Companions

jaws343

So after a week with companions on Xbox, I thought I'd put out some of my thoughts on them.

Overall, I think they add an interesting element to the gameplay. Even under geared they provide some use. I've only been dealing with running Mirri as a DPS with staves, so this assessment is really only from a damage dealing perspective. And despite some of the combat flaws, it is really rewarding when a fight is successfully managed using a companion.

Gearing the companions is fine, mostly, and profitable for sure for unwanted pieces. I don't even mind the drop rate, even if it sometimes seems like they will never drop.

But, some issues that I think, if addressed, would go a long ways to making companions pretty solid:

Companions need to move out of enemy AOEs immediately. On console at least, the companion controls are incredibly clunky and outside of the heavy attack targeting not really viable. Even then, not always a guarantee that the companion is going to move anywhere, or to a better location.

Companions also need some sort of tethering option in the Gameplay Options. Something that allows a user to force the companion to stay within X radius of the player. Too often I find my companion halfway across the dungeon after several roll dodges. A tether option will keep companions close and not risk resetting fights or dragging enemies away from the player unnecessarily.

On top of these first two combat issues, just some sort of enhanced tools that can be used to further customize companions would be a great improvement. Tying the target prioritization to heavy attacks is great in a vacuum. But often I found having to do a random heavy attack on a different add to get Mirri to focus it, and then refocus back on the boss myself. But, if I needed to do a heavy attack for resources it immediately broke down any commands given unless I turned and heavy attacked the add set as priority. And, if an add was directly attacking my companion, she did nothing if I had already used a heavy attack elsewhere. Some sort of smart targetting needs to be added, with either health, or enemy "class" as a criteria. And companions need to immediately re-focus attention on enemies that are attacking them.

Gear should drop from all locations that a companion can be used in. This is fine for group dungeons and delves and public dungeons. The bosses all drop loot and all have a chance for companion gear. But, DSA seems to be an outlier. The bosses only drop gold and so far, after 3 solo runs, it appears that not a single round of the arena can drop companion loot. This should be updated.

Gear should have a chance to drop from Treasure Map Chests. It can be a super rare chance, but it would be a great addition that would still encourage players to explore zones, add more value to treasure maps, and provide more opportunities to gear up companions. And this is already partially available as the CE maps for Blackwood guarantee a companion gear piece drop.

Wolfster

If you're on console (or PC with a controller) and you want to tell your companion what to attack, hod down both thumb buttons and use right trigger. This will lock your companion to that target.

No idea what they keypress is for keyboard and mouse.

kinguardian

I have now spent some time with both of the companions.
They guy irritates me a lot. His lines are very annoying and are said at the most weirdest moments.
Also when we are in a fight he says out of the blue" stop that! It is cruel and wasteful." Or he says " does a life mean so little to you"
And then our relationship status goes down again.
Why??? We are fighting enemies.
He gets annoyed quick and it is difficult to built the relationship status up with him.

The girl Mirri I like a lot better. She fights well and the things she says are not annoying me. She only has the habit to be in the way a bit but at this moment I can work around that.
She is funny and has an opinion. I like that.

I still have to figure out a lot regarding the companions but these are my first impressions.

ADarklore

kinguardian wrote: »

I have now spent some time with both of the companions.
They guy irritates me a lot. His lines are very annoying and are said at the most weirdest moments.
Also when we are in a fight he says out of the blue" stop that! It is cruel and wasteful." Or he says " does a life mean so little to you"
And then our relationship status goes down again.
Why??? We are fighting enemies.
He gets annoyed quick and it is difficult to built the relationship status up with him.

The girl Mirri I like a lot better. She fights well and the things she says are not annoying me. She only has the habit to be in the way a bit but at this moment I can work around that.
She is funny and has an opinion. I like that.

I still have to figure out a lot regarding the companions but these are my first impressions.

