NotaDaedraWorshipper wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

Why that spite against people who have a different taste?! Mirri is my favourite, but still I wouldn't call people who don't like her oversensitive. Everyone has a different sense of humour and different likes and dislikes, plain and simple.

It seems to be a complicated concept around here.

Some people just really hate when you disagree with them. They take it as like you're vilifying or attacking them, even if it's just something as simple as interpreting a companion's personality differently to them. I don't get it, but personally I don't feel the same. I personally like Mirri but she is very snarky and sarcastic. She admits she's awkward to you herself at one point. I don't think she's supposed to be regarded as a cheerful personality. Even if she wasn't, no companion could be liked by everyone and that's okay.

Bastian's voice actor is amazing, he made me enjoy a character I would otherwise dismiss for being too romantic and uptight. He has some really cheesy comments about magic, but males up for them by showing concern and companionship while adventuring together.

I dislike having to unsummon him to pick up thieves troves, and I guess I'll be adventuring with Ember more often than not, but I still appreciate Bastian very much.

I do not care for Isobel much, again due to the voice actor - I know it's a famous VA but her work does not awe me at all.

Kind of surprised at Ember's popularity, does no one else find her somewhat whiny and childish?

i hope Companions in ESO could evolve into something like Fallout 4 Companions, but it takes a lot of work to add witty dialogues, so it hardly might happen in this century.

The day Blackwood came out I ran there and met Bastian. Even before doing any other quest in the new zone. Which is highly unusual for my "do every quest that pops up on your way while following the main story through the zone, and never run ahead" self, but I was looking forward to companions.

I liked Bastian right from the start, and the more of his dialogue I heard, the more he got near and dear to me.
Yes, he is a "good guy". Honorable, loyal, chivalrous, smart and brave. He's also funny, likes a good drink, loves to see new places and learn new things. He enjoys a good fight, if it's for the right cause, but he knows that the price of victory can be heavy on the conscience. And he can be such a hopeless romantic now and then... I think that's what I like so much about him, he has a good balance of serious and relaxed, adventurous and dutiful.
I honestly don't get why people think him "stuffy" just because he dislikes thieves and despises robbers and murderers. Or is it because he dares to enjoy a good book?

I got Mirri, too, albeit later. And when adventuring through High Isle I also picked up Isobel and Ember.
Mirri seems to be OK, but not very engaging for me. Ember is interesting and/or fun most of the time, but too thoughtless with wielding power no matter the consequences and bragging about it for my tastes.
I have to see more of Isobel, but so far she was a disappointment to me. It is as if the writers went with "people say Bastian is lame, so let's remake the character so those guys will find it cool". Now I get someone who talks a lot about being a knight and making a difference (she even gets knighted, for crying out loud), but behaves like some childish thrill seeker, caring mostly about the glory and the kick, but not very much about actually helping others or knightly responsibilities. Maybe I heard too few of her lines so far, though.

The thing is, when I adventure my way through Tamriel these days with Mirri, Ember or Isobel at my side, I start to miss Bastian. "I can't resist a passageway that leads to the unknown." or "Maybe fate puts us in dark places because it's our job to be a light there." That's what I want to hear when entering a delve. Not complaints, vague concern or aimless enthusiasm. Same goes for so many other occasions. So usually it isn't long before I'm back to wandering with Bastian again. Huzzah! ;-)

Bastian just seems like a generally good, noble and likeable character. I wish they had added to companions what they did in Skyrim. If they had, at least one of my characters would have been happy to marry him. ❤️

aurorable wrote: »

Voted for IKD option since I only have Bastian and Mirri (didn't buy the xpac) out of the two I like Bastian more.

I only have Bastian and Mirri, as well, so I'm withholding my vote for now. But I did buy High Isle; I just haven't started playing any of the zone quests yet, other than the one for Tales of Tribute. I'll vote once I've collected Ember and Isobel and had time to experience their stories, mannerisms, and conversations.

As it is, I rarely use either Bastian or Mirri, but Bastian is a better fit with my PC NA main than Mirri is. I haven't collected any Companions on my other character yet, not even my PC EU main. Once I do, I'll likely use different Companions with different characters on the basis of each character's race, class, and "profession," similar to how I choose their pets and mounts.

Syldras wrote: »

BretonMage wrote: »

I'm still trying to figure out why Bastian says, "Magic is like strong wine" when I transact with a merchant.

I think he says that if you get close to a Mages Guild?

You'd think so, wouldn't you, but no, he says that when you buy or sell at an NPC vendor. It makes no sense whatsoever and I have concluded it must be a bug.

spartaxoxo wrote: »

According to UESP

When you buy/sell/repair items at an NPC vendor:

"Magic is like strong wine. If you're not used to it, it can make you drunk."

I looked up the UESP as well (to check if it was a bug on my end). I still think it's a bug, or unintended placement at least, because there is no way that line makes any sense in that situation.

Haven't used Isobel. Bastian is an annoying goody goody. Ember is a bit whiney sometimes and overly enthusiastic at others. Kind of bipolar. Mirri's general personality is OK. Gets annoying with picking bugs. So Mirri is the most tolerable imo.

I voted for Isobel. Her occasional maniacal laugh always makes me maniacally laugh as well.

To be fair the first companion I maxed out in terms of rapport and level is Bastian, let us say I felt pity since a lot of people do not like him. Turns out his a good companion.

But for me it is still;
Isobel = At first you would thought she is pretty straight-up (you know knightly and all), but then you would immediately notice that there is dubiousness in her.

Ember/Mirri = Ahh the jolly fellas, I love them equally. They actually remind me of myself, but since they do remind me of myself I prefer venturing out with the others.

Bastian = I do not hate him and kind of can relate to him, but I feel like he is very straight-up so rather than go adventure with him I had him guard my property. Hahaha

So, I've gotten to play a bit more with Isobel, since I took her with me to grind out some codex entries on furniture I like. And I gotta say, thus far I am kinda surprised people like her more than Bastian. She too has the same rigid morality, but she is that way because she's a goody-two-shoes, which is what people accuse people of Bastian of being. She dislikes certain things because "that's not what knights do," rather than "because it hurts innocents." And most of her dialogue seems to be more about how exciting she finds everything, rather than all the good she is doing.

thus far I am kinda surprised people like her more than Bastian. She too has the same rigid morality, but she is that way because she's a goody-two-shoes, which is what people accuse people of Bastian of being. She dislikes certain things because "that's not what knights do," rather than "because it hurts innocents."

Some people seem to tolerate morally inclined dialogue if it come from female character and react more harshy if it comes from a male character. Obviously not the whole story but there does seem a bias. It's a pattern that occurs across so many games.

Bekkael wrote: »

I seem to always like male characters that everyone else scorns and labels "whiny". In Dragon Age: Origins, it was Alistair, Dragon Age 2 was Anders, then Kaidan from Mass Effect... Although, now I think of it, it did seem to be mostly male players that claimed those characters were whiny. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

Treselegant wrote: »

Some people seem to tolerate morally inclined dialogue if it come from female character and react more harshy if it comes from a male character. Obviously not the whole story but there does seem a bias. It's a pattern that occurs across so many games.

Short speculation: Different gender roles.