably appropriate to have standing next to me. I know Treek is really really useful but....you're running a big beefcake Special Forces Commando with a 2 meter assault cannon or an icy Chiss hitman with a taste for poison blades, a murderous cybernetic Sith overlord.....and an Ewok. Waitaminute. And if we're gonna go refuge in audacity, then hell go all-in and hire Ahmed Best, say Jar Jar got caught in a time warp.

 

Pure tank maybe, so he gets punched a lot?

 

This is why I haven't gotten Treek yet, I just can't make it work in an RP way that I can actually buy into. HK-51 totally works, but is annoying to gear up, so I'm sticking with Elara and Aric.

[JimG]

If people haven't figured it out by now, going back and re-vamping existing stuff is pretty low on their list of priorities.

[LordArtemis]

I think it needs to be have some Sorc inspired abilities but named Voss Mystic style.

 

Alright, I will base my writeup on Treek, but use some sorc abilities and tweaks to make her a stronger healer. She already has a few interesting AoEs, but no channeled instant AoE from my knowledge.

[Deewe]

Alright, I will base my writeup on Treek, but use some sorc abilities and tweaks to make her a stronger healer. She already has a few interesting AoEs, but no channeled instant AoE from my knowledge.

Sadly it's a waste of time.

 

Rewriting classes skills for companions involves much more than a few ideas thrown on paper.

There's quite a lot of math involved there and without it all you're writing won't help that much...

Also before changing or adding skills templates for companions they can just copy/paste the one they have for all existing characters, animations included. It would take way less time than writing new ones.

[LordArtemis]

Sadly it's a waste of time.

 

Rewriting classes skills for companions involves much more than a few ideas thrown on paper.

There's quite a lot of math involved there and without it all you're writing won't help that much...

Also before changing or adding skills templates for companions they can just copy/paste the one they have for all existing characters, animations included. It would take way less time than writing new ones.

 

I've done this sort of thing before Deewe. It's kind of my thing But yes, I know it's not a simple process to create a companion....just throwing some ideas out there.

 

I can build what I view as a reasonable build using current companions as a base.

[LordArtemis]

I'm still working on the writeup, tweeking it a bit, should be posting it soon.

[XiamaraSimi]

At this point I am all for anything to make the companions more appealing once the main story is done. As is all they end up being is a walking Kolto tank and its not even the original group of companions that are useful it ends up being Treek who is all I ever see anyone using at level 55 anymore.

 

I have access to treek, who I use to level chars that don't get healing comps early (I'm looking at you Inq and agents!) But I enjoy having my maras run around with Quinn in his unfettered trench coat far too much to use treek at 55 ^_~

[LordArtemis]

I have access to treek, who I use to level chars that don't get healing comps early (I'm looking at you Inq and agents!) But I enjoy having my maras run around with Quinn in his unfettered trench coat far too much to use treek at 55 ^_~

 

I believe Treek is the all around best comp to have in the game in almost every situation. I do still use Khem on my sorc.

[LyraineAlei]

I would like for a wider range of combat lines for each companion. There are only so many times I can stand Kaliyo calling dibs on the head, Torian saying "Toast" in a Batman impersonation, etc...

 

And Mako is a pushover, I'm sorry.

 

But I would also like more bits where companions say stuff about the scenery. Makeb was a world I actually heard Torian talk to me on. I know the primary comps (Vette, Mako, Kaliyo, Khem, Qyzen, Kira, Jorgan, Corso,) comment on the scenery the most, but I would like to hear my other comps opinions as well.

 

An expansion of the companion conversations would be nice, even if they're a rotation of the same seven (one for each day of the week), just to have a feeling that they're more than furniture on my ship after the main convo lines are done.

 

EDIT: And modable armors that are theirs, like at lv 50, have their original outfits as moddable armor for the companions, unless there wasn't one (Khem, Blizz, T7, for example).

Edited September 5, 2014 by LyraineAlei

[DawnAskham]

Realistic things I'd like to see done with companions...

 

Allow players to spec (or toggle like treek) companion roles, with each companion filling at least two roles, possibly all three.

 

Copy / paste the existing companion abilities to reduce the work if needed, but allowing flexibility with respect to the role a companion can fill would be the priority over having special unique abilities added for each companion.

 

Allow players to use an appearance kiosk to customize their companions just as they would themselves, obviously not letting players change race or gender but allowing them to change anything already in the game files.

 

Allow players to select from a list (use each one once per character) of set crafting bonuses such that players could select the crafting bonuses for their companions that match their crew skills.

 

Standardize companion stats, maybe not to the extent of Trooper companions (which all use heavy / Aim), but certainly something like force companions of a willpower user would all use willpower while all tech companions of an aim user would use aim.

Edited September 5, 2014 by DawnAskham

[KorbanShepard]

I like most of the ideas in this Specifically the one where you can redefine a companion's class. Maybe not entirely redefine it, but at least tweak it a bit. Like Kira is a consular and should be able to made to heal. Or Khem Val should be more dps friendly( I know you can use him this way, but he isn't very good at it still). I think those kind of things could vastly improve the ability to keep companions along for the ride without hindering your experience.

