More unique companions would be interesting.

The main thing to consider is that lots of people will end up asking for players to get access to unique skills/skill lines/classes if we end up with companions with them.

While the potential to appease such people is there by making Grimoires... I'm not particularly enthralled by the whole Scribing system due to how generic and bland all the skills end up actually being as a result (While also being kind of useless for the main role of "Providing something a build is missing" due to silly limitations like all Major effects being nerfed to 10s if they even exist at all)

So I'd hate to end up having any somewhat interesting skill design get used on a Companion and then given to players in a watered down Grimoire state (In addition to other facets of such things like how time they spent on making unique Companion skills could have instead gone into redesigning the plethora of trash player skills that sorely need changes)

Besides that... I'd kind of like the focus be on improving existing Companions and the Companion system for the time being, as opposed to cranking out more shallow Companions.

Things like;

- More skill availability - An ult for each of the 3 skill lines (And reworks for the current trash ults... Which is most of them), more skill options in each line. Helping make each companion feel more unique instead of mostly hinging on generic skill lines.

- More ways to interact with combat - Stuff like consumables (Potions), synergies, behaviours (Even if rudementary. Being able to tell them to do things like get up close with a Destro Staff to use the closer range Destro Staff abilities for example). To help make them feel more useful than a mere DoT/HoT/Walking Taunt

- Deeper levels of gear customization - More traits, enchants, set items. Enhanced bonuses for using different armour types (So there's reason to use anything besides Heavy Armour on them because the survivability it provides > all other bonuses). So there's more options to define builds for them besides "Just buy a purple set of CDR Heavy Armour and just swap it to your currently used companion"

And that's just in terms of combat based improvements... There's tons of non-combat improvements I'd love to see added to the Companion system too (Like, more Quests, additional services (Like sending them to go do menial tasks like collecting Surveys/Treasure Maps), additional interactions (Like playing ToT with Zerith/Ember), inter-companion interactions etc)

So yeah... While I'm not against more unique companions and overall am quite for having more unique skills for companions. It's not at the top of my priority list compared to actual player skills and existing companion evolutions.

I'd love to have companions for werewolf and vampire. I don't know if they also have to be werewolf or vampire but companions that can support those skills would be great. I'm not talking about companions that don't care if you are either skill line but could, in some way, support you directly.

Perhaps a a vampire companion that has a vow not to feed from humans and would be displeased if you are stage 4 or feed on innocents. Being stage 4 might incur a small daily loss of rapport while feeding on innocents would be a bigger loss with each feeding. The companion might be a former vampire or a stage 1. I also think feeding from livestock would be a good alternative feeding source that wouldn't lower rapport, although it would be a crime if seen.

A vampire companion should definitely be able to be a good healer.

As for a werewolf, I can't imagine much beyond them being part of the pack. You'd have a companion quest to run them through the ritual. They would need a standard human class, I'd say a Nord Warden like line, and a single werewolf skill line when transformed.

Of course, since every werewolf skill is a criminal act, there would need to be constraints on the companion transforming lest you get a bounty.

Thinking about other classes or DLC, why aren't there any companions that are happy joining or helping with the DB? Ember told me yesterday that she might want to join the TG someday but I don't think that's really possible.

I have a dedicated character for both DB and TG but can't think of a companion that would fit either playstyle. Same thing with a werewolf or vampire. Sure you can find a companion that wouldn't care much what you do but that isn't the same.

Ardaghion wrote: »

Of course, since every werewolf skill is a criminal act, there would need to be constraints on the companion transforming lest you get a bounty.

Zerith-var uses Necromancer skills which for players are Criminal Act skills, yet his version of the skills do not incur a bounty on himself or the player when he uses them. He does, however, criticize the player if the player gets a bounty from using Necromancer skills.

Erickson9610 wrote: »

Ardaghion wrote: »

Of course, since every werewolf skill is a criminal act, there would need to be constraints on the companion transforming lest you get a bounty.

Zerith-var uses Necromancer skills which for players are Criminal Act skills, yet his version of the skills do not incur a bounty on himself or the player when he uses them. He does, however, criticize the player if the player gets a bounty from using Necromancer skills.

Yeah, I just finished looking him up and I think it's a bit weird that he get's to be a necromancer with no downsides. A werewolf would be more difficult as they would need to transform, I can't imagine that being okay around citizens.

I've been wanting this too! Duke of Crows companion PLEASE! He's so brave and strong!
all the naysayers can stuff it!

jk I completely understand Maybe a possible solution is to have EXACT replicas
Ex: Duke of Crows but with Mirri's exact skills and stats. this would prevent the need to balance them on ZoS and the need to collect them on us. Purely cosmetics and story.

Coerfroid wrote: »

If we compare the four "generations" of companions, I#d say we do clearly see an evolution of "uniqueness" and personality in each iteration. While Bastian and Miri were pretty basic, Tanlorin features a unique new variant of soul magic, while Zerith-var is some kind of "cleric", using necromancy to guide and cleans los spirits. Lorewise this is very unique and innovative. Now, as for the game mechanic, it is mandatory for all companions to have a comparable arsenal of damage, heal and protection skill, allowing for some degree of versatility, even though single one each has their own marginal strengths.
I do agree that companion skills do resemble player character class skills and that is probably intentionally so. Still in terms of strory-telling, the companions are far from being cookie-cutter copies of player classes.

I disagree. The soul skill line exists for players, which means it's not all that unique, and neither are zeriths abilities. And there overall classes are in game. Their uniqueness comes more from personality more than anything.

I am looking for something a bit more special something that might be in the game but isn't quite to the point for players