Ability to have more companions

Niner1209

Niner1209

First time out of the vault
I'm not sure how FO3 handled companions because I never really got very far into it but FNV handled companions mildly well, I liked the 2 companions however I hated that I could only have 1 human at a time. My hopes for FO4 companions:

- Up to three companions at a time
- Any mix of human or nonhuman
- Slightly nerfed or at least no OP companions (I'm looking at you Veronica)
- More variety and choose with companions, if the map is as big as New Vegas I should be able to pick from at least 10 or 12
- Companions should interact with each other either positively or negatively
>i.e Boone and Veronica would clash verbally and argue when you're just standing around due to Veronica being lighthearted and Boone being the loveable sourpuss he is
> Certain companions will straight up refuse to work with others such an NCR companion and a Legion companion
- Varying levels of loyalty, basically how willing they are to die for you with the most loyal chasing after every mole rat within perception distance and the least not jumping in until you're already taking a significant amount of damage.
- Idle chatter so they don't feel mindless. Like if Boone would make a remark (without starting or opening a dialog box) about how all this hiking reminds him of his days in the NCR.

Any feedback or additions to this would be nice
 
I am all in for this!
I would like to have the possibility to hire mercs, for certain quests (like quests that require some serious fighting)
 
This all needs to happen, but we should know that it probably isn't going to. As for the raised companion limit, it would be nice if that was linked to Charisma like in FO2. It would certainly make it much more useful.
 
I like the slant of this, but the major issue that needs addressed before any of it is plausible is the near-infallbility of the companions. One plus an eyebot is more than enough of an army for anything in the game but Caesar's tent or the Deathclaw Promontory if you keep them equipped with level-appropriate gear; on the other hand, durable-but-realistically-statted characters like the wandering caravans are completely at the mercy of any Legionaire or Radscorp that happens along. I'd love an F2-style party system, but combat balance needs a thorough overhaul before it's really plausible.

(Especially if Charisma is going to determine the number of party members you can have and still grant Companion Nerve. I never realized how decisive a factor Nerve was until the first time, quite recently, I played a charisma character and never once had to fire a shot from a lethal weapon except for in the DLCs. I finished the whole game with nothing but Ed-E, a pocketful of stimpacks, a compliance regulator, and a Bright Brotherhood Robe.)
 
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Hate to be the pessimist here, but:

1. FO4 is being developed by people, who made Fawkes. A super mutant with infinite ammo Gatling Laser and several thousand HP. It should be clear at this point that balance is out of the question.

2. Bethesda made 8 permanent followers in FO3. One was a dog, that was taken from previous games, so it's not an original idea. So we're talking about having 7 ideas for companions. With companions you're gonna have to come up with a reason for them to follow that wandering lunatic into mortal danger. And what did we get? Resorting to brainwashing. And not the good kind - one that is actually something of a subplot in itself. No, it's the crap one. Just mention once. Never talk about it again. Bad fanfic style. And they do it twice.

3. Companions just speaking a line without a dialog box or something can be done right, but if it's not, it gets old really fast. It'd be cool if a follower said a line of dialogue once after a specific event or in certain location, based on the environment, but if it's repeated over and over, it's annoying. Do you really want to end up hearing 'Aww. Aren't you cute?' or 'Look at that, a cave! Who knows what could be down there?' every 10 minutes?

4. If Beth rehashes the 'follower faction' idea from Skyrim, lots of potential followers is going to be the one thing we'll get. In spades. Dozens of them. If Bethesda is any good at anything other than marketing, it's making things in large quantities.

I don't think that loyalty affecting combat AI would be wise. I'd like to see something like a reputation meter, but for companions, sure. But instead of affecting the AI, it could work like the Nerve in NV and affect the plot in some way. That'd be cool. Like in Bioware games.
 
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I would balance out more powerful companions like super-mutants and robots by having them take up multiple companion slots.
For example:
"Butt", the player character, has a charisma of 8 granting him 4 companion slots.
Sixty-Four, the feral-child raised by robots, is a 'normal' human companion and thus takes up 1 companion slot on the party roster.
Pork-Chop, the waste-land mutt, is a normal animal companion and also takes up 1 companion slot on the party roster.
Saiko, on the other hand, is a super mutant with a daikatana and an obsession with samurai movies; he takes up 2 companion slots on the roster.
That's 4/4 companion slots filled though you only have three companions.
 
