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https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/684716

Companion Combat AI

HybridFreak
HybridFreak
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I love the companions and the companion system as a whole, but their combat AI is absolutely atrocious. Can we please get an update for them, so they'll at least make an ATTEMPT to not stand in the stupid AOEs?
  • Necrotech_Master
    Necrotech_Master
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    they did, sort of lol

    instead of them not moving at all, they slowly walk around (strafing) the target, which does help a little, but they are too dumb to get out of aoes (unless said AOE drops them to low enough health they want to dodge roll for melee companions)
    plays PC/NA
    handle @Necrotech_Master
    active player since april 2014

    i have my main house (grand topal hideaway) listed in the housing tours, it has multiple target dummies, scribing altar, and grandmaster stations (in progress being filled out), as well as almost every antiquity furnishing on display to preview them

    feel free to stop by and use the facilities
  • Ilumia
    Ilumia
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    It would alsonbe great if they engaged in fighting when I'm fighting. Sometimes Zerith is just standing with his weapon sheathed looking blissfully unawere while I'm fighting for dear life at a volcanic vent or something. On the other hand, if I engage a mudcrab Zerith-var will absolutely get in the second hit and blitz that crustacean.
  • Orbital78
    Orbital78
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    Just gonna leave this here. :*

    https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/668300/marauder-gothmau-is-bugged-with-companions#latest

    I really wish they would at least address the target issues. Better combat AI and survival would be nice too.
  • Ragnarok0130
    Ragnarok0130
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    Ilumia wrote: »
    It would alsonbe great if they engaged in fighting when I'm fighting. Sometimes Zerith is just standing with his weapon sheathed looking blissfully unawere while I'm fighting for dear life at a volcanic vent or something. On the other hand, if I engage a mudcrab Zerith-var will absolutely get in the second hit and blitz that crustacean.

    I’ve had that happen with several companions such as Bastian and Isobel. It’s maddening.
  • Gabriel_H
    Gabriel_H
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    I have all companions at full rapport, and fully levelled ... and I never use them because the combat AI drives me up the wall with it's stupidity.
  • valenwood_vegan
    valenwood_vegan
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    Ilumia wrote: »
    It would alsonbe great if they engaged in fighting when I'm fighting. Sometimes Zerith is just standing with his weapon sheathed looking blissfully unawere while I'm fighting for dear life at a volcanic vent or something. On the other hand, if I engage a mudcrab Zerith-var will absolutely get in the second hit and blitz that crustacean.

    Yeah there are a lot of incursions, wb's, dungeon boss fights, etc., where this behavior happens. Or the companion will fight a little bit, but then think combat has ended and "reset" over and over again. It's possible I just used to miss it because I was focusing on the fight and not my companion, but now that it's on my radar I noticed it happens quite often and it seems like it's worse than when companions were first released.
    Edited by valenwood_vegan on 30 October 2025 17:24
  • Shlomo666
    Shlomo666
    Soul Shriven
    Ilumia wrote: »
    It would alsonbe great if they engaged in fighting when I'm fighting.
    You can use the pet command (default hold 'y' and right click on target) to let them attack a target.
  • Orbital78
    Orbital78
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    Shlomo666 wrote: »
    Ilumia wrote: »
    It would alsonbe great if they engaged in fighting when I'm fighting.
    You can use the pet command (default hold 'y' and right click on target) to let them attack a target.

    Even on heavy attacks which should auto focus the target, they just sit there or wander off because of the bad bugs/programming for their targeting. It has been an issue for a very long time, making them basically a useless system which was paid for.

    I did see that they are finally potentially bringing in legendary companion gear besides the one time event ring. To be honest the gear quality upgrades feel very minimal at best, but I hope they put some actual effort in to the system rather than just adding new companions to the cash shop.
    Edited by Orbital78 on 30 October 2025 20:51
  • Dragonredux
    Dragonredux
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    They haven't fixed the AI during the Blackwood PTS and I don't expect it now. Enjoy your bootleg pets because it's never getting an update. The best they can do is give a bad bandaid set.
  • whitecrow
    whitecrow
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    Please enable them to distinguish between "end of wave" and "end of battle." Having them say "glad that's over" when another wave is incoming makes them seem stupid.
  • Necrotech_Master
    Necrotech_Master
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    Orbital78 wrote: »
    Just gonna leave this here. :*

    https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/668300/marauder-gothmau-is-bugged-with-companions#latest

    I really wish they would at least address the target issues. Better combat AI and survival would be nice too.

    azander works a little better against that issue because he has a fast cooldown ranged taunt, where as other companions have to use the 1h/shield melee taunt (which doesnt work as well when melee is buggy), or a god awful long cooldown undaunted range taunt (this taunt is virtually useless since at a base it has a cooldown 3x the duration, so unless your running an insane amount of cooldown armor, its not gonna help them keep aggro)
    Orbital78 wrote: »
    Shlomo666 wrote: »
    Ilumia wrote: »
    It would alsonbe great if they engaged in fighting when I'm fighting.
    You can use the pet command (default hold 'y' and right click on target) to let them attack a target.

    Even on heavy attacks which should auto focus the target, they just sit there or wander off because of the bad bugs/programming for their targeting. It has been an issue for a very long time, making them basically a useless system which was paid for.

