Tired of doing what my companion likes, and not being able to play as I want

Akskad

I must admit I am not a fan of companions.
My nightblade/assassin unlocked Mirri in particular in the hope to make some use of her alleged "chest passive". Unfortunately, I soon got tired of her and the whole companion thing in general, and here is why:
- Mirri doesn't like if I catch a bug because I need alchemy ingredients. The rapport immediately decreases. Sorry? Is Mirri going to buy alchemy ingredient for me for free then?
- Mirri doesn't like if I use the blade of woe on an enemy, e.g. a bandit. She calls me evil and the rapport decreases. Next time, I will let the bandit kill her, since she is useless in combat anyway.
- Mirri doesn't like this and doesn't like that. I have to play in the way that pleases her, not in the way I want to play and I enjoy playing.
On top of that, she has very arrogant posture and speech. She comments on everything I do, unsolicited, with her unpleasant voice, when I would rather enjoy the silence. Not sure why; after all, she has not achieved much and is not of much use either.
She doesn't even serve a decorative purpose, being rather unsightly.
She starts fighting with mobs when I am already far away, and then "we are in combat". Who told her to start a fight?
Whenever I want to farm a nod, open a chest, talk to some npc, or interact with anything else in any other way, she will be there, bang in front of the target, making it almost impossible to click on it. I have to perform kind of ritual dance to finally be able to click on the target.
If we also add the rarity of companion's gear, we have exhausted all patience.

I appreciate that ZOS tried to give us back what we had in Skyrim with Lydia. That doesn't seem to be working too well though.
I so wish I could shout fus ro dah at Mirri and knock her off the highest peak I can find in Tamriel, as we could do in Skyrim.
This option not being available, I will opt for disabling her for good.

Back to my freedom.

irstarkey57

I just can’t help but think what all that time put into companions could have done to fix the game, that was apparently the main goal of LAST YEAR. Guess that’s not a thing anymore.

Khenarthi

On the bright side, Mirri does not block doorways like Lydia did

mague

Gain rapport. She is really nice when she conisders you a friend. In the end you get the chest buff without her summoned.

AbysmalGhul

Companions were a big flop for me. They seemed like an interesting concept. I liked how I could dress them up and give them a mount, but that novelty of them wore off as soon as I finished dressing them up and equipping them with a mount.

They would be better if all they did was apply buffs and a heal and didn't engage in combat at all.

phaneub17_ESO

That's too bad, Mirri is helping me clear huge trash packs rather quickly. I can pull entire rooms and then the two of us obliterate them all in quick succession.

Mythreindeer

phaneub17_ESO wrote: »

That's too bad, Mirri is helping me clear huge trash packs rather quickly. I can pull entire rooms and then the two of us obliterate them all in quick succession.

My experience has been positive as well. Pleasantly surprised.

Wolfster

But that's the thing about being social with others. If you do things they don't like it changes their opinion of you. If you want to do things that those people don't approve of (like assassinations for the Dark Brotherhood) then you need to do it without them.

You can also adjust the frequency of their dialog in settings. If they're commenting too often for your liking then adjust it so they don't.

She doesn't start fights she just stops to fight them while you continue sprinting away.

Pretty much all your complaints (bat them blocking *** which is a legit problem) are actually the better design points of the companion system in my opinion. They have personalities and opinions and will judge you for the things you do.

If you're planning a murder spree, don't take them with you. They aren't interested in being your accomplice, just like probably all your real life friends.

Crood_Oyl

I am now convinced that the staff at zos do not play this game. For me, the quests in this game with an npc following me around constantly getting in the way with the “press e to interact” when I’m trying to loot was a major annoyance. How do they then add a permanent npc with the same thing…. If 1 single person that plays the game was in 1 single meeting, surely this would have been like the first thing said… it’s the first thing I would have said for sure. I am just using Mirri to farm companion gear to sell for stupid prices. Once they go down I am removing her, never to be used again.

matterandstuff

I'm also finding them quite helpful with trash mobs, especially on new characters. I think it could be a gamechanger for retaining new players.

