Why do we still need to do the intro companion quest on a new character?

Cooperharley · April 7

Why is this still a thing? Does anybody enjoy creating a new character and having to do each and every introductory quest for each and every companion? This just feels bad man. Shouldn't be a thing IMO. Should be account-wide unlocked afterwards as an option - you should be able to skip this from the collections menu if you want.

SilverBride · April 8

I don't know why this hasn't been changed yet. This is one of the reasons I did not unlock the last set of Companions.

wolfie1.0. · April 8

the reason is probably pretty simple:

companions have quests. quest tracking is character based

and that is probably it in a nut shell.

there should be an option to skip the quests for them like the character tutorial. while i like my companions non of their intro quests are compelling any more after the 3-4th time, and some are annoyingly longer than others.

If ZOS can't allow us to skip the quests. then please at least allow us on the second + run through to gain a better rapport starting point for more runs.

SilverBride · April 8

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

Snamyap · April 8

Probably for the same reason they can't wear helmets: someone can't/won't admit he is wrong on those decisions.

Spacefish2323 · April 8

As an altoholic, this is probably the single biggest QoL change I would request currently and/or skipping the Scribing tutorial also. Please don't just add it to the Crown store like guild skill lines though.

Sru · April 8

This ^^^^ Can't be arsed to do them on new alts anymore. Will get one unlocked then leave the rest. A shame as it is a good idea with this one QoL issue stopping me using them to their best.

Pixiepumpkin · April 8

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

When did this change, it was not always like this?

old_scopie1945 · April 8

It's an mmorpg and you just gotta grind, and then grind some more. It is the way of things and dictated from on high. Is it fun, I don't think so.

old_scopie1945 · April 8

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

I think it may be the fact that TOT is not popular and they don't want to put a hurdle in the way. Then again Companions are somewhat popular so no need not to have hurdles and another chance for a grind fest.

Pixiepumpkin · April 8

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

You sure about this?

I have completed the entire TOT questline on about 5 characters.

However, I can't play TOT on the character in the sceenshot (who has not done the quest chain).

old_scopie1945 · April 8

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

You sure about this?

I have completed the entire TOT questline on about 5 characters.

However, I can't play TOT on the character in the sceenshot (who has not done the quest chain).

You need to start the introduction to do the dailies, but not do the quest chain. That's what I have just done, just enough for the dailies. You will have all the cards you have earned on hand.

Pixiepumpkin · April 8

old_scopie1945 wrote: »

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

You sure about this?

I have completed the entire TOT questline on about 5 characters.

However, I can't play TOT on the character in the sceenshot (who has not done the quest chain).

You need to start the introduction to do the dailies, but not do the quest chain. That's what I have just done, just enough for the dailies.

How far is "Start the introduction"? I picked up the quest and it would not allow me to play TOT.

old_scopie1945 · April 8

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

old_scopie1945 wrote: »

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

You sure about this?

I have completed the entire TOT questline on about 5 characters.

However, I can't play TOT on the character in the sceenshot (who has not done the quest chain).

You need to start the introduction to do the dailies, but not do the quest chain. That's what I have just done, just enough for the dailies.

How far is "Start the introduction"? I picked up the quest and it would not allow me to play TOT.

You will have to start the interaction with the NPC's. It is after you talk with the boss man and played your first game in the TOT Guild Hall, which are all part of the introduction. If I remember correctly. Just before the quest line proper starts.

ghastley · April 8

To get back to companions, I would think the in-game reason is to get you to a rapport level where they want to go with you. If you reduce rapport enough, they leave, so one alternative might be to let you pick them at a lower initial level of rapport, that is just above that. Doing their intro quest at that point should bump the rapport up to the usual start level.

The only real difference is then that they can be summoned before doing the "unlock" quest.

Pixiepumpkin · April 8

old_scopie1945 wrote: »

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

old_scopie1945 wrote: »

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

You sure about this?

I have completed the entire TOT questline on about 5 characters.

However, I can't play TOT on the character in the sceenshot (who has not done the quest chain).

You need to start the introduction to do the dailies, but not do the quest chain. That's what I have just done, just enough for the dailies.

How far is "Start the introduction"? I picked up the quest and it would not allow me to play TOT.

