Designing the perfect RPG companion

[NecroLord]

 

[MerchantKing]

Binky is better than Diaper boy

 

[NecroLord]

Despite his near constant chattiness and complete bullshit stories, Jan Jansen is a pretty cool companion.
One of the few gnomes I respect.
A rare example of a Chaotic Neutral character done right.

 

[Serious_Business]

Sucking my cock every minute of the day

Pretty cool companion, until he isn't

AHHHHHH

IT'S A FUKCING PARAISTE

GET IT OFF MEEE

 

[Percy]

Hans Capon

 

[octavius]

A good companion should know his place.

 

[huskarls]

the most important is cool lines when they attack or you click on them, this is also the hardest because its hard to define criteria.

but sometimes, the video game writers, feel they have to go further, to make them memorable. This is the backstory stage, this is the easiest but people still fuck it up. you just write them like a mary sue, except you downplay everything and don't provide exact details. EX: Raul lugiune was the top chef at chef academy, then he became a ghoul and started cooking his friends. Bad example from poe: cuck loser was in the militia, here's boring lore on the clothes in his village.

then there comes a time when your boss tells you the character with cool lines and a cool backstory is going to have to sit around a fire, and talk, now you are making gameplay for some weird reason. this is where the going gets tough and the writer makes 7 plot lines on hating their dad in me2 or hating their former master in bg3. At this stage it is about willpower, to resist the revenge quest tie in or them whining about their feelings. have them tell a fucking story or comment on local politics, but keep the character exposition to dialogue and not soliloquies. its the worst indulgence where writers can't bare to make up a backstory and not provide it in full detail so you can admire it

 

[Conan]

Someone who starts off being a critic, becomes justified when you act like a murder hobo OR becomes converted if you dont. Good companions should react to your behavior with a consistent characterization. Outside of mechanistic crutches (solving two people puzzles, healbots) companions should serve the essential function of providing the player with a near omniscient reaction mechanism. That is the entire point: the random NPC on the street does not understand your motives nor the methods. But the companion does.

 

[Stella Brando]

Serana is the perfect companion.

 

[Shaki]

Only good companions, are the ones the game let me design myself.

 

[NecroLord]

Clearly the best one is Saerileth.



Right?

 

[Stella Brando]

Saerileth

The guy from Final Fantasy VII?

 

[Naraya]

I wonder if we will have AI-assisted companions in the future. The possibilities would be endless.

 

[Stella Brando]

I'm waiting for a full AI Serana.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I wonder if we will have AI-based companions in the future. The possibilities would be endless.

We already have artificially idiotic companions right now.

 

[HappyDaddyWow!]

Some sort of utility outside of combat that saves the player some time or makes their life easier.

Like Veronica letting you get into the Brotherhood early in FNV, or a rogue party member being able to lockpick/disarm traps for you.

The easiest way to endear the player to an in-game companion is by making said companion actually useful in gameplay, something a lot of modern devs seem to not realize.

 

[FA7]

Dak'kon was already mentioned, but I'd say that this homie should also make the cut, for diffrent reasons though.

Spoiler

 

[NecroLord]

Dak'kon was already mentioned, but I'd say that this homie should also make the cut, for diffrent reasons though.

Spoiler

If you take him to Spellhold with you, yeah...

 

[motherfucker]

cooks

This is haram. Food must be prepared by a man.

 

[Haba]

cooks

This is haram. Food must be prepared by a man.

What if she is a he when he cooks the food, then shapeshifts to a woman to serve it?

 

[King Crispy]

The perfect companion in an RPG is the one who repeatedly shoots you in the back with his submachine gun, especially right at the end of a long fight that you're on the verge of winning.

 

[NecroLord]

The perfect companion in an RPG is the one who repeatedly shoots you in the back with his submachine gun, especially right at the end of a long fight that you're on the verge of winning.

Which is why you do not give him submachine guns.

 

[Baron Tahn]

Tits on legs. Ideally with a nice v/o actress. Rogue/cleric/mage types are all acceptable.

Edit: actually the voice is optional.

 

[Sunri]

A dog would be nice

 

[Space Satan]

You need a rich backstory