Followers & or Companions

Fearless · Post by **Fearless** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:43 pm

My companion or bodyguard if you like is driving me mad. I have the pleasure of Lydia. I could and in fact did at one stage, kill her, and then I relented. If I commence an attack the next thing I know is she is in my line of fire. If I attempt to go through a door she is standing in the way. If we are in a dungeon and there is a trigger trap, you can bet your life she will tread on the dam thing. There does not seem to be any other way of controlling her other than telling her to "stay there", which she does not always obey. there is a dialogue in the drop down which says "do something for me" WHAT??? you are not given any options or further dialogue, and while we are on the subject of the dialogue box, in a lot of situations it becomes almost unreadable. Am I alone in this or am I missing something??

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:28 am

While I've never had the issue of the dialog box being unreadable, I have to say that the "Do something for me" option does to do something.

Once you select it, you can click an area for the character to go to, or to have them attack someone. Certain followers can even sneak attack enemies.

swcarter · Post by **swcarter** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:22 am

I didn't like the followers in Skyrim or Fallout 3. I always left them at home when I could.

SWC

TAKR86 · Post by **TAKR86** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:51 am

I agree the follower aspect hasn't been properly designed. In my experience using followers with ranged attacks are less annoying in combat situations and I believe the khajiit mage J'zargo (or something like that) is the best follower you can recruit (I've read that he can attain the highest lvl of all the followers). One of the things I really hate about followers, is that if you give them better equipment than their original standard gear they don't use it or revert to their original gear after some time! It doesn't make any sense and reduces their already limited usefullness!

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:00 pm

Not a fan of followers, I'm currently running through with a stealth character, emphasising on sneaking, poison and archery so it always a chore to have someone drag three to four enemies into a fight...

Fearless · Post by **Fearless** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:09 am

Thank you people. Taking up a point raised by TAKR86 regarding ranged attacks and to further labour the point. With Lydia if I make a sneak attack and particularly if I make a good strike, the next thing I know is that she has rushed past me and is using an axe or such like so end of sneak. So I agree with TAKR86 you buy them good weapons and they don't use them and there is no way of telling them to do so. At least in Fallout 3 you are given a choice of instruction. I use Lydia mainly as a beast of burden, but even there you are unable to determine her carrying capacity. Does it increase with yours when you increase your stamina?? Further no one mentioned this problem of difficulty reading the dialogue particularly when you have, say a snowy background??

Darth Gavinius · Post by **Darth Gavinius** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:51 am

When you use the: Do Something for Me...

You will see that the cursor changes, you can then use this to direct them where to go, who to attack, what to activate etc.

I have tried a number of the followers and imho... Lydia is by far the most annoying in terms of getting between you and your enemy - other than dogs. J'Zargo is indeed a great follower if you want to join the college. Early on the Elf in Riverwood (can't remember his name) is a good archer and can train you (for free). Currently I am using Mjoll the Lioness and she has so far not died by my hand. She seems to use decent tactics switching between bow and two handed axe and prefers to watch what I do before hacking enemies to death.

Rather randomly, if you can get someone to like you to the extent they are willing to follow you - then whether you take them or not, if they die they leave you a small sum of gold. Felt awkward trying to remember who the poor sod was when I got the message.

Darth Gavinius · Post by **Darth Gavinius** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:55 am

If you are stealth character then some of the heavily armored companions can be a problem... until you get up to a good level of sneak. Then you can use companions to draw enemies towards them which can lead to an interesting chain of sneak attacks. It is not possible to play a stealth character with a dog - those f*****s have a death wish!

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:01 am

Do followers have weight limit?

Its getting annoying always having just under 10 kgs? or whatever the weight units are to get extra things with. Secondly leveling up stamina just so you can carry and sell dragon bones seems a little counter productive.

Darth Gavinius · Post by **Darth Gavinius** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:39 am

Yes. Followers follow the same rules as you do. The more stamina they have the more they can carry. So mage followers can't carry very much, whereas warriors can carry a lot by comparison. When you approach their carry capacity, it will black out all the items in your inventory they can no longer carry.

Bloodstalker · Post by **Bloodstalker** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 1:24 am

Tamerlane wrote:Do followers have weight limit?

Its getting annoying always having just under 10 kgs? or whatever the weight units are to get extra things with. Secondly leveling up stamina just so you can carry and sell dragon bones seems a little counter productive.