You will have to start the interaction with the NPC's. It is after you talk with the boss man and played your first game in the TOT Guild Hall, which are all part of the introduction. If I remember correctly. Just before the quest line proper starts.

Thank you for the breakdown!

ApoAlaia · April 8

This has finally 'broken' me.

I have unlocked every companion for every single one of my 43 characters... until the last two.

Those I've just unlocked on a single character per account, can't do this anymore. The quests can be quite enjoyable once, but not umpteen times.

Next batch - if there is one - I probably won't unlock them at all, specially if they decide to throw ToT in the mix again because that was a major hassle and quite offputting for me.

AcadianPaladin · April 8

This situation reminds me of craftable gear sets and attunable tables. It was fine initially but eventually there were too many sets to be manageable and guild halls were condemned to a sea of tables until ZoS responded with Master Attuanble Tables.. Similarly, the companion system is not well situated to continue adding more companions for exactly the reasons outlined in this thread.

My own temporary 'solution' has been to unlock and max each companion on one character to evaluate them, then only pursue that companion with other characters if I want to use the companion. So far, Mirri continues to outshine all challengers as primary companion.

zaria · April 8

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

the reason is probably pretty simple:

companions have quests. quest tracking is character based

and that is probably it in a nut shell.

there should be an option to skip the quests for them like the character tutorial. while i like my companions non of their intro quests are compelling any more after the 3-4th time, and some are annoyingly longer than others.

If ZOS can't allow us to skip the quests. then please at least allow us on the second + run through to gain a better rapport starting point for more runs.

Agree, now Ember's quest is very fast, Miri and Bastian is also not too long but the others has pretty long quests i say.

Tandor · April 8

Questing is a core part of the game and should never be account-wide in my view. And yes, I do enjoy doing the companions' introductory quests multiple times, as I do all other quests in the game, with multiple characters on two accounts across both regional servers.

SilverBride · April 8

The Companions already have account wide leveling, so unlocking them should be account wide, too.

I hate the long and tedious grind these unlocking quests have turned into. I did them on all my characters for Azandar and Sharp because I like them and they are the only 2 Companions I use now. But I won't go through that again.

Elvenheart · April 8

They are always fun and new the first time, but once the companion is unlocked the first time there should be an optional way to immediately complete the unlock quest, such as a choice “I’ve done this before. (Skip the unlock quest)”.

The key word is optional, so people who want to do them can continue to do them and people who want to skip the quest and have the companion unlocked on alternate characters can as well.

Edited to add: I think this has been brought up several times in the pain point thread as well.

Dagoth_Rac · April 8

It's an immersion thing. The companion is supposed to be a living, thinking, breathing person. They would not just head off adventuring with a character they met 2 seconds ago. The intro quest is supposed to introduce each character to the companion and forge a bond with them.

From a purely mechanical, meta-gaming perspective (meta as in "game outside the game", not min/max meta), doing the intro quest on each character is tedious. But from a story-telling and in-game immersion point of view, it does make sense. They are not a slave. They are not a hired mercenary. And ZOS is trying to enforce that through the gameplay.

Low key annoying? Yes. But I have some grudging level of respect for ZOS trying to stick to their vision.

SilverBride · April 8

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

It's an immersion thing. The companion is supposed to be a living, thinking, breathing person. They would not just head off adventuring with a character they met 2 seconds ago. The intro quest is supposed to introduce each character to the companion and forge a bond with them.

Then why do they gain experience no matter which character they are adventuring with?

If I meet a level 1 Azandar and don't use him again, then another of my characters levels him to 20, does it not break my immersion and bonding if I summon him and all of a sudden he is level 20? If that is acceptable then unlocking should be, too.

