Wow, surprising :O The companion system is actually like, the only reason this game stays on my radar. I love the idea of being able to level and gear your other companions. But then I'm a collector. I leveled like, every single character I got in Granado Espada, even the crappy ones. And I also refused to put the Suikoden games down until every character was 60 minimum and had the highest evolution of their weapons :P Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I don't really see the pitfall of companions, aside from PvP which doesn't look like it will be a concern in the first place. Might in the open world, but if you're not ready for the challenge of taking on a person and their pet (because that's essentially what the companions are...a pet) maybe you shouldn't be PvPing?
"Forums aren't for intelligent discussion; they're for blow-hards with unwavering opinions."
@Deewee in combat how are they suppose to be more then pets attacking? I agree in just combat situtations they are pets, nothing more nothing less, they attack defend heal, they are pets, how and this is a legit question how do you make them more then pets?
outside of combat is a given they walk they talk they have motives emotions yadda yadda i think we can pretty much all agree here on that.
But in combat, how do you make them not pets? is it even possible?
So in short if you restrict it to just combat and combat alone and look at the companions they are in fact pets. This i won't disagree with you on, i will always wonder how you make them not pets..when in combat, but as i don't know i'll leave that one in your court.
Note: i didn't quote you because theres some weird formating with the quote that kordac gave and i don't want to copy that to, just makes the thread a mess to look at.
Very good question, either you need a very deep AI that would take way too much CPU time on the cluster(s) to be affordable or you replace them with real humans
So my point was (combat wise), contrary to what it's being said Bioware is making all classes pet classes.
I'd like to call them super pets, if you will or more then pets. Pets in general are used just for combat and combat alone. They serve no other puprose then to defend you, heal you, and kill the enemy, they are a tool or an ability thats why they are givin generic names.. They can't be used in any other function, also and as i've not played every game they serve you and you alone. They will heal only you, defend only you, from the way the companions (super pets) are described in this game these tend to watch out for the party as a whole, not just the one the companion (super pet) is attached to.
At one point they said mako would heal whoever was hurt the most and throw a HOT(cookiies if you know what that means) on the person the companion was attached to (the one who summoned it) which meant that pet was looking out more for the tank type then it was the person who summoned it. It acted more like a 4th party member then a simple add on.
If people were refering to just the combat side of things i will agree there isn't much distinction beyond a simple better AI. This is i think where the miscommunication is coming in. One side says it's just pets and is thinking solely just on the combat end of things. While the other says i can't figure out how you can compare the two is thinking more of as a whole everything you can do.
Combat wise alone ToR's companions are pets
If you add in different tatics.
You can sway your pets motives and even their dark/light side slant
Get quests from
Interact with
Affect crafting with (can wow pets craft? dunno)
and a whole slew of other things including falling in love with you, betraying you or just outright leaving you all together, to crying on board the ship whenever they aren't with you.
I think people who say theirs a difference are refering to that these "pets" act closer to player/NPCs then they do to dumb animals...It's trying to seperate the two. But i agree in combat they are pets. pretty intellegent ones but pets none the less. The moment it steps out of combat though is when the distiniction seperates even further.
I like your concept of super pets. And I do think they will really add to the game in all but the combat aspect of the game.
What i disagree with is making these pets, mostly mandatory for combat. Pushing them into player's throat, especially for all that aren't fond of pet classes is bad.Now would they make the companions less required for combat (like with an optional buff as for the Captain class in LotRo) then it would be an awesome topping in the game.
Might sound strange but while I always play animial based pet classes in MMOs, I'm really not looking forward playing with a supposedly intelligent humanoid companion in TOR.
What i disagree with is making these pets, mostly mandatory for combat. Pushing them into player's throat, especially for all that aren't fond of pet classes is bad.Now would they make the companions less required for combat (like with an optional buff as for the Captain class in LotRo) then it would be an awesome topping in the game.
They're not mandatory.
If you want to play solo and have more of a challenge, no one is stopping you.
If you'd rather play with human players and never summon your companion at all, you can do that too.
I like your concept of super pets. And I do think they will really add to the game in all but the combat aspect of the game.
