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Anyone else wish Krin'ze was the companion?
DewiMorgan
✭✭✭
Krin'ze woulda been about my ideal Companion.
Avoiding spoilers, the Zerith-var quest line is absolutely AMAZEBALLS. He is also a wonderful friendly, curious lunk as a Companion, too. He just oozes adorable himbo energy. He's a buddy who anyone would want to have their back.
But! The first character you see as the quest starts is Krin'ze. And as soon as I saw her, I knew immediately that there was no way she was the Companion, as we already have Ember as female Khajiit, and players woulda got mad about the duplication. And I also knew immediately that however good the real Companion was, I'd still wish they were her.
Boy, did I dearly wish I might be proven wrong. Because, Zerith certainly grew on me, but Krin'ze... daaamn.
Why her in particular?
When I play in a party with my wife, even though she has no problem with me playing female, I usually play as a big hulking khajiit tank like Zerith, because while my wife can stand perfectly well on her own two paws (and can certainly trounce my tail in any duel!), it just warms my heart to be able to shield and protect her from harm. It feels right.
But when I play alone, I mainly play a female character because I care more about her fate than I do with my male alts. I work harder to save her from harm.
Protectiveness forces me to emotionally invest.
Vulnerable ingame companion NPCs, designed in a way that aims to trigger our "protecc the smol" instinct, move me emotionally in a way that strong, independent hunks (of either gender) just never can. I don't feel bad if I leave them behind fighting stuff. I don't worry for them if something aggros on them rather than me. Even if Isobel gets knocked down, I kinda feel "she's got this". Ember, I feel bad about. As a young and relatively inexperienced student, she's my responsibility, she's in my care, in a way the others, worldly and self-capable, kinda aren't. And I suspect Mirri would mock me roundly if I even showed the least concern.
I find that I get more invested in games where you can play as (or be accompanied by) an animal character, or a child, or someone small, etc: the "emotional value" of a character or partner you want to defend is so much higher. Dogmeat in Fallout is a perfect example. We'd all happily die for him, right? But I can't think of another Fallout companion I care about, offhand. "They got this."
So I'd give my eye teeth for a Dagi Companion. Or honestly, an Alfiq, damn!
But I'd guess we won't (can't!) get a Dagi for many years.
Mechanically, it might never be possible. Definitely with Pahmar-raht (won't fit through most doorways) and Alfiq (can't do most character actions, wield weapons, wear armor, etc), and digitigrade races (neeed to re-record every dang animation: but how? AI-generated animations might eventually make this possible, though?). But even with Dagi, it might pose a whole raft of problems with existing content, due to the content being designed for characters in the normal player size range. They might fall through terrain gaps in some places that were made to be safe for player races, or worse, be able to be commanded to attack mobs that players can't reach, etc. But Dagi are likely close enough to player height that I think it might be able to work as companions, even if not as playable characters, just by increasing the size of their collision.
And then there's the elephant-in-the-room problem that Companions often get dressed in skimpy outfits. And "lewding the smols" is a really bad look for a game. It doesn't necessarily kill the game (Tera's Elin, ibid), but you may end up attracting a community they just might not want, or affecting their rating in some countries, or getting them bad press, or whatever.
And even if all the mechanical and social problems could be handled, I'm pretty sure we won't get a Dagi for a looong time, if ever.
Because now we have these companions:
Khajiit made sense to me to double up on, as it seems they're THE most popular race. But I doubt we'll see another until there's at least a couple of every other playable race. If I were a gambling man, I might put a small bet on F Nord, F Orc, and M Wood Elf to be three of the next four, with maybe F Redguard as the fourth because people deserve skin-color representation. So another 12 characters, which means (assuming they stick to 2 a year) it'll be 2031 before they could even consider a Dagi companion
Wood elves, then?
A wood elf smol might well tickle that same "protecc" instinct, I guess, but it's also a personality thing: when Zerith says of Krin'ze "above all, keep her safe from harm", I think we all got where he was coming from. If he oozes "himbo" energy, she exudes strong "protect her" vibes (and I love that her character called out the silliness of such overprotectiveness!). I think it's unlikely that a companion could ever have that kind of personality, and still work as a companion? I might be wrong. Ember works well for me, but really annoys some people.
And I can't see a wood elf ever inspiring that feeling: they're too harshly, fiercely independent. Then again, it could work: the Feral Kid in Mad Max, and Newt in Aliens 2 managed to show decent independence while still inspiring audience "protecc" emotional investment. Sarah Connor in Terminator 2 was kickass and independent, but you could still strongly empathize with Arnie's protectiveness of her.
