Companion Customization is Lacking, Making this Chapter a Pass for Me

ADarklore

Kiyakotari wrote: »

We circle 'round to the ZOS communication being at the core of the problem again, like it so often is.

I don't think it's lack of communication, I think it's that people don't want to ACCEPT what ZOS has said... so they keep claiming lack of communication when ZOS has already communicated. ZOS stated they didn't want to add helmet option because they wanted the companions to maintain their identities. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean they didn't communicate their reason.

Elsonso

Kiyakotari wrote: »

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

Elsonso wrote: »

kirgeo wrote: »

Don't mean to interject into a different thread, but what is this valid reason ZOS gave for not making the toggle helmet an option?
I am genuinely curious.

For not having a toggle? I don't think they gave a reason. As @VaranisArano suggested, the reason for not showing the helmet is likely related to a "connection with the companion" goal that they have. I doubt it will change. By the third PTS drop, ZOS is usually entrenched like a tick on a dog.

I doubt it's a "time" issue. Someone at ZOS made the decision to exclude the option for players to put helmets on companions -- and they likely just don't care about the feedback we're providing.

Agreed, I think this is another case of "someone at ZOS made a decision, and rather than listen to negative player feedback about that decision or explain any of their reasoning for the decision, which might help players understand and accept it, they're just sticking by it in stubborn silence."

I will just say right now that the decision for this ultimately falls on the Creative Director (Lambert). He is the "buck stops here" guy. It is likely that head gear is not shown because that is the way he wants it.

I agree with the decision to hide the head gear, by the way. From a game aesthetics perspective, I think the anonymous NPC look is wrong. I would rather have clones.

If Lambert does not change his mind, it will be this way for a long time. He could still change his mind. We'll see what he ultimately thinks when this update rolls out.

@GrumpySailor245 ... a toggle is very much a "time and effort" issue. These things don't come for free.

bodge2372

Well, if you don't like them, don't do the quests to get them. Simple as that. Also, try watching these.......
https://youtu.be/nTM4tOL6UAw
https://youtu.be/PWyodKbcsrk

VaranisArano

Elsonso wrote: »

Kiyakotari wrote: »

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

Elsonso wrote: »

kirgeo wrote: »

Don't mean to interject into a different thread, but what is this valid reason ZOS gave for not making the toggle helmet an option?
I am genuinely curious.

For not having a toggle? I don't think they gave a reason. As @VaranisArano suggested, the reason for not showing the helmet is likely related to a "connection with the companion" goal that they have. I doubt it will change. By the third PTS drop, ZOS is usually entrenched like a tick on a dog.

I doubt it's a "time" issue. Someone at ZOS made the decision to exclude the option for players to put helmets on companions -- and they likely just don't care about the feedback we're providing.

Agreed, I think this is another case of "someone at ZOS made a decision, and rather than listen to negative player feedback about that decision or explain any of their reasoning for the decision, which might help players understand and accept it, they're just sticking by it in stubborn silence."

I will just say right now that the decision for this ultimately falls on the Creative Director (Lambert). He is the "buck stops here" guy. It is likely that head gear is not shown because that is the way he wants it.

I agree with the decision to hide the head gear, by the way. From a game aesthetics perspective, I think the anonymous NPC look is wrong. I would rather have clones.

If Lambert does not change his mind, it will be this way for a long time. He could still change his mind. We'll see what he ultimately thinks when this update rolls out.

GrumpySailor245 ... a toggle is very much a "time and effort" issue. These things don't come for free.

On the "Companions Developer Deep Dive" stream on Bethesda's twitch channel, lead systems designer Philip Draven answered a question about the headgear thing with:
< "You can equip helmets, but they're not going to display. This is again one of those elements of trying to balance the, letting you customize them to a larger degree, but still allowing them to maintain some identity so they're not kinda just armored, you know, automatons in the background." > (timestamp: 01:07:50 - 01:08:10)

That sounds to me like they just used the player toggle "Hide Helmet" which allows you to equip head gear, and not see it.

If I'm correct, the toggle is already present and the only reason for ZOS to not make it available is ideological.

GodsGrief

Since i got hasty and pre-ordered im going to take this chapter as my final try to enjoy the game to help me decide to stay or leave for FFXIV, game gets boring when you wanna do things other than quest, pvp or dungeon. And with this... meh system i was originally okay with. But the choices they're making just makes the world feel more empty and lack of player diversity and expression. For example:

The no helmets on companions, i don't want to see a stock face of every companion.

Why not make ALL mounts achievable and monetise armour styles for them.

