What can we do about companions?

ADarklore

I love companions and I think their introduction is WHY I'm still here.

For those who have been talking about how Companions shouldn't be in ESO because it's an MMO, you apparently haven't read the numerous articles talking about how MMOs are shifting from the outdated 'group' mentality to the more soloable content mentality; where players can group if they WANT TO, but are never forced to, which was the old format for an MMO.

Also, ESO devs have stated in many interviews about how ESO is not a traditional MMO.

oddbasket

ADarklore wrote: »

I love companions and I think their introduction is WHY I'm still here.

For those who have been talking about how Companions shouldn't be in ESO because it's an MMO, you apparently haven't read the numerous articles talking about how MMOs are shifting from the outdated 'group' mentality to the more soloable content mentality; where players can group if they WANT TO, but are never forced to, which was the old format for an MMO.

Also, ESO devs have stated in many interviews about how ESO is not a traditional MMO.

This thread isn't about whether the companions system should exist, or if someone wants it removed. I am not woke enough to argue about personal feelings of how each person like or dislike having it in the game, or how they prefer to play or use their companions, although somehow most of the replies seem to go this way.

I am evaluating how the system doesn't respect my time as a player, and giving feedback how I think it can be improved.
I was hoping for more constructive replies to be honest, instead of most players just saying not to use companions if I didn't like them which is plain assumption.

DenverRalphy

I just returned towards the end of last November , and had never played on PS server before. So I knew the game and the premise, but was starting from scratch. I have 5 of the 6 companions maxed out, and I really didn't put any specific effort into levelling them. Heck I didn't think anybody even thought the process was slow until this thread came up.

I've never intentionally grinded public dungeons (yet, my CP hasn't hit 1000 yet, but I can see the progress starting to slow) to level my companions. And I've never decked my toons in Training gear except for the odd pieces while levelling up to 50. Granted I spent a considerable amount of time killing mobs for antiquity leads, but never did I have to intentionally grind for levelling purposes.

If I can level 5 of them in 4 months, it's beyond me how someone can't level 2 within a full year. And seriously, I'm anything but a hardcore gamer. Companions only get experience from kills, so if you're they're not levelling up it's because you either don't kill much stuff in the game, or you're not having them with you when you do.

oddbasket

DenverRalphy wrote: »

I just returned towards the end of last November , and had never played on PS server before. So I knew the game and the premise, but was starting from scratch. I have 5 of the 6 companions maxed out, and I really didn't put any specific effort into levelling them. Heck I didn't think anybody even thought the process was slow until this thread came up.

I've never intentionally grinded public dungeons (yet, my CP hasn't hit 1000 yet, but I can see the progress starting to slow) to level my companions. And I've never decked my toons in Training gear except for the odd pieces while levelling up to 50. Granted I spent a considerable amount of time killing mobs for antiquity leads, but never did I have to intentionally grind for levelling purposes.

If I can level 5 of them in 4 months, it's beyond me how someone can't level 2 within a full year. And seriously, I'm anything but a hardcore gamer. Companions only get experience from kills, so if you're they're not levelling up it's because you either don't kill much stuff in the game, or you're not having them with you when you do.

Sounds like you're a relatively new player with an abundance of content to go through?

My main character is created during beta, I have repeated most of the content over the years across multiple characters and am out of character slots.
I look forward to each new content and like I've mentioned the leveling is disproportionate to the amount of new content I get to play through.
In my case, having to go back to areas I've done or to repeat content for the sake of leveling companions does sound like intentional grinding to me and no different from grinding out in BRP/DSA to be honest.

Bear in mind, older players didn't have the companion system back then when they played through multiple characters up to Blackwood.

Lugaldu

oddbasket wrote: »

This thread isn't about whether the companions system should exist, or if someone wants it removed. I am not woke enough to argue about personal feelings of how each person like or dislike having it in the game, or how they prefer to play or use their companions, although somehow most of the replies seem to go this way.

I am evaluating how the system doesn't respect my time as a player, and giving feedback how I think it can be improved.
I was hoping for more constructive replies to be honest, instead of most players just saying not to use companions if I didn't like them which is plain assumption.

