30 réponses à ce sujet

[UniformGreyColor]

I had a thought: what if the companions you started with were not the companions you ended with? Basically I was thinking along the line that you start with a team with a certain skill set and eventually you become a person who has essentially outgrown the current companions and have to get a new team who has a better skill set. I don't think this is a very practical idea because companions are usually people you create a bond with and the time invested in picking what abilities/stats they receive through level up will all be for not. But there is a kind of appeal to me to know that I am "climbing up the ranks" so to speak by knowing that I am ascending as a character.

 

What are people's thoughts on this? Does anyone else think it might be kinda neat to see how a team like BW would handle something like this? What do you think of an idea like this and, if possible, how do you think it could be implemented?

[wright1978]

No thanks.

[N7Jamaican]

No thanks.

[Arcian]

No thanks.

[Ibn_Shisha]

[Remix-General Aetius]

 

No.

 

PS: consider that a confirmation of NO THANKS.

[ArabianIGoggles]

A different skill set maybe, but not better.  Unless you have to use Jacob part two I'm not for this.

[themikefest]

Exchange squadmates with better ones? I can go for that. Too bad that couldn't happen in ME

[Ibn_Shisha]

Exchange squadmates with better ones? I can go for that. Too bad that couldn't happen in ME

Well, technically it has happened in ME - though which is better is open to debate...

[UniformGreyColor]

I ask because other than party banter and character development, I see no reason why I should have to stick to the same party the entire game. For DA:I my party is almost always Blackwall, Dorian and either Varric or Sara. I have not spent enough time recently playing ME series to know who I usually have in my party there.

[wright1978]

I ask because other than party banter and character development, I see no reason why I should have to stick to the same party the entire game. For DA:I my party is almost always Blackwall, Dorian and either Varric or Sara. I have not spent enough time recently playing ME series to know who I usually have in my party there.

I never pick companions based on combat abilities, it's based on a mixture of role playing alignment with my character and the connection to the nature of the mission.
As well as banter, there's the simple role playing aspect of deepening the bond between companion and protagonist via the shared experience. So yeah I definitely want companions to stick around. Additions in future trilogy instalments is something different.

[Battlebloodmage]

I just pick people I like the best to travel with me, the game is easy enough even on high difficulty that I can clear the game by myself without any support. I bring people with me mostly for banter. It doesn't matter if they are completely useless. This is why I never bring Dogmeat in Fallout 4 since he has no interaction, despite he's a lot more useful than many companions. 

[Ajensis]

 But there is a kind of appeal to me to know that I am "climbing up the ranks" so to speak by knowing that I am ascending as a character.

 

There are plenty of ways to show that, though, that don't require Bioware to write two or three times as many companions. We all know they put a lot of work into this aspect - it's part of the reason most of us love Bioware, after all -, so this idea seems to work against Bioware's strengths. As you say yourself, we bond with these characters, so why lessen that with a larger amount of them which will undoubtedly mean less content for each?

[Battlebloodmage]

There are plenty of ways to show that, though, that don't require Bioware to write two or three times as many companions. We all know they put a lot of work into this aspect - it's part of the reason most of us love Bioware, after all -, so this idea seems to work against Bioware's strengths. As you say yourself, we bond with these characters, so why lessen that with a larger amount of them which will undoubtedly mean less content for each?

Plus, it will divide the fans, there were so many complains when ME2 characters got replaced by ME1 characters. People care about the characters, so they would have favorites, not being able to use them anymore would upset some people, especially if they don't care about the new characters we're getting. I couldn't care less about a musclehead like James, so I wouldn't mind someone else took his spot instead.

[Nitrocuban]

Upgrading companions?

Like ... um ... b00b enhancement?

[Battlebloodmage]

Upgrading companions?

Like ... um ... b00b enhancement?

Why not? They gave one to Ashley. 

[UniformGreyColor]

I never pick companions based on combat abilities, it's based on a mixture of role playing alignment with my character and the connection to the nature of the mission.
As well as banter, there's the simple role playing aspect of deepening the bond between companion and protagonist via the shared experience. So yeah I definitely want companions to stick around. Additions in future trilogy instalments is something different.

 

See, that's just it. I don't want to have to use certain party members based on their abilities and utility, but I feel I have to because, for example, Blackwall and his specialization is just better at tanking than Iron Bull and his specialization. I also usually play on the hardest difficulties so utility of certain abilities that are inherent to certain characters then becomes a thing that must be considered. I'm not trying to say all companions should have the same abilities, but just that I don't want to have to choose between them as a primary factor.. Some might say that DA and ME are just easy games difficulty wise, but that said, I still want a challenge in combat and I shouldn't have to sacrifice one party member for another solely because a character has an ability that the other does not. I like the Tank, DPS, Support type trinity and I think it should stay, but just because I always have to have a tank in a game doesn't mean I should always have to use the same one. Do you follow?

