About: Companions

I'd like to present the issue of companions, in particular the potential variety of companions that the game can offer. I would prefer to list all possible combinations, good ideas and bad ones, in an effort to brainstorm the traditional, unique, or even the bizarre in orther to maximixe the adventuring experience. Not all companions should be available; some should be discovered, summoned, or earned.

Magical summoning: There really is no limit to what a magical summoning can give you. Everything from animals to undead to elementals and demons fit the list, but I prefer to discuss the more permanent types of companions (or at least the ones that are permanent until they leave or die).

Real Players: This is the obvious and traditional type of companion, since most of us would enjoy playing with our friends.

NPC Humanoids: This is likely to be a part of the game and a welcome addition. NPC's add flavor and personality to the adventure. The NPC would traditionally fight with you, perform services such as healing, and give quests or quest guidance. The NPC is usually friendly and has a personal agenda which often parallels the player's agenda (or quest). An NPC can be a permanent friend, or perhaps a transient visitor that will leave once his task is complete, or perhaps he will follow you until he dies a heroic death.

NPC sword-for-hire: These are traditional henchmen that are not particularly interested in friendship or perhaps even adventure, but rather in cold hard cash. As long as you pay your henchman you are paying for his loyalty. The henchman would usually leave when you stop paying him, or until he dies, or perhaps if you lead him into foolhardy and dangerous scenarios you may face desertion or even beytayal.

NPC non-combatants: This could include children, elderly, or the infirm. Age is usually not a factor with companions, but there is potential for some story if you have companions that are not combat effective, but rather can contribute in some other fashion. Most scenarios would almost always be quest-related and temporary.

NPC Villain: This would pose an interesting scenario if by some sort of extraordinary circumstance or common enemy forces you and the NPC Villain to temporarily agree to work together. It would give a nice sense of danger from all sides as well as from within. With the threat of betrayal or destruction from a common foe, the player would have to be extra careful and clever. Perhaps the player would have to try to find the best time to betray the villain before he betrays you? Evil companions can be a good mechanic to test (or break) the player's virtues.

NPC Dupe: This is similar to the NPC Villain scenario, except that it is you the player who is the spy, "joining forces" with the enemy in order to discover his weaknesses, find his hideout, discover information, steal an artifact, or assassinate someone. Lots of story potential.

Pack Mule: Perhaps the traditional companion will not offer to carry anything for you, but a pack mule will! This could be incorporated into the game where the mule would consume a valuable NPC party slot, making the player less effective in combat in favor of having more storage space. The mule would still be subject to combat conditions and therefore able to be killed.

Animal companion: A companion does not have to be humanoid. Another potential companion could be a guard dog, wolf, bear, great cat, or other exotic animal that will fight with you. They can be either purchased, summoned, or captured and trained.

The undead: An undead companion would be pretty cool to have if properly done. A mindless skeleton or zombie to be used and disposed, or something a little more exciting like a ghost that needs to complete a quest in order to find rest. A vampire or lich could also add some unique gameplay. Remember Morte the floating skull from Torment?

The divine: An angelic companion might be interesting. Something like this would almost have to be temporary or intermittant, since divine intervention implies giving the player too much power.

Elementals: Beings of air, earth, fire, or water could make for interesting companions. These can range from shapeless rock or fire creatures to something more humanoid and interactive, like a Water Naga or Genie.

Animated objects: Floating intelligent swords, animated armor, living statues, and mechanical creations fall into this category.


Terrain Locking: I would also like to add that certain companion types should be be "terrain locked", and therefore unable to travel on certain terrains. A party that moves to a restricted terrain would have to simply leave the companion behind or discover an alternate route. For example, some animals like the pack mule would not normally be permitted to go indoors, and would have to wait outside the tavern. Fish would have to stay in water, alligators would have to stay in their swamps, vampires would have to remain in the dark and not cross running water.

Terrain Enabling: Conversely, having certain companions could enable the party to travel special types of terrain. For example, a Water Naga companion might enable the party to travel under water, or a Mountain Climbing NPC might enable the party to traverse certain mountain tiles. This can be a good mechanic to use companions as "keys" to certain areas and quests.

 

Yes, I assume some of them would simply be bound to specific storyline arcs. But if I had the choice, I'd take any of those.

 

You wouldn't be able to summon or bring just every sort of creature/animal/being companion to a town, as stated by Richard; Tesla towers are to keep certain evil forces away, plus it would get nauseously crowded... but then again it could also be different depending on the religious/social alignment of the town/city (rogue towns, towns infested by undead, monasteries/temples). I'm for the Terrain locking especially if there would be such thing as a dragon companion (locked to a bone nest on a mountain peak for example but should you have one in the first place? Could they be impossible to train? Maybe just for a certain storyline it could work... but don't want to imitate Skyrim)

 

NPC Humanoids: Besides people you can hire I would like to raid towns and enslave their people.
NPC sword-for-hire: Should increase in skill if you can keep them alive - if your npc's keep coming back dead then maybe the people you get them from will stop letting you hire their people.
NPC non-combatants: again hire or make them slaves
NPC Villain: I'd like to see natives of the land that you can trade with or kill/enslave. Yes I do agree if you keep killing and enslaving their people the NPC tribes should come together and start attacking your city.
And yes it would be great to see a NPC villain catch you just outside of town and kill and loot your stuff.
NPC Dupe: Getting spy like missions after aligning with different people or groups would be nice. Never played this game but looks like some good ideas: http://tinyurl.com/o6tmnv9
Pack Mule: At first just buying from a NPC will work but maybe in one of the expansions I'd like to see horses, mules, and such be caught in the wild (herding) tamed and then sold at a player run stable.
Animal companion: Dogs and Cats I can see any player finding them in the wild and taming. Dragons yea should take up most of the companion slots and if not treated right they should just leave you.
The Undead: should be spell, maybe you have to dig up a grave and then use some spell to make them come alive
The Divine: Maybe some kind of good and evil spirit war, after players die and turn to a ghost they could maybe get a few powers to help in battles. A few ghosts skills would be nice.
Elementals: As soon as I hear elementals I think how can I harvest them
Animated objects: sounds like Golems, a skill to make those would be good

terrain locking - no - but taking a fish out of the water or a player staying under the water to long should have consequences
terrain enabling - sounds good