ZOS gave us the ideal "training ground" for the companions - the archive.
The only time I don't get to max level with companions is if I don't want to play with them. Like with Ember, whose chatter gets on my nerves so much that I've never played her again since I got her as a houseguest.

oddbasket

Lugaldu wrote: »

oddbasket wrote: »

This thread isn't about whether the companions system should exist, or if someone wants it removed. I am not woke enough to argue about personal feelings of how each person like or dislike having it in the game, or how they prefer to play or use their companions, although somehow most of the replies seem to go this way.

I am evaluating how the system doesn't respect my time as a player, and giving feedback how I think it can be improved.
I was hoping for more constructive replies to be honest, instead of most players just saying not to use companions if I didn't like them which is plain assumption.

ZOS gave us the ideal "training ground" for the companions - the archive.
The only time I don't get to max level with companions is if I don't want to play with them. Like with Ember, whose chatter gets on my nerves so much that I've never played her again since I got her as a houseguest.

That makes sense in a way. I wonder however if after 6 companions, the next 2 still has to be brought to IA? IA isn't a content that doesn't get stale on repeat vs fresher content. I guess at some point the though of leveling companions in IA may not appeal over grinding in BRP/DSA, unless ZOS gives us new content for companions?

AcadianPaladin

I love companions but, looking ahead, I don't think the system has good expandability. Sort of like the attunable tables - as more and more were introduced they became overwhelming to place until the master attunable tables were brought in. What I'd like to see to streamline what appears to be more and more companions being introduced is to make obtaining them account wide. One character gets them then all alts can use them.

Because of the introduction of more and more companions, I've abandoned getting them on alts as a routine. My main gets the new companions, levels them up, evaluates them and then we decide if they are of interest to actually use on other characters.

DenverRalphy

oddbasket wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

I just returned towards the end of last November , and had never played on PS server before. So I knew the game and the premise, but was starting from scratch. I have 5 of the 6 companions maxed out, and I really didn't put any specific effort into levelling them. Heck I didn't think anybody even thought the process was slow until this thread came up.

I've never intentionally grinded public dungeons (yet, my CP hasn't hit 1000 yet, but I can see the progress starting to slow) to level my companions. And I've never decked my toons in Training gear except for the odd pieces while levelling up to 50. Granted I spent a considerable amount of time killing mobs for antiquity leads, but never did I have to intentionally grind for levelling purposes.

If I can level 5 of them in 4 months, it's beyond me how someone can't level 2 within a full year. And seriously, I'm anything but a hardcore gamer. Companions only get experience from kills, so if you're they're not levelling up it's because you either don't kill much stuff in the game, or you're not having them with you when you do.

Sounds like you're a relatively new player with an abundance of content to go through?

My main character is created during beta, I have repeated most of the content over the years across multiple characters and am out of character slots.

That's just it though. It's not the content I had available to go through, because Companions don't get experience from anything but combat/mob kills. The amount of mobs you kill from content like quests is negligible so the content isn't even part of the equaton. It's just the continuous killing that levels them up. So what's the issue? There's an infinite amount of monsters to kill in the game. If you're not participating in much combat, then why concern yourself with the companions anyway?

oddbasket

AcadianPaladin wrote: »

I love companions but, looking ahead, I don't think the system has good expandability. Sort of like the attunable tables - as more and more were introduced they became overwhelming to place until the master attunable tables were brought in. What I'd like to see to streamline what appears to be more and more companions being introduced is to make obtaining them account wide. One character gets them then all alts can use them.

Because of the introduction of more and more companions, I've abandoned getting them on alts as a routine. My main gets the new companions, levels them up, evaluates them and then we decide if they are of interest to actually use on other characters.

This I agree with. I am only a completionist on my main character and less concerned with alts skipping quests or zones including quests to pick up companions.