 

One thing I don't like is the idea of companions shifting over to dark or light by your choices. The limitations imposed by the background and personalities of the characters are great. Take Qyzen for example. Many people don't necessarily like him because doing all lightside doesn't rub him right. On the other hand, I think he's a great companion, because it forces you as a Jedi to consider alien values and moral scope. By doing this, your jedi can rise above being just an average jedi but more. Somebody who is truly wise.

By the companions' personalities and backgrounds being unique it adds an extra dimension to the story experience one that helps redefine your character if you choose to try and keep the companion happy. And there are multiple companions so you don't have to go with the all good or the all bad one.

[Thoronmir]

Allow players to spec (or toggle like treek) companion roles, with each companion filling at least two roles, possibly all three.

 

Copy / paste the existing companion abilities to reduce the work if needed, but allowing flexibility with respect to the role a companion can fill would be the priority over having special unique abilities added for each companion.

Too much versatility and I fear the Companions will lose their individuality. Give all Companions access to all roles and then the only difference is what they look like. I enjoy finding the right Companion for my characters and how I like to play

 

Allow players to use an appearance kiosk to customize their companions just as they would themselves, obviously not letting players change race or gender but allowing them to change anything already in the game files.

Now, cosmetic versatility is a different issue and I'd support this. I feel the available Companion Customizations are too restricting.

 

Allow players to select from a list (use each one once per character) of set crafting bonuses such that players could select the crafting bonuses for their companions that match their crew skills.

Most sane players would select bonuses to the Crew Skills the character knows (why give Khem a bonus to Slicing if my character isn't trained to Slice?). So instead, maybe the easy version of your idea would be to automatically give your Companions bonuses in whatever Crew Skills you know.

 

Standardize companion stats, maybe not to the extent of Trooper companions (which all use heavy / Aim), but certainly something like force companions of a willpower user would all use willpower while all tech companions of an aim user would use aim.

While I confess feeling a little giddy while leveling Trooper, knowing that all I needed was Aim gear, I actually like the variety for most classes. I admit I'm not sure if switching Tharan from Cunning to Aim would affect how I view the Companion, so I'd be willing to try out this idea.

 

I always assumed the Companions were linked to their respective main stats because of whichever class they were intended to mirror. But since they are not really those classes (try to put Consular-only gear on Kira), that tie-in seems moot.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Thoronmir

[TekAlcon]

actually, in beta you COULD kill a companion, Quinn was killable by the sith warrior class, but when players killed him, the idiots realized they killed their only healer companion xD , plus they lost a crafting slave too, so its a lose/lose even more , i think this is all a great idea, but would be too much work for too little gain for Bioware to do it.

[DawnAskham]

Too much versatility and I fear the Companions will lose their individuality. Give all Companions access to all roles and then the only difference is what they look like. I enjoy finding the right Companion for my characters and how I like to play.

 

Which is why I think maybe two roles would work - someone like Khem could be tank or dps, someone making Khem a healer does seem to be a bit of a stretch.

 

And for me, the problem with having companions locked to certain roles is that it restricts finding the right companion for how you like to play until you reach the end of the story and have them all unlocked.

 

Playing a shadow tank or assassin tank and would prefer at least a strong dps companion, if not a healer?

 

Too bad, you get a tank companion and you are stuck with them until you unlock more companions.

 

For the assassin, it is late in the game before you find a healer companion, so your only option if you want one is to use the generic Treek.

 

How about playing a sniper and wanting a healer?

 

Again, no options until late in game unless you want to use Treek. In fact, you are stuck with only the option of having a tank companion through over half of the leveling game.

 

This to me seems worse than letting the companions have the ability to fill multiple roles.

[crubel]

Too much versatility and I fear the Companions will lose their individuality. Give all Companions access to all roles and then the only difference is what they look like. I enjoy finding the right Companion for my characters and how I like to play

 

I disagree. The uniqueness of companions does NOT come from their combat role, but from their story and personality. Their combat role should have never been locked and is something we should be able to customize. Lack of customization in any MMO is always bad, so we need to be able to customize their role. To expand their uniqueness, I would love it if they added more companion story and gave them some more canned lines while doing open world questing or combat or when you just right click on them in the open world.

[well]

It should be noted that originally, your companions had no set roles and you decided their roles for them.

 

That was changed in the beta, I believe.

 

I think your right. Also weren't they able to use a relic?

 

I not really interested in a Healer. I don't use them much. I have been experimenting with them a bit lately. I use Khem and Nadia on Sor/Sage. Treek is getting phased out on some of my chrs. I have Biochem so that's handy. I would like to see a Sor/Sage DPS. I also agree it woul be nice to use 3 companions. I have never had a companion go afk or bail out of game on me. Maybe it the leg irons I put on them.

[jorill]

I think your right. Also weren't they able to use a relic?

 

I not really interested in a Healer. I don't use them much. I have been experimenting with them a bit lately. I use Khem and Nadia on Sor/Sage. Treek is getting phased out on some of my chrs. I have Biochem so that's handy. I would like to see a Sor/Sage DPS. I also agree it woul be nice to use 3 companions. I have never had a companion go afk or bail out of game on me. Maybe it the leg irons I put on them.

 

Originally companions had something called kits i believe and it would change their role. Im not sure if it even made it into beta but i remember a dev talking about it. I do wish companions had at least a dual role either dps/healer or dps/tank

 

In regards to the companion death thing it didnt make it out of the first beta test when everyone started ************ about even though you were given multiple warnings it was permanent.