What do you like/want to see in a companion (besides sex)?

[nyaalich]

What do you like or hate in existing companions, and what do you want to see that you haven't?  Besides sex as that there are mods for that.

[A.J.]

Like:

- Feelings, little details, peculiar behaviours and reactions, useful to create their character: "would you carry me these 10 automatic rifles?" - " no way, I'm not your pack mule" - "please..." - " ok, but you'll have at least to buy me a cola at the next town" - (entering Mick and Ralph) "So? Where's my cola?" ...

 

Hate:

- Overpowered stats or overpowered peculiar personal inventory

- Dumb personal quests (better no quest at all, than a not good quest)

- Usual common sentences of any other companion... everything that make them appearing as what they really are, a copy/paste from another companion script/dialogue...

- A kind of interaction based on a ton of dumb monologues (monologue = "who are you?" - "blablablabla shady sands blablabla enclave blablablabla", for half hour) to understand their "background", that ends up there. It's sad when a dialogue like that will end up in this way: "ok now I know a lot of your past, now let's talk about something else" - "I'm not scripted for that. At best, I can go to the Lucky 38 suit if you want, don't ask me anything else"

 

Willow and Niner are, among all the companions I tried, the only ones who expand things like that, aiming in creating some characterization, and they did very well.

But it's just my opinion, I'm aware some people really love having a simple mute dumb overpowered and obedient pack mule to save their back and carry back home a ton of loot.

[ChancellorKremlin]

In one word: subtlety. 

 

 

[nyaalich]

In one word: subtlety. 

 

Quoi?

[ChancellorKremlin]

Basically what A.J said. Intricate dialogues, stuff that is different from the norm of every other companion out there, like the usual where are you from, what's your story, carry this for me, etc. I mean, you need that sort of stuff, but also much, much more.

 

Like prompts at certain times or places about your surroundings, maybe comments about what you're wearing, continuing previous conversations, etc. Companions that remember earlier choices in your conversations, like promises, or that question your motivations, and bring that up in the future rather than just a token "I don't like that, or, I like that." and then never talk about it again.

[A.J.]

Oh, I forgot:

 

Like

- Daedra Seducers

 

Hate

- The fact Daedra Seducers don't exist in Fallout

[Halstrom]

I'd like to see hardcore for them, need to drink eat & sleep, maybe not killing them but affecting their performance and attitude.

[A.J.]

I'd like to see hardcore for them, need to drink eat & sleep, maybe not killing them but affecting their performance and attitude.

 

Speaking of what... I remember a mod that was very much advertised during the development, it also had its own website, but I never seen it online. It's a pity if it wasn't finished. I don't recall the name, but it was a woman companion with a lot of features, like you could fight against her to train her, she could take radiations (glowing green) etc.etc. She was voice acted and very very well modded, at least from what I've seen in the videos. This is something like 1-2 years ago.

 

If you can find something about it, maybe you could find very nice new new features and ideas for a companion. I'm sorry I don't remember names or what.

[nyaalich]

You aren't thinking of Wendy Gilbert, are you, A.J.?  She has a TON of options.  I didn't play with her very long as that I found her pretty boring.  Of course, the modder used vanilla assets, so you work with what you've got.

[A.J.]

Nou nou. I know Wendy Gilbert, I also used her for a time, just to make her sandboxing around my home, you know, like a brahmin grazing inside a pen. She's exactly what I'm not expecting from a follower: she's a perfect droid. That modder is (in my opinion) one of the best names around on modding. But for me she is just the most advanced and elaborated pack mule I ever seen. The only reason why I gave her a roof (or... a pen maybe) was because of her optional race conversion to "daughter of Kendo", since I'm in love with that custom race

 

EDIT: found it

http://daniellewagnercompanion.webs.com/

http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/47652/?

There are some nice videos showing some interesting features

[Captain Cobra]

One that doesn't get in the way of my bullets.

[Victoria K.]

I don't like when they comment too much, Cassidy could be an example, too much talking.

 

Talking in skeaking, all kind of wrong.

 

Dialogue options in conversation are allright (those are also skippable in case), and I would say the more the better, but that's it.

 

Personally I avoid some "funny" character as well, usually I don't find the jokes very entertaining, Veronica could be an example.

 

Let's say the followers I've enjoyed most in Fallout 3 and Vegas are Charon, Boone, both the robots, also Jericho I would say but tried only once. Arcade was also okay for me, at times.

 

What I like and would like to see are questions by the follower to the player about the player and not always the other way around: player asking to the follower about the follower.

Could be questions about the players background, experiences, current events, hopes, preferences, whatever, and follower should comment something accordingly. The range would be very limited, sure, but it's something nonetheless.

