Companions will kill this game

ereboz

with the addition of companions, the game is basically just a solo game now with other people doing their thing. PUGS will no longer exist because people can make their own groups with companions, also the dps will be if anything better with a companion, thus forcing 'pet' builds on everyone for best dps. I don't see any part of this that will work out well in an online game

Starlock

When you realize that playing solo is the default state in this game and that grouping of any kind is a highly optional activity that many don't partake in already, I think you'll become less pessimistic.

TequilaFire

But what will you do if your companion bugs out during a fight?

ereboz

Starlock wrote: »

When you realize that playing solo is the default state in this game and that grouping of any kind is a highly optional activity that many don't partake in already, I think you'll become less pessimistic.

I wouldn't call it pessimistic to lose the ability to play with other people in an online game I enjoyed as an online game

robertthebard

Hopefully what it kills are zergers that prevent questers from getting their quests done in dungeons. I don't see that as a negative, in fact, I see it as a positive, and I'm unaffected. Maybe it puts a bunch of zergers in the same dungeon a few times, because there won't be any questers in the queue, and they end up costing each other completions, and all the people that have been told "just make a questing group then" get to point and laugh when the zergers start complaining about each other.

TequilaFire

At least they are not in Cyrodiil.
Although does anybody remember PvP mercenaries they had to remove?

Linaleah

oh I don't know.... people who love to rush through dungeons will finally get to play with their own kind, people who want to see the stories and smell the flowers will actualy get to do that instead of just... not doing dungeons after few frustrating experiences. and since you can bring companions into trials, apparently - might even get to do some of those trials that have hard requirement of a full group (AA for example) with fewer people, if there are not enough people online or for fun or whatnot.

people who like playing with other people, will still play with other people.

Chilly-McFreeze

I highly doubt that the AI is good enough to really replace a competent player in anything but base game dungeons. A nice back up for sure but nothing that carries you through tough stuff. But I'll better not bet on that.

robertthebard

Chilly-McFreeze wrote: »

I highly doubt that the AI is good enough to really replace a competent player in anything but base game dungeons. A nice back up for sure but nothing that carries you through tough stuff. But I'll better not bet on that.

Yeah, I'm not so sure either. The problem I have is that, in swtor, I did replace players with companions, successfully, more times than I care to relate.

SirAndy

Linaleah wrote: »

people who like playing with other people, will still play with other people.

^^^ this ...

Jeremy

ereboz wrote: »

with the addition of companions, the game is basically just a solo game now with other people doing their thing. PUGS will no longer exist because people can make their own groups with companions, also the dps will be if anything better with a companion, thus forcing 'pet' builds on everyone for best dps. I don't see any part of this that will work out well in an online game

It's definitely a legitimate concern. Though if I read their intentions correctly, they aren't meant to replace groups only to make smaller groups of 2 or 3 people viable.

MyKillv2.0

I think people actually enjoy PLAYING this game less than they enjoy forcing people to play the game they want or taking away a game style that they do not enjoy. It's weird. I see the same thing in politics, where people care less about a rule they are attempting to enforce and rather love the act of enforcement. It's odd.

TequilaFire

I wonder if they will make a a good personnel pocket healer by outfitting them with healing sets.

josiahva

You do realize that those who want to group up will continue to group up?...its a social game and companions aren't going to fill that void. I am personally just thrilled that DPS can bring along their own personal buff monkeys and tanks and healers can focus on tanking and healing. You are looking at companions wrong...they are no different than pets, except unlike pets they are an extension of your slottable equipment.

GreenHere

I'm more worried about seeing the parade of annoying NPC/pet things growing larger than it already is. The amount of bankers, merchants, TWILIGHTS FLAPPING IN MY FACE CONSTANTLY, interactable-blocking bears, flaming pulsating sparkle ponies, exploding shimmering audible animation'd mounts, and other various obnoxious stuff trailing every other player in the game is already enough to be very off-putting for many of us.

Now we'll have one more thing following these people around. Hooray!

ZOS really should do something about that aspect of it, and soon... Which means it'll probably be addressed in 2025.

Thealteregoroman

Until you work at Zos and see what the stats say on their end, this business will always follow where the money goes. If this wasn't obvious to you that this is primarily roleplaying game first above all else... all you have to do is look at the crown store and crown crates. The online aspect was always just an option to link up with other players. We have over 7 years to show where ZOS wants to take their game. Players will always vote with their wallets.

