Some ideas about companions.

KYTX

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Hi Dev! I know you have plans to introduce companions' quests sometime in the future. I've been thinking about other games whith some cool experience with companions. So, here's some ideas I have to make companions more important.

Make their Gossip, Recovery and Dungeoneering (if the latter isn't already) useful for the player. For instance, make the partie's recovery level sum or average or max of the two of individual levels of that skill.

Whenever entering a new area, companion will say something about it. In general, have them express their thought on many more things and events then now

To be able to enlist companions into other factions, to access traders and advanced skills training for that companion. Sure, make it properly hard to achieve that!

Have companions teach you some unique skills. And vice versa. Perhaps, choose between 2-3 skills each way. And when teaching a companion, choice of skills will depend on your class/learnt skills.

Companions to add backpack space.

Missions where you control the companions, perhaps even be able to compose a party of two companions for a mission, or a part of a mission (inspired by ME2's suicide mission).

Characters and NPC to display phrases above their heads, Fallout 1,2 style.

Camping skill allowing to rest at a campfire and restore health and restoration things. Kind of an Inn. Again, both party members should somehow contribute. It could be the 4th general skill.

Ability to change character class for a HUGE amount of money, xp, probably losing levels. Or being able to make your own class?
 

Cuckoorex

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Hi, I can't speak for David, but I wanted to contribute my own thoughts about your suggestions, if that's OK.

KYTX":ok5p7hs5 said:
Make their Gossip, Recovery and Dungeoneering (if the latter isn't already) useful for the player. For instance, make the partie's recovery level sum or average or max of the two of individual levels of that skill.

As far as I know, Dungeoneering and Gossip bonuses for the companions DO help the player; you can see it when going through a dungeon (Adaon, for example, will often spot traps first if the main character's Awareness and/or Dungeoneering level is low) and Gossiping in the taverns (if your companion has a higher level personality or Gossip skill, the game will tell you that you're getting a bonus from them).

I think it's a nice idea for the companion to have a separate recovery skill, especially if you're using them to tank and draw mobs and all that, but they have a built-in recovery of health at least when they are rendered unconscious and then pop back up again with half health. They're immortal in a sense, so really only Hirge needing mana would be an issue.

Whenever entering a new area, companion will say something about it. In general, have them express their thought on many more things and events then now.. Characters and NPC to display phrases above their heads, Fallout 1,2 style.

That might be neat to combine those two ideas for the PC version of the game, but I fear that the screens most people are playing the game on might be too small, the text would have to stay onscreen long enough to read and would maybe just take more memory than necessary. I agree it would help flesh the world out more, but I think it's tough to make it work in a mobile game.

To be able to enlist companions into other factions, to access traders and advanced skills training for that companion. Sure, make it properly hard to achieve that!

I think that's something that had been discussed before, and I think at one point David was thinking of giving companions access to a limited number of advanced skills, but apparently that wasn't in the cards after all. But yeah, it'd be nice, for example, if Hirge could summon a Guardian Wolf and stuff like that.

Have companions teach you some unique skills. And vice versa. Perhaps, choose between 2-3 skills each way. And when teaching a companion, choice of skills will depend on your class/learnt skills.

I like the idea of companions training the character in a unique general skill, or even maybe 1 class skill (keep it limited to basic class skills, though), so maybe if you're a warrior then Gris can't really teach you anything if it's the class skill idea but if it's a unique companion-trained skill maybe it's something like "Battle Yell" or something where you you shout and it has a chance to scare away monsters 2 or more levels below your level. If something like that was ever done, I would say to make it so that you ONLY have access to that unique skill WHILE you have that companion, to avoid overpowering the main character too much with all these extra abilities.

Companions to add backpack space.

Others have talked about this, but it's been pointed out that there are actually lots of storage space available in the game; 4 Town Hall vaults, two trunks in each house you can buy as well as in the Tower of Tremadan, the Bag of Holding. I actually think there's plenty of storage options already.

Missions where you control the companions, perhaps even be able to compose a party of two companions for a mission, or a part of a mission (inspired by ME2's suicide mission).

There are some quests in the game where you are joined by a third party. Although most are escort missions, they do fight alongside you and there's at least a couple where the third party NPC is quite useful in the fights. So that's already in there, but I think maybe you want to see more of that?