 

I think it would be interesting if Ingis-Fatuus, 'will-o-the-wisp' was somehow harnessed and used in this world. I don't know if this creature can be used by SotA, but perhaps something very close to it? I think a major reason they were one of my favorite creatures in Ultima VI is because they were highly intelligent, and though they were fantastic fighters if you thought to attempt to communicate with them before attacking, they were peaceful. -this is perhaps why I thought about them being a possibility for a companion.

Zorn - probably the most memorable creature in the entire bestiary of britannia/sosaria.. if this is off limits, the legendary Sumerian creature it is based on, the Asag isn't.. though I feel it would best be used as a summoned demon because they are hideous..

 

Wisps are an old fantasy lore creature so wouldn't fall under copy rights.

Id like to see mostly new critters, but that said there are some classics that are so appealing i want to see them. Wisps and nightmares both please




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In UO a friend had a house by a pixie pond.
I was working on poisoning which made my karma bad.
Every time I came over the pixies would attack me on sight.
I might of even died a couple time.
But having friendly creatures attack based on karma or anything is another way to add some fun to the game.

Some other ways to do this.
1. A creature doesn't like the smell of a certain reg.
2. NPC hates mages or knights or whatever
3. A certain kind of metal makes a creature go mad
Stuff like that - or even a mix of things

I even heard of players drawing evil creatures into good creatures and then hiding and letting the two sides fight and then collect the loot later.
Stuff like this make NPC's more fun.

 

I think some real thought should go into how combat effective companions are, both for PvP and PvE. I remember playing single player ultima games, and building a party, and my memories bring to mind a few snags.

A) I remember specifically avoiding the party at first because I found controlling them annoying, leaving them on auto pilot a good way to end up with dead friends (who then were either hard(/expensive) to replace or could not be replaced)
B) I note that in single player the combat encounters scaled with the number of companions, but how would that work in a MMO? In PvP?

If, regarding snag A) the NPC AI is improved, they become a fire and forget weapon. A clear advantage that everyone would wind up maxxing out, leading to every player being a small army?

I would be completely good doing non-combat NPC companions, they give an advantage, but not one for players to complain about, really. I do not, however, want to be forced to take a full party of "friends" into any PvP zone, due to the likelyhood of finding PK hunter groups with full NPC companion setup who "swear up and down they aren't in the same party" even though in real life the players are on vent with each other.

 

The type of NPC companions and hirelings you can take into a party should depend on your status in the game, though. A cold-blooded murderer isn't going to find NPCs that will join him. Someone who is simply a rogue may be able to find some roguish underlings, petty thieves, to help. A rogue with a better station than you won't want to serve under you -- he wants to be the master. A player who acts in an upstanding manner might find paladin companions that are equal to him in ability. Mercenaries might be open to anyone, but expensive. Apprentice/journeyman/page type NPCs might be more common.

 

They'll find a way. If combat NPC's are allowed, then there WILL be a way to take them into the field with intent to PK.

 

If they do put in combat NPCs, and PKers find a way, I'm sure it'll be an easy thing for the devs to deal with by creating new rules. NPCs should refuse to murder players. And if a PKer finds a way to use NPCs to murder players, there should be a loophole that can be fixed.

I see more potential in using combat NPCs to deter PKing than to enable it. Say if you want to go out on the road and travel safely, but you're just a carpenter or tailor -- you hire a guard.

 

NPC's refuse to murder players. So how would they help you fight back against PK attack?

 

If the PK starts combat, its not murder but self-defense.

 

Then the exploit will be finding a way to make the victim "start" combat.

 

Yea I think thats a type of hole that can always be closed by devs, and can be prepared for ahead of time.

 

I like the idea of npc villains and npc dupes and would be even better if you could do them (more the dupe then the villain) this with real players. Like if a there are guilds you could go undercover into a rival guild to sabotage or provide information to your guild.

 

I love the idea of companions. It's very helpful when you are a bit undergeared or just overwhelmed in an area. Perhaps even someone you can keep in your house and take with you when you go out...creatures/npc's.. It could be be unique from other games companion system...like someone who is actually your friend or who is close to you...

 

I've been working on a game system, and with every "bonus, " (armor, magic, skills, and etceteras), just as important as is a reason to have it is a reason not to have it. From what I've been hearing, there's no practical reason for anyone to go without a party.

How, then, can adventuring with a group impede the player character in a way that adventuring solo can rectify?

 

By 'party', do you mean PCs? Well, RG said he has as many people who wish to play Single Player as people who do not. Having an NPC party would allow them to still do more combat than they could alone, possibly have more quest lines, piddle around as long as they want without annoying a PC group, and other reasons. Also, I often like to solo, and switch between soloing and grouping, depending on how talkative or full of energy, or contemplative, and so forth -- or even preoccupied -- at the time. I might wish to take some NPCs along with me -- if they were available -- during those times. We are free to switch Online Mode at any 'safe' place.

 

In this case, I'm referring to a coterie of NPCs. If there's no practical reason to not have one, the game world looks due to get painfully overcrowded, the more players that are in the same world.