Has anyone playing Supernova taken Leadership to 100?

[Basher SBC]

I'm playing on Supernova, and decided to go for a dedicated a dedicated Companions build, putting 60% of my points into the Leadership/Determination branch, and then the rest in Dialogue and Stealth (for lockpicking). After a rough beginning, the sidekicks seem to be holding their own in heavy armor and the best weapon I can find (I'm always careful to manage their positioning a bit when there is a big mob). Essentially I play it the way I used to play Dragon Age: Origins, since I'm a terrible shot anyway and like the idea of micromanaging a party.

Just wondering, is there an upside to pushing Leadership to 100, so that companions get a full bump to their damage output? Or are there any sort of diminishing returns that I should be aware of?

Thanks.

[Kickaha87]

Leadership consists of Inspiration and Determination.

On Supernova the companions can die, so to make them more resilient I have set Determination to 100 (When companions kill an enemy, they gain 50% health). Inspiration set to 60 (Companion skill bonus to player skills +100%) to efficiently use skills for e.g. dialogues or stealth without increasing the skill points of your own. There are no diminishing returns but it will take some levels to get Determination to 100 skill points (which you could use for other skills). It is a choice how you want to play the game from the beginning of course.

[crimsonskill]

There have been some over-exaggerations going around of companions on Supernova. Yes they have permanent death. However, it isn't a problem whatsoever as long as you understand the design. For any build you do, there needs to be a strategic investment on playstyle. Companions are no different from any weapon or ability. Lone-wolf is most effective if you intend to play a highly focused style on some build. Like melee ninja, melee tank, sniper, handgun, dialogue, stealth, etc. You can also do mix builds. But you will need to invest in whichever mix you're using. Aside from a build that focuses on companions, when using companions in any build, it's a mixed build. You will need to invest into companions no differently than whatever else you're investing into. This includes investing into financial stats and perks because your spending will go up to accommodate a squad of three.

I don't play a companion focus for Supernova. I play a very mixed build that includes companions. One is heavy armor close combat, and the other is medium armor mid-range combat. I use a sort of gun-fu/Star-Lord style with light armor and handguns at close range. This setup was highly effective for me all the way through Supernova.

What you're doing is basically a bureaucrat build. It's the go-to build for a close friend of mine in pretty much every game he plays. Yes you will want to push your Leadership stats to 100. Start the game so both Inspiration and Determination are even. You might as well put three points each into Charm and Temperament. Make sure you're also choosing perks that benefit your companions. You can talk your way through most of the game while your companions do most of the dirty work in combat situations.

TBH - I probably would have designed Tech to be something closer to Andromeda. Where it has nothing to do with medical, tinkering, or repairs. It would probably be more geared to three different user abilities (spells per say) which this game doesn't have (aside from companion specials). Like EMP grenade, plasma turret, concussive mine, (just as three examples). So one could be equipped at a time, mapped to a button, and have a cooldown similar to companion special.

Edited November 21, 2019 by crimsonskill