What i disagree with is making these pets, mostly mandatory for combat. Pushing them into player's throat, especially for all that aren't fond of pet classes is bad.Now would they make the companions less required for combat (like with an optional buff as for the Captain class in LotRo) then it would be an awesome topping in the game.
Might sound strange but while I always play animial based pet classes in MMOs, I'm really not looking forward playing with a supposedly intelligent humanoid companion in TOR.
It works in Guildwars but there they are mostly optional even though you sometimes needs to bring one for a few Nightfall and GW:EN missions.
Optional is the keyword here, if they forces us to constantly babysit companions it will get annoying and turn many people of the game. If the ones that likes companions can have them and the ones who don't can stay away from them then we have a winner.
This is one of the freedom issues the next large MMO must have, if TOR wants to be the nbext one most people should be able to pick the gameplay they like and stay away from the one they don't.
If I will constantly have to drag around companions then GW2 is a more likely choice for me. If I can bring them when I want then TOR is looking good. Iff both tells me too much how to play the game instead of letting me have fun the way I like it then WoDO looks better and better.
As someonse said, Freedom is the most important thing in the world.
You don't have to have the companions with you, you can simply leave them in your ship and never bring em with you. It will just make the game that much harder. You could also go around in a group with other people and knock everything out that way.
The only part where companions i see would be very recommended but never required is when your soloing but thats left up to you.
Obviously the game is designed with the player having their companions but you could simply do away with the companions and play the class alone with no companion.
In short...no companions are not required in siutations where your in the open world they are recommended, but you don't have to have one. You may sacrifice some survivablity or ease of play without one but they don't force you to have it.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
Optional is the keyword here, if they forces us to constantly babysit companions it will get annoying and turn many people of the game. If the ones that likes companions can have them and the ones who don't can stay away from them then we have a winner.
**snip**
As someonse said, Freedom is the most important thing in the world.
Agreed and to the people saying they aren't mandatory because you can play without them and have a way harder difficulty I say it's making them being required.
Yes you are not obliged but if you don't use them you won't be playing the game at the normal difficulty. Unless you are looking to play in hardcore mode you should not be forced to set the game to hard difficulty just because you don't want to use pets in combat.
What is sad is that every player will have the same companion. LOL! At least in WoW, there are hundreds of different pets available to hunters to mix things up. In WoW they go even further and let you actually pick the skills of your pet adding even more diversity. In SW:ToR, players are very limited, like Rift. So your companion will look and behave just like the next players companion.
This. I guess that is what bugs me really. I wish I could customize the appearance more, the same way like I can customize the look at start of my own char. That would at least create a bit more diversity.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
The companions will exist for people like me - those who want to play through the content but may find it inconvenient or out and out unpleasant to group with others all the time. Thank you WoW community for ruining MMOs for me. Due to differing time zones I will not always be on with my guildmates. Those of you who would rather group with other players will have the freedom to do so.
The companions can just help you with crafting too apparently . . .
Optional is the keyword here, if they forces us to constantly babysit companions it will get annoying and turn many people of the game. If the ones that likes companions can have them and the ones who don't can stay away from them then we have a winner.
**snip**
As someonse said, Freedom is the most important thing in the world.
Agreed and to the people saying they aren't mandatory because you can play without them and have a way harder difficulty I say it's making them being required.
Yes you are not obliged but if you don't use them you won't be playing the game at the normal difficulty. Unless you are looking to play in hardcore mode you should not be forced to set the game to hard difficulty just because you don't want to use pets in combat.
You will not have to babysit your companion. The AI will be good enough to just ignore them if you want. They will not break CC's, they won't agro mobs, they won't go off and attack something unless you attack first, they will go into stealth when ever you do. Basically, all you will have to do is summon your companion, then just play the game.
And freedom is overraded. Freedom adds bordom to many players. That is why sandbox games with total freedom are very nitch games with a low pop. And yes, that includes EVE. Just 300k is not a lot of subs. The overwelming majority just do not want that type of game play as we have seen by the number of subs out there vs number of gamers. Unless you only look at this site for your numbers.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them? R.A.Salvatore
Optional is the keyword here, if they forces us to constantly babysit companions it will get annoying and turn many people of the game. If the ones that likes companions can have them and the ones who don't can stay away from them then we have a winner.