I haven't seen Bastian's rapport drop when he's made those comments (I have the addon that tells when rapport is gained or lost). I DO know it drops when you steal or use Blade of Woe... even Mirri's rapport drops when you use the Blade of Woe... which I find odd considering she's an assassin.

I definitely agree about Bastian... which is why I made him my healer that I use when I solo harder content (World Bosses and Group dungeons), otherwise I have Mirri as my 2H assassin. Her commentary is much more enjoyable and she doesn't get mad when I loot Thieves Troves and loves it when I kill snakes and goblins.

hrothbern

jaws343 wrote: »

But, some issues that I think, if addressed, would go a long ways to making companions pretty solid:

Companions need to move out of enemy AOEs immediately. On console at least, the companion controls are incredibly clunky and outside of the heavy attack targeting not really viable. Even then, not always a guarantee that the companion is going to move anywhere, or to a better location.

Companions also need some sort of tethering option in the Gameplay Options. Something that allows a user to force the companion to stay within X radius of the player. Too often I find my companion halfway across the dungeon after several roll dodges. A tether option will keep companions close and not risk resetting fights or dragging enemies away from the player unnecessarily.

On top of these first two combat issues, just some sort of enhanced tools that can be used to further customize companions would be a great improvement. Tying the target prioritization to heavy attacks is great in a vacuum. But often I found having to do a random heavy attack on a different add to get Mirri to focus it, and then refocus back on the boss myself. But, if I needed to do a heavy attack for resources it immediately broke down any commands given unless I turned and heavy attacked the add set as priority. And, if an add was directly attacking my companion, she did nothing if I had already used a heavy attack elsewhere. Some sort of smart targetting needs to be added, with either health, or enemy "class" as a criteria. And companions need to immediately re-focus attention on enemies that are attacking them.

It is a bit like the fairy with the three wishes.
Be mindfull what you wish for.
Anything too forcing could backfire easily unless it is an optional command.

Moving "immediately" out of AOE ?
But where to ?
And if that standing in stupid does not really bite hard enough ?

And If you as player have positioned for example Mirri to where you want her to use the fear ability, and in her ability loop that is going to be activated by her in 2-3 seconds... I do WANT her to stay where she is.
(and yes, you can by your own maneuvring and which monster you attack position companions to some or more degree)
And towards that positioning: if you have a resto companion and want the blessed activity (with 7000 Armor increase you can gain) done with you between the boss and the companion, you can achieve that for better than 90% in simple boss fights.
But you have to learn which of your actions do influence the decisions of the AI of monsters AND your companion. Whereby the decisions of your companion depend strongly on their weapon and whether the abilities are ranged, melee or casted on themselves.

IF the devs would add your proposals I would like that they are ONLY options I can activate, because they can be counterproductive if always applied compared to the current vanilla AI.

What I recommend: start observing in a controlled way how all these interactions happen now.
Just play the same fight over and over again with first no abilities slotted and just a weapon. And observe how the companion decides on your actions (abilities melee-ranged-AOE-directattack-LA-HA) your positioning and those of the monsters/boss.
Than add just 1 ability and see what happens. For every ability.

BTW
If a monster attacks your companion and you do for example a HA (EDIT or LA or medium or direct attack) on another monster, your companion will indeed now aim its attacks at that same monster. If your companion is melee weaponed wiith melee abilities it will start running towards that same monster. If you change your direct attack from monster A to monster B, to C etc, you can see your companion only running to the last monster you did hit (just like with the volatile familiar sorc pet).
=> If you HA (EDIT or LA or medium or direct attack) the boss, your companion will move to the boss. And often the monster attacking your companion will stop attacking your companion.
But if your companion does more damage than you to the boss, the boss will go to the companion.
Slotting heavy hitting DPS abilities as first in row in your companion and you yourself starting with AOE to the boss will earn the companion the aggro of the boss.
In general: keep the aggro of monsters to you if your companion is a ranged healer or DPSer.

What however would be great is if as emergency fix for situations you would have a special command that only orders your companion to move out of stupid and another to come within melee range from you.