Main Story, Five Companions and Assault on Coldharbour

Jarl_Ironheart

So, I recently played through the main story again and I just beat so everything is fresh in my mind. I for the life of me don't understand why the companions, Lyris, Sai, Tharn, Prophet, do not join you as say generals in coldharbour. They are never mentioned the entire time during all that and after YOU do all the work of stopping thr planemeld they pop in like "Yo! Stop wasting time and tell us which one of us is gonna die". Where have you people been?

It's also so strange that the main story is so annoying and boring EXCEPT for the coldharbour invasion. All of that is great.

This is just something I was thinking about tonight and wanted to share. And ps, the companions are kinda useless in the grand scheme of things. They don't ever... do anything.

kind_hero

When I started the main quest (8 years ago, wow) I enjoyed the companions a lot. At that time, main quests from other ES games were fresh in my memory, so I thought the main quest in ESO was okay. Meeting the first two companions in the starting quest (prison), was fine, it gave a continuation to the story.

For me the experience was different, because I had to level up to get to each chapter of the main quest. Maybe this is how I didn't find it boring. There were breaks between chapters. The main quest was linked with your progress from world zones and story quests from those areas, and it made sense to work your way through fighters and mages guilds.

I did the MQ on two characters so far. It is still better than most of the main stories from recent chapters. Probably the weak point is where the game forces you to sacrifice a NPC of your choice, when the choice, from the story perspective is rather obvious.

The game has evolved so much in 8 years, that is hard to compare old content with new. Now we have so many options, we even have companions of our own with their background stories and story quests. Also, back when I started, each zone was leveled and some content was much harder. I remember having trouble killing Falchou, a werewolf, and had to use certain buffs from allied NPCs. Nowadays, you can skip all the game mechanics, and kills such mobs in 2 seconds.

Rasoma

The original main quest was tough back "in the day". It was well paced and you got the next bit every five levels or so - levels did not come as fast as they do not either!

These days, with the QOL improvements the original main quest is still great but it is also a lot easier and less brutal - thus encouraging people to stay with the game.

The companions from the main story did get some love later on but in the most they were cast aside - that is not a bad thing. Having an MMO built around just a handful of NPC's stagnates it. This way the companions (that survived) get on with their business and we go out and adventure meeting new people without becoming the saviour of the world - well maybe not.

jtm1018

The only notable companion is Lyris, I would sacrifice the other 3 wholeheartedly. If she wasnt overshadowed by the great Sir Cadwell.

Still willing to die for Lyris on any given quest

TiaFrye

Jarl_Ironheart wrote: »

So, I recently played through the main story again and I just beat so everything is fresh in my mind. I for the life of me don't understand why the companions, Lyris, Sai, Tharn, Prophet, do not join you as say generals in coldharbour. They are never mentioned the entire time during all that and after YOU do all the work of stopping thr planemeld they pop in like "Yo! Stop wasting time and tell us which one of us is gonna die". Where have you people been?

It's also so strange that the main story is so annoying and boring EXCEPT for the coldharbour invasion. All of that is great.

This is just something I was thinking about tonight and wanted to share. And ps, the companions are kinda useless in the grand scheme of things. They don't ever... do anything.

Essentially Companion's mission is a secret one. Imagine what people could do if they would learn there's very same people responsible for Soulburst and Planemeld are here. The former Emperor himself! Plus, half of them are newly tortured. Tharn still considered an enemy's agent. And so on.

robwolf666

They do need to find a way to make the main story relevant again, it's way too easy these days, and a cheap way to get some skill points - I'd argue the same for the Mages and Fighters Guilds quest lines. Maybe find a way to step up the difficulty so it's a bit harder than regular gameplay.

colossalvoids

Personally though that's their uninvolvement was pretty much justified after tortures they've endured in Coldharbour, mental ones for the most part.

Can't say it's boring per se, it's just the game has changed since. Personally I like MQ as a whole but some filler parts like "run a delve" and click through tablets.

bmnoble

They don't actually have any authority to take command though, the forces present are from the fighters and mages guild along with locals going along with them due to your own efforts.

That and they are in hiding both from the worm cult and the Alliance leaders.

The 3 alliances are fighting over the former Emperor's throne after all, if the Emperor were to show up he could be a symbol for the Imperial forces, to rally behind, creating a fourth faction in the war and potentially in the worst case splintering the 3 existing alliances.

Especially if the companions were to publicly end the threat of the soul burst, giving them legitimacy by way of a great feat, legitimacy that you the vestige has given them while your also suppose to be working for one of the Alliance leaders, to whom it would look like your prioritizing the Emperor's claim to the throne instead of theirs, making it look like your betraying them.

It's far too late into the war, too much blood has been spilt, for the Alliance leaders to step aside and put Varen back on the Ruby throne, they are far more likely to try and have him assassinated, if he shows himself, its one of the reasons they didn't tell you he was the former Emperor for so long, they were worried you would view them as an enemy.

The other companions can get away with showing themselves to an extent and helping out since the Alliance leaders don't know the Emperor is still around, there seen as free agents that the Alliance leaders might try to recruit or at least they are seen as staying out of the way, of the Alliance leaders bid for the throne.

At least that is my take on it.

Danikat

bmnoble wrote: »

They don't actually have any authority to take command though, the forces present are from the fighters and mages guild along with locals going along with them due to your own efforts.

That's an important point. The Fighter's and Mage's Guilds have always been independent and the 3 Alliances are fighting against what's left of Varen's government (now under the control of Mannimarco, via Clivia Tharn) so not only do the Companions have no authority over the forces invading Coldharbour but they're likely to be seen ad additional threat rather than potential allies.

But as other people have said they've also been through a lot and I don't think any of them are looking to take up leadership or military roles any time soon. They feel responsible for the Planemeld (which they kind of are) and so want to do what they can to stop it, but they don't want to get drawn into any kind of long-term commitment or political role in the process.