Evolution of the companion system.

Kingdomkeepers69_ESO · July 2021

Companions are pretty bangin right now, loving them. and can't wait for some more to do with them, and new ones in general.

Expansions in the companion system I'd like to see:
- Helmet toggle show/hide helmet instead of just auto hidden. (love to have them wear helmets and hoods especially to give Bastian the Imperial battlemage look from ES4 Oblivion, and the mysterious ranger look for Mirri )
- Skin Toggle Able to use the skins we have unlocked on them cosmetically. i.e. X player is in Auroran costume with Bastian having the meridian purified to make him appear to be a purified servant. Or a necromancer using the zombie skin on Mirri to make her appear to be an undead thrall to add individuality (Lets be honest. 90% of people seem to just rock the Dark Seducer costume on Mirri)
-Companion unique synergies.

Future combinations of companions I'd like to see.
-Imperial Female Sorcerer (sassier abnur tharn)
-Bosmer Female Werewolf (Nightblade base class)
-Altmer Male Templar
-Imperial Female Necromancer (Legion Zero knight who has their free will back)
- Orc Male Vampire (dragonight base class) symbolically the grey prince.
-Redguard female Dark Brotherhood assassin (Sorcerer base class)
-Dunmer male Warden (Unique perk of training players their riding skill if not maxed for field training)

Daedra Contracts: No story affiliated companions. (Crown story esq buy a companion that has no story background ) No armor customization visually.

Auroran Templar
Spiderkith Nightblade
Dremora Dragonknight
Golden Saint Sorcerer (Talk to them and they can swap out for a Dark Seducer, same stats, just polymorphed to the other)
Xivkyn Necromancer

Amottica · July 2021

Great suggestions.

I would suggest WW companion would be to challenging to make it work in a way that would not be disappointing. No one can be a WW until they build up their ultimate and with a WW they cannot manage their timer as players can. As such they would have a more finite time to be in form leading to another prolonged period of time. This would also require players to manually activate the WW ultimate.

The vampire would be easier as the design does not have the same limitations. However, it would be poor judgment to offer the vampire companion and not offer a WW.

tsaescishoeshiner · July 2021

I'm fine with letting companions wear hoods (not so much helmets, prefer to see their faces), but letting them use player skins and body markings and stuff alters their body physically, unlike the clothes. I'd rather they keep adding to the companions' unique character qualities as people than give us more cosmetic customization.

I know not everyone thinks this, and there's plenty of ridiculous outfits and mounts to give them as-is, but I think the current philosophy is to let them be like other NPCs with their own looks and inner life. And I think that will pay off in the long run.

ADarklore · July 2021

I would prefer they have their own inventory space... so I don't have to keep adding them/removing them from bank... or, forgetting to add them to bank and swap characters only to realize that the weapon I want is still on the other character. We need a Companion inventory that is similar to our crafting bag.

Rex-Umbra · July 2021

Need helmets asap.

DP99 · July 2021

Dark Seducer is the best costume for Mirri, I agree. She looks fantastic in it, but I had to quickly change her into an individual outfit of my own making after I saw everyone and their mother using it!

geonsocal · July 2021

DP99 wrote: »

Dark Seducer is the best costume for Mirri, I agree. She looks fantastic in it, but I had to quickly change her into an individual outfit of my own making after I saw everyone and their mother using it!

ha, dang it, thought I was the only one who thought mirri looked great in the dark seducer costume

Kendaric · July 2021

DP99 wrote: »

Dark Seducer is the best costume for Mirri, I agree. She looks fantastic in it, but I had to quickly change her into an individual outfit of my own making after I saw everyone and their mother using it!

I'll put her in Naryu's Assassin outfit, once I get it... only 3100 more seals of endeavor

adriant1978 · July 2021

geonsocal wrote: »

DP99 wrote: »

Dark Seducer is the best costume for Mirri, I agree. She looks fantastic in it, but I had to quickly change her into an individual outfit of my own making after I saw everyone and their mother using it!

ha, dang it, thought I was the only one who thought mirri looked great in the dark seducer costume

Dark Seducer is one of those base game costumes which is really starting to show its age with the janky 2014 textures.

Ancestral Seducer, anyone?!