You cant blame ZOS when they have the stats that prove what sells.

It's a harsh reality to accept but the RPers are what's keeping this game alive. Just like the RPers in Fallout 76. Once you accept that you can start to make informed decisions moving forward to what you ultimately want to do and where you want to spend your time.

Pallio

So now you only need 1 friend, less pressure than tring to find 3, nice.

Mojmir

all i know is alot of people gonna change their mind about grinding. lol

TheImperfect

I seriously doubt that, wait and see.

NeeScrolls

ereboz wrote: »

I wouldn't call it pessimistic to lose the ability to play with other people in an online game I enjoyed as an online game

Chilly-McFreeze wrote: »

I highly doubt that the AI is good enough to really replace a competent player in anything but base game dungeons. A nice back up for sure but nothing that carries you through tough stuff. But I'll better not bet on that.

As i mentioned here in the other thread with same topic, i agree it's def. a legit concern. (in more ways than 1 )

----

TequilaFire wrote: »

At least they are not in Cyrodiil.
Although does anybody remember PvP mercenaries they had to remove?

i still have mine ( 2 of them in fact ... but... i don't dare ever pull them out lol )

----

GreenHere wrote: »

I'm more worried about seeing the parade of annoying NPC/pet things growing larger than it already is. The amount of bankers, merchants, TWILIGHTS FLAPPING IN MY FACE CONSTANTLY, interactable-blocking bears, flaming pulsating sparkle ponies, exploding shimmering audible animation'd mounts, and other various obnoxious stuff trailing every other player in the game is already enough to be very off-putting for many of us.

Now we'll have one more thing following these people around..

Yep i hear ya , and that was my other "concern" i also mentioned in the other same thread.

Time will tell i guess.

Xebov

[snip]

PUGs will still exist after the Update, not because ppl like each other but because their existance reason is not changed. You want the random daily, which requires a random dungeon with the group finder or you want to farm gear, which is generelly better with players. Besides that i doubt that the compagnions will be able to deal with the more complex mechanics of DLC dungeons.

Compagnions are very likely to improve the game. Naturally most players are DD and never notice this, but Tank and Healer players are penalized in the game. Group content requires them, but all other content essentially forces them to have additional gear and extra skill sets because their role is not benefitial. Compagnions have the chance of resolving that issue.

[Edited for Baiting]

poodlemasterb16_ESO

I've been playing it solo since the beta.

omegatay_ESO

It's welcomed that ZoS is trying to flush out everyone's play styles. Nothing changes with companions, but perhaps makes some content available to people who don't feel comfortable in groups. Or perhaps helping a group that needs a another dps, or healer.
Truthfully, at the moment we don't really know how companions are going to work.

Auth3nticGlitch

Ahaha love it when people think grouping with random people is the only thing that makes this game great. Besides grouping with people will always exist but the crappy dungeon finder part of the game will possibly diminish over time and considering the state of the dungeon finder I wouldn’t be upset about it.

Maybe this will finally get people grouping up with guildies instead, I love grouping with guildies, they play their role, they share loot and it’s better than 80% of random queues.

SeaGtGruff

[Bursts into song...]

Players,
Players who need players
Are the luckiest players
In the game...

[Ducks rotten fruit.]

Seriously, though, we'll just have to wait and see how powerful and competent companions can be, but I'm doubtful that they'll be able to completely replace a group of players, especially in the harder content where you need to learn boss mechanics. It seems likely that players who enjoy playing solo are going to play solo anyway, and players who enjoy playing in groups are going to continue to play in groups.

EDIT -- Also, if you need to buy the new chapter to even have the ability to acquire companions, there will be players who won't be able to use companions for at least another year because they'll be waiting for the chapter to be demoted to a DLC.

Seraphayel

Ban companions from group dungeons and trials and we‘re good. In an instanced setting that’s distinctively created for group activities companions just shouldn’t work.

The one thing that companions everywhere will kill is performance though.

redspecter23

Seraphayel wrote: »

Ban companions from group dungeons and trials and we‘re good. In an instanced setting that’s distinctively created for group activities companions just shouldn’t work.

The one thing that companions everywhere will kill is performance though.

I have a feeling that companions may be banned in queue groups specifically. I just can't see how it would work if they were allowed. You wouldn't need to ban them from preformed groups though. If a friend and myself want to run a duo dungeon, I don't see the issue with that as long as we're not impacting the queue anyway.