The point of moving past the grief we still don't have melee, magikca weapons and reaching the acceptance and disappointment stage. I think it wont be implemented due to engine constraint's that's why we are getting appeased in small little ways with companions. Cos no matter how excited you are for it it's going to lose it's novelty once you had it for a day or so. In my OPINION companions does nothing for the game apart from fill the holes in SOME content plagued by fake tanks and even then they perform subpar. I think we need content other, but then again for ESO it's hard due to the performance issues. Game kinda gives me like it's in Beta or early access phase or something. it sometimes just feels kind of barebones. Anyways as i said, this chapter will be a deciding factor for me and I'm going to keep my mind open.

ADarklore

6Kyojin6 wrote: »

Since i got hasty and pre-ordered im going to take this chapter as my final try to enjoy the game to help me decide to stay or leave for FFXIV, game gets boring when you wanna do things other than quest, pvp or dungeon. And with this... meh system i was originally okay with. But the choices they're making just makes the world feel more empty and lack of player diversity and expression. For example:

The no helmets on companions, i don't want to see a stock face of every companion.

Why not make ALL mounts achievable and monetise armour styles for them.

The point of moving past the grief we still don't have melee, magikca weapons and reaching the acceptance and disappointment stage. I think it wont be implemented due to engine constraint's that's why we are getting appeased in small little ways with companions. Cos no matter how excited you are for it it's going to lose it's novelty once you had it for a day or so. In my OPINION companions does nothing for the game apart from fill the holes in SOME content plagued by fake tanks and even then they perform subpar. I think we need content other, but then again for ESO it's hard due to the performance issues. Game kinda gives me like it's in Beta or early access phase or something. it sometimes just feels kind of barebones. Anyways as i said, this chapter will be a deciding factor for me and I'm going to keep my mind open.

I'm wondering what you mean about seeing a 'stock face' of every companion? Because if they implement it like they do with other NPC's that follow us during some quests, they change their appearance so that other players don't see the same NPC. Example, when we take Tharn into the delve, WE see Tharn, but other players see a random mage's guild NPC. However, they may not go this route and if so, it will look exactly like players running around with their banker or merchant out.

I played FFXIV for about a year, I've played ESO for several years... I reached a point in FFXIV that I became completely bored as too much of their content involves group dungeons and not enough solo activities IMO. Which leads me into the next aspect... you say that companions do nothing for the game... which indicates you don't understand who the true target audience is... SOLO players, RPers and those players with social anxieties. It allows these players (myself included) to have a beneficial companion without all the drama that many times follow playing with actual players.

BretonMage

Ok, so I get it now. They see the companions as their characters, not ours to do what we like with. So their identity needs to remain recognisably THE Bastien or Mirri. Fair enough. Then... dammit I hope we get a handsome Altmer companion one day.

HackTheMinotaur

I know many are disappointed that companions can’t use player sets. This is likely done to avoid both game balance and performance issues. However there are plenty of unique builds that can be made still through combining specific gear traits (9 traits) and companion skills (40 per companion). I’ve managed my expectations to know that companions will not fundamentally change the game and will have a relatively small impact on it compared to players. It’s fine. Here are just a couple build options I’ve tested so far:

https://youtu.be/DNirnovMHSI

VaranisArano

ADarklore wrote: »

6Kyojin6 wrote: »

Since i got hasty and pre-ordered im going to take this chapter as my final try to enjoy the game to help me decide to stay or leave for FFXIV, game gets boring when you wanna do things other than quest, pvp or dungeon. And with this... meh system i was originally okay with. But the choices they're making just makes the world feel more empty and lack of player diversity and expression. For example:

The no helmets on companions, i don't want to see a stock face of every companion.

Why not make ALL mounts achievable and monetise armour styles for them.

The point of moving past the grief we still don't have melee, magikca weapons and reaching the acceptance and disappointment stage. I think it wont be implemented due to engine constraint's that's why we are getting appeased in small little ways with companions. Cos no matter how excited you are for it it's going to lose it's novelty once you had it for a day or so. In my OPINION companions does nothing for the game apart from fill the holes in SOME content plagued by fake tanks and even then they perform subpar. I think we need content other, but then again for ESO it's hard due to the performance issues. Game kinda gives me like it's in Beta or early access phase or something. it sometimes just feels kind of barebones. Anyways as i said, this chapter will be a deciding factor for me and I'm going to keep my mind open.

I'm wondering what you mean about seeing a 'stock face' of every companion? Because if they implement it like they do with other NPC's that follow us during some quests, they change their appearance so that other players don't see the same NPC. Example, when we take Tharn into the delve, WE see Tharn, but other players see a random mage's guild NPC. However, they may not go this route and if so, it will look exactly like players running around with their banker or merchant out.

