Forums » Fallout

• SpookyBorn2021

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:04 PM EST

  Before moving onto the discussion, I will say that I enjoy Fallout 4 well enough, and this is mainly designed to simply discuss some aspects of the game and I feel that a negative look brings people out to talk more.

  I wanted to get everyone's feelings on not only the Companions themselves (I mean, hell, we can all agree that Codsworth is the greatest right?) but also the system. To me the system reminds me so heavily of Dragon Age's, and I suppose Bioware's system in general except they did it worse. None of the characters are particularly interesting to me, and they're attempt at giving them special abilities was kind of stupid (OH wow, they can pick locks...). 

  I mean, we've got Danse, who's entire character can be summed up with Military, Piper who's entire character can be summed up to Nosy Reporter (Obviously I'm under-exaggerating a tiny bit...but the sad part is not much) and Codsworth can be summed up to Robot Butler.

  Bah, anyway. What do you guys think of the companions and the system involved? 

• Chris

  

  • 1441 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 5:12 PM EST

  While the system could have been done better, I really like some of the followers. For instance, MaCready, that kid from Little Lamplight everyone hates, has grown up a fair bit, both physically and mentally, and his personal quest is quite touching. Deacon, who may be lying everytime he tells you something, is quite a fun guy, and Nick, I like his backstory, his entire Noir stichk, and his personal quest

• SpookyBorn2021

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:23 PM EST

  And that's part of major problem, they aren't shit companions, I mean I still love Piper, but they're so limite,  I mean...haven't you kind of summed Nick up there? (I haven't run across Deacon or MaCready yet) He's a Noir Detective with a cool hat.

  I think they created semi-likable characters, but made incredibly shallow if you try and delve too far down. I mean, I hardly expected something great from Bethesda (Skyrim was better than F4, but wasn't exactly great) but the fact that they discarded their previous way to follow a Bioware approach, and still managed to screw that up. So basically they did what they did with the dialogue with the companions.

  Oh crap, I didn't even discuss how shitty the Companion Interface is...I mean, it's just the worst on Console, how do you botch up a simple interface of trade, move, talk. 

• Chris

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:25 PM EST

  It is a bit finicky

• Legion

  

  • 700 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 5:32 PM EST

  I actually like the companion system so far. I think that companions having little the little cherry-on-top traits of hacking and lockpicking is pretty neat. Useful too! At least it has been in my experience. I do like the fact that companion perks demand loyalty to the companion and the right type of character to obtain. I left Cait (I actually wrote Cass the first time; got the two tough redheads mixed up) behind after she kept disliking what I was doing. She’s an alright gal, but we just didn’t see eye to eye on...anything, really. Nick was cool, but I’m lukewarm towards him. He’s a good dude, funny too. But I never really felt strongly for him.

  Piper however, I adore. I really really like Piper. Her perk is irrelevant to me though, which brings me back to a point I meant to make a few sentences ago. I would have preferred that Fallout 4 use New Vegas’ companion quest system. So, build up loyalty, do an important mission, then decide between 2 paths that the companion can take. 

• Chris

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:40 PM EST

  Yeah, that would have been nice

• SpookyBorn2021

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:45 PM EST

  I never used companions in Fallout NV, they were interesting, just it was easy to become ridiculously powerful in NV, so I didn't need them (Maybe I'll make a companion based build)

  Anyway, while I do agree that the little traits are kind of interesting, I think they could have done something more interesting/unique. I mean, you can pick locks yourself if you want to.

  Now if Cait had some kind of ability that let her randomly inject herself with a Chem (that you don't need to give her) it would be much more interesting. (Note: I haven't actually gotten their perks, so I have no idea what they do.). Or if Danse had a unique Power Armour upgrade (What does Danse even do?) that was combat related.

  They're nice, but overall nothing that nice or interesting, and it wouldn't have been hard to give them more interesting special traits (Like Fallout New Vegas did I believe)

• Mr.