Camping skill allowing to rest at a campfire and restore health and restoration things. Kind of an Inn. Again, both party members should somehow contribute. It could be the 4th general skill.

That's how I interpret the Recovery skill, though; I think just resting in the woods or whatever should be pretty much impossible what with wolves and bears and monsters roaming around anyway. Even if you take shifts on lookout, the frequency of interruption would be so great that you'd not get any restorative sleep. There are a few spots outside of inns where you have the option to rest, but they're specific spots where NPCs are nearby to keep you safe. I think that makes sense.

Ability to change character class for a HUGE amount of money, xp, probably losing levels. Or being able to make your own class?

I don't know about changing class, but I think it would be interesting to be able to pay big bucks to be able to quit one guild and join another. But that's been discussed, too, and I think it was already decided that wouldn't be an option, at least not for this game. Part of the problem with that idea, I think, is that you would lose your advanced skills and have to start over with all new skills and skill points are not as numerous. I don't know, maybe when you'd switch classes it would reset all skill points or something, but as I said, it seems unlikely to happen in this game. Maybe the next one David makes!
 

MikeB

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KYTX":3dpjksx8 said:
Companions to add backpack space.
This is a frequent request and, iirc, David mentioned at one point that a separate companion backpack is not possible with the current implementation of the storage system. So this seemingly simply addition would probably require changes to some core mechanics of the game.

Cuckoorex":3dpjksx8 said:
I don't know about changing class, but I think it would be interesting to be able to pay big bucks to be able to quit one guild and join another. But that's been discussed, too, and I think it was already decided that wouldn't be an option, at least not for this game.
Well, David at least thought about a limited possibilty for changing guilds, because there is this interesting little piece of dialogue in the conversation with Bishop Arandir: "My call is too strong; I renounce my previous vows and embrace the Church of the Three forever."
Unfortunately, this option is not accessible in the actual game right now. I only saw it while translating the dialogue. But who knows, maybe David changes his mind again and also opens some back doors for other classes...
 

Cuckoorex

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I also think it would be cool if there was some special guild quest you could do, maybe it can only be unlocked if you get your rep high enough, where each guild offers to reward you with training in one (and only one) Advanced Guild skill that you normally wouldn't have access to. But maybe it would have to just be a specific skill, not a choice, so maybe you could be a Cleric and they'd agree to teach you Battle Rage or something. But maybe it's too much of an unbalancing thing.
 

Renothian

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So if I read correctly, there is no way to have companions learn advanced skills, and adding that is "Not in the cards" ?
 

Xen

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Renothian":1sd1pyyo said:
So if I read correctly, there is no way to have companions learn advanced skills, and adding that is "Not in the cards" ?

It is part of the development but not for now. David is busy for the desktop release.
 

Alan_SP

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Renothian":28tn8goh said:
So if I read correctly, there is no way to have companions learn advanced skills, and adding that is "Not in the cards" ?
David said there would be quests (for each companion one) that would unlock advanced skills, but as finished set, i.e. you wouldn't be able to change them, you'll get advanced skills the way David decide them to be.

When that will be stays to be seen (not soon I guess).
 

DavidBVal

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Alan_SP":3j5k4cz7 said:
Renothian":3j5k4cz7 said:
So if I read correctly, there is no way to have companions learn advanced skills, and adding that is "Not in the cards" ?
David said there would be quests (for each companion one) that would unlock advanced skills, but as finished set, i.e. you wouldn't be able to change them, you'll get advanced skills the way David decide them to be.

When that will be stays to be seen (not soon I guess).

I'm currently 100% focused on desktop development, and Thuram ended up absorbing all the content I planned for 1.1 arc... just ask the Wiki Editors if they have been this busy ever :D

Likely the "companions" content will be delayed to 1.2 phase. However this is something I *will* do.
 

Renothian

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My biggest concern is that companions fall behind as you get higher in level. They only get 20% of XP and on level up, they only get one point for traits and skills. My anticipation was for their advanced skills, as you know. My only question is whether these features are still intended for mobile version, even if much later, not just the new desktop version? Thanks for the info David, and you do have an amazing game here :D
 

Wyrm

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A fun quest would be gather the team at Nivarian House. Travel to a high level cave where you bring any 2 or all 3 companions for an epic battle.

Also some better range necessary quests. Maybe one of those where you wake with nothing. Keep finding all high level archer gear as you make out.
 

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