**snip**
As someonse said, Freedom is the most important thing in the world.
Agreed and to the people saying they aren't mandatory because you can play without them and have a way harder difficulty I say it's making them being required.
Yes you are not obliged but if you don't use them you won't be playing the game at the normal difficulty. Unless you are looking to play in hardcore mode you should not be forced to set the game to hard difficulty just because you don't want to use pets in combat.
You will not have to babysit your companion. The AI will be good enough to just ignore them if you want. They will not break CC's, they won't agro mobs, they won't go off and attack something unless you attack first, they will go into stealth when ever you do. Basically, all you will have to do is summon your companion, then just play the game.
And freedom is overraded. Freedom adds bordom to many players. That is why sandbox games with total freedom are very nitch games with a low pop. And yes, that includes EVE. Just 300k is not a lot of subs. The overwelming majority just do not want that type of game play as we have seen by the number of subs out there vs number of gamers. Unless you only look at this site for your numbers.
Vanguard had the freedom I was looking for but I was bored to death. Nothing like running around in circles for 2 hours looking for a small book in a bush lol.
the not designed to be played without companions is refering to soloing
you can only have one companion with you at a time. they are not allowed in raids or warzones, and they take up a party slot when doing flashpoints and out in the open world. so if you have a party of 4 players, then none of them can use a companion
Shhhh! Damn it! You might make him decide to buy the game after all.
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
"The game is not designed to be played without companions especially when your not in groups" - Darth Hater
....a horrible idea for an MMO. Dragon Age 2's system was terrible, and that was a single player game. I can see Mos Eisley now, packed with NPCs. Raids and PVP..will be a huge mess. The companion feature alone has made up my mind not to buy this game.
OP, with all due respect, you really need to go read what the devs have in store for the game. While I could point you straight to the source, I believe it's important for you to research and read for yourself. You won't have access to your companions in all zones or all situations. Sometimes, it is just that, player vs player, no A.I.
Actually there are no " pet classes in tor" So no pet niche to start with. This is star wars nobody in the star wars universe has ever had pets in any book or movie unless u count the mounts for the witches of dathomir as pets.
That said they arent pets in any sense of the word. Companions wont function like pets u can send the ones not with u out to do gathering and for crafting when u log out of game. Also when u are questing. The one u take with u is designed that way but i dont see the issue.
The whole companion system and how they react to your choices seems like a really cool unique game mechanic to me.
I for one cant wait. Also have u looked at companions they are all Sentient creatures with minds of there owns. Like wookies and humans and twileks. There are no leapard, scorpion, pets or even star wars creatures as pets in this game. NO class can tame anything.
So with no pet classes tamer's in game the companions system doesnt destroy or even harm the so called pet niche class.
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing...I have a little bit of knowledge to share with you and the rest of the class regarding your post stating that "nobody in the star wars universe has ever had pets in any book..." : Allana has a pet nexu named Anji...that is all lol--I never said it was important :P
Seriously guys, people come on message boards to rant or cheer, praise or tear down, whatever and whenever it moves them. When I see someone's concerns are directly addressed by a representative of the company making the game, that's pretty much the only response that matters...unless some of you are looking to get paid by Bioware or it's competitors, I'm hoping you're not taking this stuff too seriously.
Optional is the keyword here, if they forces us to constantly babysit companions it will get annoying and turn many people of the game. If the ones that likes companions can have them and the ones who don't can stay away from them then we have a winner.
**snip**
As someonse said, Freedom is the most important thing in the world.
Agreed and to the people saying they aren't mandatory because you can play without them and have a way harder difficulty I say it's making them being required.
Yes you are not obliged but if you don't use them you won't be playing the game at the normal difficulty. Unless you are looking to play in hardcore mode you should not be forced to set the game to hard difficulty just because you don't want to use pets in combat.
You will not have to babysit your companion. The AI will be good enough to just ignore them if you want. They will not break CC's, they won't agro mobs, they won't go off and attack something unless you attack first, they will go into stealth when ever you do. Basically, all you will have to do is summon your companion, then just play the game.