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:49 PM EST

   I hold the opinion that these are the best companions and the best companion system Bethesda has ever done. They improved on the generic Skyrim/Fallout 3 companions by giving each special abilities - which were already present in New Vegas to a certain extent. The lock picking and hacking is the same "command your companion" you had back in Skyrim, special abilities are more detailed. It seems you got them mixed up.

   I don't think it's fair to compare FO4 to, say, ME or DA. Two different games. Besides, I can do the same with Inquisition characters: Blackwall can be summoned up with Regretful Bandit, Cassandra's character is a Devoted Templar, Vivienne is an Ambitious Mage, Sera is a Rebellious Teenager, Cole is Sad Emo Ghost, Solas is the Mysterious Mage. We can play that game with all characters, and it's not a bad thing - it's just the archetype the character is built upon, with the difference that Bioware has, most of the time, more than one game to develop their characters.

   And in Bioware games you depend on your companions a lot more, so they will obviously be more fleshed out than in a game like FO4, where you may not even come across certain characters.

• Chris

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:50 PM EST

  MaCready's, currently, does something with ammo or damage, and Deacon's boosts sneak damage with melee if I recall. 

• Chris

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:52 PM EST

  Plus, say if you don't have Master Lockpicking or Hacking, Cait, Deacon, or Nick can help you

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  • 1467 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 5:55 PM EST

  But that's for the MC not the Companion right? That's what I've understood from it, and it so that's kind of lame.

  The only benefit a companion itself gets seems to be that some can pick locks better.

• Chris

  

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  February 10, 2016 5:59 PM EST

  I thought it was for the PC

• SpookyBorn2021

  

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  February 10, 2016 6:01 PM EST

  Yes...that's what I said, Main Character, Player Character, whatever works.

• SpookyBorn2021

  

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  February 10, 2016 6:06 PM EST

  I wasn't comparing the actual characters to ME or DA's, just the system they've used for it, which I'll admit I didn't really explain well. And by special abilities I was referring to the fact that some companions are sold as Lockpickers or Hackers, and that's what makes them special from a gameplay point of view.

  Their perks, only benefit the player, which isn't really useful for the Companions.

  Dragon Age 2, had a similar system to be fair, being on either side of the scale gave you benefits, but they were benefits for either the Companion themselves or the Main/Player Character. And I think that's how Fallout's should have worked.

  What I meant by having a very similar system to Bioware's is probably a little unfair I'll admit, I don't know how the original Fallout's companions worked, it isn't a direct copy, it's just they have pretty much the same features, just Bioware has made things like Companion interactions, perks and unique abilities much more interesting then what Fallout has done here.

• Mr.

  

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  February 10, 2016 6:53 PM EST

   Ah, I see. Yes, all the perks only affect the player, both in FO4 and NV.

   I understand your comparison now, and do agree that the followers should also be somehow benefited as they level up or once you finish their personal quests, but if I'm not mistaken, there is a charisma perk that does something along those lines, no? By  increasing their damage rate and unlocking special moves for Dogmeat. Unfortunately I think the new movements are limited to our canine companion, but it opens a door for DLC companions.

• Legion

  

  • 700 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 6:56 PM EST

  Yeah, NV companions were a bit much (looking at you, Boone).
  
  I hear what you're saying about the traits. They aren't the most interesting, but they are a nice filler slot for someone who doesn't specialize. For example, on my first character I used Nick as a companion since Master level hacking on a stick is a great thing to have. I had lockpicking, so the bases were covered. So...Maybe if there was a choice between that and the more interesting traits you suggested? Like choosing a companion specialty right off the bat. Just general spitballing, though it doesn't matter much now that the game is out :P
  
  I think Danse is basically a Brotherhood propaganda machine. It's all he knows. I can't roll with him, it's just too much. I don't even care enough about what he does to support the Brotherhood long enough to find out. Makes me sick.
• SpookyBorn2021

  

  • 1467 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 6:58 PM EST

  Yeah Dogmeat does get some benefits from the Player Perk, but even it's more about increasing your VATS chance, but he does get bonuses to an attack (That I think he can already make without the Perk).

