Why do people like companions?

[Jehuty599]

I'm just waiting for Emma to release her Vilja companion, I used the Oblivion version and really enjoyed having her in my adventures, I would never play Oblivion again without it...I can't wait for the Skyrim version.

[JanusForbeare]

so why are there so many mods that add more?

 

Several reasons.

 

1) A vanilla follower is easy to make. All the pieces are already in the CK, and there are plenty of guides floating around the internet.

 

2) Since they're so easy to make, many people want to create a friend or spouse suited to their individual tastes. Once they're done, they usually release their new follower onto the Nexus or SW, because, well, why not?

 

3) A few of us use them as core elements of larger mods. Atvir, for example, has quests associated with him (only minor ones at the moment, but his true questline begins in the next update). Ceriweden is another example of this.

 

4) Similarly, authors of "complex" companion mods see room for improvement in the vanilla system, in terms of AI, depth of character, mechanics, etc. We're not content to leave the follower system in its current, limited state.

 

5) Games with interesting companions and well-crafted party dynamics are awesome. Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate, the Ultima series... see what I'm getting at? Vanilla Skyrim is not such a game, but given enough time and effort from dedicated modders, it could be.

[jyujinkai]

Yeah this is what I am thinking... it is the ease of making the mods. Like i am not cutting down people making there own.. i think that is awesome. Still even mods like that new dark brotherhood one.. the companions are just not my thing.

 

5) Games with interesting companions and well-crafted party dynamics are awesome. Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate, the Ultima series... see what I'm getting at? Vanilla Skyrim is not such a game, but given enough time and effort from dedicated modders, it could be.

 

Personally I think the Dragon Age games are nearly unplayable. Mass Effect not being far behind. BG and the early Ultima games have more incommon with a adventure game .. as in the "companions" are scripted into the events of the story. Yes I know Serena or w/e that vamp is called in dawngaurd is in the story... But in those old game they have pre-constructed functions that make them part of your adventure.. and preset reactions.. Liek in BG mixing evil and good characters leads to decent in the group. In some ways having a simpler approach makes those games so much better at it.

 

The followers all seam to me to be like, i dunno.. a trailing appendage.. not someone of worth or value. Personality comes though in cleaver writing but they seam to ignore anything.. they are like static puppets or something.. just sitting there spurting w/e at you. Regardless on how you treat them or what gose on around them

 

Like regardless of coding, or feasibility.. what you like to do in a companion mod to make them viable? Besides "more of the same" as I am not sure that is cutting it.

Edited October 30, 2012 by jyujinkai

[Jitansgate]

I just do not understand companions and by extension companion mods... I am not trying to troll here.. I would like serious answers...

 

Why would anyone ever want a companion in Skyrim? My experience of them is that they get in the way, charge in and agro stuff, break immersion and generally greatly reduce my enjoyment of the game. I've tried a few of the "top companion" mods, but I seriously do not get it. I mean what do people like about companions, and why would you ever use one?

 

Also the mods. There are so many, is it just cause companions are easy to make.. autonomous (kinda) objects you can place in the game that require only a single mesh base then is is all coding, rather than a massive dungeon and wot not? is that why there are so many companion mods... cause it is a achievable goal for a single or 2 man team?

 

I just seriously am at a loss here.. I feel like I am missing out on some aspect of the game.. btu I just can nto for the life of me see any merit in companions.

 

I'm starting to dislike my Companions when using Extreme Destruction Spells I tend to kill my Companions because they get in the way, also Giants and Mammoths tend to kill my companions pretty easily.

 

If you have ever played Fallout 3 (Dogmeat) was the worst companion because he blocked your path in Tunnels, Building and Doorways also he would run off and end up dying.

[JanusForbeare]

The followers all seam to me to be like, i dunno.. a trailing appendage.. not someone of worth or value. Personality comes though in cleaver writing but they seam to ignore anything.. they are like static puppets or something.. just sitting there spurting w/e at you. Regardless on how you treat them or what gose on around them

 

Well, I can't defend the vanilla system too much; it leaves a lot to be desired. However, some mods have systems being developed that allow certain followers and NPCs to react to your actions in a more significant way. Sexy Maids of Skyrim is a good example - Kasia has a relationship value that gets raised or lowered depending on your attitude and actions. I have two variables in Atvir Dres which will eventually work in a similar way: Player Relationship and Empathy. Depending on what you say and do, Atvir may come to be your friend or your enemy, and may become more sensitive to the plights of others, or turn into (even more of) a brutal killing machine.

