Are Companions useful to you?

xgoku1

Companions are a new system introduced with the Blackwood DLC.

Opinions seem divided on their inclusion into the game, so I wanted to gauge player opinion on this system.

Philip Draven, ESO’s Lead Systems Designer:
“Companions have abilities to fulfill all combat roles (damage, healing, tanking, and hybridization) in many common gameplay situations. However, they are not intended to replace or be as powerful as other players. If you prefer to tank, you may find a damage or healing-centric Companion to be an invaluable ally, whereas if you’re more focused on damage, you may benefit from a Companion configured as a tank to draw some attention away from you.”

Feedback to companions on PTS has been generally negative, mostly due to their lacking AI not being able to cope with enemy mechanics.

Are you interested in what's advertised for this year's big DLC feature?

Feel free to explain why you find them useful or not, in this thread

BlackTearsOfHope

Yes. I will use them regularly.

I play Warden. I have my bear follow me around, even though I could play easily without it; as it really doesn't add much to the fight and gets killed a lot. I just like having a companion pet following around and helping what little it does. Same with companions, will do the same with it, when I get it.

xgoku1

Sometimes. I will use them occasionally, while Questing, doing Overland content, fill missing player slots for Dungeons etc.

BlackTearsOfHope wrote: »

I play Warden. I have my bear follow me around, even though I could play easily without it; as it really doesn't add much to the fight and gets killed a lot. I just like having a companion pet following around and helping what little it does. Same with companions, will do the same with it, when I get it.

Fair enough.
I'm in a similar place, I quest mainly, so Companions' combat performance doesn't bother me all that much. But on my Sorc that does harder content I don't find much utility for them, and due to them dying all the time, and rez'ing them being an additional chore, I think I'll stick to the old Tormentor/Matriarch pet, or spec them as a Healer and get overheals until they die

phaneub17_ESO

Yes. I will use them regularly.

No matter how bad they turn out, I'll be using them on every character. It's nice to have extra pet fodder around especially ones that follow orders and are easily expendable with no actual maintenance involved. Sure they die, but they pop right back up once combat is over, no loss on my part. It could also make escaping certain situations a bit easier by sending them in and then I run the other way leaving them to die.

I'm mostly going to build them as buffing, debuffing, and healing. Bastien's Molten Weapon variant is a nice damage boost for anyone.

TwinLamps

No. I do not find them useful at all.

100% useless

WiseSky

Sometimes. I will use them occasionally, while Questing, doing Overland content, fill missing player slots for Dungeons etc.

still have to see what they can do

LashanW

Sometimes. I will use them occasionally, while Questing, doing Overland content, fill missing player slots for Dungeons etc.

They will be useless for me in combat. Don't need them for that.

But I might find them interesting as a traveling companion for questing, depends entirely on if they have good amount of varying dialogue depending on what I'm doing. Might make questing more enjoyable for me. Imagine if they could comment on the quest I'm doing Though I don't really expect companions to be that amazing.

nihirisutou

Yes. I will use them regularly.

I can't say this 100% without having played with one, but immersion.

Gythral

No. I do not find them useful at all.

Seems like they will be worse than the NPC quest 'hinderers' we have at preset, so without a rewrite, no

The management team need to look at SWTOR or both squardons and trusts in FFXIV & get these in that sort of area!

Crazyprophet

Yes. I will use them regularly.

To be honest, yes. And I say that having not played with one yet LOL.

The reason being is immersion. Some of my best elder scrolls memories were of adventuring with Lydia in Skyrim! Sounds like this will be similar, but if anything the companions personalities will be more in depth by far, which is awesome.

Totally stoked, personally!

Seraphayel

No. I do not find them useful at all.

Most useless feature ever for me personally. Even if I get Blackwood later this year I will not use Companions at all.

Ippokrates

Yes. I will use them regularly.

I am just watching Xynode run through vet dung: 2 players, 2 companions. It is looking very, very good. And synergies... Oh my

fizl101

No idea yet, I am on console, so yet to try them out

Pauwer

They work in cyro? If no, then no use.

Cireous

Yes. I will use them regularly.

They're easier to keep alive when you watch over them and keep them healed, but could definitely use that thing our pets have that prevent them from dying in AOE. I find them pretty useful. They do their job and keep me company, which is all I really want them to do. They're also a lot more in depth than I would have ever expected, when considering all of their dialog, the rapport system and how baked into the rest of the game it is (impressive), their combat skill choices (a lot more than I would have thought), and being able to dress them exactly how I want. It's going to be fun leveling them all up and finding items for them to wear. I honestly cannot wait. So excited for June.

Now, if we could only get Zeni to let us summon them in our homes...

Haenk

Yes. I will use them regularly.

Just for the increased chest contents, I'd certainly use them.
And depending on their tanking skill, they might make nice cannon fodder.

xgoku1

Sometimes. I will use them occasionally, while Questing, doing Overland content, fill missing player slots for Dungeons etc.

fizl101 wrote: »

No idea yet, I am on console, so yet to try them out

nihirisutou wrote: »

I can't say this 100% without having played with one, but immersion.

