Will maximum players per "Instance" be reduced for Companioins?

HumbleThaumaturge

Imagine: Three dozen dolmen farmers in Alik'r Desert . . . each and every one with a Campanion deployed. Will the server choke?

Imagine also: First day of new Zone . . . all those players running through the Companion quests . . . which must be completed for each of one's characters. Will the server choke?

Or are we going to have a lower max-player limit per "Instance"? Sorry if this has been discussed already, and I just didn't see it.

Dagoth_Rac

ZOS has been testing options on PTS to auto-despawn companions at dolmens/geysers/harrowstorms, and auto-despawning in towns, etc. Nothing set in stone yet, but it may be that companions will not be a thing in crowded public areas.

ADarklore

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

ZOS has been testing options on PTS to auto-despawn companions at dolmens/geysers/harrowstorms, and auto-despawning in towns, etc. Nothing set in stone yet, but it may be that companions will not be a thing in crowded public areas.

They better not auto-despawn at dolmens, that's part of the point of having them... to HELP solo players. If they are despawning companions, then I want them to despawn combat pets and assistants too!!

Furthermore, based on the complaints about gear grind, lack of survivability, etc... I doubt we're going to see many people using them... except for solo players.

Also, the fact that companions must be summoned in order to turn in guild quests in the three major alliance cities... I don't see how they can auto-despawn in towns. My idea was to simply have them only visible to the specific player while in towns... is there a reason why companions have to be visible to other players in the first place? Of course, I feel the same about pets and assistants... I don't need to see them, nor want to.

jwellsub17_ESO2

ADarklore wrote: »

Also, the fact that companions must be summoned in order to turn in guild quests in the three major alliance cities... I don't see how they can auto-despawn in towns.

ZOS tested this recently and while it was unfortunately for my testing it did work well. I was attempting to hit the outfit station to adjust the appearance of one of my companions and they kept de-rezzing while as I approached town. I was not aware that ZOS was testing, so I wrote up a bug report and almost submitted it before I saw their announcement.

ADarklore wrote: »

My idea was to simply have them only visible to the specific player while in towns... is there a reason why companions have to be visible to other players in the first place? Of course, I feel the same about pets and assistants... I don't need to see them, nor want to.

While I can see value from the client side, IMNSHO the real problem is going to be on the resources used on the server side. Companions will take more computing resources than normal combat pets, but there really is not way to test just how much of a hit until they go live and get to see something like the Alik'r dolmen or harrowstorm groups.

ADarklore

jwellsub17_ESO2 wrote: »

ADarklore wrote: »

Also, the fact that companions must be summoned in order to turn in guild quests in the three major alliance cities... I don't see how they can auto-despawn in towns.

ZOS tested this recently and while it was unfortunately for my testing it did work well. I was attempting to hit the outfit station to adjust the appearance of one of my companions and they kept de-rezzing while as I approached town. I was not aware that ZOS was testing, so I wrote up a bug report and almost submitted it before I saw their announcement.

I should have been more clear... I understand HOW they can auto-despawn, what I meant was that they cannot tell us, "you have to have your companion summoned in order to complete a quest" and then make it impossible for you to turn in the quest. So unless they suddenly move the Fighter's, Mage's, and Undaunted quest givers outside of the three major cities, I don't see how this would work with guild leveling our companions. Unless they made it so that you DO NOT have to have your companions summoned in order to complete their guild quests.

Jaraal

ADarklore wrote: »

... is there a reason why companions have to be visible to other players in the first place? Of course, I feel the same about pets and assistants... I don't need to see them, nor want to.

Yes, since you can play dress up with them (outfit system), ZOS will want you to see them to help sell content.

Curious that they don't sell pet skins for this reason as well.