And freedom is overraded. Freedom adds bordom to many players. That is why sandbox games with total freedom are very nitch games with a low pop. And yes, that includes EVE. Just 300k is not a lot of subs. The overwelming majority just do not want that type of game play as we have seen by the number of subs out there vs number of gamers. Unless you only look at this site for your numbers.
I'm missing the part where I was saying we need to babysit the companion was the issue.
Now about your comment in any other MMO around, put your pet on assist mode and they'll do exactly what you are describing. So, once again combat wise companions are MMO pets, nothing more nothing less.
I didn't either spoke about freedom. Seriously I don't care about it nor I guess most people not liking pet classes.
So my stance stands: BioWare is obliging players that don't like pet classes to play on harder mode and that's the big deal.
"The game is not designed to be played without companions especially when your not in groups" - Darth Hater
....a horrible idea for an MMO. Dragon Age 2's system was terrible, and that was a single player game. I can see Mos Eisley now, packed with NPCs. Raids and PVP..will be a huge mess. The companion feature alone has made up my mind not to buy this game.
Optional is the keyword here, if they forces us to constantly babysit companions it will get annoying and turn many people of the game. If the ones that likes companions can have them and the ones who don't can stay away from them then we have a winner.
**snip**
As someonse said, Freedom is the most important thing in the world.
Agreed and to the people saying they aren't mandatory because you can play without them and have a way harder difficulty I say it's making them being required.
Yes you are not obliged but if you don't use them you won't be playing the game at the normal difficulty. Unless you are looking to play in hardcore mode you should not be forced to set the game to hard difficulty just because you don't want to use pets in combat.
You will not have to babysit your companion. The AI will be good enough to just ignore them if you want. They will not break CC's, they won't agro mobs, they won't go off and attack something unless you attack first, they will go into stealth when ever you do. Basically, all you will have to do is summon your companion, then just play the game.
And freedom is overraded. Freedom adds bordom to many players. That is why sandbox games with total freedom are very nitch games with a low pop. And yes, that includes EVE. Just 300k is not a lot of subs. The overwelming majority just do not want that type of game play as we have seen by the number of subs out there vs number of gamers. Unless you only look at this site for your numbers.
I'm missing the part where I was saying we need to babysit the companion was the issue.
Now about your comment in any other MMO around, put your pet on assist mode and they'll do exactly what you are describing. So, once again combat wise companions are MMO pets, nothing more nothing less.
I didn't either spoke about freedom. Seriously I don't care about it nor I guess most people not liking pet classes.
So my stance stands: BioWare is obliging players that don't like pet classes to play on harder mode and that's the big deal.
Sure, in combat only, they just assist you with their own set of skills for DPS, Tanking or Healing. But no other pet class in other games has their companions talk during dialogue, like you or hate you based on how you play or add content to the game just for each companion.
But, even in combat, the companion doesn't look to be just an animal as many other pet classes have. Even if the combat part seems to be the same, it will be much different for me and others. Because of how you meet your companion while you are questing. Then have them join you based on the story. It will feel different than just purchacing a pet skill in other games.
I know as a force user I will want a padawan or apprentice to mess with and join me while I quest. It just seems more SW somehow. But that won't change the fact that some players want to play alone as well as ignore the story. So really there is nothing that can be done for those types. They will just have to play with the companion or with others. The option is there and the companion system will not change for anyone complaining. Other than fine tunning the strength and AI of the companions.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them? R.A.Salvatore
I've been more or less expecting companions to be more like the companions you have in DA:O which would make them superior to any pet class I've ever seen in any MMO. In DA:O you can setup a series of detailed 'tactics' so that when certain conditions are met your companion will react according to those conditions. I've never seen any pet class with that much control over a pets AI. I don't know if TOR will be like that or not, but I suspect it will and if it is then it's far from just being another pet. This also removes the need to micromanage your pet so much since they react according to preset conditions which you set.
Your companions are much more than this as well, they are integral to the story. They add everything from comic relief to drama to your personal storyline.