 

However, it's only been a year since Skyrim came out, so those elements are far from complete in either mod. Bethesda spent four or five years developing Skyrim, and they had a team of 90 professionals working day in and day out on the project. Individuals (and/or small teams), working around their normal, everyday responsibilities are, of course, going to need more than a year to develop complex systems like this.

[jyujinkai]

i think that is something really missing. While I would nvr use a mod called "sexy maids of skyrim".. I think that idea is defiantly on the right path. Maybe even eventually fight you.. like if i kill some innocent hunters shouldn't Atvir Dres gos.. hey,.. what the hell.. and fight me?

[luzburg]

i think that is something really missing. While I would nvr use a mod called "sexy maids of skyrim".. I think that idea is defiantly on the right path. Maybe even eventually fight you.. like if i kill some innocent hunters shouldn't Atvir Dres gos.. hey,.. what the hell.. and fight me?

 

 

No. Hes the unstable one in any relationship!

[JanusForbeare]

i think that is something really missing. While I would nvr use a mod called "sexy maids of skyrim".. I think that idea is defiantly on the right path. Maybe even eventually fight you.. like if i kill some innocent hunters shouldn't Atvir Dres gos.. hey,.. what the hell.. and fight me?

 

Well, that'd be pretty out of character for Atvir (unless those hunters were Dunmer). But the basic idea is essentially correct. The concept is that he has a starting relationship value based on your race and initial conversation. As he accompanies you through Skyrim, that value will rise if you conduct yourself in a way that meshes with his values, or drop if you do something he disagrees with. Simultaneously, your actions might inspire him to re-evaluate his Machiavellian view of the world (though the actions that will raise his "empathy" value will often drop his "relationship" value until later in the game), and make him into more of a gentle, considerate person.

 

Also, I had the same gut reaction when I saw the title "Sexy Maids of Skyrim", but this is one case where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. It's not some cheap, pornographic mod, it's actually a deep, lore-friendly questline with some really interesting characters and stories in it. The title is basically a throwback to one of the author's earlier works, "Sexy Maid of Chorrol", which was a bit more erotic and simple in design. SMOS is very different in character from its predecessor, and is definitely worth your time.

[jyujinkai]

i used to make hobby project adventure games (classic point and click) .. something we used to create interaction was dialogue trees... maybe a good way to do this relationship thing is though chat trees like in the old games. Like say the companion had a secret, you could choose options that pressure him, or encourage him to talk. or you could simple be indifferent and not care at all. So not only your actions.. but your direct interactions with the companion can change it. Edited October 30, 2012 by jyujinkai

[ManleySteele]

Right now, I am running "Amazing Follower Tweaks", by Dheuster. I chose it because of the horse mods. It's funny because I haven't bought a horse since I installed it. In my first playthroughs, I tried to play with Lydia, mostly as a talking mule. I, eventually got tired of her, and switched to Uthgerd the Unbroken for several games. Uthgerd's AI was too buggy, so I went back to Lydia. I tried Jordis because her voice was so pleasant. Eventually, I always wind up, either leaving them at home or leaving them ouside dungeons. As for why play with a companion, I'm not sure. I just do.

The only appearnace mods I am currently using for NPC's is "Less Whorry Housecarls", Xenius Character Enhancement," and "Gender Race Heights II." I do have some male appearanace mods, because I play a male character. The only one I have active is "Bufffer Males."

I don't feel that the gameplay problems with companions is unworkable, as you can use self-discipline and play style to overcome them. It is far too easy to overpower a companion with mods. I had to learn this the hard way, of course. In particular, the bow problem "fixes" are big offenders. I have used and discarded virtually all the popular character appearance mods.

IMO follower gameplay mods are a bigger bag of worms than the problems they are supposed to fix. I always wind up discarding them. As I find myself disabling more and more of the features in "Amazing Follower Tweaks," I will probably just uninstall it eventually.

Back to the original question, maybe the followers fill some need in me that I am unaware of having. Don't know what that says about me, but I'm not losing any sleep over it. I do know that I would prefer a lot more depth and breadth to the follwers and my characters interacions with them. I just don't seem to want it bad enough to do anything about it. I hope that helps you and have fun playing.