There is a bug related to companions' stats, which aren't updated on leveling (followers have the same level as player). There is an workaround (PC): Dismiss and wait until "Follower dismissed" message, open console, select follower with mouse an type "disable" (without quotations) and then "enable" commands. This is partially inventory-safe, and followers have no penalty for being dismissed, so you can hire them again for free. Equipped items on the follower will be replaced by the follower's default gear, so either take away any armor and weapons they wear or perform this while they are at their home location where they typically use their default gear over other items.
A follower's stats are determined based on the level the player is at when he or she first enters the zone that the follower is in. Once generated, the follower's stats do not increase at all.
I did that PC Console thing on Lydia and she definitely became a lot more badass, as I had leveled probably 20 times since getting her. She's a pretty good meat shield, and not a bad shot with her Ebony bow either
That said, I definitely miss the depth of Fallout companions =/
The depth of New Vegas was all Obsidian. Bethesda isn't all that good at it. I'd have liked them to be sort of like Arcanum. Some to be just support in fighting, others to actually have lines of dialogue and story.
Personally, followers ruin my style (assassin/thief) and they can't even get their own horse to follow me on so I tend to lose them on the way.
New Vegas was Obsidian, so that explains why the followers actually have depth. That isn't Bethesda's strong suit. That said, followers are detrimental to my style of play anyway. I may occasionally use Cicero, if only because he is cheerful and can sneak halfway decently.
Obsidian used Bethesda's Gamebryo engine to make New Vegas. They often work on sequels to games made by other studios. It should be noted, however, that Obsidian has a lot of the same people that worked on the original Fallout games.
And get food that adds bonuses and usually cash as they open a shop. But still pretty shallow. For some reason I don't get the lovers bonus with Aela though, hmmm.
I'm loving Skyrim but there is one thing that irks me, the companions. In previous Bethesda games namely Fallout New Vegas, when you got a companion there was a story to it. It wasn't just a fetch quest and then the option to "follow me" without any explanation appeared.
In F0:NV I had to actually have a conversation with most companions, even talk them into coming with me, and there was usually a good reason. I want to feel like my companion is just that, my companion. Not this guy I asked to just come here for a second. Basically I feel like the companions need more motivation/story, because right now it feels hollow.
EDIT: It just occurred to me I should probably have called them followers, not companions, but I think everyone understands me.
Go to Dawnstar and find Erandur. There's a quest you have to do before he can become your companion, but it fleshes him out far more than any other companion I've come across. He's by far my favorite. Still not as good as the New Vegas companions, but he's the best in Skyrim.
I had Lydia for a while, but I decided to tell here to "wait here" in Whiterun due to the fact that she had an incredibly unfortunate habit of getting in my way, blocking doors and generally acting like a total moron whose only real ability is to carry loads of junk for me.
That said, even though they're not very good characters, there's still something somewhat sad when one of them die.
I'm loving Skyrim but there is one thing that irks me, the companions. In previous Bethesda games namely Fallout New Vegas, when you got a companion there was a story to it. It wasn't just a fetch quest and then the option to "follow me" without any explanation appeared.
In F0:NV I had to actually have a conversation with most companions, even talk them into coming with me, and there was usually a good reason. I want to feel like my companion is just that, my companion. Not this guy I asked to just come here for a second. Basically I feel like the companions need more motivation/story, because right now it feels hollow.
EDIT: It just occurred to me I should probably have called them followers, not companions, but I think everyone understands me.
Go to Dawnstar and find Erandur. There's a quest you have to do before he can become your companion, but it fleshes him out far more than any other companion I've come across. He's by far my favorite. Still not as good as the New Vegas companions, but he's the best in Skyrim.
Yeah I did that quest, enjoyed it quite well. Thanks for the input!
MurderousToaster said:
I had Lydia for a while, but I decided to tell here to "wait here" in Whiterun due to the fact that she had an incredibly unfortunate habit of getting in my way, blocking doors and generally acting like a total moron whose only real ability is to carry loads of junk for me.
That said, even though they're not very good characters, there's still something somewhat sad when one of them die.
I had Onmund from the mage's guild die on me while fighting a boss, I couldn't afford to reload to try to save because it'd been ages since I saved, I felt awful. Poor Onmund. Your sacrifice was not in vain.