ZOS_Kevin · July 2021

Thanks for starting the thread, @Kingdomkeepers69_ESO. Happy to hear you're enjoying the companions! Thanks everyone for your feedback here. Making no promises on if/when anything will be added, but we'll pass this along to the companions team.

Kingdomkeepers69_ESO · July 2021

ADarklore wrote: »

I would prefer they have their own inventory space... so I don't have to keep adding them/removing them from bank... or, forgetting to add them to bank and swap characters only to realize that the weapon I want is still on the other character. We need a Companion inventory that is similar to our crafting bag.

I can't believe I didn't remember to put that in the original post.

Chaos2088 · July 2021

-make epic gear drop more.
-adjust the rapport gain, way to grindy.
-own inventory even if just a small 20 slot one.
-way more companions in different classes and different if same class. The unique class skills were ace, more of these please.
-add companions to existing zones and chapters, seems abit odd I am only making these life long friends in certain areas lol of the world and not others. Eg. If I’m a high elf, surely someone on summerset would want to join me on my travels.

AcadianPaladin · July 2021

I'm quite happy with the companions and look forward as they evolve with more companions and features.

One feature I'd like to see is a separate command key for companions so it is not shared with summons. My wardens love their melee bears and often send them in first to start a fight. The problem is that a ranged companion's spell/arrow gets there long before the bear so the ranged companion draws full initial aggro - defeating the purpose of sending the bear in first. To work around this at the moment, my wardens restrict their companion to melee only attacks so they don't beat the bear to the punch. This effectively eliminates my preference for a ranged companion on my wardens. Somewhat similar I imagine is a matriarch using sorc who wants a tanky companion. The one 'command all' key will ensure the matriarch's lightning bolts draw aggro much faster than a melee based tank companion.

Gaebriel0410 · July 2021

Companions rock, much more fun than I expected! I love how many lines of dialog they have for different situations, especially in combat, as it really enhances the atmosphere.

Regarding future improvements, I would suggest the following:

Limited inventory. Preferably one that allows you to store one of each type of weapon and armour weight. Even with a banker it's a bit annoying to have to re-equip them every time you switch character, especially since you also have to set their skills in case you prefer a different role on that character.

Limited customization. It would be great if you could change the same things you can also change on your own character from the appearance menu, so you can match their look to specific characters. You can already select different roles and playstyles for them, so it would be nice if you could change it up a little with warpaint, different hair and such to match your different characters.

It's also a great way to use stuff you randomly found in crates, as sometimes things look great but you just have no appropriate character for it. Also if you decide to make Bastian a wizard, he should really have a chance at a beard. Everyone knows that's where they keep their magicka reserves.

The same as above goes for outfit slots which are currently per companion instead of per account. Though this is a lesser issue for me personally, as I can already use costumes too to make them distinct.

The next one is a simple one, please make the rapport bar a little easier to read. It increases so slowly that I sometimes thought it was bugged at the start. Slow increase is fine with me, as long as I know it's actually moving!

For future companions, I'd prefer to see a male and female variant for each race before any stuff like vampires, daedra etc. are released. If there's gonna be crownstore companions as well, it would also be nice if there were full companions (like the ones we currently have) and companions lite, just like with house guests, where they vary in price depending on how many voice lines they have.

Sailor_Palutena · July 2021

I'd rather see classic allies being added on the long run such as...

Razum-Dar
Rigurt the Brash
Lyrant the Dremora
Quen, the recruiter from the Thieves Guild
Stibbons (probably tired of working to Lady Laurent
Amelie Crowe, the recruiter from the Dark Brotherhood
Stuga (do you know how long i've been looking for you?) She could say that upon being summoned.

All of them could provide a good mini storyline to increase their rapports with you.

Michaelkeir · July 2021

Would love to see these types of companions;
- Zombie companion or skin
- Skeleton warrior companion

- Dremora lord

- A werewolf companion
- A Dark brotherhood assassin companion
- A witch companion
Just to name a few.

JJOtterBear · July 2021

I would definitely love a khajiit companion with a heavy accent.

I'd also love for the AI to be improved on a bit. Pathing needs some work, especially combat pathing. I'd also love for them to be fully customizable, all except for the race/gender. But everything else should be able to be fully customized.