But, Krin'ze!!!
Edited by DewiMorgan on 9 December 2024 07:50 Avoiding spoilers, the Zerith-var quest line is absolutely AMAZEBALLS. He is also a wonderful friendly, curious lunk as a Companion, too. He just oozes adorable himbo energy. He's a buddy who anyone would want to have their back.
But! The first character you see as the quest starts is Krin'ze. And as soon as I saw her, I knew immediately that there was no way she was the Companion, as we already have Ember as female Khajiit, and players woulda got mad about the duplication. And I also knew immediately that however good the real Companion was, I'd still wish they were her.
Boy, did I dearly wish I might be proven wrong. Because, Zerith certainly grew on me, but Krin'ze... daaamn.
Why her in particular?
When I play in a party with my wife, even though she has no problem with me playing female, I usually play as a big hulking khajiit tank like Zerith, because while my wife can stand perfectly well on her own two paws (and can certainly trounce my tail in any duel!), it just warms my heart to be able to shield and protect her from harm. It feels right.
But when I play alone, I mainly play a female character because I care more about her fate than I do with my male alts. I work harder to save her from harm.
Protectiveness forces me to emotionally invest.
Vulnerable ingame companion NPCs, designed in a way that aims to trigger our "protecc the smol" instinct, move me emotionally in a way that strong, independent hunks (of either gender) just never can. I don't feel bad if I leave them behind fighting stuff. I don't worry for them if something aggros on them rather than me. Even if Isobel gets knocked down, I kinda feel "she's got this". Ember, I feel bad about. As a young and relatively inexperienced student, she's my responsibility, she's in my care, in a way the others, worldly and self-capable, kinda aren't. And I suspect Mirri would mock me roundly if I even showed the least concern.
I find that I get more invested in games where you can play as (or be accompanied by) an animal character, or a child, or someone small, etc: the "emotional value" of a character or partner you want to defend is so much higher. Dogmeat in Fallout is a perfect example. We'd all happily die for him, right? But I can't think of another Fallout companion I care about, offhand. "They got this."
So I'd give my eye teeth for a Dagi Companion. Or honestly, an Alfiq, damn!
But I'd guess we won't (can't!) get a Dagi for many years.
Mechanically, it might never be possible. Definitely with Pahmar-raht (won't fit through most doorways) and Alfiq (can't do most character actions, wield weapons, wear armor, etc), and digitigrade races (neeed to re-record every dang animation: but how? AI-generated animations might eventually make this possible, though?). But even with Dagi, it might pose a whole raft of problems with existing content, due to the content being designed for characters in the normal player size range. They might fall through terrain gaps in some places that were made to be safe for player races, or worse, be able to be commanded to attack mobs that players can't reach, etc. But Dagi are likely close enough to player height that I think it might be able to work as companions, even if not as playable characters, just by increasing the size of their collision.
And then there's the elephant-in-the-room problem that Companions often get dressed in skimpy outfits. And "lewding the smols" is a really bad look for a game. It doesn't necessarily kill the game (Tera's Elin, ibid), but you may end up attracting a community they just might not want, or affecting their rating in some countries, or getting them bad press, or whatever.
And even if all the mechanical and social problems could be handled, I'm pretty sure we won't get a Dagi for a looong time, if ever.
Because now we have these companions:
- M Argonian
- F Breton
- F Dark Elf
- T High Elf
- M Imperial
- M Khajiit
- F Khajiit
- M Redguard
Khajiit made sense to me to double up on, as it seems they're THE most popular race. But I doubt we'll see another until there's at least a couple of every other playable race. If I were a gambling man, I might put a small bet on F Nord, F Orc, and M Wood Elf to be three of the next four, with maybe F Redguard as the fourth because people deserve skin-color representation. So another 12 characters, which means (assuming they stick to 2 a year) it'll be 2031 before they could even consider a Dagi companion
Wood elves, then?
A wood elf smol might well tickle that same "protecc" instinct, I guess, but it's also a personality thing: when Zerith says of Krin'ze "above all, keep her safe from harm", I think we all got where he was coming from. If he oozes "himbo" energy, she exudes strong "protect her" vibes (and I love that her character called out the silliness of such overprotectiveness!). I think it's unlikely that a companion could ever have that kind of personality, and still work as a companion? I might be wrong. Ember works well for me, but really annoys some people.
