Do you prefer standalone followers or non-standalone followers?

[Niborino9409]

Hi, just wondering about people's preferences. I have used and made both kinds but recently I've come to prefer non-standalone followers in a way. Due to them adjusting to how npc's in my game looks. Standalone followers are neat but I also like the non-standalone part, it's like a new take on a follower for different people in my opinion. :smile:

Clarification for this thread:
Standalone: custom textures, meshes and such. Unique look. Looks like on mod author's images.
Non-standalone: possibly unique hair but textures and meshes point to what you use in your game.

 

This is not about custom voiced followers vs vanilla voiced followers so please keep such comments out of this.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Niborino9409

[JimmyRJump]

Being a loner by nature, this expands itself into games. As such, I prefer going on walkabouts on my own.

 

Now, stand-alone followers, mostly added to the game through mods, usually tend to look completely different than advertised because of differences in mod use between the creator and user. Sure, you can get close to how the character looks originally by getting the mods needed to perfect the outcome, but since I'm a bit of a mod-user-nut I'm always near the limit of plug-ins. Which makes me not bother going through the motions of adding umpteen mods to get a character that I will almost never take along and that risk getting into a fight with mods I already have.

 

Non-standalone followers (like most -if not all- of the house carls) are exactly the same as the stand-alone ones in thet they all get in the way at the wrong moments, they trip traps screwing up your stealthy aproach and they babble on with the same exceptionally tiresome dialogue...

 

Doesn't matter how pretty or well armed they are, stand-alone or not, they're a pain in the neck to me.

 

Voilà.

[Niborino9409]

Yeah but standalone followers are supposed to not look different. They aren't standalone in my book unless they come as advertised on the images. Otherwise they are counted as non-standalone here.

 

Housecarls aren't what I had in mind. I'm talking about followers added strictly by mods. In-game followers change with your game anyway. All followers get in the way like that. Not Vilja and Inigo perhaps but follower AI is not what I'm after here. It's which kind you prefer. But I shoulda added "None" as an option too it seems. =)

 

The traps issue is fixed with light foot perk though.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Niborino9409

[nightscrawl]

I would prefer non-standalone. I like the idea of having a consistent look across all NPCs.

[JimmyRJump]

Being a loner by nature, this expands itself into games. As such, I prefer going on walkabouts on my own.

 

Now, stand-alone followers, mostly added to the game through mods, usually tend to look completely different than advertised because of differences in mod use between the creator and user. Sure, you can get close to how the character looks originally by getting the mods needed to perfect the outcome, but since I'm a bit of a mod-user-nut I'm always near the limit of plug-ins. Which makes me not bother going through the motions of adding umpteen mods to get a character that I will almost never take along and that risk getting into a fight with mods I already have.

 

Non-standalone followers (like most -if not all- of the house carls) are exactly the same as the stand-alone ones in thet they all get in the way at the wrong moments, they trip traps screwing up your stealthy aproach and they babble on with the same exceptionally tiresome dialogue...

 

Doesn't matter how pretty or well armed they are, stand-alone or not, they're a pain in the neck to me.

 

Voilà.

 

Yeah but standalone followers are supposed to not look different. They aren't standalone in my book unless they come as advertised on the images. Otherwise they are counted as non-standalone here.

 

Housecarls aren't what I had in mind. I'm talking about followers added strictly by mods. In-game followers change with your game anyway. All followers get in the way like that. Not Vilja and Inigo perhaps but follower AI is not what I'm after here. It's which kind you prefer. But I shoulda added "None" as an option too it seems. =)

 

The traps issue is fixed with light foot perk though.

Seems to me there's a slight misinterpretation of "stand-alone". A stand-alone mod is a mod with an esp that (normally) doesn't overwrite anything but adds its own values to the game. A non-stand-alone mod overwrites existing files without adding a plug-in. So, to me, stand-alone followers are added to the game through a mod while non-stand-alone followers are followers already in the game regardless of them being modded yes or no.