I played FFXIV for about a year, I've played ESO for several years... I reached a point in FFXIV that I became completely bored as too much of their content involves group dungeons and not enough solo activities IMO. Which leads me into the next aspect... you say that companions do nothing for the game... which indicates you don't understand who the true target audience is... SOLO players, RPers and those players with social anxieties. It allows these players (myself included) to have a beneficial companion without all the drama that many times follow playing with actual players.

Players on PTS have commented that the appearances are not replaced, so you have several Mirri's hanging around the Crafting Stations.

And while ZOS was originally marketing these Companions for solo players who don't want to group up, unfortunately, it seems like their combat prowess is such that anything you could already complete solo, the Companions can help, but its pretty hard for them in group dungeons and world bosses that you might want help on. I wish it were otherwise, but I'm not expecting much, combat wise.

Malborn66

I will not be buying into this years stuff.
Not interested in companions or Eveli or a fake-Oblivion scenario. (I hated Oblivion BTW)
The Reach was pretty naff and this year does seem to be showing the paucity of good ideas.

---

Malborn66
PC-EU

crazepdx

HackTheMinotaur wrote: »

I know many are disappointed that companions can’t use player sets. This is likely done to avoid both game balance and performance issues. However there are plenty of unique builds that can be made still through combining specific gear traits (9 traits) and companion skills (40 per companion). I’ve managed my expectations to know that companions will not fundamentally change the game and will have a relatively small impact on it compared to players. It’s fine. Here are just a couple build options I’ve tested so far:

https://youtu.be/DNirnovMHSI

Hack, I believe content creators like yourself putting a good spin on companions is why they aren't getting fixed. You showed they are viable by putting them in HIGHLY CONTROLLED circumstances, in the best gear and traits and are like "see they work". Totally ignoring in those videos that unless you can afford that gear and have the skill to solo those bosses and KEEP THEM ALIVE, user results will vary. Wouldn't it have been better to show the results with high random aoe bosses with lots of adds, in mixed gear? That way people could see what they are truly getting.

ADarklore

crazepdx wrote: »

HackTheMinotaur wrote: »

I know many are disappointed that companions can’t use player sets. This is likely done to avoid both game balance and performance issues. However there are plenty of unique builds that can be made still through combining specific gear traits (9 traits) and companion skills (40 per companion). I’ve managed my expectations to know that companions will not fundamentally change the game and will have a relatively small impact on it compared to players. It’s fine. Here are just a couple build options I’ve tested so far:

Hack, I believe content creators like yourself putting a good spin on companions is why they aren't getting fixed. You showed they are viable by putting them in HIGHLY CONTROLLED circumstances, in the best gear and traits and are like "see they work". Totally ignoring in those videos that unless you can afford that gear and have the skill to solo those bosses and KEEP THEM ALIVE, user results will vary. Wouldn't it have been better to show the results with high random aoe bosses with lots of adds, in mixed gear? That way people could see what they are truly getting.

I have to agree, it would be nice to see videos that were realistic for what we're going to find when Companions go Live. Nobody will have the BIS gear for quite some time, plus there is the leveling of skills, etc... so providing a guide with realistic lower-level gear and skills would be better for the first couple of months. Sure it's nice to see what they can do 'at the end', it's not so useful for anyone at launch.

However, I DO think it is nice that it shows the devs that they are NOT 'overpowered' at the end... yet it's not the end that most people are concerned with, it's how poorly they play until they reach that point. If that's the case, considering the gear grind to achieve the BIS level of these videos, many people won't even bother with them and the grind, so they'll be relegated to useless by the majority of players and never used.

crazepdx

ADarklore wrote: »

crazepdx wrote: »

HackTheMinotaur wrote: »

I know many are disappointed that companions can’t use player sets. This is likely done to avoid both game balance and performance issues. However there are plenty of unique builds that can be made still through combining specific gear traits (9 traits) and companion skills (40 per companion). I’ve managed my expectations to know that companions will not fundamentally change the game and will have a relatively small impact on it compared to players. It’s fine. Here are just a couple build options I’ve tested so far:

Hack, I believe content creators like yourself putting a good spin on companions is why they aren't getting fixed. You showed they are viable by putting them in HIGHLY CONTROLLED circumstances, in the best gear and traits and are like "see they work". Totally ignoring in those videos that unless you can afford that gear and have the skill to solo those bosses and KEEP THEM ALIVE, user results will vary. Wouldn't it have been better to show the results with high random aoe bosses with lots of adds, in mixed gear? That way people could see what they are truly getting.

