Least Liked Companions

[rheingold]

Sagani rocks - she was awesome in the last fight - really consistent damage overall. People seem to be confused with spike damage compared to consistent damage when it comes to Rangers. But I suppose Aloth and Kana were the worst for me - though I didn't mind them at all. They just didn't resonate with me. Hiravious was good but not great, I thought he would have been better if the writer had just toned him down slightly. As it was he was a bit to "Something like Mary." Needed to be a bit more subtle - but I did like his quest. The rest of them were great

[b0rsuk]

I'm holding off voting until I finish my second playthrough with the remaining companions.

 

It pains me to say this, because she's cute and just my type, but Sagani is quite dull as a character. Her quest has her babbling about Persoq and her village, very monotonous. She doesn't really bring an interesting point of view, doesn't seem to have a distinct philosophy. Just an inuit-flavored dwarf. She never surprised me in anything. She had an interesting comment in the Knights of the Crucible quest, I think that's all.

 

Sagani is not bad mechanically, in my first party she dealt as much damage as Hiravius, who was often using area damage spells.

 

I like Hiravius, which probably says a lot about me. While he's also a "savage", his philosophy shines through and he approaches stuff differently based on his beliefs. He also seems too smart for his average intelligence.

 

Eder is likeable, but over time can get annoying. At times he's trying too hard to be a bro. And he needs a shoulder to cry on.

 

Has anyone read "Blade Itself" by Joe Abercrombie ? The trilogy does a good job contrasting "savage" people with highly populated cities and urban civilization.

Edited April 16, 2015 by b0rsuk

[Heijoushin]

I liked Sagani least. Not useful in a fight, a long-winded boring quest and just... boring.

 

I suppose she breaks the dwarf stereotype of beer, mining and blacksmithing... only to be a stereotypical hunter/Inuit girl. 

 

@b0rsuk: Yup, read the Blade Itself. I love Joe Abercombie's work. They should have him write for the next PoE.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Heijoushin

[Heartsib]

Durance.  He may be well-written, but I'll never know since I wanted to murder him five minutes in.

 

This. I was ready to stuff that jerk's flaming staff up his butt sideways early in.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Heartsib

[Luckmann]

Wow, I will never understand the dislike of Durance. He's like the greatest guy.

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Tough call. While I enjoy Aloth's disorder, he is mostly silent and a wizard to boot--making him so much baggage. Pallegina has a place in my party because of her class, but her personality is as others have noted, mostly lore exposition. Kana Rua annoys me, but I can't tell why. He's supposed to be like a scholarly, jovial, bear, but I just don't appreciate anything he has to say. Despite configuring him to be as supportive as possible, he regularly gets KOed--more so than all of my other characters combined. I couldn't tell you why. I guess if this poll is only in context to personality, Kana Rua is the one I enjoy the least.

[WebShaman]

I think this poll is just too simplistic and limited in scope - there are several catagories that I think each potential Companion should be considered :

 

Written - how well, how poor.

 

Mechanically - how well made the Companion is made and how valuable (or not) said Companion is to a party.

 

Compatibility - this is really just how the Companion in question is liked (or not) by the Player.

 

Written I think that Durance, GM and Eder are the best, followed by Aloth, Haravias, Kana and then Sagani.

 

Mechanically, I think Eder is the best of them, followed by GM (Cipher, nuff said), Kana, then Haravias and Aloth, then Durance, Pellegina and and then a distant last Sagani.

 

Compatible is foremost Eder, the guy everyone likes, followed by Sagani (she is just simple, likable), then Kana (likable, giant oaf of a Auama) then it starts to get a bit more difficult - my choice falls then to Aloth (but only his "other personality"), then Pellegina, followed by GM and dead last Durance.

 

Sadly, none of the PoE Companions are "memorable" like those of yore (ie, nwn, wl2, etc). They are ALL somewhat...lukewarm. No one will be talking about any of them in the years to come.

[Svirfneblin]

Overall I'm going to go with Aloth. He has potential, but his "dual personality" thing got resolved very quickly and him being a Leaden Key member seems to come...late and no one seems to really care. You have one conversation with him about it and then it's water under the bridge, despite it being the faction you've been fighting since Act 2 that's done all this bad stuff. I guess they wanted to avoid a Yoshimo situation, but it's so underplayed I kinda wonder why it's there at all.

[Heijoushin]

Overall I'm going to go with Aloth. He has potential, but his "dual personality" thing got resolved very quickly and him being a Leaden Key member seems to come...late and no one seems to really care. You have one conversation with him about it and then it's water under the bridge, despite it being the faction you've been fighting since Act 2 that's done all this bad stuff. I guess they wanted to avoid a Yoshimo situation, but it's so underplayed I kinda wonder why it's there at all.

 

Yeah... it's like... I was surprised that he was a traitor, but since there's only one wizard companion, I'm not going to kick him out of the party (does anyone?) so it does all seem pretty underwhelming.

[b0rsuk]

Did you know... that Eder was initially a Rogue ?