 

Exceptions are, for instance, the Bijin series and Fresh Faces mods (which I both use) that alter the outlook of a whole bunch of npcs including the housecarls. These mods overwrite existing files and need an esp because of the drastic changes.

 

Since housecarls can follow you, hey, they're followers too :D

 

Sure, the trap issue is bye-bye with that perk, but it takes a while to get there when using Ordinator and meanwhile you need to go on a mission for the Companions with one of the "watch it sister" Moron-Twins. :P

[Niborino9409]

 

Seems to me there's a slight misinterpretation of "stand-alone". A stand-alone mod is a mod with an esp that (normally) doesn't overwrite anything but adds its own values to the game. A non-stand-alone mod overwrites existing files without adding a plug-in. So, to me, stand-alone followers are added to the game through a mod while non-stand-alone followers are followers already in the game regardless of them being modded yes or no.

 

Exceptions are, for instance, the Bijin series and Fresh Faces mods (which I both use) that alter the outlook of a whole bunch of npcs including the housecarls. These mods overwrite existing files and need an esp because of the drastic changes.

 

Since housecarls can follow you, hey, they're followers too :D

 

Sure, the trap issue is bye-bye with that perk, but it takes a while to get there when using Ordinator and meanwhile you need to go on a mission for the Companions with one of the "watch it sister" Moron-Twins. :tongue:

 

I differentiate between weapon/armor mods or the like and followers. Is that an "official" naming? I've only named it standalone since that's what I've seen around here, or if it's my own imagination playing tricks on me. Feels like a logical naming though; standalone as in doesn't require other mods to get that look. ... But that makes non-standalone mean that they require mods... I confused myself now :sad:

 

Some followers come with that perk from the get-go. And Amazing Follower Tweaks has an option for all followers to not set-off traps :)

Edited December 14, 2017 by Niborino9409

[cdcooley]

There seem to be (at least) three main decisions when making a follower:

• unique vs. standard appearance
• unique vs. re-used standard voice lines
• unique vs. the standard game AI and scripting

As a long-time TES fan I have no idea where "standalone" came from because traditionally the important distinctions between followers was whether they were part of some common framework and whether they had a unique voice. The idea that they would would use completely unique meshes and textures is new and somehow earned the label "standalone" so I can only assume it was borrowed from some other modding community. Personally I think custom textures or unique appearance would be far better as a label than "standalone" but unfortunately I don't set the rules.

 

To answer the question it depends entirely on the follower. If the follower has some reason for being visually unique (like tattoos, scars, unique racial traits, hair color or style, etc.) then maintaining that unique look is important, but if the unique look isn't critical to the NPC's story or character then I would prefer using standard textures so the character doesn't clash with the rest of my game if I decide to use a general texture replacer. Basically protect the parts of the NPC that need to be unique but don't go for custom meshes and textures just because they are your personal preference for how NPCs should look.

[Vattende]

All depends, all followers are not same, nor are all days and our feelings.

 

There are days i love my followers, there are others i could kill them myself.

 

But i like and ingame, standart followers, and so called standalone if it's the look i'm after in that moment in my modding-experience. Of course still using AFK or EFF with them, which avoid also some troubles. But i must admit that sometimes they are all a pain ... :laugh:

 

The bad bables are what i can stand hardly, this with- or without RDO. That's why in many gamestart i use Meeko, or modded version of this brave dog. With quiet dog of course ! :dry:

 

Just started a new game with "The People Of Skyrim", a realy great mod, adding also some nice integrated followers. Running it now alongside "Immersive Citizens" (with a parch of course), and about 80 others nice mods. For instant all seems fine, and i'm curious testing also the different followers here.

 

But like said, all depends, my current game, my modlist, and my current mood.

[Wolfskin75]

I prefer standalone because then you can pick the type of follower and that is also has customed designed behavior, look and reasons for being there. Since really the follower you get is pretty much separated from the plot, its refreshing to have some tie in with the one you choose.