POLL: Combat Hirelings

Doctordarkspawn

Yes

Giles.floydub17_ESO wrote: »

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

Giles.floydub17_ESO wrote: »

There is no need for this in ESO. Zero.

I disagree vehemently.

Disagreeing doesn't make it so and the point you choose not to include is still very much the case.

Zos will not add combat companions. For the reasons that he omitted when quoting me.

I chose not to include what, exactly? If you were talking about the 'no need', then whatever, I'd still like it.

I half think ZOS wouldn't add combat companions because their more lazy than anything.

I'd just like combat companions. Think you may need to calm down there friend.

Rosveen

Depends

I don't want a brain-dead sidekick following me around, but I wouldn't say no to combat pets available to all classes.

They absolutely must not be sold in the Crown Store, though.

Giraffon

Yes

I say why not? Make them a gold sink. Once they die, you gotta' go hire another one. Can't use them in PvP or Group Dungeons though. The more gold you spend, the better they are. No crown store stuff though. Just in game gold.

You could even use them in some RP capacity since they follow you around and you have to keep them alive.

SilentRaven1972

No

Want hirlings/helpers? Go play a different MMO, please. Had enough of those junky buggers in Neverwinter.

Browiseth

Yes

Dracindo wrote: »

Browiseth wrote: »

no because it's an mmo

and that alone is apparently enough reason

yeah i don't get it either

How's finding a decent pricing line for a reason?
How much do you think players should pay for it? And Crowns are not a valid currency to respond IMO, or it would be Pay2Win. A bank hireling is only a timesaver, a combat hireling can step up your gameplay alot. I mean, if these are intended to help out in group dungeons, imagine players using them to grind for faster levelling and farming raw mats for medium armor.

do it the way SWTOR does it
they're just characters that join you as part of the story, and you can choose to bring them or not
it really makes for some interesting roleplaying when you've got a cool likable character following you around

ofc they wouldn't be allowed in dungeons etc

Rickter

Yes

I thought this would be more desired by the player base to be honest. I really liked them in SWTOR and i could see how this might discourage group play but lets be honest - ESO is already pretty solo friendly. Leveling is relatively easy, and things like VMA and changes to Craglorn really promote solo play. Would be cool to have an "assistant" like Tythis who will tank or fight with you. Games like FFXIV have the chocobos so its a proven method

NewBlacksmurf

No

Abeille wrote: »

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

Sorry
If this....then why play on a MMO server

There always has to be a need for other players to exist on the server

I'm moreso pushing the opposite.....no more solo only environments.

I understand wanting to solo everything. People might like this game on its own, but not the MMO aspect of it. A lot of solo players here.
And before you say "go play Skyrim", it is not like ESO is Skyrim: The MMO. They are different games and it is understandable that someone would like to play ESO, but solo. The game is very solo friendly in general, after all.

I would prefer if we could take whatever number of players we want anywhere and the instance would scale to it, but that's wishful thinking.

@Abeille
I'm just saying nothing at all should be "solo only" which includes asking for a combat assistant

I'd be open to much better ways to play with others thoin this idea of an assistant so to speak.
Like maybe have players for hire in some user interfaces

Betheny

Yes

Yes, and then ones we can keep and trap in our player houses to perform menial tasks like cooking our dinners and warming the bed.

TrueGreenSmoker

No

No just no!

Betheny

Yes

People saying no are just scared of being replaced by an NPC, which shows how much confidence they must have in their own playing abilities...

NewBlacksmurf

No

Betheny wrote: »

People saying no are just scared of being replaced by an NPC, which shows how much confidence they must have in their own playing abilities...

@Betheny ?
How did you gather this idea that people are afraid to be replaced.

Speaking for myself, it's not that at all. It's a fear of the game being dumbed down to a single player game on a MMO server and future development being centered around a solo pace vs rewarding group content and solo-able content but that has consistent and significant difficulty if attempted truly alone with or without a group.

jedtb16_ESO

No

Betheny wrote: »

People saying no are just scared of being replaced by an NPC, which shows how much confidence they must have in their own playing abilities...

erm... how can my toon be replaced by an npc???

what the robots are going to take over mmos.... really?

are you on skooma?

you are aren't you?