Treeshka · July 2021

These are good suggestions but i have something in my mind that i want to share. It would be very nice if we can get a generic companion with a neutral story but we are allowed to choose race and anything related to appearance. Basically a companion but we create its looks and name.

JJOtterBear · July 2021

Treeshka wrote: »

These are good suggestions but i have something in my mind that i want to share. It would be very nice if we can get a generic companion with a neutral story but we are allowed to choose race and anything related to appearance. Basically a companion but we create its looks and name.

yeah i'd be on board for this too!

WeerW3ir · July 2021

The ww companion sounds like a good deal. But considering the ww is ehem. An ultimate... Youd need to lvl them up to lvl 20 to have ultimate.

Alphawolf01A · July 2021

Dire Wolf / Werewolf

Companion is normally a Dire wolf and the Werewolf is the ultimate. (turns into a Hulking Werewolf} Werewolf form increases max health, healing, resistances, movement speed and damage done.

All skills are based on the Werewolf skill tree and progression, except that the Ultimate is unlocked by completing the companions personal questline. Each skill is treated as it's own skill line, so that the morphs are unlocked as you level up. Including the Ultimate, to allow for both morphs as well.

Any passives that extend werewolf transformation time only do so while ulti is active, but reduce ulti cooldown when ulti is not active.

Skills are not Criminal acts in dire wolf form, but ARE if the Companion transforms.

If the player is NOT a werewolf, companion will use ulti depending on settings. If the player IS a werewolf, the companion will only transform when the player does or is given the command to use ulti.

Companion armor passives function normally, no active armor skills.

Equipped companion weapon affects light/heavy attack only. No weapon skills.

Bow adds poison damage and extends reach of ranged abilities.
Two handed hits multiple enemies.
One hand and shield taunts enemies.
Dual wield follows "blade and blunt" passives.
Destruction staff adds elemental damage (fire, ice, lightning)
Restoration staff adds life steal.

Companion can "feed" in both forms. Companion form feeding heals itself and adds ulti, werewolf form heals and extends werewolf timer. If player is in werewolf form, player gets health and timer extended as well (get the Alpha's share)

Companion "racial" passives are based on the werewolf passives and are unlocked as the companion levels up.
Rank 1 passives are for Direwolf form.
Rank 2 passives are for Werewolf form.
Bloodmoon passive only applies to player werewolves, reducing the bite cooldown by 50%.

No Guild skills.

Backstory
Find a note, hiring the player to get rid of some poachers. Fine the poachers taunting a large wolf with it's leg caught in a trap. Defeat the poachers and free the wolf. Follow the wolf to a backpack and find an amulet (Companion Keepsake) that allows you to hear the wolfs thoughts. She was a werewolf that was cursed (yeah, a curse on a curse. lol) to be trapped in between forms as a direwolf.

Unlike current companions, her questline starts with freeing her and gaining her as a companion. Your travel to Reaper’s March, The Rift and Bangkorai (using the werewolf shrine locations for quest markers), searching for the Mage that put the Direwolf curse on her. Finding and defeating the mage completes her story and unlocks her werewolf ulti. Sadly, you are unable to restore her human form.

Rapport is gained from kills. The bigger the enemy, the more rapport gained. Trash mobs give the least, but most frequent rapport. Bosses give the most, with longest cooldown. Boss daily quests give bonus rapport for a successful "hunt".

Companion perk is "keen eye" for Treasure map dig sites. Companion keepsake that was given at the start of the quest is upgraded with this passive at max rapport.

Companion will bark or sometimes "speak" telepathically through the amulet when spotting heavy sacks or treasure chests.

Kingdomkeepers69_ESO · July 2021

A squeemish necromancer that cant handle flesh atros or other gross things just bones would be a hilarious style of companion.

SydneyGrey · July 2021

We really, really need the ability to give companions hats or helmets. It would help disguise the endless clones we're seeing everywhere right now.
I'd also love it if we could give them skins/polymorphs. I'd love it if I could use a goblin polymorph on one of them so I can have a goblin following me around. That would be amazing.

I'd be happy to buy more companions. I really, really hope these aren't the first and last companions we ever see. We need a Khajiit companion, for one thing.