WiseSky wrote: »

still have to see what they can do

Yeah, I mainly wanted to know if people are interested in what's being advertised as the chapter's big feature. I should've worded the poll questions better....

Daraklus

No. I do not find them useful at all.

The part of the game where they would have "The most use" is easy enough, without me using a companion to make things even easier.

Jeremy

xgoku1 wrote: »

Companions are a new system introduced with the Blackwood DLC.

Opinions seem divided on their inclusion into the game, so I wanted to gauge player opinion on this system.

Philip Draven, ESO’s Lead Systems Designer:
“Companions have abilities to fulfill all combat roles (damage, healing, tanking, and hybridization) in many common gameplay situations. However, they are not intended to replace or be as powerful as other players. If you prefer to tank, you may find a damage or healing-centric Companion to be an invaluable ally, whereas if you’re more focused on damage, you may benefit from a Companion configured as a tank to draw some attention away from you.”

Feedback to companions on PTS has been generally negative, mostly due to their lacking AI not being able to cope with enemy mechanics.

Feel free to explain why you find them useful or not, in this thread

So far I don't find them particularly useful. And good luck using a companion to "tank" with as Philip Draven suggest. You are going to need it.

I will still use them regularly however, simply because I like companion systems generally and have been asking for one on this game for years. So I'm still going to use them, even if they are going to be a corpse much of the time. haha

DreadDaedroth

No. I do not find them useful at all.

They're too grindy to level up and equip.
They are not customizable enough.
They are not very bright.

Mythreindeer

Sometimes. I will use them occasionally, while Questing, doing Overland content, fill missing player slots for Dungeons etc.

It seems a bit early for this poll since they're not live yet, but I will likely use them on some characters only, certainly not all.

Honestly I don't need an additional grind right now.

notyuu

No. I do not find them useful at all.

The one thing I'd need them to do would be "stand on this pressure plate/pull that lever" but...lo and behold it's the one thing they can't bloody do...thus they are useless and ulitmatly a waste of resources that could have been spent on a more meaningful gameplay system like a new weapon type, class or skill line.

SammyKhajit

Sometimes. I will use them occasionally, while Questing, doing Overland content, fill missing player slots for Dungeons etc.

From PTS they seem to be decorative for the most part…

Will see how it goes as this one is not a world class pve or pvp player. But will do the best to keep the new kids alive :'(

Gylzyn

No. I do not find them useful at all.

I have played SWTOR so had some hopes for Companions but the way they seem to be turning out on PTS they seem useless. For overland and general questing I would find them of little value unless their rapport added some significant benefits or their banter and the roleplaying proved entertaining. What I really was interested in would be using a Companion to help solo group content (e.g. a dungeon) or fill a slot in a dungeon group where I or my fellow players may want to take it more slowly for the questing/story. However, their combat skills seem to be as useful as a wet noodle. I am not sure that I want to invest in further grinding for all of the Companion stuff when they won't be particularly helpful in the ways I want and they can't do things like stand on a pressure plate.

Lady_Galadhiel

No. I do not find them useful at all.

I hoped for a Bastian tank but my sorc pets still tank better than him.

lolo_01b16_ESO

No. I do not find them useful at all.

There is exactly one situation where they might be useful for me: To kill stuff and get xp while I'm afk.

hrothbern

Yes. I will use them regularly.

For me the question is primarily not whether they are useful, but whether they are fun and enjoyable to have them with you.
And I look forward for having them around.

Thavie

Yes. I will use them regularly.

Never expected them to have sophisticated AI. Tried them on PTS, and I treat them as my pet bear - somewhat useful, definitely nice addiction in my solo/duo dungeon runs. Having a companion like in a single RPG, with their own character and storyline is also nice.

Caligamy_ESO

No. I do not find them useful at all.

I chose my answer because I have been on PTS, and this is false advertising.

"Companions have abilities to fulfill all combat roles (damage, healing, tanking, and hybridization) in many common gameplay situations."

The 'Tank' provoked and died to OVERLAND trash mobs within 5-10 seconds
The healer spams its heals at full health and sits around on cooldown spamming light attack
The dps at max lvl companion with all purple dmg boosting gear takes a considerable amount of time to down regular trash mobs.

If by "common gameplay situations" they mean walking through town, and wearing an outfit then yeah, they do that well.

Go on PTS before you buy, or at least read the PTS feedback thread..
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/570471/pts-update-30-feedback-thread-for-companions/p1

[edited for baiting]

nukk3r

No. I do not find them useful at all.

Houseguests with extra steps.

NoxiousBlight

Yes. I will use them regularly.

I will use them at all times because I find them interesting, but as for being useful, they are not. They are mostly just dead on every single fight. Unless ZOS gives them damage mitigation, especially AoE, then I will just assume they will be dead all the time and pretend like they are not there. Or perhaps give them all skills that allow me to pop a synergy before they die.

But I will still enjoy customizing them and running around on overland with them, which I guess is all ZOS wants us to be able to do anyway.