I have to agree, it would be nice to see videos that were realistic for what we're going to find when Companions go Live. Nobody will have the BIS gear for quite some time, plus there is the leveling of skills, etc... so providing a guide with realistic lower-level gear and skills would be better for the first couple of months. Sure it's nice to see what they can do 'at the end', it's not so useful for anyone at launch.

However, I DO think it is nice that it shows the devs that they are NOT 'overpowered' at the end... yet it's not the end that most people are concerned with, it's how poorly they play until they reach that point. If that's the case, considering the gear grind to achieve the BIS level of these videos, many people won't even bother with them and the grind, so they'll be relegated to useless by the majority of players and never used.

I've lost track of the times I've been talking about the problems with the companions, in this forum and others, and I get linked a @HackTheMinotaur video showing how good of healers or tanks the companions are. Then I have to explain that the video he showed Mirri as healer he:
Had to trap her in a corner so she would stay in range to heal instead of roll dodging away
Picked a boss with no random aoes so she didn't stand in stupid till she died
Had her in gear that will cost millions to get together on live
Etc....
Only to, after explaining it, hear something to the effect of, if that's true why isn't anyone else talking about it.

Due to these videos I see a lot of people are going to log into live thinking they have something like Lydia and finding they have basically a pet they can dress up and fetch and carry for.

It just feels deceptive to me. Expecially on the part of the influencers that are helping.

Elvenheart

Elsonso wrote: »

.

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

Sergykid wrote: »

guys you are not getting slaves. They are other people that over time become your friends. They don't have to do anything for you, including visuals.

If that's what you want then you can just roleplay companions as stubborn individuals who don't want to wear a helmet and prefer terrible gear.

No reason to prevent the rest of us from preferring the OPTION to give our companions a cool helmet and fun sets.

Is showing companion head gear so important to the game that it demands this level of special attention?

Yes. I’m already dreading the onslaught of Mirri and Bastien clones about to hit live. My Mirri and Bastien are going to be the real ones, so it’s going to be unsettling to see all the lookalikes everywhere.

GodsGrief

ADarklore wrote: »

6Kyojin6 wrote: »

Since i got hasty and pre-ordered im going to take this chapter as my final try to enjoy the game to help me decide to stay or leave for FFXIV, game gets boring when you wanna do things other than quest, pvp or dungeon. And with this... meh system i was originally okay with. But the choices they're making just makes the world feel more empty and lack of player diversity and expression. For example:

The no helmets on companions, i don't want to see a stock face of every companion.

Why not make ALL mounts achievable and monetise armour styles for them.

The point of moving past the grief we still don't have melee, magikca weapons and reaching the acceptance and disappointment stage. I think it wont be implemented due to engine constraint's that's why we are getting appeased in small little ways with companions. Cos no matter how excited you are for it it's going to lose it's novelty once you had it for a day or so. In my OPINION companions does nothing for the game apart from fill the holes in SOME content plagued by fake tanks and even then they perform subpar. I think we need content other, but then again for ESO it's hard due to the performance issues. Game kinda gives me like it's in Beta or early access phase or something. it sometimes just feels kind of barebones. Anyways as i said, this chapter will be a deciding factor for me and I'm going to keep my mind open.

I'm wondering what you mean about seeing a 'stock face' of every companion? Because if they implement it like they do with other NPC's that follow us during some quests, they change their appearance so that other players don't see the same NPC. Example, when we take Tharn into the delve, WE see Tharn, but other players see a random mage's guild NPC. However, they may not go this route and if so, it will look exactly like players running around with their banker or merchant out.

I played FFXIV for about a year, I've played ESO for several years... I reached a point in FFXIV that I became completely bored as too much of their content involves group dungeons and not enough solo activities IMO. Which leads me into the next aspect... you say that companions do nothing for the game... which indicates you don't understand who the true target audience is... SOLO players, RPers and those players with social anxieties. It allows these players (myself included) to have a beneficial companion without all the drama that many times follow playing with actual players.

As someone confirmed. all faces are the same. It's been mentioned several times on stream and forums. As you stated this system is meant for you, I would have thought you knew that. Also this game has served the "solo" players for a long time. Housing keeps getting updates and features, past chapter content like antiquities and jewellery focused on solo systems. Only social aspect of this game are guilds, Public group finder content and PVP which... are literally the base elements to every MMORPG made. Where as FFXIV has multiple casual features to help you relax from straining activities as you mentioned in FFXIV. It has cool actives such as mount racing, mount collecting, mount breeding (sort-of) dynamic housing, card games etc If you didnt know, ESO was an marketed as an MMORPG. OFC solo features should exist, but shouldn't dictate the game. If solo is your thing, you should prolly look into single player games. But then again Zeni changed the genre apparently who who tf knows.