Bam_Bam

No

L2P

Minalan

No

Just not in cyrodiil.

We already did the mercenary contract thing, there's a reason it was patched out.

Khaos_Bane

No

I cannot stand pets of any sort

Betheny

Yes

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

Betheny wrote: »

People saying no are just scared of being replaced by an NPC, which shows how much confidence they must have in their own playing abilities...

@Betheny ?
How did you gather this idea that people are afraid to be replaced.

Speaking for myself, it's not that at all. It's a fear of the game being dumbed down to a single player game on a MMO server and future development being centered around a solo pace vs rewarding group content and solo-able content but that has consistent and significant difficulty if attempted truly alone with or without a group.

If they're not afraid why would they care about how other people play their game?

There are loads of people who would like to play group content but won't because they have to deal with how other people act and treat each other, which is on the most part - terribly.

So your fears of dumbing down comes nowhere close in the hierarchy of importance vs their inability to complete content at all due to this. Instead make the companion/contract hirelings powerful enough to do the job with some effort.

Guild Wars (the original one) did this very thing fine and still had people grouping up as well, so this is not an impossible task (unless you are voting no confidence in ZOS's abilities to get things right).

idk

No

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

Giles.floydub17_ESO wrote: »

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

Giles.floydub17_ESO wrote: »

There is no need for this in ESO. Zero.

I disagree vehemently.

Disagreeing doesn't make it so and the point you choose not to include is still very much the case.

Zos will not add combat companions. For the reasons that he omitted when quoting me.

I chose not to include what, exactly? If you were talking about the 'no need', then whatever, I'd still like it.

I half think ZOS wouldn't add combat companions because their more lazy than anything.

I'd just like combat companions. Think you may need to calm down there friend.

@Doctordarkspawn

Zos will most certainly not add combat companions because it's not needed with their design. There is absolutely zero need for them in ESO.

Just because you might want one because you think it would be cool or something doesn't mean it's good for the game or fits the vision Zos has. Zos has the responsibility to determine what is good for the game and what's worthy and what's not.

Combat companions are certainly not worthy.

Combats companions certainly don't fit that bill and no one has offered a decent response as to why they would be outside of warm fuzzy feelings.

Edit: and adding combat companions would merely lead to more characters complaint threads in a forum already filled with many and most are pointless. People would not be happy they didn't work as they want them.

Just another reason not to add them.

Mojmir

Yes

As long as they're not annoying like lyris

Jemcrystal

Depends

Yes pls! I would love to have a combat npc partner!! But only if (1) I can marry him/her. (2) I can level himr up and unlock achievements based on my combat partner. (3) I can have himr live in my house walking around with homey animations. (4) He/she makes me a home cooked meal once a day. (5) S/he desponds in heavy pop areas. (6) S/he cannot be summoned if pets of any kind are out. (7) S/he can be dressed in any clothes/costumes that I have unlocked/bought for my character. (8) S/he is made in the same character creation screen with same options as a main/alt. (9) S/he can attack according to the weapon equipped. (10) S/he's personal level cannot exceed the level of the character I am playing. (11) Weapon and armor stats do not apply to my combat partner just appearance. (12) Leveling my combat partner would be the only increase in weapon damage and armor stats allowed to my combat partner.

NewBlacksmurf

No

Betheny wrote: »

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

Betheny wrote: »

People saying no are just scared of being replaced by an NPC, which shows how much confidence they must have in their own playing abilities...

@Betheny ?
How did you gather this idea that people are afraid to be replaced.

Speaking for myself, it's not that at all. It's a fear of the game being dumbed down to a single player game on a MMO server and future development being centered around a solo pace vs rewarding group content and solo-able content but that has consistent and significant difficulty if attempted truly alone with or without a group.

If they're not afraid why would they care about how other people play their game?

There are loads of people who would like to play group content but won't because they have to deal with how other people act and treat each other, which is on the most part - terribly.

So your fears of dumbing down comes nowhere close in the hierarchy of importance vs their inability to complete content at all due to this. Instead make the companion/contract hirelings powerful enough to do the job with some effort.

Guild Wars (the original one) did this very thing fine and still had people grouping up as well, so this is not an impossible task (unless you are voting no confidence in ZOS's abilities to get things right).

