Getting companion while in group?

[Ezraiya]

EDIT: Nevermind. We both received our companions last night. (impatient doofus)

 

My character has played in a group for the first almost 10 levels. Will I still get my companion if I'm in my group?

Thanks!

Edited January 6, 2017 by Ezraiya
Solution Found

[Jagaimee]

Yes. Companions are a part of your class story. You might not be able to use said companion in combat (due to there being a limit as to how many people can be in a group; four, and companions count towards that number*), but you will still have your companion as part of the story.

 

For example, if I'm playing a smuggler, and I go through the smuggler story as part of a four-man group, my first companion will eventually join up with me. Do note that some quests *do* require a companion, so if that happens to be the case, you can exit the group, call your companion out for the duration of that quest, then re-join your group afterwards. Your companion will "disappear" (in that you can't use them in the group), but they're still there for story purposes.

 

*If you have two people in a group, then both can use their companions. Two players, two respective companions. Three players, only one of them (the group leader by default, I believe) can use their companion. Four players, no one can use their companions because they've reached the group limit.

[sjmc]

If you bring a healing companion into a group, will he/she heal anyone in the group that needs it, or just you?

[Dragondog]

It can heal anyone in the group. But sometimes the AI is less than what you would have preferred.

[Mubrak]

Companions heal everyone, but those that use ranged weapons just stand there and dps when nobody is within their healing range or line of sight. Melee companions run into melee range when they have nothing to heal, and should be able to heal everyone who is in range of the boss, but they're also more vulnerable to any AOEs centered on the boss.

 

Also, when the player who owns the companion is killed, their companion vanishes. So it's not always the best idea when the player who gets the most aggro has their healing companion out. For a player healer, it's better to have their own companion out, because it's easier to target them, and because the healer ought to be the last man standing.