You say you get bored of FFXIV and be that as it may as that's your opinion, I personally find myself more willing to chill; spend time in and play in the world of FFXIV then i do ESO. I've played ESO for a few years now so I'm not saying it for no reason. I've subbed for a long time and bought all the chapters too, meaning I spent as much or more money then you're "solo" or "roleplaying" players. Does that make my needs as a paying costumer less important?

I think my point flew over your heard so please allow me to restate my intention of my post. I'm not saying FFXIV is better. It has its faults too but the Dev team are way more open, transparent and down to listen to its players. I've played ES0 years longer then i have played FFXIV. I'm talking about why I and many others should explore Tamriel. There is no casual content apart from questing and that gets mind-numbing as the stories get or seem to feel repetitive, the places, sounds, music and voices are beautiful but the quests follow the same formula again and again. With boring rewards apart from some that offer pets and ***. ESO needs to evolve, it's gotten 100% better since beta but a lot of the praise came from Zenimax making a broken game decent. Not a broken game to amazing. RP/solo play from what i have experiences is minuscule compared to progression, collection and PVP communities in ESO. It irks me when people say "this is aimed at solo players, idc if you don't like it" bruh, there more people to this game then the guild you RP with. Try to keep an open perspective that ESO world space belongs to other people trying to enjoy the game.

If you're happy with a game that's not really went out of its way to be a refreshing or unique but rather allegedly changed the entire game genre for what I assume is acceptance that the server and game engine is a failure, then I'm happy for you and i hope you enjoy the game, i really do. However as i said before, I'm still taking this chapter as a deciding element.

ADarklore

@6Kyojin6 I won't quote your long post, and I'm not sure if your single star represents how much you've participated in the forums or not... but I've been invested in the forums for many years; I started playing ESO on PC a year after launch and typically played 10-12 hours per day on my days off. I've taken multiple breaks away from the game when it becomes stale, the devs frustrate me, or I find another game that peaks my interest.

I started the game with the attitude of 'ZOS can do no wrong' but sadly, they proved ME wrong over time. They listen at times, but not the times when they should. Time and time again they implement something that players are against, shoving it down our throats, only to months later rescind it (aka "balance" again, and again, and again). They mostly use PTS as a bug tester, not a performance tester... so even when players show them numbers that things are off, 9 times out of 10, it goes LIVE as is... not sure if they don't like to admit they're wrong or just stubborn. I've seen crazy buffs that weren't needed, and many many nerfs that were far too much and took fun out of the game... many times in the name of "PvP balance" even though it crushed the majority of the players, who are PvE players. It's about time that they've started seeing that they CAN make changes to PVP without impacting PVE... I hope this trend continues.

So yes, while I DO enjoy ESO, even when I returned in Feb this year I started to get bored right away again... I had picked up a character I had created before I took a break last time... and saw the pile of quests before me and decided I'd wait for Companions to release. For me, this will be something new to help make the quests a bit more enjoyable, as I've completed most base game (all three alliances) about 20+ times... so anything new to make it more interesting is appreciated. Playing with others doesn't interest me for many reasons, none of it having to do with social anxiety.

Before ESO, I played DCUO for years... and if you want to talk about a devs who absolutely refuse to listen to players and even at one point turned hostile to solo players... it would be DCUO. Funny though, you go back to DCUO now and they've made it so you can BUY your way to the top and have added many new quests directed towards solo players. I also played FFXIV for over a year, probably closer to two, and did all the things you mentioned... but after doing them for 10-12 hours a day on my days off... yeah, even they get boring. I did fishing, cooking, etc, etc. I leveled all classes, and spent about two months focused solely on Squadrons (which probably was the most fun I had in the game outside of questing). I had left before they added their version of Companions called Trusts... so I have no point of reference comparing the two.