I would prefer companions to unlock account wide after completing the quest once. I understand why the quest needs to be there as part of a story, but the quest can still exists for alts with the companion NPC still there despite companions unlocking account wide.

oddbasket

DenverRalphy wrote: »

oddbasket wrote: »

DenverRalphy wrote: »

I just returned towards the end of last November , and had never played on PS server before. So I knew the game and the premise, but was starting from scratch. I have 5 of the 6 companions maxed out, and I really didn't put any specific effort into levelling them. Heck I didn't think anybody even thought the process was slow until this thread came up.

I've never intentionally grinded public dungeons (yet, my CP hasn't hit 1000 yet, but I can see the progress starting to slow) to level my companions. And I've never decked my toons in Training gear except for the odd pieces while levelling up to 50. Granted I spent a considerable amount of time killing mobs for antiquity leads, but never did I have to intentionally grind for levelling purposes.

If I can level 5 of them in 4 months, it's beyond me how someone can't level 2 within a full year. And seriously, I'm anything but a hardcore gamer. Companions only get experience from kills, so if you're they're not levelling up it's because you either don't kill much stuff in the game, or you're not having them with you when you do.

Sounds like you're a relatively new player with an abundance of content to go through?

My main character is created during beta, I have repeated most of the content over the years across multiple characters and am out of character slots.

That's just it though. It's not the content I had available to go through, because Companions don't get experience from anything but combat/mob kills. The amount of mobs you kill from content like quests is negligible so the content isn't even part of the equaton. It's just the continuous killing that levels them up. So what's the issue? There's an infinite amount of monsters to kill in the game. If you're not participating in much combat, then why concern yourself with the companions anyway?

While true, I do go out of my way to kill enemies. While doing new content I rarely ever mount up, instead choosing to travel on foot and repeatedly kill enemies I'd come across to extend my playtime of the new zones, also making a conscious effort to try and kill more enemies and world bosses along the way to level companions and still finish the available zones before maxing them out naturally before going to public dungeons to grind them out.

I use that as my measure when I concluded the leveling was disproportionate to new content. I didn't simply run to end bosses to complete quests when I say I'm doing content. I am participating in combat as much as I can, and why shouldn't I concern myself with companions? I like to use them in pve,

TybaltKaine

I think the next two companions should be the last two companions. Instead of creating new ones every time we get a content expansion, why not add to the stories of the ones that exist? Give us a reason to use Mirri in Apocrypha (where she would be having a blast being a daedrologist and all). Give us a reason to use Bastian in High Isle, where his political connections to Breton nobility could have come in handy in altering a quest outcome or opening up new dialogue paths.

Just a refresh of the companions so that they don't become stale, one note, get the max rapport and leave them in a house as furnishings, which is what they are now.

oddbasket

TybaltKaine wrote: »

I think the next two companions should be the last two companions. Instead of creating new ones every time we get a content expansion, why not add to the stories of the ones that exist? Give us a reason to use Mirri in Apocrypha (where she would be having a blast being a daedrologist and all). Give us a reason to use Bastian in High Isle, where his political connections to Breton nobility could have come in handy in altering a quest outcome or opening up new dialogue paths.

Just a refresh of the companions so that they don't become stale, one note, get the max rapport and leave them in a house as furnishings, which is what they are now.

Yes please, give us a break from new companions. I would like to actually use them after fully leveling instead of moving on to new ones all the time.

Juju_beans

I use the companions to level up new characters.
I can do harder content that way.

I also use companions on my main to do some dungeons and that helps too.

Other than that..they aren't out all the time on all my characters.

Lemurejo

This one have not Companions,can't believe they aren't account wide ...

BlueRaven

oddbasket wrote: »

Ishtarknows wrote: »

I agree they're a waste of time. I level mine, do the quests, get the achievements all within the first few days and then they're never seen again. I don't need them or want them hanging about. I'm sure all the extra bodies are putting strain on the servers

Where do I go to level both companions in a few days? If there's fast leveling tip, I sure would like to know it.

I've just spent several days completing a DLC zone from start to finish, achievement hunted and killed anything in my path for xp. My companion gained 1.5 levels by the end of it.

A chapter and a DLC zone has so far not been enough content to level them for me, even with grinding new public dungeon fragments unlocks.