Honestly I dont' see why anyone would have a problem with this. Also the word 'tamer' hardly fits since they aren't animals which means they're not pets either. I think they're more akin to henchmen but they're more than that as well since henchmen were very short term companions at best. Yeah, I think 'companions' is the proper term to use in this case.
I also expect more players than you think may leave their companions behind to give themselves more of a challenge. Not that the gameplay is easy to begin with, from everything I've seen even your random mobs are a good challenge.
I've been more or less expecting companions to be more like the companions you have in DA:O which would make them superior to any pet class I've ever seen in any MMO. In DA:O you can setup a series of detailed 'tactics' so that when certain conditions are met your companion will react according to those conditions. I've never seen any pet class with that much control over a pets AI. I don't know if TOR will be like that or not, but I suspect it will and if it is then it's far from just being another pet. This also removes the need to micromanage your pet so much since they react according to preset conditions which you set.
Your companions are much more than this as well, they are integral to the story. They add everything from comic relief to drama to your personal storyline.
Honestly I dont' see why anyone would have a problem with this. Also the word 'tamer' hardly fits since they aren't animals which means they're not pets either. I think they're more akin to henchmen but they're more than that as well since henchmen were very short term companions at best. Yeah, I think 'companions' is the proper term to use in this case.
I also expect more players than you think may leave their companions behind to give themselves more of a challenge. Not that the gameplay is easy to begin with, from everything I've seen even your random mobs are a good challenge.
I know we can kit companions for specific roles, I know we can gear companions etc. My question is will we see anything like the Dragon Age system for scripting companion actions?
Let's say I kit companion X to be a healer and gear them accordingly, will there be a way for me to script how that companion goes about filling that role? For example a system element where I can set said healing companion to cast [Big Heal] when any party member reaches X% health, or cast [Heal over time] when I reach Y% health, use [Power regen relic] when power drops to Z%, etc. etc.
Given that Bioware already owns the Dragon Age system I don't see why we should expect to see any less than that. They have already produced the system once. In fact (given that companions will play such a large role) I am hoping for a more in depth system that will let us optimize companions to our specific playstyle rather than just selecting passive/defensive/aggressive a la the WoW pet system, Guild Wars hero system, LOTRO system, etc.
If online gaming is making progress, and all online games essentially support pet classes/features to some degree, then this seems to me like an area that wants for improvement badly.
Thoughts/concerns?
As someone from the Dragon Age design team, I can tell you that system wouldn't scale onto an MMO at all
Let me try and set your expectations correctly.
You won't be able to directly control companions (e.g. no RTS point and click), they run their own AI and you won't be able to fully script them like in Dragon Age.
You will however have basic control over their actions and you will be able to customize their behavior / role through kits.
Companions are not just simple '20% additional DPS' kind of attachments to your character.
We're going to talk about companions in much more detail a bit into the future - we've just made some significant changes to them based on feedback from Game Testing, which we need to validate first before making them all public.
That's a bit disappointing but it sounds like these kits still give players more control over what role their companions play than what you might see in other MMOs.
This just appears to be a fluff thread; Apart from the char storyline ... I will be doing what I like, if i can hunt without a companion I will do it.... If i can give all my items away and money I will do it. How i play the game to be honest is my problem.
________________________________________________________ Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
"The game is not designed to be played without companions especially when your not in groups" - Darth Hater
....a horrible idea for an MMO. Dragon Age 2's system was terrible, and that was a single player game. I can see Mos Eisley now, packed with NPCs. Raids and PVP..will be a huge mess. The companion feature alone has made up my mind not to buy this game.
OP, with all due respect, you really need to go read what the devs have in store for the game.----------------
That should be the point where the thread ends. If people can't take the time to read up on a game before posting negativity then they shouldn't be allowed to post threads. This is getting ridiculous.
Sure, in combat only, they just assist you with their own set of skills for DPS, Tanking or Healing. But no other pet class in other games has their companions talk during dialogue, like you or hate you based on how you play or add content to the game just for each companion.
But, even in combat, the companion doesn't look to be just an animal as many other pet classes have. Even if the combat part seems to be the same, it will be much different for me and others. Because of how you meet your companion while you are questing. Then have them join you based on the story. It will feel different than just purchacing a pet skill in other games.