 

Another thing I like are followers that care something about the player. Having them acting protective and loyal is ideal for me.

 

Also I would like to see the follower changing attitudes and karma orientation depending on the player and not that the player has to meet a specific requirement in order to get a specific follower. I don't say I would like it always this way, but could be interesting to have also this for some characters.

Depending on your behavior you could influence the follower, being good and helpful would make him the same way, as opposite very bastard and evil, persisting in a neutral way wouldn't change much about the orientation the follower had at the moment you met him.

The changes would be evident during dialogues of course and various comments on situations and outcomes, and most important the follower should recognize he's changed because of the player. That would be satisfactory.

 

Last thing that comes to mind, would be ideal to hear some remark on the player's appearance but nothing about it is specified in the game as we are able to do about traits or stats, sex or name. Modding do the job but not really, would be nice to have dedicated voiced lines of vanilla followers to get them commenting on this.

It would have been easy to get together some stupid questions at the beginning of the game as we get for the rest, just in order to define if we are going to play a good looking character or an ugly one for instance (could be funny to hear the npcs comments on that). But I suppose it's too much to ask from the devs...

[Contessa]

Intricate dialogue, deep romance or possibly other types of relationships be they abusive, dominant/submissive or just friendships, all fleshed out and able to draw me in.

 

Basically one that can handle adult themes with some maturity, not just "eyyyyy dere, k we fuck now"

[A.J.]

Another thing I don't like in some characters, about their comments. While I really like the talkative followers, because it helps to feel not too much alone when you wander across that big empty mojave desert, I really would like that they don't remind me every 30 seconds about the same 3 things, they always make the same 3 comments for hours, it becomes very hard to not turn and shoot them. This is what happens usually to me with some... mod companions. If they feel to comment, I would make more variety, and I would keep track of these comments, so that they don't repeat the same thing every minute.

 

Also generic sentences could be "dangerous" sometimes. Just an example that happened yesterday to me in Skyrim. An Imperial patrol was attacked by a bear, and he attacked back screaming "SEND ULFRICK MY REGARDS!" ... I don't know why this happened, but the first thing I thought was "hey, I didn't know bears were allied with Stormcloaks". Another example from there, a typical follower comment "Hey look, a cave! I wonder what's inside!"... listen, dear follower, can you realize we just CAME OUT FROM THAT CAVE? ... sorry for Skyrim references, but I'm playing it in these days, so it's easier for me. It's just to explain the point: their comments are very nice (for me), but if they must really comment then there must be some "smart" trigger for it, not some dumb generic one.

[Kidaen]

An agenda. Too many followers are just a pretty face with no or a terribly shallow personality, and they have no goals or aspirations. They spring fully formed into the world, only to eventually be abandoned to it. I'd rather have an interesting follower with an agenda that I eventually help on their way and have them leave my game than a doll.

[BoozeJunky]

An effective combat radius of only like... 30 meters from the PC. I play a stealth build mostly, and I don't usually bring companions because the instant I'm either in range or have engaged an enemy they run off all berserker like a paper mache Wolverine into a string of alerted enemies and either die or wipe out half the dungeon before I can even find them. I need a close-range companion who will intercept enemies who get close to me, while not blowing my cover or forcing me to blow my cover just to get some kills. Maybe with some extra stealth/range perks like Lily or Boone.

 

Other than that... yeah, most of what other people have said. They need to be unique, but still fit in to the Fallout universe. (Willow was a good attempt, but she was too obviously built to be a "girlfriend experience" and not a Fallout character with optional romance.) They need to have their own goals, morals, preferences, political alignments, personality quirks, etc... and the option to leave or confront you if you offend/abuse them. I don't think Fallout really has a way to make radiant quests like Skyrim, but a companion who asks favors and makes requests - offering quests beyond the end of the main quest line - would be neat. Maybe even have them leave you temporarily if you don't start the quest within a certain time-frame to go do it themselves depending on the priority. (a kidnapped loved-one would take more priority and force them to leave than, say, just needing a spare part from a Repconn warehouse)

 

The Indigo companion from Skyrim had a lot of good ideas, some of which could be applied to Fallout. For instance, most all of his dialog is conditional so that when he does make a comment, it's often to specific instances/factions/quests/locations. So he has an issue with spiders, and when entering an area with spider enemies - he gets excited, and has special combat dialog just for killing spiders. He also has an entirely different set of whispered dialog recorded and a check to see if your character is sneaking. So when you're in stealth mode, he whispers to you rather than blurting out his lines in a normal speaking voice. It's a very nice touch. He also has a "STFU Collar" or something, which all idle chatter checks to see whether or not it's equipped... so he won't talk until you engage him.

