Why companions?

TheBonesXXX

So far, Blackwood looks o.k., but companions? Every DLC before Blackwood has had really good systems.

Companions feel like a waste of assets, it's not a new class nor is it jewelry crafting or antiquities.

This game ever gonna put more assets into PvP?

ZOS are you ever gonna fix the engine and the lag, since your servers still don't work?

Maybe a manager misses the point and that's why you waste assets on silly things that shouldn't be on the game.

What are companions compared to your previous systems?

Fennwitty

I'd also prefer attention spent on other areas, but Companions are going to be a major selling point for getting in people who like Elder Scrolls games but are reluctant about MMOs generally.

Unless seriously screwed up it's going to be a positive for ESO financially.

FaylenSol

Companions are going to be a huge buff to the game for me and my friends. We don't really like playing with randoms in group content like Dungeons and sometimes only two of us are online but want to go for a Dungeon on Normal. We've tried doing it as just three people and its possible but difficult.

On top of that we also enjoy other Elder Scrolls titles that have companions and stuff.

So its a welcomed feature for me and my group.

TheBonesXXX

Fennwitty wrote: »

I'd also prefer attention spent on other areas, but Companions are going to be a major selling point for getting in people who like Elder Scrolls games but are reluctant about MMOs generally.

Unless seriously screwed up it's going to be a positive for ESO financially.

It's always about the bottom line. [snip]

Realistically publicly traded gaming companies will never see their full potential [snip]

[edited for bashing]

TheBonesXXX

FaylenSol wrote: »

Companions are going to be a huge buff to the game for me and my friends. We don't really like playing with randoms in group content like Dungeons and sometimes only two of us are online but want to go for a Dungeon on Normal. We've tried doing it as just three people and its possible but difficult.

On top of that we also enjoy other Elder Scrolls titles that have companions and stuff.

So its a welcomed feature for me and my group.

That's cool that you have one or two friends, they could have just designed the dungeons for you and your friends instead of the PvE endgame dudebros.

But honestly loyal PvPers have been waiting for Cyrodiil to get fixed for years and there are a ton of more broken things in the game that need addressed.

geonsocal

so i can farm gear solo - easier???

can't wait to take my mag sorc through a dungeon with 2 pets, maw of the infernal and a companion...

hmmm, i wonder if i'll have to listen to bastian complain about having the deadroth's ass in his face while he's trying to tank

phaneub17_ESO

Just think of them as "pets" for the rest of the classes that don't have permanent ones. Wardens can treat theirs as if its a Bear and then slot actual Ultimates or have TWO Bears.

TheBonesXXX

geonsocal wrote: »

so i can farm gear solo - easier???

can't wait to take my mag sorc through a dungeon with 2 pets, maw of the infernal and a companion...

hmmm, i wonder if i'll have to listen to bastian complain about having the deadroth's ass in his face while he's trying to tank

I just don't think companions are gonna equate the last systems or come close to their importance.

TheBonesXXX

phaneub17_ESO wrote: »

Just think of them as "pets" for the rest of the classes that don't have permanent ones. Wardens can treat theirs as if its a Bear and then slot actual Ultimates or have TWO Bears.

I -hate- pets. Let alone having assets wasted on them for a whole DLC.

Fhritz

TheBonesXXX wrote: »

So far, Blackwood looks o.k., but companions? Every DLC before Blackwood has had really good systems.

Companions feel like a waste of assets, it's not a new class nor is it jewelry crafting or antiquities.

This game ever gonna put more assets into PvP?

ZOS are you ever gonna fix the engine and the lag, since your servers still don't work?

Maybe a manager misses the point and that's why you waste assets on silly things that shouldn't be on the game.

What are companions compared to your previous systems?

Companions are actually fun. On pts, they are useful for begginer or solo farming (even in dungeon). And i think one day we'll be able to do more....hum "personal" quest with them. PvP don't need upgrade since Cyrodiil, IC and BG aren't fully exploited by the game (Lag for Cyrodiil, no ranking system for BG and... literally no one in IC)

They said thay'll fix performance by replacing old server with new server, and some other fix too.