I know as a force user I will want a padawan or apprentice to mess with and join me while I quest. It just seems more SW somehow. But that won't change the fact that some players want to play alone as well as ignore the story. So really there is nothing that can be done for those types. They will just have to play with the companion or with others. The option is there and the companion system will not change for anyone complaining. Other than fine tunning the strength and AI of the companions.
Seems we both agree:
In combat companions = pets
Out of combat they add to the story part
You can't solo in normal mode without companions => pet classes == mandatory
[quote] Companions are not just simple '20% additional DPS' kind of attachments to your character.
We're going to talk about companions in much more detail a bit into the future - we've just made some significant changes to them based on feedback from Game Testing, which we need to validate first before making them all public. [/quote]
You can't solo in normal mode without companions => pet classes == mandatory
Bullet one: Yes.
Bullet two: Yes (and they're involved with crafting).
Bullet three: No. You can, it will just be quite difficult; those who wish to challenge themselves or want to boast about something will undoubtedly attempt the game without companions. We have yet to see how difficult it'll be, but I imagine the vast majority - even "soloers" - will concede and keep their companions around.
You can't solo in normal mode without companions => pet classes == mandatory
Bullet one: Yes.
Bullet two: Yes (and they're involved with crafting).
Bullet three: No. You can, it will just be quite difficult; those who wish to challenge themselves or want to boast about something will undoubtedly attempt the game without companions. We have yet to see how difficult it'll be, but I imagine the vast majority - even "soloers" - will concede and keep their companions around.
It might be my English because we are saying the same thing: if you don't play the game in solo mode with a companion you are selecting the hard mode setting, meaning you can't play in normal difficulty mode without companions. There are no way, like buffs or else to mitigate the lack of companions, once again, in solo mode.
Ex: in world PvP with the exact same level, class, skills and gear that your opponent the one without a companion will be ganked.
Comments
Wow, surprising :O The companion system is actually like, the only reason this game stays on my radar. I love the idea of being able to level and gear your other companions. But then I'm a collector. I leveled like, every single character I got in Granado Espada, even the crappy ones. And I also refused to put the Suikoden games down until every character was 60 minimum and had the highest evolution of their weapons :P Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I don't really see the pitfall of companions, aside from PvP which doesn't look like it will be a concern in the first place. Might in the open world, but if you're not ready for the challenge of taking on a person and their pet (because that's essentially what the companions are...a pet) maybe you shouldn't be PvPing?
"Forums aren't for intelligent discussion; they're for blow-hards with unwavering opinions."
I like your concept of super pets. And I do think they will really add to the game in all but the combat aspect of the game.
What i disagree with is making these pets, mostly mandatory for combat. Pushing them into player's throat, especially for all that aren't fond of pet classes is bad.Now would they make the companions less required for combat (like with an optional buff as for the Captain class in LotRo) then it would be an awesome topping in the game.
Might sound strange but while I always play animial based pet classes in MMOs, I'm really not looking forward playing with a supposedly intelligent humanoid companion in TOR.
They're not mandatory.
If you want to play solo and have more of a challenge, no one is stopping you.
If you'd rather play with human players and never summon your companion at all, you can do that too.
It works in Guildwars but there they are mostly optional even though you sometimes needs to bring one for a few Nightfall and GW:EN missions.
Optional is the keyword here, if they forces us to constantly babysit companions it will get annoying and turn many people of the game. If the ones that likes companions can have them and the ones who don't can stay away from them then we have a winner.
This is one of the freedom issues the next large MMO must have, if TOR wants to be the nbext one most people should be able to pick the gameplay they like and stay away from the one they don't.
If I will constantly have to drag around companions then GW2 is a more likely choice for me. If I can bring them when I want then TOR is looking good. Iff both tells me too much how to play the game instead of letting me have fun the way I like it then WoDO looks better and better.
As someonse said, Freedom is the most important thing in the world.
You don't have to have the companions with you, you can simply leave them in your ship and never bring em with you. It will just make the game that much harder. You could also go around in a group with other people and knock everything out that way.
The only part where companions i see would be very recommended but never required is when your soloing but thats left up to you.