I have the same problem when I create a new character with the carry weight issues. I never level stamina. Ever. It's just not in me to do so. I speed rush to the Extra Pockets perk (I think that's the name) in Pickpocket for the extra 100 lbs of carry weight and then work on getting the appropriate "armor weighs nothing when you wear it" perk for whatever armor I'm using. With enchanted boots to up my carry capacity, after a round of selling everything off I generally go back out fresh with around 200 lbs of cushion to pick up more stuff. At that point I retire my followers because A) they suck and break my stealth constantly (worse with mage companions who will summon things that detect you as long as they are around), B) I suck and can't keep my followers from getting killed and C) the follower I married to make her unkillable can't seem to stop hiring thugs to beat me up or trying to push me off a cliff herself when she thinks I'm not paying attention.

And nice to see you again Tam.

TAKR86 · Post by **TAKR86** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:52 pm

I have been playing for some 20 hours on a new playthrough and I have used Faendal (the bosmer/wood elf in Riverwood) as a follower ever since I first got the option to have him join me in my adventures (some 30-60 min. of playing I think). I have to say he's the least annoying follower I have ever had - the annoying part primarily being his inability to keep up (a problem with all the followers), so I have to slow down or wait a lot.

The good part: He's an exellent archer that also uses 1handed weapons fairly effectively. He has crappy start gear (no armor, a dagger and a hunting bow) and has so far equiped and used whatever I've given him, when the items were better - and the best part of it is, that he doesn't randomly unequip the gear I have given him to revert to using his starting gear! I actually think I'll keep him as my follower (and I have almost never used them before!) as he's been quite helpfull in combat and is a great "storage container" while dungeon delving etc. to get more money etc. So Skyrim will se a lot of a nord warrior and his bosmer sidekick from now on

I'm still hoping the follower aspect will be improved as it's sorely needed - the fact that Faendal is a "good" follower doesn't change that!

Fearless · Post by **Fearless** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:54 pm

I know I started this, and it is interesting to read the various experiences, but is anyone listening to us, other than community members?? I DONT THINK SO.
I am laboring the point, but here is an example of intense annoyance. I make it a policy, that when I have finished for the day, I return to one of my residence either in Solitaire or Whiterun and sleep and save. Without exception Lydia (bless her heart and God forbid that I should marry her) will be standing in the door way and the only way to get past her is to retreat further back in the room, which makes her follow me and I dart past her. Further, when entering combat she will move directly in front of me and then complain when I wack her one by mistake, At which she tells me she is on my side. The other silly thing that gets my goat is the dialogue drop down. OK when there is a specific dialogue it is highlighted, but there are many occasions when you need to use again and again, like when you wish to swap or off load items and it is "grayed" out. Am I the only one with this problem?? It is a great game spoilt by silly annoying glitches.

Nastypoet · Post by **Nastypoet** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:27 pm

F a companion i use my flame atronaut and tear it up. as far as for carrying weight, the best is thievs guild and some enchantments like rings or boots to increase carry weight with potion by almost 150 pts. I also return home to whiterun and unload every time i play. I only use lydia to watch my home and she knows not to get off that chair or else FUS RO DAH biatch

Fearless · Post by **Fearless** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:59 pm

It is with great regret that I have to report Lydia is dead. Killed in the line of duty fighting a Dougr and now I have a new companion. She is a little better as I can now shove her out of the way.

Chiawei · Post by **Chiawei** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:23 am

Tamerlane wrote:Do followers have weight limit?

Its getting annoying always having just under 10 kgs? or whatever the weight units are to get extra things with. Secondly leveling up stamina just so you can carry and sell dragon bones seems a little counter productive.

Don't sell the dragon bones. You can make dragon armor with them.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:27 am

I generally don't have bad luck with companions, I've tried Kharjo, Mjoll, Mercurio, and that mage you can get from the Dawnstar Daedric shrine quest. All have fairly decent AI and pathing, in my experience.
That said though, if I were playing a stealth character and wanted extra help I'd level conjuration instead of using companions.

Nonetheless, I agree that the companions in this game could have been far better implemented... I mean, it's really pretty sad that the modders in Morrowind created companions who automatically warp to you and come with summon items, and yet somehow Bethsoft can't get it right two games later...

Rancid Sushi · Post by **Rancid Sushi** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:49 pm

Chiawei wrote:Don't sell the dragon bones. You can make dragon armor with them.

You can't make the armor until you have 100 skill points in Smithing AFAIK. May as well sell the bones until you start getting close to maxing out.

swcarter · Post by **swcarter** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:04 pm

Rancid Sushi wrote:You can't make the armor until you have 100 skill points in Smithing AFAIK. May as well sell the bones until you start getting close to maxing out.

And IIRC the easier-to-make daedric armor set is better.

SWC

Fearless · Post by **Fearless** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:45 am

I think I have mislead people when I announced my Lydia was dead. What I should have said is that she is missing in action, (because I could not find her) believed dead, since in the past, given time she would turn up. Which raises another annoying point, their location is not shown on your map either world or local, which is a shame. Never mind when I get time I'll go back and look for her.