As people have said, most of them are more hirelings than friends. Lydia followed you out of loyalty, cause she is your housecarl and all that. Benor, I beat him in a fist fight and earned his respect (I actually really like Benor, if only he had leveled with me. Not cool to scale enemies but not companions, I kitted him out in full dragonplate, enchanted with an ebony battleaxe and the dude got killed by fucking Falmer) and my latest companion is an Orc woman I met in one of their camps. She was gonna get married, didn't want to, I paid her dowry and off she went. I'm quite fond of her.
My latest character is a mage, so I kind of need a meat shield. Hopefully companions get fixed and/or modded soon. Lydia's starting to get kinda pathetic.
Wolfram01 said:
Ranorak said:
Ranorak said:
And they level up, but due to a bug of some sorts, they don't gain any stats.
There is a bug related to companions' stats, which aren't updated on leveling (followers have the same level as player). There is an workaround (PC): Dismiss and wait until "Follower dismissed" message, open console, select follower with mouse an type "disable" (without quotations) and then "enable" commands. This is partially inventory-safe, and followers have no penalty for being dismissed, so you can hire them again for free. Equipped items on the follower will be replaced by the follower's default gear, so either take away any armor and weapons they wear or perform this while they are at their home location where they typically use their default gear over other items.
A follower's stats are determined based on the level the player is at when he or she first enters the zone that the follower is in. Once generated, the follower's stats do not increase at all.
I did that PC Console thing on Lydia and she definitely became a lot more badass, as I had leveled probably 20 times since getting her. She's a pretty good meat shield, and not a bad shot with her Ebony bow either
That said, I definitely miss the depth of Fallout companions =/
Wait, is Lydia actually using the ebony bow? Cause everyone I've asked has had the same problem, companions will use all the equipment you give them (if it's better than their default) except the bow. Take a close look next time, I would guess it's the hunting bow. However, once you find one good arrow, give it to them. One arrow counts as an infinite supply for companions. I gave Benor a daedric arrow, and pulled about 40 of them out of corpses.
I'll have to try that console thing though, thanks Ranorak.
All I have to say is I met Aranea at about level 20, I have not regretted my decision to making her follow me. Hell she is so useful that I gave her hundreds of staffs and even made her a legendary ebony dagger! She drops everything fast and her uncanny ability to snipe everything with ice spikes before I see them baffles me.
In Skyrim's defense, there are a LOT of freaking followers. Some of them, like you say, have absolutely no reason to risk life and limb by following you into draugr overlord infested hell-pits (like the lady you can brawl with in whiterun tavern); however, some of them, like the Companions, actually have a cool reason to back you up. Being part of a viking mercenary club that consider each other family is a pretty cool thing.
Hmmmmm, while some of the missions for companions are simple...other ones are not at all....I am thinking of the mage guy in the yellow cloak you help in a tower about a past happening..and it is pretty oool. As for people saying they get in the way.....when I find Lydia in my way she grunts and backs up...so Bethesda thought of this. I mostly use her for carrying things like Dragon bones and scales, but she picks the weapons I put on her..which is pretty cool especially like the time she had a magical orc sword in one hand and a mage staff in the other, hacking and putting enemies on fire. She really helps in the killing of dragons too.
It is also so funny when she groans about carrying your stuff...similar to Veronica in New Vegas. As for how you GET Lydia...it is for killing your first dragon..and helping Whiterun....so how is that for a reason and a story?
I also know people who think that when a companion kills something it robs them of XP which it does not.
One good reason I can think of for not companion is stealth...Lydia stealths...but stupid NPC guys do not...grrrrrrr
Do companions really not level up? I've been using Lydia for when I was level 5 and I'm level 15 right now, and she is doing pretty well. Then again I do have her wearing superior dwarven armor, so that does help.
Wiki: "A follower's stats are determined based on the level the player is at when he or she first enters the zone that the follower is in. Once generated, the follower's stats do not increase at all."
I have read this a hundred times, but what I've wanted to figure out for so long is, what determines a follower's zone?
For example, say you first enter Whiterun when you've just begun the game, is Aela's "zone" activated then or does it activate when you decide to visit Jorrvaskr for the first time? The same could apply with many Followers. Is Lydia's zone first active when you enter Whiterun or when you first enter Dragon's Reach?
My question isn't necessarily aimed towards a specific character, I just want to know what the term "zone" refers too. That way I can avoid permanently activating a player's stats that I may want to play with further on in the game.
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