Level boosts affects companions as well. Double xp event, plus xp scroll, then grind a public dungeon with a character that does great aoe damage. The levels fly up.

Bonus tip: choose a public dungeon that has valuable collectible drops that you can sell.

Erickson9610

Lemurejo wrote: »

This one have not Companions,can't believe they aren't account wide ...

Their equipment/skills/experience is account-wide. Their relationship to your character and thus their questlines (including the introductory quest to unlock them) is not account-wide. You only need to level a Companion to maximum level and gear them properly one time per account, but if you want to unlock them, you need to run through their introductory quest on that character.

metheglyn

I agree that, in general, companions level too slowly. I think it's a bit silly that they don't receive some amount of quest experience, especially for their personal quests or the quests to raise their rapport.

I love the companion system, have all of the companions recruited, max level, and max rapport. I use them on multiple characters to lessen the feeling of grinding XP, but there's still always a point where I feel like I have to take them into a dungeon or arena to get those last couple levels. I think having to focus so hard (or even at all) on getting them experience detracts from them as actual companions and npcs with personalities.

As for the gear, I don't fuss with it too much. I've had some purple quality gear drop, but mostly I get greens and blues. I give the companions what I think works best for them and don't worry about whether or not it's the best companion gear available.

Vonnegut2506

In a game that touts questing as one of the primary features of the game, it is extremely illogical that companions don't gain xp for questing. That simple change would alleviate the majority of the leveling difficulty, and I say that as someone who only has Azander left to max.

Reginald_leBlem

RetPing wrote: »

They should just delete them, this was supposed to be a MMO and not a single player game.
Companion have put a lot of strain in server resources, resources that are need elsewhere.

Ember is my sorc sister from another mister, you can take away the other companions, but NOT Ember

Nharimlur_Finor

ADarklore wrote: »

I love companions and I think their introduction is WHY I'm still here.

For those who have been talking about how Companions shouldn't be in ESO because it's an MMO, you apparently haven't read the numerous articles talking about how MMOs are shifting from the outdated 'group' mentality to the more soloable content mentality; where players can group if they WANT TO, but are never forced to, which was the old format for an MMO.

Also, ESO devs have stated in many interviews about how ESO is not a traditional MMO.

Mostly this.

When companions were released, I thought they were a joke. I never used them before I quit playing last year.

This time around, I decided to try them out and so far, it's been a reasonably good experience. So good, that I am not bothering to do dungeons now. I'm leveling up by using a scroll and companion on overland mobs instead.

You do need to research each of them to determine how they will compliment your gameplay. I have one char with 3 companions, but that was a waste of time. You need to think as much about your companion choice, as you do about your char choice. You really only need one for each character.

I think Isobel is a better choice for a companion that will heal you.
I think Mirri is a better combat choice than Bastion.
I am using Ember as more of a general companion, with no specific role. At least she doesn't whinge about the bug hunts.
I don't have access to the others.

Mirri is the best choice if you don't like inane background chatter. I can't work out if Ember's accent is Mexican or Phillipino either way, can be mildly annoying.
I'll probably stop using Bastion. I am waiting for him to start talking footy...
Ummm I would like to see a 'Quistley' companion - maybe along the lines of the Skyrim 'Fat Stupid Son' addon.

4 out of 5 chars are now in mid40s level; with companions at leve l7-8 with some having 4 slots now.
There's a challenge to match the right gear to what you want, but you can bank whatever drops and share with the others. I just don't understand the skills/traits mix that companions come with as yet.

Got my first purple gear drop, a ring iirc. Char level 38; companion level 7.

If you're still not sure, just do the Mirri quest and try using her. She seems to be the best all-rounder.

BretonMage

ADarklore wrote: »

I love companions and I think their introduction is WHY I'm still here.

For those who have been talking about how Companions shouldn't be in ESO because it's an MMO, you apparently haven't read the numerous articles talking about how MMOs are shifting from the outdated 'group' mentality to the more soloable content mentality; where players can group if they WANT TO, but are never forced to, which was the old format for an MMO.

Also, ESO devs have stated in many interviews about how ESO is not a traditional MMO.

