NPC Marriage System/Follower/Recruit

Humor

Hello all,

I'm pretty sure those of us who got the rings of Mara can safely say that they're pretty much garbage, and if you don't agree with me that's fine too. In my opinion, the Rings of Mara and marrying another player was an interesting concept, however, the rings are all but short lived. I literally took my ring off at level 15 to make way for something new, and something that suited the way I like to play better. On top of that, a 10% increase to experience per monsters is absolutely nothing unless the monsters are handing out at least 1K experience, which they don't.... So I'd like to suggest the idea (probably suggested before) of marrying an Npc.

The system would pretty much be the same as Skyrim's setup, where you'd have the option to gift Npc's items, build a relationship, and once they were married, you could have them tag along as traveling companions who fight, or even loot dead bodies for you, doesn't have to be anything over the top really.

I feel as if the Rings Of Mara are a complete waste, and I might as well give it to someone I can say is on 24/7, or traveling along with me (The NPC of choice). As mentioned above, I can't imagine anyone in the entirety of ESO using the Rings Of Mara past level 15, it's almost pointless, especially when your buddy/partner quits the game, and or feels the same way about the rings as you do (being useless).

I'd love to see NPC marriages make it's way into ESO, doesn't have to be anything dire, or drastic, like having an overpowered companion, but I'd definitely feel more at ease say in solo instances if I could have a sub-par NPC companion who could maybe assist. And I don't mean "let's make the gamer easier" by any means at all, I'm just saying, it's a fun little "option" to toy around with.

Quite a few people from what I've read, and seen, pretty much solo the entire game as grouping isn't really required, I'm sure those who like to solo, and or prefer to, would love some kind of aid, whether it be someone you recruit, or marry.

Certainly would be nice to put these "Guilds" to use and recruit, or have others follow you into battle.

Anyways, this is just an idea, I personally enjoyed having companions follow me around in other TES games, even if they were nothing more than useless.

EDIT: Of course there would be restrictions such as not being able to bring them into group dungeons and what not.

DragonLane555

As the last MMO I played was SWTOR I would LOVE to have Companions! Its been hard to get use to running around without someone following me around.

Companions, are also part of the last two ES games so thats a plus.

Audigy

Companions yes, like at SWTOR with an own story.

I created my second char and she is a healer, but how is she supposed to kill? If you stay IC then doing DPS isnt an option. Right now I am happy that I can leech life, but I find there could be more.
At SWTOR a Healer type of Char had the option to pick a tank or dps companion, this was a great system.

The issue at SWTOR however was, that while the companion system was awesome you couldn't take your companions into pvp or into dungeons and raids which was not thought out that well.

If you have a companion, then it should be a viable replacement for a player in my opinion.

oldkye

I love my ring lol your missing a few key points.

A. you have to be on and in a group yes after that..... nope that's it lol I can be in pvp you can be in a dungeon I can be in greenshade you can be in reapers march we get a 10% bonus when they other person isn't on don't wear it lol.

B. From what I've seen it seems to be "all" xp so quests, skill ups, you name it which makes 10% huge on top of that monsters are 75% of your xp lol you only notice quests cause the bar jumps and each kill it doesn't show it but the quest may give you 2,000xp on completing the 35 monsters you killed each gave 200xp or 7,000xp with the ring 7,700 which adds up fast.(currently the fastest way to level is group up and kill monsters as fast as you can since it's better xp)

C. It's just a perk lol it's a perk you got for for spending $10 more these "bonuses" are notorious in all games of all genres of games to be all but worthless things like a new skin lol even if it's worthless you have no right too complain you were not forced to buy it no one held you down and made you and to be honest it's one of the best set of perks I've seen a whole new race, new gear, a free horse, and a ring lol even without the ring it's worth it.

Nox_Aeterna

yeap , like others said , SW:TOR companions were awesome.

I would love to have a NPC tag along , even if they were nothing to write home about , they do add a special feeling to the game.

Skyrim was much , much better after i added Vilja to it. And no , the game did not became easy , i added more than enough dif addons to make up for her heh :P.