Tandor · July 2021

Sailor_Palutena wrote: »

I'd rather see classic allies being added on the long run such as...

Razum-Dar
Rigurt the Brash
Lyrant the Dremora
Quen, the recruiter from the Thieves Guild
Stibbons (probably tired of working to Lady Laurent
Amelie Crowe, the recruiter from the Dark Brotherhood
Stuga (do you know how long i've been looking for you?) She could say that upon being summoned.

All of them could provide a good mini storyline to increase their rapports with you.

Unfortunately that wouldn't work too well when you encountered those NPCs in their original role, plus the sight of a dozen Razum-Dars running around would be far more immersion-ruining for everyone else than the sight of a dozen anonymous companions.

Alphawolf01A · July 2021

Tandor wrote: »

Sailor_Palutena wrote: »

I'd rather see classic allies being added on the long run such as...

Razum-Dar
Rigurt the Brash
Lyrant the Dremora
Quen, the recruiter from the Thieves Guild
Stibbons (probably tired of working to Lady Laurent
Amelie Crowe, the recruiter from the Dark Brotherhood
Stuga (do you know how long i've been looking for you?) She could say that upon being summoned.

All of them could provide a good mini storyline to increase their rapports with you.

Unfortunately that wouldn't work too well when you encountered those NPCs in their original role, plus the sight of a dozen Razum-Dars running around would be far more immersion-ruining for everyone else than the sight of a dozen anonymous companions.

Agreed. I highly doubt we will ever get main characters as companions. As houseguests, probably (eventually).

Soulshine · July 2021

I watched Rich Lambert's stream for a while yesterday, and he addressed some questions in the chat about giving companions this or that, why couldn't we give them helmets, will there be more, etc.

He basically said that of course they just wanted to get the whole system of companions launched and into the game, and that at this stage we are at first pass of implementing some of their ideas for them - so rest assured they are planning more things and paying attention to how we use them, when, etc., and looking at the many suggestions players are providing -- so keep at it.

I think in time this whole system may become a rich (er) source of content / play options for single players in the game, which will make it a nicer experience for them, and even add some spice for the rest of us who are completionists wanting to have at what all the game is offering.

theyancey · July 2021

I think that the companions are one of the best thing that ZOS as done lately. Hopefully in the future we will be able to have 3 up at a time so that solo players can run 4 person dungeons. So far I have both Bastion and Miri at lvl 11. She is at max rapport with him just behind her. I like the weapons/armor drops for them. Lots of fixes and growth for them ahead but a very good starting rollout. While I would love to have Lyris with me do not see how main characters can be worked into the system. Perhaps on Lyris' and other's next return to the game a relative could be introduced that could then be part of the companion system. I could deal with having a mini Lyris swinging her 2 handed axe around for me.

This in no way fills the need for a new base game however. All new everything with each toon upon completion of that game's main quests to a PvE or PvP server.

Sarannah · July 2021

Give the companions the banker and merchant options if a player has purchased those assistants... no more annoying switching between companions and assistants. Or let the merchant/banker crows land on the companion's shoulders when we use those banker/merchant functions through the companions. Would look cool too.

Either way, add merchant/banker to companions!

Silaf · July 2021

Companions are great but terribly immersion breaking. Please let us cover other people companions faces.

Lugaldu · July 2021

Counts for companions and houseguests in the context of housing: please let us assign emotes to them on their paths. Basti stands around in my Antiquarian´s Alpine Gallery and stares holes in the air - he needs something to do, urgently!

Alphawolf01A · July 2021

I would like to see companions react to some of our emotes and momentos. Have a setting for "do the same", "do same catagory", "do random". If the player dances, they could dance also, (same dance / different dance) or play an instrument while we dance, or vice versa and they dance while we play. Get in a mudball / snowball fight with them. Sit in a chair (emote or actual chair) and they do the same.

Lastly, a transmute and upgrade system for their gear. Make a separate set of 4 crafting tables specifically for companion gear. Traits could be researched at the tables and re-traited at the transmute station. Companion gear upgrades (green-blue-purple) would be done at these tables using the appropriate mats. This way, we don't need new mats just for companion gear. You would be able to change the existing gear, or purchase "blank" white gear from vendors and upgrade it accordingly.