Totally agree! I'm always amused when I see people complaining about companions "not fitting" into an MMO. I was playing ESO solo before companions were introduced and would continue to play ESO solo if (heavens forfend) they were removed. I'm sure a lot of people play ESO for the TES experience, and I think it's perfectly fine.

Companions could never replace another player anyway, in terms of combat ability or socialising. I see companions as an interesting enrichment of the world we quest in, and not a substitute for another player.

oddbasket

metheglyn wrote: »

I agree that, in general, companions level too slowly. I think it's a bit silly that they don't receive some amount of quest experience, especially for their personal quests or the quests to raise their rapport.

I love the companion system, have all of the companions recruited, max level, and max rapport. I use them on multiple characters to lessen the feeling of grinding XP, but there's still always a point where I feel like I have to take them into a dungeon or arena to get those last couple levels. I think having to focus so hard (or even at all) on getting them experience detracts from them as actual companions and npcs with personalities.

As for the gear, I don't fuss with it too much. I've had some purple quality gear drop, but mostly I get greens and blues. I give the companions what I think works best for them and don't worry about whether or not it's the best companion gear available.

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

In a game that touts questing as one of the primary features of the game, it is extremely illogical that companions don't gain xp for questing. That simple change would alleviate the majority of the leveling difficulty, and I say that as someone who only has Azander left to max.

Yes, please. Take it further even, let companions gain a percentage of any source a player can gain xp from. then regardless of how some one prefers to use them it won't feel like a penalty and lessen the overall sentiments of players feeling grinding large mobs repeatedly is the best way to level them.

oddbasket

Ilsabet wrote: »

oddbasket wrote: »

As for bosses, I usually ran random vet dungeons and pledges but I've not paid attention if they've dropped since I couldn't have companions out in a full team, did all the delves/public dungeons and killed any would boss I come across since I can solo them without waiting for groups. Also did vMA and vVH, not sure if I've gotten drops there. So far I have 0 purple companion gear as yet though.

Companion gear will only drop if you have a companion active, so you won't be able to get it from solo arenas or dungeons with only players.

If I could change this, I would prefer companion gear to drop regardless if a player has them out with the only requirement being that a player at least own a chapter that includes companions to not over inflate drops for players that don't.

Let us be swimming in companion gear drops and increase the rate of purple drops, let's have enough of them that we can sort them out ourselves and freely customise the increasing number of companions that we are getting.

Erickson9610

I hope we keep getting new Companions every year. An underappreciated aspect of Companions is their Keepsakes — those account-wide unlockable passives we get when we get a Companion to max level and get the highest positive rapport with them. Last year, we got Keepsakes that improved fishing odds and gave us a chance to find portfolios in containers which may contain furnishing plans.

If anything, Keepsakes are a good reason for even people who hate Companions to look forward to getting more Companions. I personally also enjoy theorycrafting Companion builds, and their questlines are interesting because I'm naturally invested in them, having spent multiple real-world days with these characters, leveling them up and getting positive rapport with them.

katanagirl1

DenverRalphy wrote: »

I just returned towards the end of last November , and had never played on PS server before. So I knew the game and the premise, but was starting from scratch. I have 5 of the 6 companions maxed out, and I really didn't put any specific effort into levelling them. Heck I didn't think anybody even thought the process was slow until this thread came up.

I've never intentionally grinded public dungeons (yet, my CP hasn't hit 1000 yet, but I can see the progress starting to slow) to level my companions. And I've never decked my toons in Training gear except for the odd pieces while levelling up to 50. Granted I spent a considerable amount of time killing mobs for antiquity leads, but never did I have to intentionally grind for levelling purposes.

If I can level 5 of them in 4 months, it's beyond me how someone can't level 2 within a full year. And seriously, I'm anything but a hardcore gamer. Companions only get experience from kills, so if you're they're not levelling up it's because you either don't kill much stuff in the game, or you're not having them with you when you do.

Spend most of your time in areas where you can’t use companions - Cyrodiil and trials- and you never get them fully leveled. I’m still working on Ember.

