Would you enjoy and/or utilize a customizable companion?

Cooperharley · January 14

When I say customizable I mean:
1) You take them to the character creation screen to customize them
2) Can dress them in any way - including helmets (*gasp*)
3) Can choose from a detailed list of viable back stories to engage with story for said character
4) Can choose a companion class
5) Can obviously create a name for them, but will appear as (insert character trope here) in conversation

Gabriel_H · January 14

No

It still wouldn't detract for the very very poor combat AI.

LunaFlora · January 14

Yes

i would utilize them yes.
However i doubt ZOS would do it.

What could be interesting and seems likelier to me is a companion that can shapeshift. They would still have a story written by zos and most other things.

AcadianPaladin · January 14

Yes

Would like to see this but I think the big challenge would be voicing. Gaming AI is not quite advanced enough that you could write your companion's background, likes, dislikes, quirks, etc, then chose a voice and have the generative AI create and use voice lines to fit that backstory. Perhaps someday, this will be possible where companions would generate their own lines based on what is going around them - to include calling your character by your character's name and using your character's history of actions to predict or even suggest things. Knowing that your character is a healer, tank, dps or 'Jane of all trades'.

Soarora · January 14

Yes

Yes. A few of my characters are friends or lovers, so I would use this as a way to let them follow each other around. Even with no dialogue and no voicing, I think I would use this. Would be great for screenshots and solo roleplay instead of having to edit two screenshots together. Bonus points that I could make characters who I don’t have made in-game at the moment but are related to the ones that I do have made and play.

AScarlato · January 14

Yes

Would be a nice way to "play" with my alts as characters. Even if they just had some generic voicelines and skills per class, and couldn't multiclass.

Maybe they could do what FFXIV does with your housing butlers and you can assign them one of a few different types of general personalities for generic lines. And the option for "None/Silent" for people who prefer that.

SilverBride · January 14

No

I want to be able to easily recognize a companion as one, and not confuse them with an actual player.

kargen27 · January 14

Indifferent

I would rather they work on the existing companions not doing a tumble run half way across the zone every time you attack a mob. A toggle that allows players to keep their companions within 12 meters would be nice. At 12 meters they can forward roll or side roll instead of just backrolling across the land.

AvalonRanger · January 14

Indifferent

I really...really...want to change my lovely Ember's stupid hair style.

She looks like "Mont Blanc Cake" head.

AcadianPaladin · January 14

Yes

^ ^ ^

Agree! Ember is the strongest possible argument for allowing companions to wear hats/hoods/helms!

ArchangelIsraphel · January 14

Yes

Absolutely, I've even advocated for such a system on the forums before. It would be amazing if we could even purchase multiple (account wide) customizable companions, since I'd love to create the side-characters in my stories that I don't necessarily want to main.

I'd even purchase them if the had no quest and generic dialogue and voicing (In fact, I'd actually prefer it) Essentially the functionality of a companion, with whatever appearance I chose. I'll create my own backstory in my head xD

In other games that have had customizable companions, I've done exactly this.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the companions and stories we get for them, but I'd like this system in addition, not as a replacement.

Can dress them in any way - including helmets (*gasp*)

ETA: Give me ten, give me...no, twenty right now.

Cooperharley · January 14

Yes

SilverBride wrote: »

I want to be able to easily recognize a companion as one, and not confuse them with an actual player.

Just like any other companion, it would appear as "Cooperharley's Companion" & not "Zerith-var" to others.

whitecrow · January 14

AcadianPaladin wrote: »

^ ^ ^
Agree! Ember is the strongest possible argument for allowing companions to wear hats/hoods/helms!

You make this one sad. :'(

SilverBride · January 14

No

Cooperharley wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I want to be able to easily recognize a companion as one, and not confuse them with an actual player.

Just like any other companion, it would appear as "Cooperharley's Companion" & not "Zerith-var" to others.

I still would rather not.

AScarlato · January 14

Yes

I’d happily pay for this, given recent talk of how they can earn some money.

This also solves the complaint people had about 100s of identical people running around due to the set companions. Now the world can feel more immersive without 700 Mirris in one spot.

Syldras · January 15

Yes

Yes, as long as there are enough customisation options, including skins, personalities, etc.

I'd love to create an uncannily lifeless looking male Altmer who looks suspiciously like Mannimarco, and then take my thrall friend to the Heart's Day festival grounds. It's also a celebration of friendship, after all! Also, some weird cat priest told me that Mara loves and accepts everyone. I'd like to test that.

P.S.: Join the Order of the Black Worm! We have awesome furniture and you'll even get a bed for free!