  I'm hoping we'll see some more interesting bonuses in DLC. If we had a DLC that did something for Companions like Gun Runner's Article did for Weapons in NV it'd be awesome 

• Mason

  

  • 739 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 7:01 PM EST

  *Dragonrant* - lol

  Well I happen to like the new companions well enough...

  ...enough to often put off taking the Lone Wanderer perk which is a real boon to any character.

  I think most of them are pretty interesting although I would have liked some of their various perks to be better executed, I've not gone down the power-leveling route with any of my companions yet so I tend to just end up with 2 or three max over a whole character...

  Cait was good fun and I like how saucy she is...

  Codsworth is a little beast at low levels and only Danse seems more effective than him in combat so far although I haven't run Strong yet who I guess would be better.

  Not taken Piper with me once, she was a bit too....toothy during her intro sequence and it really put me off her....looks like she would bite down too hard if you get my meaning....they need to do something with her mouth....her gnashing scares me.

  I definitely like Nick and I'm looking forward to doing some kind of playthrough with him at some point ala Henson...

  Danse is awesome, I just like being around him, he's enthusiastic about killing stuff and I like the way he finds emotions so confusing...he's a pretty love-able Buzz. 

  Preston pisses me off, he doesn't seem capable of hitting anything and he messes up my quest journal something rotten! His dialogue is completely tiresome and repetitive and I can't stand the Castle Minutemen music.....I don't like those guys much....

  Love Deacon, he's a good character although ineffective in combat most of the time and seems to follow me around on his butt a lot, wish he'd stop being such a fanny and get up and fight...

  Love MacCready! He's got a touching and entertaining side-quest and some of his one liners are great, especially when fighting ghouls...and his perk has finally been fixed so I don't feel like a cheater for using him anymore! 

  Not yet met Curie or the T-1000 yet so I look forward to doing business with those two, not spent any time with Strong yet either because he seemed to hate everything I did...

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  • 1467 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 7:03 PM EST

  I hear what you're saying about the traits. They aren't the most interesting, but they are a nice filler slot for someone who doesn't specialize

  I definitely kind of get that, on one hand I'm of the belief that either my character can unlock/hack everything, or nothing but I definitely get why it'd be useful to bring these guys along.

  I actually kind of like Danse, he seems likes a character that I think is really shallow, but then turns out to be a really awesome character who's fighting because A and B that's really cool. But I'd imagine he turns out to be boring Military Man no. 219 of the game 

• SpookyBorn2021

  

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  February 10, 2016 7:08 PM EST

  It's a new series 

  I have loved everyone so far, but Nick is easily my favorite, though Cait and Codsworth are both up there. Piper is a bit of a 50/50 for me, with other character she's a bit of an annoying bitch but if it's just us adventuring she isn't that bad.

  The quest to grab Strong was my favorite quest so far, the idea of a rich white man running around trying to teach Super Mutants about Shakespeare was just hilarious  I'm still not over it fully.

• Mason

  

  • 739 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 7:17 PM EST

  Oh! I forgot Hancock!

  I totally love that ghoul! He's ace!

  And it totally put me in mind of the Hancock movie, you can so make that character in FO4! Grey Knit Cap - Will Smith looks...wraparound goggles..ton of END and STR perks...maybe a courser suit....sorted....

  If only I did crossover builds...

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  • 1467 posts
   

  February 10, 2016 7:25 PM EST

  Oh man, Hancock is great, I haven't nabbed him as a Companions yet even just as a normal character he's awesome. Hell, all of Goodneighbor  is awesome 

• Chris

  

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  February 10, 2016 8:46 PM EST

  Mason, you should do crossover builds

• Overhate

  

  • 288 posts
   

  February 11, 2016 2:38 AM EST

  As I've mentioned before, most people here seem to choose companions based solely on character likeability and not on combat efficiency.

  Based on combat efficiency, its good to level Preston and Mac for the perks (for stealth or melee characters this can differ slightly), after that its X6 all the way, his stats are way beyond others.

• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  February 11, 2016 5:59 PM EST

  Yep, I also wouldn't mind seeing another Gun Runners DLC.