I've played many single player games, but I am NOT a game-hopper, I tend to focus on one game for months at a time... having last played AC Odyssey exclusively for over eight months. However, for players like me who want to play ONE game for months, single player games are not the answer. We prefer a game that receives constant updates, constant new additions, and that's something you never get in a single player game. Sure you might get DLCs, but only for a year, then the game is dead. Also, at least with an online game, you always have the chance encounter with other players that are unscripted and add a bit of freshness. Note I said, "online game", because many MMOs are becoming less 'group' oriented and more solo-centric RPGesque. Even Matt Firor said in a recent interview that, internally, they called ESO an "online RPG" not MMO... even though it has some classic MMO elements to it. So yes, this explains why ESO is more solo-centric, and they continue to grow, so they were ahead of the curve in understanding what many gamers were looking to play. Sadly, their game engine is outdated and I believe this is why they have so many problems... not only with the number of players exceeding capacity, but also running on an engine that cannot seem to handle the growth of the game... not just in players, but in processing all the various aspects of the game. They plan to add new servers, but even stated they doubt it will help with performance... clearly, the performance issue is the game engine itself, which cannot be updated without completely re-writing the entire game from the ground up. SO, we stuck with the bugs, glitches, and other problems for the entirety of the game.

So when you talk about how ESO needs to evolve, change, etc... their game engine dictates otherwise. Simply put, THEY CAN'T without creating a brand new game. So players have two options... continue playing and learn to accept the problems or move on to a different game... sadly, there is no third option.

GodsGrief

ADarklore wrote: »

@6Kyojin6 I won't quote your long post, and I'm not sure if your single star represents how much you've participated in the forums or not... but I've been invested in the forums for many years; I started playing ESO on PC a year after launch and typically played 10-12 hours per day on my days off. I've taken multiple breaks away from the game when it becomes stale, the devs frustrate me, or I find another game that peaks my interest.

I started the game with the attitude of 'ZOS can do no wrong' but sadly, they proved ME wrong over time. They listen at times, but not the times when they should. Time and time again they implement something that players are against, shoving it down our throats, only to months later rescind it (aka "balance" again, and again, and again). They mostly use PTS as a bug tester, not a performance tester... so even when players show them numbers that things are off, 9 times out of 10, it goes LIVE as is... not sure if they don't like to admit they're wrong or just stubborn. I've seen crazy buffs that weren't needed, and many many nerfs that were far too much and took fun out of the game... many times in the name of "PvP balance" even though it crushed the majority of the players, who are PvE players. It's about time that they've started seeing that they CAN make changes to PVP without impacting PVE... I hope this trend continues.

So yes, while I DO enjoy ESO, even when I returned in Feb this year I started to get bored right away again... I had picked up a character I had created before I took a break last time... and saw the pile of quests before me and decided I'd wait for Companions to release. For me, this will be something new to help make the quests a bit more enjoyable, as I've completed most base game (all three alliances) about 20+ times... so anything new to make it more interesting is appreciated. Playing with others doesn't interest me for many reasons, none of it having to do with social anxiety.

Before ESO, I played DCUO for years... and if you want to talk about a devs who absolutely refuse to listen to players and even at one point turned hostile to solo players... it would be DCUO. Funny though, you go back to DCUO now and they've made it so you can BUY your way to the top and have added many new quests directed towards solo players. I also played FFXIV for over a year, probably closer to two, and did all the things you mentioned... but after doing them for 10-12 hours a day on my days off... yeah, even they get boring. I did fishing, cooking, etc, etc. I leveled all classes, and spent about two months focused solely on Squadrons (which probably was the most fun I had in the game outside of questing). I had left before they added their version of Companions called Trusts... so I have no point of reference comparing the two.

I've played many single player games, but I am NOT a game-hopper, I tend to focus on one game for months at a time... having last played AC Odyssey exclusively for over eight months. However, for players like me who want to play ONE game for months, single player games are not the answer. We prefer a game that receives constant updates, constant new additions, and that's something you never get in a single player game. Sure you might get DLCs, but only for a year, then the game is dead. Also, at least with an online game, you always have the chance encounter with other players that are unscripted and add a bit of freshness. Note I said, "online game", because many MMOs are becoming less 'group' oriented and more solo-centric RPGesque. Even Matt Firor said in a recent interview that, internally, they called ESO an "online RPG" not MMO... even though it has some classic MMO elements to it. So yes, this explains why ESO is more solo-centric, and they continue to grow, so they were ahead of the curve in understanding what many gamers were looking to play. Sadly, their game engine is outdated and I believe this is why they have so many problems... not only with the number of players exceeding capacity, but also running on an engine that cannot seem to handle the growth of the game... not just in players, but in processing all the various aspects of the game. They plan to add new servers, but even stated they doubt it will help with performance... clearly, the performance issue is the game engine itself, which cannot be updated without completely re-writing the entire game from the ground up. SO, we stuck with the bugs, glitches, and other problems for the entirety of the game.

