Fallout 4 companions aren't very bright.

[RatB0Y68]

My experience with both vanilla & mod companions is that they don't function very intelligently. I've noticed, amongst other things:

 

- Their navigation is very poor; they get easily confused by stairs & lack a conceptual understanding of circumventing obstacles, instead opting to try & run through them.

 

- Their pathfinding is bizarre & counterintuitive. Even when they could just run in a straight line to a destination unimpeded they instead opt for a slower, more convoluted approach, mostly moving a short distance, stopping, turning, turning, moving again & repeat.

 

- Their perception & reactivity in combat leaves something to be desired, most noticable with close range enemies such as ghouls. They won't react until attacked even when enemies are right next to them.

 

I don't remember my Skyrim followers being so dumb. I am disappoint.

 

Anyway, rant over, thanks for reading, have a nice day.

[JimboUK]

I found that they're more of a hindrance than a help, they always seem to be in the way or worse pushing you into enemies. That said they're a huge improvement on Fallout 3, those ones would get lost going through a door, they would randomly wear weapons on their wrists or even have them spinning around above their heads, they're not set essential either so their stupidity would often get them killed.

[StormWolf01]

There's a lot of things about this post that I agree with, wholeheartedly!

The part about them standing right next to an enemy, and not attacking. That can be fixed. It's whichever AI package they're being run by. There's different types, some of which are more aggressive than others. I've tried it, and for My playstyle, it's even worse. Sneaky Snipers that set ambushes. That get totally blown by companions charging head first into mobs. Blocking my line of sight, getting caught in friendly fire when I throw grenades, etc etc.

I can't count the number of times that I've put Cait or Nick, flat on their keister becuz they walked into where I was firing.

 

As for their pathing. Yeah, that's totally Beth's fault. The nav-meshing and pathfinding in this game engine is just bug-riddled bonkers.

You missed the fun old days tho. When they'd start walking through the ground. Or swimming through the middle of open air :laugh: :laugh: Or Nick moving around in T-pose! :ermm:

Then if there's too many followers or companions trailing along with you, one or two of them get lost. And ya gotta go looking for them.

 

And

DO

NOT

get me started on the failed companion dismissal bug!!! :verymad: :verymad:

[Lollia]

I'm rather amazed that I had to download a mod just to be able to dismiss them to their original locations!

 

Why the heck would I want to dismiss them to Sanctuary Hills? Last I checked, Nick had a business to run and Piper had a little sister in her care--and let's not forget the most important point: there's absolutely nothing there! Sanctuary Hills is completely devoid of life. Was I supposed to be instantly entranced by the settlement system or something? That sure didn't happen. :dry:

 

I have not touched the settlement system, let alone visited Concord--I have heard far too many tales of the menace who lurks within it. :ohdear:

 

 

- - - - - - -

Concerning navigation, I've had much better luck with a custom companion I put together. His schedule is set to follow the player once a certain global variable is changed, and he does this very successfully. Although he does seem to be a bit shy about swimming on occasion, I decided to chalk that up to his being very particular about the nice clean suit he wears. :wink:

[StormWolf01]

Agreed! The Companions Go Home (a feature also in Amazing Follower Tweaks) mod is a feature that SHOULD have been placed in the game by Bethesda. Not to mention that Hancock is the Mayor of a town!

 

I sometimes enjoy taking some time to do some building (tho the vanilla system STILL left a LOT of things that the modding community had to fix, expand upon, or improve!!! AND bloat my load order, because of it!) in settlements, but overall, I got sick and tired of trying to populate them, after about my 7th playthrough. Granted, I only play the game to explore and expend lots and lots of ammo, nowadays.

 

I'm not entirely sure about this, but it might actually be an engine mechanic that followers and companions don't like to go into water. It seems like quite a few of them have an aversion to it.

 

Concord isn't so bad once you learn an exploit. (Trying to avoid spoilers, since this isn't the spoilers section) BAMS (Big As!ed Monsters) don't fit through doors ;) So if you make it into a building that has all it's walls, it can't get to you.

If you are especially brave, you can lead it back over that hole that it came out of. If it falls in, it gets stuck :D I guess it needs that scripted animation to get back out, or something.

[HeyYou]

I severely dislike companions. They are utterly useless for my playstyle. The are either in the way, giving away my position, or rushing into combat, when I have a good snipers nest. I avoid them like the plague. I only use them when I am forced to. I dismiss them as soon as possible. They suck. They are terrible. They are more of a hindrance than a help. If I could complete quests without them, I would. Just tell me what ya want done, where I have to go to accomplish it, and keep your unhelpful idiot away from me. I am MUCH more effective by myself.

[StormWolf01]

HY - MCFA (Making companions fun again)

Equip them with a fatman and ammo :D

[HeyYou]

HY - MCFA (Making companions fun again)

Equip them with a fatman and ammo :D

:) Companions, and AOE weapons, are a REALLY bad combination.

[StormWolf01]

Indeed their pea-sized brains don't get the concept of area of effect. But that's what makes it fun :D

Send Preston out after that deathclaw, and you'll see what I mean :D

[taryl80]

Fallout 4 comapnions have sometimes save my life. Even Preston once, as I was low on life, reloading and an enemie was storming towards me.

 

Preston just laz0rd him away and I had similar situations with Piper and my own companions.

 

I'm ok with that the world turned into rubble, but I wouldn't enjoy this experience alone :smile:

Edited June 16, 2022 by taryl80