That said, ZOS did themselves no favours by having companions with such eclectic dislikes. Bastian is just such a ridiculous narc barely anyone I know can tolerate him - he's got the moral flexibility of a hardline religious leader, and Mirri's very random dislikes of normal ESO things get in the way too much. It would be a much better system with some more pragmatic/entertaining choices - someone in my Guild suggested Sereyne the alcoholic Alfiq from Elsweyr as the sort of companion they'd much rather play with.

stewhead2ub17_ESO

matterandstuff wrote: »

I'm also finding them quite helpful with trash mobs, especially on new characters. I think it could be a gamechanger for retaining new players.

That said, ZOS did themselves no favours by having companions with such eclectic dislikes. Bastian is just such a ridiculous narc barely anyone I know can tolerate him - he's got the moral flexibility of a hardline religious leader, and Mirri's very random dislikes of normal ESO things get in the way too much. It would be a much better system with some more pragmatic/entertaining choices - someone in my Guild suggested Sereyne the alcoholic Alfiq from Elsweyr as the sort of companion they'd much rather play with.

I imagine future companions will have different likes/dislikes as well. Just like player's characters cover a wide spectrum of beliefs & proclivities. These just happen to be the personalities of the first two.

SammyKhajit

“ Bastian is just such a ridiculous narc barely anyone I know can tolerate him”

This one agrees with that! He is a bit of a “seen the light” type

AcadianPaladin

There are plenty of things in ESO I don't like so I just avoid them. But companions are not such a feature and I quite like them.

Thavie

I wish there was a way to summon them when you actually need them and not have them around all the time. Or to have an option to silence them when you tired of them speaking. Oh wait!

jrfk2

I can understand how the OP feels .. I got Mirri to "Allied" but it was a grind ... as nothing I normally do would add much if any rapport ..as this point just going to do some things every so often but not have it be the focus of my game time.

Alurria

Thavie wrote: »

I wish there was a way to summon them when you actually need them and not have them around all the time. Or to have an option to silence them when you tired of them speaking. Oh wait!

I was going to say then realized sarcasm at its finest! Lol, fact is they have the power to dismiss and make them talk less.just because some people don't want to be judged for being a murderer or thief. Like someone else said companions are not pets and why take a friend to do DB contracts? But here's your solution dismiss your companion if you don't want it around. Other people happen to enjoy this feature. Edited to say (you is subjective)

svendf

I like Mirri she got humor and a great asset if you know how to use her. If I do some DB quests I just unsommon her, same goes if I ned to farm bugs for crafting - she is realy easy to have on your side.

I reckon that the companions are not for everyone. In my book ZOS did a realy good thing to include them.

I´m just using Mirri for now to get use to her and doing the guild quests everyday and some public dungeons for leveling.

Dagre2

stewhead2ub17_ESO wrote: »

matterandstuff wrote: »

I'm also finding them quite helpful with trash mobs, especially on new characters. I think it could be a gamechanger for retaining new players.

That said, ZOS did themselves no favours by having companions with such eclectic dislikes. Bastian is just such a ridiculous narc barely anyone I know can tolerate him - he's got the moral flexibility of a hardline religious leader, and Mirri's very random dislikes of normal ESO things get in the way too much. It would be a much better system with some more pragmatic/entertaining choices - someone in my Guild suggested Sereyne the alcoholic Alfiq from Elsweyr as the sort of companion they'd much rather play with.

I imagine future companions will have different likes/dislikes as well. Just like player's characters cover a wide spectrum of beliefs & proclivities. These just happen to be the personalities of the first two.

lets just hope. they'll probably still act like children offended every 30 seconds but hopefully they fit peoples playstyles a bit better. I mean, who would end up with a companion you have to constantly cater to due to their bloated self righteousness.

Abigail

Funny about Bastion being a "narc." He's the one I have out almost exclusively and I don't believe I've ever lost a rapport point with him --- AND --- I play my normal style. I'm not a thief or a duckhead, so Bastian and I get along just fine.

DarcyMardin

I like them. Mirri is hilarious with her comments and Bastian, though rather straitlaced, is a loyal companion. I don’t personally worry about losing a point here and there of rapport with them since you can gain a huge multiple of that doing the daily. For me, they add color to the game. I hope we get more companions in the months ahead.