Obviously the game is designed with the player having their companions but you could simply do away with the companions and play the class alone with no companion.
In short...no companions are not required in siutations where your in the open world they are recommended, but you don't have to have one. You may sacrifice some survivablity or ease of play without one but they don't force you to have it.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
Agreed and to the people saying they aren't mandatory because you can play without them and have a way harder difficulty I say it's making them being required.
Yes you are not obliged but if you don't use them you won't be playing the game at the normal difficulty. Unless you are looking to play in hardcore mode you should not be forced to set the game to hard difficulty just because you don't want to use pets in combat.
This. I guess that is what bugs me really. I wish I could customize the appearance more, the same way like I can customize the look at start of my own char. That would at least create a bit more diversity.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
The companions will exist for people like me - those who want to play through the content but may find it inconvenient or out and out unpleasant to group with others all the time. Thank you WoW community for ruining MMOs for me. Due to differing time zones I will not always be on with my guildmates. Those of you who would rather group with other players will have the freedom to do so.
The companions can just help you with crafting too apparently . . .
You will not have to babysit your companion. The AI will be good enough to just ignore them if you want. They will not break CC's, they won't agro mobs, they won't go off and attack something unless you attack first, they will go into stealth when ever you do. Basically, all you will have to do is summon your companion, then just play the game.
And freedom is overraded. Freedom adds bordom to many players. That is why sandbox games with total freedom are very nitch games with a low pop. And yes, that includes EVE. Just 300k is not a lot of subs. The overwelming majority just do not want that type of game play as we have seen by the number of subs out there vs number of gamers. Unless you only look at this site for your numbers.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
Vanguard had the freedom I was looking for but I was bored to death. Nothing like running around in circles for 2 hours looking for a small book in a bush lol.
There Is Always Hope!
Shhhh! Damn it! You might make him decide to buy the game after all.
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
OP, with all due respect, you really need to go read what the devs have in store for the game. While I could point you straight to the source, I believe it's important for you to research and read for yourself. You won't have access to your companions in all zones or all situations. Sometimes, it is just that, player vs player, no A.I.
Power to the Sheeple
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing...I have a little bit of knowledge to share with you and the rest of the class regarding your post stating that "nobody in the star wars universe has ever had pets in any book..." : Allana has a pet nexu named Anji...that is all lol--I never said it was important :P
Seriously guys, people come on message boards to rant or cheer, praise or tear down, whatever and whenever it moves them. When I see someone's concerns are directly addressed by a representative of the company making the game, that's pretty much the only response that matters...unless some of you are looking to get paid by Bioware or it's competitors, I'm hoping you're not taking this stuff too seriously.
I'm missing the part where I was saying we need to babysit the companion was the issue.
Now about your comment in any other MMO around, put your pet on assist mode and they'll do exactly what you are describing. So, once again combat wise companions are MMO pets, nothing more nothing less.
I didn't either spoke about freedom. Seriously I don't care about it nor I guess most people not liking pet classes.
So my stance stands: BioWare is obliging players that don't like pet classes to play on harder mode and that's the big deal.
I dont think Mos Eisley has been built yet.
Sure, in combat only, they just assist you with their own set of skills for DPS, Tanking or Healing. But no other pet class in other games has their companions talk during dialogue, like you or hate you based on how you play or add content to the game just for each companion.
But, even in combat, the companion doesn't look to be just an animal as many other pet classes have. Even if the combat part seems to be the same, it will be much different for me and others. Because of how you meet your companion while you are questing. Then have them join you based on the story. It will feel different than just purchacing a pet skill in other games.
I know as a force user I will want a padawan or apprentice to mess with and join me while I quest. It just seems more SW somehow. But that won't change the fact that some players want to play alone as well as ignore the story. So really there is nothing that can be done for those types. They will just have to play with the companion or with others. The option is there and the companion system will not change for anyone complaining. Other than fine tunning the strength and AI of the companions.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
I've been more or less expecting companions to be more like the companions you have in DA:O which would make them superior to any pet class I've ever seen in any MMO. In DA:O you can setup a series of detailed 'tactics' so that when certain conditions are met your companion will react according to those conditions. I've never seen any pet class with that much control over a pets AI. I don't know if TOR will be like that or not, but I suspect it will and if it is then it's far from just being another pet. This also removes the need to micromanage your pet so much since they react according to preset conditions which you set.
