While watching the demo from the twitch coverage, Mike Laidlaw mentioned that a player could finish the game with only one companion in the party (challenge accepted), because you could either not find that specific party member or you pissed 'em off, or probably died from a cinematic death due to poor decision.
Then again, I thought about the section that you have to try hard to finish the game single handedly, and I thought "what about finishing the game with companions but your decision during combat would decide between life or death and success or failure of the mission?" So what I want to suggest is; is it possible to include a Permadeath features of your companions in the game during combat?
Before I resume further, what I meant for permadeath on this topic is the possible permanent death of a companion due to the decision of the player to neglect them during combat, which sometimes is hard and unexpected. Bioware is not a stranger when killing off companions (ME:1, ME:2, ME:3, DA:O, DA:2) but sometimes they are dealt with during decision in a cinematic way which is not covered but by this suggestion. So hopefully those distinguished between each other, let's go on to the meat of this suggestion!!!
Before complaints can fly off, please read on first: The addition of combat permadeath would increase the difficulty of the game even if the difficulty is in the easy mode since the management of your party becomes more important, some would see that as positive addition because this would actually increase the relationship between the player and their companions, without any conversations or cinematic and a natural connection just happens between the player and the game, ie: Skyrim #1 companion Lydia! The player protects her and feels close to her even though she has no story at all. So the player becomes kind of obligated and careful during combat that they have to think more of their actions so that their companions can survive. Since this is Bioware, the longer the companion is alive, the rewards of having them longer is the addition of more content the player can get out from them (romance, quest, conversation, gossips). This addition would be another kind of management of being a leader, besides leading this organization, you have to show that you can manage your crew before you could effectively manage an organization.
In gameplay wise also, the player becomes more aware that there is a page in options menu that you could actually set tactics for each member. The tactics menu was really helpful in Origins since there are difficulty spikes. This helps to plan each companion's strategy along the way. (I'm mentioning this because I failed to use it in DA:2 since I was more close and personal, I only used it once the high dragon showed up). Not to mention, this would make rock armor potion and such damage decreasing potions more helpful this time around.
There are two ways I think this could be implemented in the game successfully. Either:
-set a difficulty after NIghtmare that includes the permadeath, which is mandatory for the rest of the game
or
-an option where you can toggle on or off the permadeath option, where like the difficulty level it can be switch back anytime.
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And I believe this could actually work in the game since in the second one there were two potions that were really helpful: the Merthyl blessing potion and the lifeward potion. The merthyl blessing resuscitates felled companions during combat, While lifeward potion makes the companion invincible of death once their HP reaches 0. These two could have more value during gameplay, and could prove to be a lifesaver for anyone who are not ready for their companions to die yet and would find such difficulty sort of unfair or unprepared. Some may say, then you defeat the purpose of permadeath, yes and no. There should be a time limit of which the companion is dying but can't fight and in that amount of time you can use the potion before they bleed to death, and once that timer is done, well they are dead. (Borderlands, FarCry)
For those who thinks that this could also become overpower, well Merthyl's blessing can have a limitation of use during combat and the lifeward potion can have a time limit before its effects wears off and the player is obligated to use a helath potion to increase the 0 point health potion. The limitation of how much potion you can carry is also a limitation since you have a limitation of how much you can carry potions now. Again, a way of micro management in the game.
How about the spells, well the renew spell is probably back and sure they can use it and increase the amount of mana being use and the time mana will recover. Again strategy management.
Sorry it's a freaking paper but hopefully you guys see my point and thanks for reading!
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