So when you talk about how ESO needs to evolve, change, etc... their game engine dictates otherwise. Simply put, THEY CAN'T without creating a brand new game. So players have two options... continue playing and learn to accept the problems or move on to a different game... sadly, there is no third option.

Funny thing is, I've played DCUO for years too and completely agree with you. The Devs have refused to listen or change from when i played for 5 years, buying all the *** they put in. It was a huge waste of money in hindsight but i was a kid. But now being an adult makes me dread ESO becoming like DCUO. Luckily the new crown store changes are good. I liked that. And does give me hope about ZOS and Microsoft. Like my only complaint is i want to spend more time in Tamriel. But i just wish there more interactive tasks that don't include overland, dungeons and pvp. Perhaps other game modes that i can do. Maybe I'm minority as this and i completely accept my comments here are subjective i would love things such as mount racing or card games in taverns. Or another activity that allows player expression. With recent news that ESO have changed genres makes me thing otherwise, but i admit thats okay. I don't need to force myself to play a game, and if in my place another 100 people enjoy the game then thats great and even better.

Castian

Given the low performance they are advertised to provide, saying you'd pass over a chapter because of non-combat pets 2.0 seems a bit much.

Shouldn't the story that a new chapter brings as well as they variety of gear, motif/styles, ect. be what motivates the acquisition? I'm already dreading the potential server lag from many players having those following them around.

Jofish

I, for one, will not be using a companion. Just another distraction to deal with.

ADarklore

Castian wrote: »

Given the low performance they are advertised to provide, saying you'd pass over a chapter because of non-combat pets 2.0 seems a bit much.

Shouldn't the story that a new chapter brings as well as they variety of gear, motif/styles, ect. be what motivates the acquisition? I'm already dreading the potential server lag from many players having those following them around.

They were recently doing a test for server performance with companions and pets in-town... which is the only place I could really see a lot of lag. However, if they do the SMART THING and not 'dismiss pets' outright but simply turn them OFF to other players while in major cities... it would resolve the performance problem. Especially when you consider that, to level the Companion's guild skills you have to have them summoned and turn them in to the guilds in the three major cities... it wouldn't make sense to have then auto-unsummon in cities.

GrumpyDuckling

Castian wrote: »

Given the low performance they are advertised to provide, saying you'd pass over a chapter because of non-combat pets 2.0 seems a bit much.

Shouldn't the story that a new chapter brings as well as they variety of gear, motif/styles, ect. be what motivates the acquisition? I'm already dreading the potential server lag from many players having those following them around.

ESO has plenty of story, so not buying this one isn't a big deal to me. The new feature of companions was what I was most looking forward to -- until I saw how boring the gear was and how their helmet is forced to disappear.

I'd rather avoid the chapter than buy into an uninspiring companion system that falls short in the areas of build variety (fun) and customization.

YandereGirlfriend

Companions was never a feature that I wanted but, as an intellectual challenge, I was sort of looking forward to designing complementary duo builds with them using my own enormous stash of surplus items.

Discovering that Companions would not actually use the existing player gear system absolutely swept the legs out from underneath that anticipation and now, seeing their overall exceedingly weak performance in the types of content that they were ostensibly designed to assist with, I can't help but wonder, "Who are these actually for?"

It seems like a giant waste of developer time and resources to have created an entirely separate system of gear and item traits when they had a perfectly well-functioning system already existing in the game. Why was such duplication of effort thought to be a good idea?

As for the Chapter itself, it looks visually stunning because the environment designers and the art team always serve aces - and I do admit that I want the bridge house - but in terms of any content addition that will be meaningful to me... there really isn't any. I remain hopeful for some positive stealth-changes in the final patch notes but I'm not expecting anything to change.

Thannazzar

ADarklore wrote: »

Kiyakotari wrote: »

We circle 'round to the ZOS communication being at the core of the problem again, like it so often is.

I don't think it's lack of communication, I think it's that people don't want to ACCEPT what ZOS has said... so they keep claiming lack of communication when ZOS has already communicated. ZOS stated they didn't want to add helmet option because they wanted the companions to maintain their identities. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean they didn't communicate their reason.

If that is the case why don't ZOS follow the Swtor model of having several alternate facial appearances for each companion.

That provides non clone variance while preserving the alleged reason for hiding helms.

Personally with the level of companion customisation restriction enforced makes this chapter is a hard pass for me.