[Killroy]

Where's the upside? The downsides are obvious and numerous, but what's the advantage? If you don't like some of the squadmates then use ones you do like.

[Ajensis]

See, that's just it. I don't want to have to use certain party members based on their abilities and utility, but I feel I have to because, for example, Blackwall and his specialization is just better at tanking than Iron Bull and his specialization. I also usually play on the hardest difficulties so utility of certain abilities that are inherent to certain characters then becomes a thing that must be considered. I'm not trying to say all companions should have the same abilities, but just that I don't want to have to choose between them as a primary factor.. Some might say that DA and ME are just easy games difficulty wise, but that said, I still want a challenge in combat and I shouldn't have to sacrifice one party member for another solely because a character has an ability that the other does not. I like the Tank, DPS, Support type trinity and I think it should stay, but just because I always have to have a tank in a game doesn't mean I should always have to use the same one. Do you follow?

 

But even if your companions are replaced by ones of greater skill as you advance the story, it wouldn't give you more choices. To stick with your Dragon Age example, you could get Blackwall at the beginning and he'd be replaced later on with Iron Bull. Or vice versa. How does that help you? It's still going to be completely subjective which character you personally prefer, personality-wise and as a team component. Bioware can't adjust that beforehand as, for instance, Blackwall is only preferable if you're not playing a one-hand+shield character yourself.

Also, Mass Effect is quite different from Dragon Age in this regard. You don't have to rely on filling certain roles with the 'Tank, DPS, Support' trinity you refer to. Unless they mix things up a lot with ME:Andromeda, you're perfectly fine to bring whoever you like the best, even on the hardest difficulties

[pkypereira]

Upgrading companions?

Like ... um ... b00b enhancement?

 

Technology of the 22nd century is amazing...

[HuldraDancer]

I'd say no on that and probably for a silly reason but it was something I ran into on another game (can't for the life of me remember the name of it) where you did get new companions a lot and switched out your team quite a bit, and the problem for that for me was the gear. I'd have some really great leftover gear outfit this new person then in barely a handful of quest they're gone the gear is gone and now I got someone new with basic level gear. Quite annoying. So my vote would be no out of the annoyance of dealing with something like that again more so than getting attached to the characters cause deep down my heart is actually an icy rock just painted the appropriate colors.

[KingTony]

Yes, thank you!

Spoiler

jk

No thanks.

[UniformGreyColor]

But even if your companions are replaced by ones of greater skill as you advance the story, it wouldn't give you more choices. To stick with your Dragon Age example, you could get Blackwall at the beginning and he'd be replaced later on with Iron Bull. Or vice versa. How does that help you? It's still going to be completely subjective which character you personally prefer, personality-wise and as a team component. Bioware can't adjust that beforehand as, for instance, Blackwall is only preferable if you're not playing a one-hand+shield character yourself.

 

I see what you are saying and for the most part it makes sense. The only problem with this is that the devs can incorporate this into the process. So lets say you start out on levels 1-5 with a certain character. Maybe this character has flaws that makes them suited better for other things other than battle. Maybe they find their place as a researcher and decide to contribute to your team another way. That's how I see it anyways. Besides that, yes, the change from one group of companions to another is mostly superficial and would only be there to show that the PC is somehow supirior in some way to the people who he use to work with.

 

 

Also, Mass Effect is quite different from Dragon Age in this regard. You don't have to rely on filling certain roles with the 'Tank, DPS, Support' trinity you refer to. Unless they mix things up a lot with ME:Andromeda, you're perfectly fine to bring whoever you like the best, even on the hardest difficulties

 

You are correct. ME is, in a lot of ways, completely different than DA. I guess the only thing left to ask is whether it would be optimal to have, say, 3 sentinels instead of a otherwise balanced party if the game were different. I fully admit I don't know much about ME, but I know I like BW so that is why this new ME game is going to be one that I give a fair shake.

[UniformGreyColor]

I'd say no on that and probably for a silly reason but it was something I ran into on another game (can't for the life of me remember the name of it) where you did get new companions a lot and switched out your team quite a bit, and the problem for that for me was the gear. I'd have some really great leftover gear outfit this new person then in barely a handful of quest they're gone the gear is gone and now I got someone new with basic level gear. Quite annoying. So my vote would be no out of the annoyance of dealing with something like that again more so than getting attached to the characters cause deep down my heart is actually an icy rock just painted the appropriate colors.

 

That's an easy problem to fix. Simply having the armor transferred from one char to another when one leaves would create the fix. You could add a mechanic that automatically stashes all the armor that people have into a convenient place where when a new companion comes that have access to that gear. Or, the new companion simply has better gear to start off with.

[7twozero]

As long as I get to sleep with all of them