 

Also, from the Sydney Companion mod for Fallout 3, there is an invaluable "Sydney's Radio" item that gets added to your inventory when you recruit her. When you equip it and exit the Pip-Boy, it brings up a menu with the "Tell Sydney to catch up" option. Choosing this runs a small "Placeatme" script and teleports her right next to you with her combat state reset to neutral. This option should be mandatory for all companions.

[Contessa]

To clarify my statement, I'd just like something more akin to the many Baldur's Gate 2 Companion Mods I've tried over the years. Most of them are incredibly deep, well-written, fit the environment of the game, and can be funny without being childish at the same time. They tend to have their own goals, do not agree with every choice you make, won't follow you blindly and if you ignore their needs, will ditch you.  I realize that BG2 is more of a text-based adventure than Oblivion, Skyrim or New Vegas and dialogue may be different, but I can say that my BG2 experience with mods spoiled me in the companion department.

[Guest endgameaddiction]

I would like to have a f'd up chick for a companion. One that is so soaked into chems and Nuka Cola Skooma. Yes... Skooma! the stuff has been imported overseas. Anyways. This chick would be a bum roaming around the street alleys digging in the garbage looking for food and bottlecaps.

 

After joining up we decide to kick some ass and end up finding a bottlecap maker and start making counterfeit bottlecaps to then later on start running our own chem lab. Producing and selling chems across the wasteland. Later on inventing Nuka Cola Skooma and getting people addicted off that stuff. Making the wasteland the worst place to live. Nothing but drunk junkies everywhere. Then go to bars and have fist fights with retards and get wasted off our Nuka Cola Skooma.Then go out into the wasteland and raise hell. Kill everyone and remain the only 2 humans on the existence of this planet. And when that gets boring, we could find a Repconn headquarters, find a ship and fly up to space and track down Jason Glow and his alien worshiping ghouls and sell them Nuka Cola Skooma. Get the whole universe addicted off this stuff.

 

Yep... I need a drinking partner. Not Cassidy. She flaps her gums too much.

[CoxcombCornking]

Two quick and possibly stupid items :

After a successful, decent scale zone clearing shootout, and exiting combat mode, having your main companion come up and give you a quick " high-five " would be pretty awesome.

Having companions that loot weapons, ammo, chems, caps, and maybe some odd loot list armor accessories, after firefights, then offer you the looted ammo if it matches your primary weapon in use. It might be entertaining to see companions suddenly wearing different freshly looted hats, goggles, or such.

[nyaalich]

Damnit.  Now I really want high 5s after battles.

[Grimbold the unlovely]

I would like to have a f'd up chick for a companion. One that is so soaked into chems and Nuka Cola Skooma. Yes... Skooma! the stuff has been imported overseas. Anyways. This chick would be a bum roaming around the street alleys digging in the garbage looking for food and bottlecaps.

 

After joining up we decide to kick some ass and end up finding a bottlecap maker and start making counterfeit bottlecaps to then later on start running our own chem lab. Producing and selling chems across the wasteland. Later on inventing Nuka Cola Skooma and getting people addicted off that stuff. Making the wasteland the worst place to live. Nothing but drunk junkies everywhere. Then go to bars and have fist fights with retards and get wasted off our Nuka Cola Skooma.Then go out into the wasteland and raise hell. Kill everyone and remain the only 2 humans on the existence of this planet. And when that gets boring, we could find a Repconn headquarters, find a ship and fly up to space and track down Jason Glow and his alien worshiping ghouls and sell them Nuka Cola Skooma. Get the whole universe addicted off this stuff.

 

Yep... I need a drinking partner. Not Cassidy. She flaps her gums too much.

 

Sounds like Marla Singer from Fight Club.

[LaEspada]

A brain in combat, in-depth relationship, nice back story and conversations, interaction with the environment and situations.

 

And to get out of my fking way when their in a doorway.

[XJ347]

Willow is where it's at, feels like a person rather than a bot. Takes a while to build her trust, and then when you do it feels like you earned the relationship. 

 

A companion to me isn't a walking bag, or a turret, but should be an interactive quest that is enjoyable to play through. Something I HATE about skyrim is that companions HAVE NO QUESTS, but for DLC Serena. Then Serena you cant marry as if it add insult to injury.

 

 

[maybenexttime]

Some quests like the one form Russel which I thought was awesome. 

[Lovely Rose]

If its a girl, my strapon (or fingers). ZING! lol

 

Uhh I like choice and a storyline thats kind of nice.

 

I dont like storylines like NINER. that honestly sucked and didnt make sense.