@Betheny

First....the idea that anyone has the fear that you're writing is wrong.
Let me clear that up as best I can based on my perspective that is shared by others (not all but some)

-Games on a MMO server should by design require player to player interaction as well as cooperation to access, experience and progress through content. That isn't a suggestion that 100% of the game should have a group requirement but I personally feel that in this specific game, the following shouldn't be solo-able (my own opinion)

-Public dungeons
-Trials
-Group Dungeons
-Dolemans
-Guild quests
-main quests/story

Now that's a very narrow opinion, therefore, based on how I read, see and interact with others....here is what should be the actual experience

-Public dungeons (solo-able if others are around but not to require a group)
-Trials (ground only)
-Group Dungeons (possible with 2 or more but impossible with only one)
-Doleman (impossible with less than 3)
-Guild quests (solo-able but never solo-only)
-Main Quests/Story (solo-able but never solo-only)

---

Regarding how other people act and how they choose to treat one another
-Well making the game soloable in every aspect will make that worse. Understand that if you and I as well as others are placed in an environment where success is DEPEDANT upon another human, it will drastically curve a person's behavior.

I'm reality this game is around 85% solo-able therefore these behaviors are higher than they should be. It wasn't that way pre-Nerf back before Craglorn was added

The other side of the coin is that "some players" who have this behavior that you describe is also the same player who can't find ppl to play with because of their behaviors and attitudes

The other reality is this game has a lot of players want solo-able content because they don't want to have to get along well with others.

---

Guild Wars and the sequel.....
I had the experiences of playing that game for almost a year.

Honestly, my personal feelings about that gameplay was that it was an absolute waste and a terrible model.

Any game on an MMO server, based on my preferences and also based on games that have lasted for over 2 years without a sequel...
Those games do require the necessity for what I would describe as 70-30 rules

30% of the game should require group play whether that be a formal group or just local players regarding commerce, progressions and gear or NPC hunting

70% of the game can be solo-able so new players can come along
Now within that 70%, I'd say that no more than *5% should be solo-only and 95%% should be optional for co-op play

Overall I think your prior experiences are driving your point of view just as mine are.
It seems we may both vary in what we consider to be "right" or "good"....that's fine but I want to try and clear up the ideas that you have around fear because I believe you're off on those thoughts. Everything else is preference and I disagree with your idea of what's good but that's people

Ankael07

Yes

Combat part can be just for show.A companion can be for convenience mostly. From interesting personality to temporary inventory to hold whatever drops from the dungeon. A rogue companion for example, can find the chests and open them for you. A magician can explain the lore of the place etc etc.

Valethar

No

Nope. Open world combat is close to being trivial as it is. If you want combat capable companions, try SWTOR.

TheShadowScout

No

As if the game needed any more lag... or rebalancing half the content.

Need help? Ask one of your fellow players, darnit, this is a MMORPG, not a solo game!

Arundo

Yes

Giles.floydub17_ESO wrote: »

Arundo wrote: »

Made a poll kind of like this a few weeks ago and then the outcome was in favor of companions.

54 or 42% votes in favor
51 or 40% votes against it
17 or 13% dont care
5 or 3% Other (yes but...)
2% missing...

So yes but then I want to be able to gear them myself and customize them aswell.

@Arundo

The poll and this one are nice discussions be Zos will never add combat companions.

They aren't needed. It's merely something else for people to complain about and it's more work Zos for which they have zero incentive to do.

Well people complain about everything, should be nothing new for ZOS. Generation complain.

For me companions can bring new stories and quests and perhaps even replace your hirelings to send them on missions to gather stuff. And as I mentioned before its nice to customize them and gear them so that not 1000 of the same banker / merchant assistant run around in cities.

Banana

Depends

Can I take them into vma with me. Id like a tank or healer.

Nyx2

No

Everyone already feels the need to take their pet into every laggy area, we don't need more junk clustering up the screen.

runagate

No

Enslaved wrote: »

In PvP/any type of group PvE ( when you are actually in group) I say no.

You know what? I'd completely forgotten about the PvP mercenaries. I still have quite a few old school FCs but I never once bought a merc.

Draxys

We used to have mercenary contracts in pvp, but they were almost as broken as vampires at launch.