    I did see that they are finally potentially bringing in legendary companion gear besides the one time event ring. To be honest the gear quality upgrades feel very minimal at best, but I hope they put some actual effort in to the system rather than just adding new companions to the cash shop.

    companion gear has its own host of issues right now:
    • no set options
    • no gold options (outside of the 1 event ring)
    • no ability to craft/transmute it
    • no ability to even mark companion gear as junk

    so there is a lot there they should do with that
    plays PC/NA
    handle @Necrotech_Master
    active player since april 2014

    i have my main house (grand topal hideaway) listed in the housing tours, it has multiple target dummies, scribing altar, and grandmaster stations (in progress being filled out), as well as almost every antiquity furnishing on display to preview them

    feel free to stop by and use the facilities
  • AvalonRanger
    AvalonRanger
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    Companion is too much braindead. :s

    1, Keep standing AoE.

    2, Ignore mech always, and instant death.

    3, After resurrection through the combat, they become totally braindead
    and keep standing without any of action.

    4, Simply too much weak.

    I don't need useless combat companion anymore, I want argonian maid instead.
    My playing time Mon-Friday UTC13:00-16:00 [PC-NA] CP over2000 now.
    I have [1Tough tank] [1StamSorc-DD] [1Necro-DD] [1Real Healer]
    with [1Stam Blade].
    But, I'm Tank main player. Recently I'm doing Healer.

    2023/12/21
    By the way...Dungeon-Meshi(One of Famous Japanese fantasy story comic book) got finale...
    Good-bye "King of Monster Eater".

    2024/08/23
    Farewell Atsuko Tanaka...(-_-) I never forget epic acting for major Motoko Kusanagi.
  • Orbital78
    Orbital78
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    azander works a little better against that issue because he has a fast cooldown ranged taunt, where as other companions have to use the 1h/shield melee taunt (which doesnt work as well when melee is buggy), or a god awful long cooldown undaunted range taunt (this taunt is virtually useless since at a base it has a cooldown 3x the duration, so unless your running an insane amount of cooldown armor, its not gonna help them keep aggro)

    companion gear has its own host of issues right now:
    • no set options
    • no gold options (outside of the 1 event ring)
    • no ability to craft/transmute it
    • no ability to even mark companion gear as junk

    so there is a lot there they should do with that

    Azandar works better because his taunt actually targets, but it is silly that only one companion functions the way it should for over a year probably now. The undaunted taunt just isn't able to target, even with 50%+ cooldown reduction for whatever reason. I haven't tested him on Tidespite, but the others just run off to Narnia it seems as any role except when targeting the trash.

    It looks like gold/legendary quality is coming for Hearts Day event (PTS) I am guessing in February. I have addons that mark it as junk by quality, green is auto sold to vendor, though soon I will do the same with blue.
  • Necrotech_Master
    Necrotech_Master
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    Orbital78 wrote: »
    azander works a little better against that issue because he has a fast cooldown ranged taunt, where as other companions have to use the 1h/shield melee taunt (which doesnt work as well when melee is buggy), or a god awful long cooldown undaunted range taunt (this taunt is virtually useless since at a base it has a cooldown 3x the duration, so unless your running an insane amount of cooldown armor, its not gonna help them keep aggro)

    companion gear has its own host of issues right now:
    • no set options
    • no gold options (outside of the 1 event ring)
    • no ability to craft/transmute it
    • no ability to even mark companion gear as junk

    so there is a lot there they should do with that

    Azandar works better because his taunt actually targets, but it is silly that only one companion functions the way it should for over a year probably now. The undaunted taunt just isn't able to target, even with 50%+ cooldown reduction for whatever reason. I haven't tested him on Tidespite, but the others just run off to Narnia it seems as any role except when targeting the trash.

    It looks like gold/legendary quality is coming for Hearts Day event (PTS) I am guessing in February. I have addons that mark it as junk by quality, green is auto sold to vendor, though soon I will do the same with blue.

    that might be nice, for the addon, though it cant mark as junk, but it could still be marked to auto sell

    in game right now companion gear cannot be marked as junk, so running addons that simply run the "sell all junk" option at a merchant do not function because the gear itself still cannot be marked as actual junk and go into the junk tab

    i just simply destroy it right now because most of it isnt even worth manually selling (i think most companion gear is like 8-16g at the npc vendors)
    plays PC/NA
    handle @Necrotech_Master
    active player since april 2014

    i have my main house (grand topal hideaway) listed in the housing tours, it has multiple target dummies, scribing altar, and grandmaster stations (in progress being filled out), as well as almost every antiquity furnishing on display to preview them

    feel free to stop by and use the facilities
  • Orbital78
    Orbital78
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    i just simply destroy it right now because most of it isnt even worth manually selling (i think most companion gear is like 8-16g at the npc vendors)

    Understandable, I think it is Personal Assistant that I use to filter it as junk with other stuff. If I open a merchant it is all sold in bulk, pretty nice. I also have bank filters as well with that addon.

    In the current setup, there are really only maybe 3 or 4 traits that have any use. Maybe they can buff some of the other traits some or find a way to make them more useful.

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