DinoZavr · April 8

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

There are the repeatables, that may be skipped:
1) you can skip Cyrodiil tutorial quest
2) you can skip Tales of Tribute tutorial with pre-staged "game"
3) you can skip basically most of long Scribing quest chain on secondary characters

what can not be shortened:
- Scrying on subsequent characters (unless you buy skill line in Crown Store) which is a pity, as many of my friends progress Antiquities on subsequent characters with solely one purpose - to see Treasure Chests glowing (and this requires level 7, ideally 9). It would be great if Zenimax moved this certain passive (Keen Eye: Treasure Chests) to much lower levels of Excavation. @ZOS please!
- Companions. I have no clue why. Theirs initial quests tend to become even longer. The longest are Azandar's and Isobel's, even that there are variations in Mirri's quest, the result is exactly the same - you get the Companion unlocked. Player can create up to 20 characters (not counting dynamics - deleting one character and making another in the freed slot) and up to 8 Companions. (i foresee question why would i like to unlock all on all characters - my answer is for flexibility. i have all 8 Companions maxed up to 20 with maxed skill lines and well-geared. i would like to use the most appropriate one for the circumstances on any of my characters without the necessity to repeat one and the same "unlock" quest dozens of times) So, where QoL is?

Dear Zenimax, please, simplify the access to Keen Eye: Treasure Chests passive and remove the necessity to unlock Companions on each of "subsequent" characters. Thanks in advance.

Elvenheart · April 8

From my point of view, all my characters live in the same world and know each other and are related through various different ways. If one of those characters meets someone in need of assistance who goes on to become a companion, then it really breaks my immersion when another one of my characters comes along and it’s like that person has never been helped and needs to be helped all over again.

And then, by the time my 11th character comes along and finds that someone still in need of assistance, and has to do the exact same thing that’s been done 10 other times for them, it’s no wonder people want to just leave them in their unhelped state by this point. It would be much more immersive to have the first character that unlocks a companion introduce that companion to other characters on the account.

Or, for people who like to play their character characters as not knowing each other, or living in different dimensions, or for various other reasons, it would be nice if they had the option to do the unlock quest as many times as they want.

allochthons · April 8

Up until the new companions, I unlocked them on all my active (17) toons on my main account.

This time, it was too much. I unlocked Zerith on the toons I do IA on, and Tanlorin on 1 toon to level, and that's it.

On my alt accounts, I only unlock 1 to be a tank, 1 to be a healer, and only unlock it on specific toons when there is a need.

It's too much. And I spent an absurd amount of time in this game. It's too much.

yNiriel · April 9

SilverBride wrote: »

They allow us to skip the Tales of Tribute tutorial once we've completed it on one character, so why not Companions?

They do? I didn't know that!
Jesus I have done the tutorial on 16 character

Thysbe · April 9

I really don´t mind questing with several characters and have done cadwell´s gold for several times.

But companions are not only a story part but they are a utility too.

If I want to run solo dungeons with a new toon (since group finder is unbearable) I need my fully skilled and equipped tank companion - toally breaking immersion to go to Apocrypha without any quests to get Azandar.

So instead of enjoying getting the companion quest when you are doing the zone, having the companion story fit what you are currently playing though you have to force push them to get access to the utility they simply are.

The perfect solution in my opinion would be to be able to summon the companion once you have done the quest or unlocked the meta achievement for them (account upgrade) and still be able to do the companion quest if you want to.

Snamyap · April 9

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

It's an immersion thing. The companion is supposed to be a living, thinking, breathing person. They would not just head off adventuring with a character they met 2 seconds ago. The intro quest is supposed to introduce each character to the companion and forge a bond with them.

Yes, it's very immersive when you rescue Mirri's brother, and then come back with another character and lo and behold: her brother is kidnapped once again.
Kidding aside, this obviously goes for all quests, you could see it as a referral system. Where one character can tell a companion that this other character is trustworthy, etc.

Lags · April 9

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

the reason is probably pretty simple:

companions have quests. quest tracking is character based

and that is probably it in a nut shell.

there should be an option to skip the quests for them like the character tutorial. while i like my companions non of their intro quests are compelling any more after the 3-4th time, and some are annoyingly longer than others.

If ZOS can't allow us to skip the quests. then please at least allow us on the second + run through to gain a better rapport starting point for more runs.

companions have nothing to do with quests. They are collectables, and the only collectables that behave in that way. If you get a title, an outfit, a housing item, a style, they are account wide. I honestly cant think of a collectable that isnt usable on every character once you have done the quest or content to unlock it. So this just seems like oversight, laziness, or a ploy to waste time.

and if you're referring to the quests the companions give you then thats a simple fix. you just do the quest on the character that unlocked it. if its even an issue to begin with.