And I can't see a wood elf ever inspiring that feeling: they're too harshly, fiercely independent. Then again, it could work: the Feral Kid in Mad Max, and Newt in Aliens 2 managed to show decent independence while still inspiring audience "protecc" emotional investment. Sarah Connor in Terminator 2 was kickass and independent, but you could still strongly empathize with Arnie's protectiveness of her.
But, Krin'ze!!!
5
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Erickson9610✭✭✭✭✭
✭I don't think we'll get any Companion whose character model is incompatible with the Player outfit styles. That obviously excludes quadruped creatures such as Alfiq, but it might also exclude Dagi and Pahmar-raht since their bodies are shaped slightly differently from the playable kind of Khajiit. If armor styles can't be used on them, then it's unlikely that we'll get Companions of them any time soon.PC/NA — Lone Werewolf, the Templar Khajiit Werewolf
Werewolf Should be Allowed to Sneak
Please give us Werewolf Skill Styles (for customizing our fur color), Grimoires/Scribing skills (to fill in the holes in our builds), and Companions (to transform with).1 -
DewiMorgan✭✭✭Erickson9610 wrote: »their bodies are shaped slightly differently from the playable kind of Khajiit. If armor styles can't be used on them, then it's unlikely that we'll get Companions of them any time soon.
Oof, I didn't know that about them! In that case, yeah, probably not even in 2031 Darn.
I shall still mourn the what-could-have-beens, though.1 -
tsaescishoeshiner✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Krin'ze as a supporting character in a Companion questline is more compelling than some main characters in zone stories to me.
Even if she returned for a different quest, it's her involvement and attachment to the events of Zerith-var's quest that makes her shine, IMO. So I'd love for an additional Zerith-Var quest one day, or a quest custom built for Krin'ze, even though we've never gotten anything like that.PC-NA
in-game: @tsaescishoeshiner3 -
Mascen✭✭✭✭No, and even a second Khajiit was too much despite me liking Zerith.
Personally I wouldve prefered an orcish companion.1 -
LunaFlora✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭I'd love to see future Khajiit companions be Dagi, Pahmar, or Ohmes (no ESO Ohmes yet but they should look like Bosmer, raht would be Bosmer with a tail).
Slightly related, it would be awesome if when we get another Argonian companion that they're Naga.
Krin'ze is awesome, probably not as a companion though i think.
By the way, Dagi and Pahmar are plantigrade like humans, not digitigrade.
Suthay are digitigrade, they were the playable and npc Khajiit furstock in Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.
Erickson9610 wrote: »I don't think we'll get any Companion whose character model is incompatible with the Player outfit styles. That obviously excludes quadruped creatures such as Alfiq, but it might also exclude Dagi and Pahmar-raht since their bodies are shaped slightly differently from the playable kind of Khajiit. If armor styles can't be used on them, then it's unlikely that we'll get Companions of them any time soon.
Krin'ze wears the Ja'zennji Siir style.
it could be that zos made only certain costumes and outfit styles work for Pahmar(-raht) and Dagi(-raht) characters, but i doubt it.
Dagi are just way shorter and Pahmar way bigger than our characters can be.
Though Dagi and Pahmar appear to have differently shaped heads compared to Cathay, I'm unsure if that's an issue either as they still wear hats sometimes.
And some game mechanics can shrink or enlarge our characters, Brewmasters in Infinite Archive and Dreadsail Reef shrink us and the Giants Camps' Mammoth Cheese enlarges us.
So if our costumes and outfit styles still fit us at different sizes, why not Dagi and Pahmar?
Suthay(-raht) would have issues as they have digitigrade legs though there's no Suthay characters in ESO yet, just statues, probably because of their legs.miaow! i'm Luna ( she/her ).
🌸*throws cherry blossom on you*🌸
"Eagles advance, traveler! And may the Green watch and keep you."
🦬🦌🐰
PlayStation and PC EU.
LunaLolaBlossom on psn.
LunaFloraBlossom on pc.2 -
AcadianPaladin✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Interesting roleplay perspective. Mine is similar but almost the mirror image. My elf is a smol Bosmer pocket healer and travels with a tank to protect her. While Zerith certainly fits the role, we prefer using Mirri as a tank in that role. My elf's protectiveness comes through in her nurturing obsession to try and keep all friendly health bars around her full.PC NA(no Steam), PvE, mostly solo1 -
fizzylu✭✭✭✭✭
✭No, I liked her in the small doses I dealt with her. I probably would find her annoying if it was more often/regularly.... then there would have been two new companions I was never going to use instead of just one.1
