Managing your follower

[palenaka]

After doing some quest where I had an NPC follower tag along, I realized I enjoyed it very much. In Oblivion and Fallout 3, followers were kinda neat but they'd die pretty quick from stepping on a trap or running in front of my Mini-Nuke :P

 

 

Anyway, I would like to force my follower to only use a certain combat style. Is there an option I'm missing? Like in Fallout 3 I believe your could tell your follower "Only use range attacks"

 

I'm using Jenassa currently and I would like her to only use the bow. Once she put the bow away and charged a bear unarmed, another time we were fighting a pack of bandits and she ran over and grabbed a steel mace a dead bandit dropped and started using that instead of the bow.

[shadow56]

There is no way to control the combat moves of your character. They will take advantage of the best weapon and armors available in their inventory. They take their own skills and proficiencies into account when making these decisions. so all else being equal, expect then to use a bow more often than a sword if they are an archer. However, that can change when attacked. They will then use the best weapon spells and tactics to defend both them and you. I have used several followers so far. Each switches from sword to bow etc. when they deem it necessary. I also give them better weapons and armor when found. They will use the best weapon and armor they have in their inventory.

Just another note, followers are not immortal. They can die in the right situation. I have had two kick the bucket due a heavy combat situation which was dealing massive damage along with fireball attacks.

[PointBlankPB]

Indeed they do die, if rather rarely. I've only had my housecarl come near to death once as the enemy usually leaves her alone and attacks me once she is badly injured and staggered on the ground.

 

I would like to see commands implemented that followers can abide by, would be quite helpful. Especially in situations where you want to be stealthy, but in-case you are spotted you have backup. (Followers are always so noisy when sneaking!) For now I just make them wait in place until I've stealthily cleared the enemies up ahead, and if things go wrong I retreat back to her position so that we can fight together.