has anyone managed to max out the influence bar on a companion?

[brandysnap]

it seems to me that with the meager amoutn that an influence gain gives, coupled with the small amount of actual influence gains you can actually get in quests that its impossible to actually max any of your ai partners.

and definitely impossible to max out more than 1.

 

so what is the purpose of it, and what are the bonuses you get for actually managing to do it if it is actually possible?

[metamag]

I still have no idea how to get more than one influence with Katarina...(by the time everyone else has at least 4)

Edited June 19, 2011 by metamag

[toastification]

You get bonuses for reaching 25/50/75% of the bar. If I had to make an estimation, you can reach 75% influence with two allies and maybe 25-50% with the last towards the end of the game. I've maxed out Anjali and Katarina on separate playthroughs between halfway and three fourths into the game.

 

Its rather simple to find how to raise influence - beating bosses or advancing past certain areas gives you influence to the current ally in party. You also get influence for making certain conversation choices - with Anjali you need to be militant (choose aggressive-justice-blunt oriented responses) and you always agree with Odo. With Katarina, you gain influence mostly by being pragmatic - ask for rewards, choosing the more convenient option over the more idealistic one, and always be open to making an alliance or manipulating.

 

Lucas and Reinhart I haven't tried yet, but both look like they will mostly raise influence by picking "idealist goodie two shoes" responses, with big themes on forgiveness. If worst comes to worst, just save on a checkpoint before every major conversation with branches and keep trying until you wriggle out most of the influence out of that conversation. Note, not every conversation gives influence to every companion (Anjali couldn't give a damn about Stonebridge court cases, for example; while Katarina adores you for asking for money/bribes and choosing the "split both ways" on the goblin vs shopkeeper quest.), but every major quest conversation will typically give 2 potential influence raising responses total, with some giving only one and a few rare ones giving up to 3.

Edited June 19, 2011 by toastification

[Chasted]

Yeah, Reinhart enjoys forgiveness and being like or better than the "Legion" back in the day. Although he does have an extra motivation of preserving/gaining knowledge.

 

I think in multiplayer if you have all four characters out you gain influence with them all during conversations.

[toastification]

By the way, if you play as Katarina, who is the companion that joins you after you finish act 1 (right before the swamp), Lucas or Reinhart? Or neither and both join only in Stonebridge there?

 

The way I understand the orders:

 

LUCAS: Anjali (cage), Katarina (bridge), Reinhart(stonebridge)

ANJALI: Lucas (cage), Katarina (bridge), Reinhart(stonebridge)

REINHART: Anjali (cage), Katarina (bridge), Lucas (Stonebridge: Tomb of the Sacred Rose)

KATARINA: Anjali (cage), ???, ???

 

Anyone knows?

Edited June 20, 2011 by toastification

[Tigranes]

Katarina: Anjali (cage), Lucas (bridge), Reinhart (stonebridge).

[toastification]

Poor Reinhart. He easily had my favorite introduction but looks like he gets last billing in every case.

[ShadowScythe]

They're just saving the best for last.

[Chasted]

Which sadly means he's more of a "Me too" sort of character

 

It's kind of a pity he isn't that relevant to the plot (When compared to the other three) even though he was a rather cool character (Both abilities and dialogue). Then again, Lucas is sort of like that but him being directly related to a "Head" of the Legion makes him a little bit more related than Reinhart.

[brandysnap]

the way reinhart talks reminds me of the doctor in mass effect 2 (cant remember his name - morbius??)

[WorstUsernameEver]

the way reinhart talks reminds me of the doctor in mass effect 2 (cant remember his name - morbius??)

 

Mordin. Easily my favorite character from all of BioWare's production and one of the reasons Mass Effect 2 can be great despite its bad main plot and the general streamlining.