TheBonesXXX

Fhritz wrote: »

TheBonesXXX wrote: »

So far, Blackwood looks o.k., but companions? Every DLC before Blackwood has had really good systems.

Companions feel like a waste of assets, it's not a new class nor is it jewelry crafting or antiquities.

This game ever gonna put more assets into PvP?

ZOS are you ever gonna fix the engine and the lag, since your servers still don't work?

Maybe a manager misses the point and that's why you waste assets on silly things that shouldn't be on the game.

What are companions compared to your previous systems?

Companions are actually fun. On pts, they are useful for begginer or solo farming (even in dungeon). And i think one day we'll be able to do more....hum "personal" quest with them. PvP don't need upgrade since Cyrodiil, IC and BG aren't fully exploited by the game (Lag for Cyrodiil, no ranking system for BG and... literally no one in IC)

They said thay'll fix performance by replacing old server with new server, and some other fix too.

PvP needs priority. So you're wrong there. There are already pets via classes in the game, so they're a wasted asset.

This game had a massive PvP pop before they killed it. They should be actively working to restore it.

And they're not equivalent to the box price of previous expansions. Companions aren't important enough to pay the same tag price as previous expansions.

redspecter23

Companions are definitely not for everyone, but ZOS knows their audience. There is a huge demand for these companions from less hardcore players. The same people that buy every new house and housing pack as well as a few hundred crates each season. It makes good sense to make those players happy.

The only way they could have improved the system would be to make Bastion a dragon, Mirri a cat and allow you to marry them. I personally wouldn't care, but I'd wager a large amount of people would collectively lose their **** in a good way if it went this direction.

Seraphayel

Every normal base game dungeon (without a mechanic that requires another person standing or clicking something) is soloable. They are that easy, due to how low the damage in general is. Overland the same, basically 99.9% of overland content is soloable as well.

Companions are just a waste of resources that will pollute the world even more. Other people may like them, but it’s the most pointless addition to this game ever - in my opinion. No one besides the outmost casuals need this for gameplay reasons. And I doubt even they need them.

Thannazzar

Companions in principal is a good idea albeit somewhat poorly executed.

There is a lot of instances where companions are utilised in Mmos to craft or gather resources however those roles are taken by the player or skill points in the crafting tree respectively.

What ESO needed was a unique valuable mechanic attached to Companions that was sufficiently impactive to tolerate their sub-par combat buddy status.

Whilst Bastions potion power and Mirri's extra treasure from chests passive are flavourful they don't have the Wow factor that allows you to get past their appearance., (Neither one will be winning any beauty contests anytime soon, especially Bastian). Giving companions access to skins, hats/helmets, polymorph and personalities would go a long way to resolve this.

If not then a rapid diversity of available companions sooner rather than later would round out the feature, including:

1. An antiquarian who gives you the exact location of treasure map chests and Antiquities while summoned.

2. A Thief who distracts guards when you get caught stealing/murdering.

3. A Hunter who kills warden bears that block NPCs and intractable objects.

4. A Squire who reduces equipment damage or repairs items.

5. A Vampiric thrall (Ghoul Brynner) who stops your vampire stage changing when summoned.

nukk3r

TheBonesXXX wrote: »

Fhritz wrote: »

TheBonesXXX wrote: »

So far, Blackwood looks o.k., but companions? Every DLC before Blackwood has had really good systems.

Companions feel like a waste of assets, it's not a new class nor is it jewelry crafting or antiquities.

This game ever gonna put more assets into PvP?

ZOS are you ever gonna fix the engine and the lag, since your servers still don't work?

Maybe a manager misses the point and that's why you waste assets on silly things that shouldn't be on the game.

What are companions compared to your previous systems?

Companions are actually fun. On pts, they are useful for begginer or solo farming (even in dungeon). And i think one day we'll be able to do more....hum "personal" quest with them. PvP don't need upgrade since Cyrodiil, IC and BG aren't fully exploited by the game (Lag for Cyrodiil, no ranking system for BG and... literally no one in IC)

They said thay'll fix performance by replacing old server with new server, and some other fix too.