WitchyWarrior

All I want is a Companion that doesn't judge me when I blade of Woe someone.
I don't do DB quests. I usually end up killing someone when pickpocketing goes wrong or if I REALLY want a thing but the NPC won't stop starring at me long enough for me to take it.
I get the idea of, "jUst UnSUmmOn TheM whEn YoU PlaN To StARt KIllinG", but I don't plan that stuff. So it would be nice if the Companion I had summoned at that moment wasn't a pearl clutcher.
But at least Mirri doesn't judge you for stealing, unlike Bastion

Alurria

I so wish we had a proper justice system.

Galbsadi

Wolfster wrote: »

If you do things they don't like it changes their opinion of you. If you want to do things that those people don't approve of (like assassinations for the Dark Brotherhood) then you need to do it without them..

I think you misunderstood what OP was saying re: Blade of Woe. Mirri doesn't have an issue specifically when you use Blade of Woe on an 'innocent' (i.e. a DB assassination). She has an issue when you use it on ANYBODY (including an unnamed bandit deep in a public dungeon or delve).

Wolfster

Galbsadi wrote: »

Wolfster wrote: »

If you do things they don't like it changes their opinion of you. If you want to do things that those people don't approve of (like assassinations for the Dark Brotherhood) then you need to do it without them..

I think you misunderstood what OP was saying re: Blade of Woe. Mirri doesn't have an issue specifically when you use Blade of Woe on an 'innocent' (i.e. a DB assassination). She has an issue when you use it on ANYBODY (including an unnamed bandit deep in a public dungeon or delve).

No I understood. And I think that makes perfect sense in the context of the comments the companions make when you do this "Nobody should have to die like THAT".

alanmatillab16_ESO

WitchyWarrior wrote: »

All I want is a Companion that doesn't judge me when I blade of Woe someone.
I don't do DB quests. I usually end up killing someone when pickpocketing goes wrong or if I REALLY want a thing but the NPC won't stop starring at me long enough for me to take it.
I get the idea of, "jUst UnSUmmOn TheM whEn YoU PlaN To StARt KIllinG", but I don't plan that stuff. So it would be nice if the Companion I had summoned at that moment wasn't a pearl clutcher.
But at least Mirri doesn't judge you for stealing, unlike Bastion

You only lose rapport with Mirri when using the blade of woe and you don't plan "that stuff"? you have plenty of time to dismiss her before going all stabby stabby. Call it "telling her to hang back while you scout ahead" if you want an RP reason to do it.

@thread: What I dont get is the decision to make the companion builds, equipped gear and levels account wide. Less of a levelling grind but character specific versions of the companions would make more sense.

Watching my bear and mirri go ham at a dolmen is amusing to watch though.

Xebov

Its a bad thing that tehy tied rapport to every day activities. This forces players into either not care (keep in mind they unsommon if they hate you) or to micromanage them and constantly put them in and out.

Miri complaints when you gather insect alchemical ingredients. Bastian complaints when you craft food or open thieves throves. Its extremely annoying.

ectoplasmicninja

To be fair, snatching insects out of the air and pulling their wings off is pretty sociopathic and if you saw someone do that IRL you'd probably be perturbed. On the other hand, torchbug thoraxes and butterfly wings are ingredients in Tamriel, so...

Bastian and his hatred for cheese is another story. I don't understand that at all. Was he fostered by a cow? He doesn't care if you make a meat dish, so it's not that he's a militant vegan, and he doesn't care if you make or drink something weird like Witchmother's Potent Brew (rice, fruit, meat, and poison) but he gets legitimately upset if you have some cheese with your fruit? I can't say I ever looked over at someone's plate containing an extremely typical food item and lowered my opinion of them as a result.

katorga

Mirri is fine, just don't give her a ranged weapon, she will roll away and reset bosses.

Bastian has all the good skills and buffs tho.

Sirvaleen

ectoplasmicninja wrote: »

I can't say I ever looked over at someone's plate containing an extremely typical food item and lowered my opinion of them as a result.

My esteem of someone would probably lower one iota seeing them eeting cheese and fruit together

More seriously, I think that cheese reaction is probably bugged. That, or Bast had a previous encounter with Uncle Sheo.

Mirri's love for flying bugs doesn't bother me much. Accidents happen and I lose 1 point, and don't really care to be honest.

Their quirks can be a bother but most of the time I only summon them for combat and unsummon them when they become more of a hassle than an asset, like I would do with combat pets if I were to use them.