One way to make it cool would be to have companions that do not participate in combat. For instance, you'd have a tech guy with high science and repair skills, but no combat skills. In a fight he's stay at the back and occasionally fire a pistol (and usually miss). However he'd repair your equipment and hack computers if you tell him to (like with Skyrim's 'I want you to do something' command). That way it's not only not overpowered to have multiple companions, but you can also specialise your character instead of being an 'everything guy' with companions being pack mules/bullet sponges.
 
Companions that don't fight wouldn't really be any use, it would make the game feel a lot like an escort mission trying to keep them alive and honestly I'd get mad. I just think that maybe instead companions shouldn't be the ones changed but the enemy AI.

For instance lets say your wandering through the wastes with your trusty hunting rifle. When suddenly you see some crazy bitch in Power Armor run up with a power fist. Instead of standing there and taking pot shots as she caves your face in the AI should respond. Instead of standing there, they should backpedal and try to keep their distance, getting behind cover trying to get behind them. Perhaps its not just the companion AI that should be changed but the enemy AI.
 
AI of everything in Beth games should be changed. The NPCs usually have 3 options when in combat:
1. Charge!
2. Fire!
3. Run!
There's not really much more. Ever seen someone take cover or try to get behind the enemy? How about a guy with a melee weapon charging at someone with a Gatling Laser?

Companions that don't fight wouldn't really be any use, it would make the game feel a lot like an escort mission trying to keep them alive and honestly I'd get mad.
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These companions could fight, just not be much use, so that maybe they'd kill one raider, but probably not more. The idea is that you have a character that specialises in a particular area and so does the companion. Of course this is rather meaningless seeing how any high level character specialises in everything ​- but this is the problem.
 
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AI? Changed? Ha! Tell that to Skyrim's fucking Metacritic score.

Let's face it, anything that changes the structure of their engine beyond mundane numbers isn't going to happen.
 
As a naïve guy, i put 10 into charisma when launching Fo3, being sure that the follower system would be the same.
It took me quite a number of minutes trying to get the third follower, then look for help, then look for the mod that unlock that silly 2 followers limits.

It might be very subjective, but having the band of adventurers slowly growing is part of the adventure itself.
There is no band if there is only one guy you can talk.

I don't care about balance or game mechanics, i just can't stand the limit they put into Fo3-FoNV, and i am relieved i never had to play those on console.

Gore Bags >
I can hardly call Fo3 companions actual characters.
Only Fawkes & Butch have a minimum of backstory/character develloppement, which happens before you recruit them.
Tycho & Cross have a little conversation, but that's it.
You don't talk to Charon/Clover/Dogmeat/the Robot prior their recruitement. (three of them are bought 1000 caps)
Once you recruited all those 8 followers, you always end up having the same generic dialogs options.
Sure they answer to you on a different way, but saying essentially the same kind of things.
Those companions personalities are even worse than in Fo1.
 
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The weird part is that they made Sydney, who was actually a kinda decent, likable character. Nothing special really, but outstanding for FO3 standards. Combat oriented too, so that is just perfect companion material. There's even a mod that makes her a follower (http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/9320/?) and it's leaps and bounds ahead of any other companion in FO3.
 
And contrary to the 8 companions, you have interractions with her after you worked with her. It doesn't end up in generic dialogs options.

My favourite companion is also a modded one, Amata, which end up having interraction with many locations, and post-recruit quests.

Although i appreciate that Butch/Fawkes had actual storylines before you recruit them. Unfortunately, once you have them, they are pretty much done, story-wise.
 
I find it strange that this thread of all places wants the ability of have more than 2 companions.

I like the 2 companion limit. It keeps the game balanced, otherwise everyone would be running around with Boone, ED-E, Arcade and Veronica everywhere. Now wouldn't THAT be a gamebreaking combo. :wink:
 
Harken said:
This all needs to happen, but we should know that it probably isn't going to. As for the raised companion limit, it would be nice if that was linked to Charisma like in FO2. It would certainly make it much more useful.
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I agree with this. In general I think they should overhaul the way the SPECIAL stats work so that they function the way they did in FO1 and FO2, which means no more putting Charisma at 1 unless you really do want to play a misanthropic loner who puts off everyone they meet.

Having recently been playing Arcanum, I like the way the companion system works in that game; the number of companions is directly tied to your Charisma, and many of them will only follow you if your alignment and goals match theirs.
 
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