PvP needs priority. So you're wrong there. There are already pets via classes in the game, so they're a wasted asset.

This game had a massive PvP pop before they killed it. They should be actively working to restore it.

And they're not equivalent to the box price of previous expansions. Companions aren't important enough to pay the same tag price as previous expansions.

That's your opinion. I think ZOS has data on player engagement with different activities, and if PvP doesn't get any attention, it means that it's not a priority. This game is a service run by a private company for profit, they know exactly what they're doing.

Madhojo

Also, just in case everyone missed it...

"If the relationship between the character and companion deteriorates into very low rapport states, the companion may voluntarily unsummon themselves and be unavailable to the associated character for a time."

You have to do actions which the companion approves of or else risk them being useless. So once again ZOS gives us something but then restricts the heck out of it

Iccotak

All your answers can be found here.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/559462/companions-a-breakdown-of-the-new-feature-by-rich-lambert/p1

What is a major reason for the inclusion of this feature? What does it do for Solo and Group play?

Lambert says the idea behind Companions is to allow solo players and small groups to take on dungeons without worrying about becoming overwhelmed. As a solo player myself, I bluntly asked Lambert what took so long for something like that to be added.

"I think we've learned a lot over the years. And one of the main, recurring themes that we've heard from players, especially our more hardcore Elder Scrolls people, is people are scary. And there's some content that they aren't necessarily comfortable within a large group, but they would do with a couple of close, trusted friends. And so the beauty of this system and one of my hopes is, you know, you and a buddy could go and do four-player dungeons because you have two companions to help you out."

Another benefit to the upcoming Companion system, Lambert hopes, is that it'll give folks the confidence to take on tougher dungeons, thereby getting the chance to mingle and engage more with the ESO community.

"It will help players, A: develop stronger social ties in-game with their companions, but also, B: help them kind-of edge a little bit more into some of the group content and meeting other players potentially, which is really exciting to me, because that's where the magic of MMO happens, you know, meeting other people and talking with them and developing those really close social ties."

Imryll

redspecter23 wrote: »

Companions are definitely not for everyone, but ZOS knows their audience. There is a huge demand for these companions from less hardcore players. The same people that buy every new house and housing pack as well as a few hundred crates each season. It makes good sense to make those players happy.

The only way they could have improved the system would be to make Bastion a dragon, Mirri a cat and allow you to marry them. I personally wouldn't care, but I'd wager a large amount of people would collectively lose their **** in a good way if it went this direction.

Hmmm.... Not really my type, at least from the pictures, but if a companion could wear a Ring of Mara, so that the two of you level faster ...

Anonx31st

Companions are a great feature to have if you enjoy playing the game solo and also while specced in builds other than DPS like tank or healer. Also, it helps ZOS with money from their crown store.

Elo106

The companions feel really lackluster on pts, all their skills have cooldowns so for a majority of the time they stand there spamming light attacks.

Anonx31st

Elo106 wrote: »

The companions feel really lackluster on pts, all their skills have cooldowns so for a majority of the time they stand there spamming light attacks.

It's just some added supplementation to the game. I don't do many quests since all my chars are currently specced in tank healer roles, and I don't have many skill points on most of my alts. I welcome the additional DPS from the companion when running a tank, or a meat shield when running a healer build. If playing solo ESO while questing helps make Tamriel a little less lonely, than I am all for it!

Wolfpaw

TheBonesXXX wrote: »

So far, Blackwood looks o.k., but companions? Every DLC before Blackwood has had really good systems.

Companions feel like a waste of assets, it's not a new class nor is it jewelry crafting or antiquities.

This game ever gonna put more assets into PvP?

ZOS are you ever gonna fix the engine and the lag, since your servers still don't work?

Maybe a manager misses the point and that's why you waste assets on silly things that shouldn't be on the game.

What are companions compared to your previous systems?

I would give up on the idea this game's pvp will be anything more than it has been.

Soulshine

Elo106 wrote: »

The companions feel really lackluster on pts, all their skills have cooldowns so for a majority of the time they stand there spamming light attacks.