I disagree on the second part. I can't imagine how companions will impact performance at all. They aren't much more than a glorified mob with a set script and they will be limited in most situations if they take up a group slot. 2 players and 2 companions in a dungeon shouldn't be any more impactful than 4 players would be in that same instance.

spartaxoxo

Seraphayel wrote: »

Ban companions from group dungeons and trials and we‘re good. In an instanced setting that’s distinctively created for group activities companions just shouldn’t work.

The one thing that companions everywhere will kill is performance though.

One of the selling points of Companions is specifically that will allow people to do some grouped content without the need of a group.

How that will be balanced and which content, I don't know. But it's a selling point of the feature and specifically why I already pre-ordered so I'm gonna be very mad if doesn't work that way in some capacity.

I can personally see it being disabled in queues and vet mode, but allowed in preformed groups and normal mode.

Seraphayel

redspecter23 wrote: »

Seraphayel wrote: »

Ban companions from group dungeons and trials and we‘re good. In an instanced setting that’s distinctively created for group activities companions just shouldn’t work.

The one thing that companions everywhere will kill is performance though.

I have a feeling that companions may be banned in queue groups specifically. I just can't see how it would work if they were allowed. You wouldn't need to ban them from preformed groups though. If a friend and myself want to run a duo dungeon, I don't see the issue with that as long as we're not impacting the queue anyway.

I disagree on the second part. I can't imagine how companions will impact performance at all. They aren't much more than a glorified mob with a set script and they will be limited in most situations if they take up a group slot. 2 players and 2 companions in a dungeon shouldn't be any more impactful than 4 players would be in that same instance.

The second part is solely dedicated to overland content. Companions are not like pets that have only one / two attacks. Companions can be skilled and have priority lists etc. - I don’t want to know how much stress that puts on the already overloaded servers. Now multiply that by hundred, thousand or a hundred thousand players being online at the same time and having their very specific companion around. Sounds like a performance nightmare to me.

Auth3nticGlitch

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Seraphayel wrote: »

Ban companions from group dungeons and trials and we‘re good. In an instanced setting that’s distinctively created for group activities companions just shouldn’t work.

The one thing that companions everywhere will kill is performance though.

One of the selling points of Companions is specifically that will allow people to do some grouped content without the need of a group.

How that will be balanced and which content, I don't know. But it's a selling point of the feature and specifically why I already pre-ordered so I'm gonna be very mad if doesn't work that way in some capacity.

I can personally see it being disabled in queues and vet mode, but allowed in preformed groups and normal mode.

@spartaxoxo Except they said on stream that it will be allowed in vet dungeons and I see no reason for it not to be allowed in performed groups of any difficulty tbh.

Seraphayel wrote: »

redspecter23 wrote: »

Seraphayel wrote: »

Ban companions from group dungeons and trials and we‘re good. In an instanced setting that’s distinctively created for group activities companions just shouldn’t work.

The one thing that companions everywhere will kill is performance though.

I have a feeling that companions may be banned in queue groups specifically. I just can't see how it would work if they were allowed. You wouldn't need to ban them from preformed groups though. If a friend and myself want to run a duo dungeon, I don't see the issue with that as long as we're not impacting the queue anyway.

I disagree on the second part. I can't imagine how companions will impact performance at all. They aren't much more than a glorified mob with a set script and they will be limited in most situations if they take up a group slot. 2 players and 2 companions in a dungeon shouldn't be any more impactful than 4 players would be in that same instance.

The second part is solely dedicated to overland content. Companions are not like pets that have only one / two attacks. Companions can be skilled and have priority lists etc. - I don’t want to know how much stress that puts on the already overloaded servers. Now multiply that by hundred, thousand or a hundred thousand players being online at the same time and having their very specific companion around. Sounds like a performance nightmare to me.

I don't believe it would be much of an issue with performance, its no different than having all those enemies on overland, they all perform their attacks and have set routes to move around, a companion will just be an enemy that is on your team and only attack when you are in combat and follows the player only. The only thing that may affect performance is proc sets but overland content never really had an issue with performance, at least I never had any issues. Also, my guess is they will account for performance by making a companion count as a real player, that way when an instance is full it will create an overflow instance for everyone else which may actually mean that overland will have less real players at one time.

Tommy_The_Gun

So... Adding companion system is less of an effort than adding group finder support for Trials & Arenas ? Kinda weird 🤔