Kesstryl

crazepdx wrote: »

HackTheMinotaur wrote: »

I know many are disappointed that companions can’t use player sets. This is likely done to avoid both game balance and performance issues. However there are plenty of unique builds that can be made still through combining specific gear traits (9 traits) and companion skills (40 per companion). I’ve managed my expectations to know that companions will not fundamentally change the game and will have a relatively small impact on it compared to players. It’s fine. Here are just a couple build options I’ve tested so far:

https://youtu.be/DNirnovMHSI

Hack, I believe content creators like yourself putting a good spin on companions is why they aren't getting fixed. You showed they are viable by putting them in HIGHLY CONTROLLED circumstances, in the best gear and traits and are like "see they work". Totally ignoring in those videos that unless you can afford that gear and have the skill to solo those bosses and KEEP THEM ALIVE, user results will vary. Wouldn't it have been better to show the results with high random aoe bosses with lots of adds, in mixed gear? That way people could see what they are truly getting.

Please show us viable videos with the companions in varying degrees of level, with varying grades and traits of gear that most of us will be running with. Then I will believe they are viable. These look like they were played against easier bosses in easier dungeons in controlled scenarios that most of us will not be able to achieve. We need better AOE mitigation on companions that stand in AOEs, or better AI to walk out of AOEs. Without that, most of us will have dead companions. Please make some videos with non-optimized companions. That will provide better insight as to what most of us plebs will have to deal with.

PrimusTiberius

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

Companion Customization is Lacking, Making this Chapter a Pass for Me

give it time, pretty soon you'll see so many options for your companion in the crown store, your head will spin with delight

TelvanniWizard

PrimusTiberius wrote: »

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

Companion Customization is Lacking, Making this Chapter a Pass for Me

give it time, pretty soon you'll see so many options for your companion in the crown store, your head will spin with delight

Considering how empty and starved of new content the Crown Store is, I sadly doubt it

Klad

I wonder why people on this forum make these huge sweeping announcements that they won't play X or participate in Y

Are they e-famous or something?

No one gives two figs if I play or not...why dose everyone think that their voice carries weight?



Mr. Klad...Mr Klad!!!
Can I have your autograph? It' not for me,...it's for a friend

strange world.

crazepdx

Klad wrote: »

I wonder why people on this forum make these huge sweeping announcements that they won't play X or participate in Y

Are they e-famous or something?

No one gives two figs if I play or not...why dose everyone think that their voice carries weight?



Mr. Klad...Mr Klad!!!
Can I have your autograph? It' not for me,...it's for a friend

strange world.

Aren't you assuming weight to your voice in your post?

GrumpyDuckling

Klad wrote: »

I wonder why people on this forum make these huge sweeping announcements that they won't play X or participate in Y

Are they e-famous or something?

No one gives two figs if I play or not...why dose everyone think that their voice carries weight?



Mr. Klad...Mr Klad!!!
Can I have your autograph? It' not for me,...it's for a friend

strange world.

There's more to it than just "making an announcement"... Did you read the first post? It's meant to be read as feedback and also asks if other players feel the same.

"I assume it's too late for this feedback to matter (maybe the helmet/hood thing could still be changed), but seeing how lackluster our companion gearing options are has almost entirely deflated my interest in this system and the chapter. Does anyone else feel this way?"

Iccotak

Kesstryl wrote: »

crazepdx wrote: »

HackTheMinotaur wrote: »

I know many are disappointed that companions can’t use player sets. This is likely done to avoid both game balance and performance issues. However there are plenty of unique builds that can be made still through combining specific gear traits (9 traits) and companion skills (40 per companion). I’ve managed my expectations to know that companions will not fundamentally change the game and will have a relatively small impact on it compared to players. It’s fine. Here are just a couple build options I’ve tested so far:

https://youtu.be/DNirnovMHSI

Hack, I believe content creators like yourself putting a good spin on companions is why they aren't getting fixed. You showed they are viable by putting them in HIGHLY CONTROLLED circumstances, in the best gear and traits and are like "see they work". Totally ignoring in those videos that unless you can afford that gear and have the skill to solo those bosses and KEEP THEM ALIVE, user results will vary. Wouldn't it have been better to show the results with high random aoe bosses with lots of adds, in mixed gear? That way people could see what they are truly getting.

Please show us viable videos with the companions in varying degrees of level, with varying grades and traits of gear that most of us will be running with. Then I will believe they are viable. These look like they were played against easier bosses in easier dungeons in controlled scenarios that most of us will not be able to achieve. We need better AOE mitigation on companions that stand in AOEs, or better AI to walk out of AOEs. Without that, most of us will have dead companions. Please make some videos with non-optimized companions. That will provide better insight as to what most of us plebs will have to deal with.

The reason Companions are not very viable is because the bar of skill for overland is so Low. General overland experience is mediocre so Companions of course can't be much more skilled than overland.