Not sure what you did on PTS, but that wasn't my impression from a stream of live play I watched today.

As you play they level up pretty fast, and the more they level the more skills get unlocked and some of them where pretty decent for what they are supposed to do. They max out at level 20, and the stream I saw had theirs up to level 6 within a couple of hours. They pulled vet dungeon runs, oblivion portals, and WBs with it and it did an adequate job - tbh seen pug players do worse...

If you are expecting them to perform like another skilled player however, that is never going to happen.

kargen27

Companions were added because players for years have been asking for companions.

The team that works on new content is not the team that works on fixing the game. New content coming out does not mean they are not actively trying to improve PvP. The problems in PvP started when changes were made in response to cheat engines. Since that time ZoS has tried many things to fix the problem.

Creating content for a game and troubleshooting a game require different skill sets. Different teams handle different aspects of the game. Throwing more people at trying to make gameplay in Cyrodiil better might hinder the process rather than help it.

AcadianPaladin

I could care less about DLC dungeons, trials or PvP. . . but I don't begrudge those who enjoy those aspects of the game. I would hope for the same consideration to things that I consider important. As a solo roleplaying adventuress, my elf is very excited to have companions. Someone to adventure with who always stays fully in character and is instantly and constantly available with no coordination of schedules. There are as many styles of play and enjoyment among ESO players as there are players. For me, the two best things to happen in the game in the last couple years have been the outfitting system and the upcoming companion system. For others, it may be new dungeons, trials, PvP things, housing, etc and, as I said, I don't begrudge others their preferences. There is plenty for all in ESO.

cheriella

Companions are from skyrim, an elderscrolls game. This is an elderscrolls game. Therefore... companions are here too. ^^

Elsonso

Thannazzar wrote: »

1. An antiquarian who gives you the exact location of treasure map chests and Antiquities while summoned.

2. A Thief who distracts guards when you get caught stealing/murdering.

3. A Hunter who kills people who jump in front of me to get a resource node.

4. A Squire who reduces equipment damage or repairs items.

5. A Vampiric thrall (Ghoul Brynner) who stops your vampire stage changing when summoned.

I like some of these. Hopefully, ZOS will consider the idea.

geonsocal

TheBonesXXX wrote: »

geonsocal wrote: »

so i can farm gear solo - easier???

can't wait to take my mag sorc through a dungeon with 2 pets, maw of the infernal and a companion...

hmmm, i wonder if i'll have to listen to bastian complain about having the deadroth's ass in his face while he's trying to tank

I just don't think companions are gonna equate the last systems or come close to their importance.

howdy @TheBonesXXX - what "last systems" are you referring to?

bmnoble

I have wondered that for awhile especially with all the stuff they have been doing the last year or so about cutting down the number of calculations the server needs to handle from sets, various abilities being changed to only affect group members etc..

Now they plan to add companions that will have there own skill bars/sets which the server will need to handle etc.. how is that not contrary to the things they have been doing to improve performance up until this point.


That said I do want companions just find the whole thing odd with there past actions.

TheBonesXXX

geonsocal wrote: »

TheBonesXXX wrote: »

geonsocal wrote: »

so i can farm gear solo - easier???

can't wait to take my mag sorc through a dungeon with 2 pets, maw of the infernal and a companion...

hmmm, i wonder if i'll have to listen to bastian complain about having the deadroth's ass in his face while he's trying to tank

I just don't think companions are gonna equate the last systems or come close to their importance.

howdy @TheBonesXXX - what "last systems" are you referring to?

Jewelrycrafting, Antiquities, we had two classes.

Their pet AI has always been iffy at best.

TheBonesXXX

Seraphayel wrote: »

Every normal base game dungeon (without a mechanic that requires another person standing or clicking something) is soloable. They are that easy, due to how low the damage in general is. Overland the same, basically 99.9% of overland content is soloable as well.

Companions are just a waste of resources that will pollute the world even more. Other people may like them, but it’s the most pointless addition to this game ever - in my opinion. No one besides the outmost casuals need this for gameplay reasons. And I doubt even they need them.

Agreed.