Sarenia

Mercenaries kind of announce the end days of socialization in MMOs.

I recall when EQ2 added mercenaries. Now nobody even bothers grouping unless they're doing a raid.

As a workaround for lack of automated NPC companions, you could look for a player companion. The responses are less automated, you can still give them gear as they level, and their combat AI is likely to improve over time. Isn't this why we play MMOs, so we don't need to rely on scripted companions?

This game is currently very single-player centric for most content. That's fine and all, but adding companions is going to further invalidate any need to group with others, and put a nail in the coffin of grouping incentive.

oldkye

@Sarenia I agree completely with the way phasing works atm(glad they have said they will work on it) and the fact that too many players think this is skyrim 2.0 already it's losing it's "MMO spirit."

And well people who came as fans of single player elder scrolls game who have never played MMO's before or at least hardly touched them(which seems to make up at least half of the players right now) may feel fine with it being like a single player game that's a very "Bad" thing for a MMO which last based on how well they can keep you playing once you beat all the quests and are the top level.

If you make it like a single player game people will treat it like one beat the main story quest and stop playing which even if you did 3 characters for all factions you would see no one playing in a month or less.

I hope we get "more" reasons to group up.

DragonLane555

Yes because we all remember how SWTOR shut down only a few months after it came out, wait what's that it didn't.

All good natured jabs aside I don't get why people seem to think that an MMO means that we all have to constantly be grouped up with people. SWTOR was great you could do everything Solo other than Flash Points, and Raids. I really dont want to have to be tied to another player (Holding off leveling so I dont out level them, waiting for them to get done with their upkeep stuff, having them tell me to hurry when I'm doing mine). I want to be able to explore at my own pace then group up for the big things!

As for how long people would play a Solo game. I played Morrowind for about 6 months, Oblivion for 4 un Modded another 5 with Mods, and Skyrim for 2 Months another 7 with Mods. To top it off there are people who are still playing Skyrim. I think a lot of time we get in our heads that something must be one way so we don't even consider that it could be any other way. If people like a game, and they keep pumping out content it will keep subs.

Frankly I think SWTOR got the formula right on Solo vs Group (To bad it fell short in many other areas). You can group for everything, or can Solo almost everything. You can even do Solo Dailies to get Coms for neer BIS gear. Granted it will take you much much longer to get it then if you just Raided. That last part got me into a Raiding Guild, as I felt it was going to slowly, but its still there for the people who never want to group i.e. it lets you play how you want!

Humor

Sarenia wrote: »

Mercenaries kind of announce the end days of socialization in MMOs.

I recall when EQ2 added mercenaries. Now nobody even bothers grouping unless they're doing a raid.

As a workaround for lack of automated NPC companions, you could look for a player companion. The responses are less automated, you can still give them gear as they level, and their combat AI is likely to improve over time. Isn't this why we play MMOs, so we don't need to rely on scripted companions?

This game is currently very single-player centric for most content. That's fine and all, but adding companions is going to further invalidate any need to group with others, and put a nail in the coffin of grouping incentive.

That's totally not true. Look at how the first Guild Wars 1 game built their entire game. You were able to either pick NPC companions to join up with you, a full party if you wished, or you had to the option, and in most cases, you would run around with groups of actual players.

As stated before, the whole idea of this "Companion/Marriage" system is definitely not to make the game easier, and I definitely did not suggest that they "have" to attack, or help you any manner, more for "show" than anything else.

They could also make it so these "NPC Companions" do nothing more than give the player a small perk and or buff should you have them following you.

A system like this would merely be to increase the depth of what "made" an Elder Scrolls game. The addition of being able to give gifts, build a relationship with NPC's, and all that fun stuff, was just so players had something else to do.

I come from way back in the Ultima Online days, I don't disagree that MMO's now a days seem to be stupidly easy, and so pampered down that now anyone can join and mmorpg day 1, and "wing" it through the game. However, I'd like to think the new "generations" of people who play games just don't want the hassle of taking hours, upon hours to build up a character, go raiding, and run dungeons non-stop to get the best gear.

There's obviously a reason the gaming industry changes their styles of gameplay.