ArchangelIsraphel · January 15

Yes

Syldras wrote: »

Yes, as long as there are enough customisation options, including skins, personalities, etc.

I'd love to create an uncannily lifeless looking male Altmer who looks suspiciously like Mannimarco, and then take my thrall friend to the Heart's Day festival grounds. It's also a celebration of friendship, after all! Also, some weird cat priest told me that Mara loves and accepts everyone. I'd like to test that.

P.S.: Join the Order of the Black Worm! We have awesome furniture and you'll even get a bed for free!

Ah, a companion romance system I can actually get behind! Finally!

Syldras · January 15

Yes

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

Ah, a companion romance system I can actually get behind! Finally!

Yes, finally something that doesn't include weird flirting.

Erickson9610 · January 15

I would rather see the new characters that ZOS comes up with.

BretonMage · January 15

No

The most important aspects of a companion to me are their personalities, voices and quests. Going down the customisable appearance route would result in shallow characters that are more suitable as RP companions than characters in themselves, which doesn't interest me much.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · January 15

No

I don’t hate the idea but I don’t use Companions much, period. And when I need one for backup I already have several unlocked and leveled up. Being able to change the face won’t change that.

moderatelyfatman · January 15

Indifferent

Cooperharley wrote: »

When I say customizable I mean:
1) You take them to the character creation screen to customize them
2) Can dress them in any way - including helmets (*gasp*)
3) Can choose from a detailed list of viable back stories to engage with story for said character
4) Can choose a companion class
5) Can obviously create a name for them, but will appear as (insert character trope here) in conversation

My main problem with companions is that they don't do a whole lot for me in combat and I don't have any real emotional attachment to them.
This isn't going to happen but I'd love for ZOS to alter the main story quests so that some of them were there from the start.

For instance, in Dragon Age and Knights of the Old Republic, the choices you made over time would shape how your companion would develop and some of the abilities they would have. How you behaved and your story became their story as well.

This is pure wishing, but it would have been nice if ESO had an origin background or racial questlines as starters before leading you into the main plot (ala GW2). Each background could have had a series of NPCs and a companion or two who could accompany you through the main quest.

iyx · January 15

Yes

It's a great idea, and I'd really prefer an unvoiced dummy character for this. And if they could use a helmet and polymorphs, then they could be used as substitutes for summoned creatures or daedra.
I'd also love to see various combat companion creatures like in SWTOR, just imagine how cool it would be to fight among with a trusty crocodile or terror bird.

tomfant · January 15

No

No interest here, I don't use companions. Also I'd rather see dev time allocated to the real issues this game has than just to add more visual fluff.

Juomuuri · January 15

Yes

If there was an option for a companion to be character specific, I'd be 100% in. I'd make follower versions out of my own player characters so I could have my orc couple play together, or my dark elf and khajiit couple play together. This would definitely be doable as long as there's no voiced dialogue and no backstories/quests/unlockables tied to them. Just a fun lil extra thing to have fun with.

Llevndryn · January 15

Yes

Yes, and if you could make it match another of your character's appearance, it would be even cooler!

Jestir · January 15

No

Wouldn't this just be better off as allowing you to use your other characters as companions?

Ugrak · January 15

Yes

It could be a factotum. I'd love to have an ESO version of HK-47.

Korvax_Ironwhisper · January 15

I think they should fix the system before they add more to it, I do think they should be more customizable though.

AzuraFan · January 15

Yes

I would like that, but I'd miss having companion quests to do, and the companion's comments as we go about our travels. I'm not sure how we'd have those things if we can customize the companion. It might fit into your point #3, but that would be a lot of work for ZOS.

Dimorphos · January 15

Yes and No. I think the current companion story lines and set up is already good. But they could improve it a little. Things I would like for our companions:

1: Better outfit/style choices. Including head slot, skins, body markings, head markings.. all that you already have in your collection so that you could customize them the same as you can your own characters.
2: Set them out on tasks. One thing I have in mind is to send them to collect my resource surveys. There could be daily limit/time it takes and of course the companion in question is then unavailable for other uses. We can already call them to help us in battles, why not call them to help us in other matters too.
3: Better AI. They could be a little more capable in moving out of harmful things, they die way too easily now.
4: I would like the ability to give them at least one armor set with set bonus. It could be a choice from 3 piece and 5 piece sets and either passive, defensive or offensive bonus + stats like max health, stamina, magicka etc. while keeping still the armor pieces we can already use with them.

- So make them appear more like a real player companion.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Would you enjoy and/or utilize a customizable companion?

Would you enjoy and/or utilize a customizable companion? 83 votes