Your companions are much more than this as well, they are integral to the story. They add everything from comic relief to drama to your personal storyline.
Honestly I dont' see why anyone would have a problem with this. Also the word 'tamer' hardly fits since they aren't animals which means they're not pets either. I think they're more akin to henchmen but they're more than that as well since henchmen were very short term companions at best. Yeah, I think 'companions' is the proper term to use in this case.
I also expect more players than you think may leave their companions behind to give themselves more of a challenge. Not that the gameplay is easy to begin with, from everything I've seen even your random mobs are a good challenge.
actually it won't be like dragon age
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=5179264#post5179264
Joined: May 2010
01.13.2011 , 09:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Orkayl
I know we can kit companions for specific roles, I know we can gear companions etc. My question is will we see anything like the Dragon Age system for scripting companion actions?
Let's say I kit companion X to be a healer and gear them accordingly, will there be a way for me to script how that companion goes about filling that role? For example a system element where I can set said healing companion to cast [Big Heal] when any party member reaches X% health, or cast [Heal over time] when I reach Y% health, use [Power regen relic] when power drops to Z%, etc. etc.
Given that Bioware already owns the Dragon Age system I don't see why we should expect to see any less than that. They have already produced the system once. In fact (given that companions will play such a large role) I am hoping for a more in depth system that will let us optimize companions to our specific playstyle rather than just selecting passive/defensive/aggressive a la the WoW pet system, Guild Wars hero system, LOTRO system, etc.
If online gaming is making progress, and all online games essentially support pet classes/features to some degree, then this seems to me like an area that wants for improvement badly.
Thoughts/concerns?
As someone from the Dragon Age design team, I can tell you that system wouldn't scale onto an MMO at all
Let me try and set your expectations correctly.
You won't be able to directly control companions (e.g. no RTS point and click), they run their own AI and you won't be able to fully script them like in Dragon Age.
You will however have basic control over their actions and you will be able to customize their behavior / role through kits.
Companions are not just simple '20% additional DPS' kind of attachments to your character.
We're going to talk about companions in much more detail a bit into the future - we've just made some significant changes to them based on feedback from Game Testing, which we need to validate first before making them all public.
That's a bit disappointing but it sounds like these kits still give players more control over what role their companions play than what you might see in other MMOs.
This just appears to be a fluff thread; Apart from the char storyline ... I will be doing what I like, if i can hunt without a companion I will do it.... If i can give all my items away and money I will do it. How i play the game to be honest is my problem.
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Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
That should be the point where the thread ends. If people can't take the time to read up on a game before posting negativity then they shouldn't be allowed to post threads. This is getting ridiculous.
Currently Playing: World of Warcraft
Seems we both agree:
In combat companions = pets
Out of combat they add to the story part
You can't solo in normal mode without companions => pet classes == mandatory
However:
[quote] Companions are not just simple '20% additional DPS' kind of attachments to your character.
We're going to talk about companions in much more detail a bit into the future - we've just made some significant changes to them based on feedback from Game Testing, which we need to validate first before making them all public. [/quote]
It will be significant to handle the story part with companions in order to craft the way you want.
"Tanking is like mathematics...healing is like an art" Kimi (ex TOROcast Member)
Bullet one: Yes.
Bullet two: Yes (and they're involved with crafting).
Bullet three: No. You can, it will just be quite difficult; those who wish to challenge themselves or want to boast about something will undoubtedly attempt the game without companions. We have yet to see how difficult it'll be, but I imagine the vast majority - even "soloers" - will concede and keep their companions around.
It might be my English because we are saying the same thing: if you don't play the game in solo mode with a companion you are selecting the hard mode setting, meaning you can't play in normal difficulty mode without companions. There are no way, like buffs or else to mitigate the lack of companions, once again, in solo mode.
Ex: in world PvP with the exact same level, class, skills and gear that your opponent the one without a companion will be ganked.