EDIT: plus if I really need a companion to complete more difficult content I’m going to use Bastian as a tank, not Ember

Pelanora

Why are you levelling something you don't want?

My companion fights the trash i don't want to anymore, never even need get off my horse, and i like hearing her comments.

I watched one player solo a tough wb and with Ember just stood behind her healing her the whole time. Handy.

old_scopie1945

I just use them as company, but levelling them like all grinds in ESO is a pain. ZOS prays at the alter of the grind god who must always be appeased.

FlopsyPrince

Zodiarkslayer wrote: »

Indeed. During one of the 100%xp events in 2023, I levelled all my companions but one. Was easy as pie. And fast as leopard on a sugar rush. They also do neither need to participate in the fight nor be particularly helpful. Just need to be active, that's all.
There is also the hidden xp multiplier that scales with rapport level. I believe it scales from 10% of player xp at 0, to 20% at max rapport. That can be a pretty big difference in terms of time for grinding to lvl20.
And maxing out rapport isn't all too time consuming. Every comp has at least one daily quest that gives him/her 125 rapport.

Also, the best combination of training gear is Heartland Conqueror and Torug's Pact, imo. You can survive greater add pulls and thus have a better xp per time ratio.
Not using these multiple opportunities to level easily is tantamount to trying to fight a MMA champion with a blindfold. 😉

Purple companion gear, btw, primarily drops from Boss type monsters. If you clear a dungeon, you'll only have four or five chances total. If one doesn't fight Bosses, well, one will almost assuredly never get purple comp gear.

So you have to solo dungeons to get the companion gear, right? Kind of goes against the "4 player dungeon" mode most use.

FlopsyPrince

ADarklore wrote: »

I love companions and I think their introduction is WHY I'm still here.

For those who have been talking about how Companions shouldn't be in ESO because it's an MMO, you apparently haven't read the numerous articles talking about how MMOs are shifting from the outdated 'group' mentality to the more soloable content mentality; where players can group if they WANT TO, but are never forced to, which was the old format for an MMO.

Also, ESO devs have stated in many interviews about how ESO is not a traditional MMO.

I mostly soloed Warcraft during the Cata-Mists time, so running solo in an MMO has a long term precedent. You don't have to group with others to be in a world with others. That is a foolish idea of those who want to return to their positive memories of playing MMOs before I jumped into them.

Erickson9610

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

Zodiarkslayer wrote: »

Indeed. During one of the 100%xp events in 2023, I levelled all my companions but one. Was easy as pie. And fast as leopard on a sugar rush. They also do neither need to participate in the fight nor be particularly helpful. Just need to be active, that's all.
There is also the hidden xp multiplier that scales with rapport level. I believe it scales from 10% of player xp at 0, to 20% at max rapport. That can be a pretty big difference in terms of time for grinding to lvl20.
And maxing out rapport isn't all too time consuming. Every comp has at least one daily quest that gives him/her 125 rapport.

Also, the best combination of training gear is Heartland Conqueror and Torug's Pact, imo. You can survive greater add pulls and thus have a better xp per time ratio.
Not using these multiple opportunities to level easily is tantamount to trying to fight a MMA champion with a blindfold. 😉

Purple companion gear, btw, primarily drops from Boss type monsters. If you clear a dungeon, you'll only have four or five chances total. If one doesn't fight Bosses, well, one will almost assuredly never get purple comp gear.

So you have to solo dungeons to get the companion gear, right? Kind of goes against the "4 player dungeon" mode most use.

If you have your active Companion in the group when you kill any kind of enemy, you have a chance to receive Companion equipment. You don't necessarily have to solo dungeons to get loot — for instance, maybe you group up with 1-2 other players for a 4-person dungeon, or maybe someone in your 12-person trial or 4-person dungeon/arena group leaves, so you have room in the group to summon your Companion.

It's popular to farm World Bosses or Public Dungeon bosses for Companion gear because they have no strict group requirements, and they can be done with the assistance of others if absolutely necessary. Personally, though, I'd just farm the Infinite Archive, because in addition to getting Companion loot from boss chests, you also earn Archival Fortunes, which can be used to buy purple Companion gear outright.