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/65025-update-71-the-heavy-hitters-rogues-and-rangers/

 

 

Resident heavy-hitting rogue, Edér

It kinda makes sense given the fact how Eder talks. Also, Eder is the only companion whose talk has NOTHING to do with his character class and profession. Sagani talks about hunting, Hiravias has something to do with wilderness and druids, Aloth briefly mentions spells (Pellegrina), Durance is deeply concerned with religion and gods, Grieving Mother messes with your head, Kana enjoys lore and folk tales and is very inquisitive. Eder's personality could be pasted on top of any other companion.

[Rosveen]

Eder was initially a fighter, in the Kickstarter concept stage. Then a rogue, then a fighter again.

[jools1980]

Character-wise, Aloth gets the cookie of most irritating companion. I got rid of him as soon as I could.

Utility-wise, is it instead Kana that takes the most-sought "useless cardboard cutout" prize (or course different party setups might actually find her useful: I just didn't, at all).

[LaylaNoir]

Tie between Sagani, Grieving Mother and Durance. Sagani just did not add much to my party so I never used her, Durance is a liil grumpy (even though well written) and Grieving Mother... Too stuck on her own points of view.

[Rosveen]

Character-wise, Aloth gets the cookie of most irritating companion. I got rid of him as soon as I could.

Utility-wise, is it instead Kana that takes the most-sought "useless cardboard cutout" prize (or course different party setups might actually find her useful: I just didn't, at all).

"Her"? Is there something I don't know about Kana?

[Buttercheese]

I love all of them, so no vote from me ♥

[b0rsuk]

This is what I think of when I look at Durance:

http://rathergood.com/moon_song

[Dadalama]

I just couldn't stand Rose. The show comes back after 16 years and movie we must not speak of and you give us some whiny chav. No offense to Billie Piper, she pulled it off, the character just sucked...

 

Seriously though, Aloth bored me.

[b0rsuk]

I played Durance's voices and non-quest comments in an audio player. The only thing I can't stand is his attitude towards other party members. He seems happy when other party members are knocked out or die. And he's chilling in the back row saying prayers while they're getting their faces smashed or guts cut open. No basic solidarity from that guy.

[Keneth]

I got bored with Aloth pretty quickly (can't even be bothered to commit his name to memory). I kinda liked his alter ego, and I'd probably have kept him if there was a way to make her take over permanently instead of dragging that weak-willed, mewling tree hugger along. But since that wasn't an option, and the wizard class didn't impress me, I kicked him to the curb when others came along.

 

Eder was a bro and has some funny banters ("If I'm not supposed to pet him, why is he so soft?!"). Plus, he makes for a crazy good tank. Any guy who takes that much punishment and doesn't whine about it (unless it's poison), is okay in my book.

 

Durance is crass as hell, but I loved him anyway. He's antipathetic by design, but he's got flavor and is probably the most memorable of all the companions.

 

Kana is just... meh. Kept him until the end because he summons ogres like a mad c***. Seriously, his ogre game insane. Other than that, he was largely just annoying with his happy-go-lucky bookworm attitude.

 

Sagani is mostly useless as a character. She's also the biggest basic bitch in the game even though she's an eskimo dwarf. Commoners on the street are more interesting. So is her pet.

 

Pallegina feels more like a teenager pretending to be a paladin than an adult entrusted with forging a trade agreement with another people. Sometimes I just wanna slap her, but hey, at least I care enough to do so.

 

Hiravias is the druid who dumps his Cha for that extra +2 to Wis. He's effective but pretty obnoxious. For me, he replaced Aloth as the primary caster and I didn't have any problem tolerating him, but I'm pretty good at tolerating anticharismatic characters who think they're funny.

 

I loved the idea of the connection with the Grieving Mother, but I would have liked it better if she wasn't a glorified midwife. I hate babies and I couldn't bring myself to care, so I left her at home after her quest.

 

So while the companions didn't overly impress me, I had to choose Kana as the one I liked least. I don't like his portrait, his story, his attitude, his voice, his hat, his family, his race; Pretty much none of it.

 

That said, for me, the biggest annoyance on the part of companions was the bloody companion quests that just wouldn't end (Durance, Sagani, Hiravias). I like to be able to finish side quests in a timely fashion, not drag them along for three bloody acts. Especially with characters that I don't want to take with me in the first place.

[Crucis]

I got bored with Aloth pretty quickly (can't even be bothered to commit his name to memory). I kinda liked his alter ego, and I'd probably have kept him if there was a way to make her take over permanently instead of dragging that weak-willed, mewling tree hugger along. But since that wasn't an option, and the wizard class didn't impress me, I kicked him to the curb when others came along.

 

Eder was a bro and has some funny banters ("If I'm not supposed to pet him, why is he so soft?!"). Plus, he makes for a crazy good tank. Any guy who takes that much punishment and doesn't whine about it (unless it's poison), is okay in my book.

 

Durance is crass as hell, but I loved him anyway. He's antipathetic by design, but he's got flavor and is probably the most memorable of all the companions.

 

Kana is just... meh. Kept him until the end because he summons ogres like a mad c***. Seriously, his ogre game insane. Other than that, he was largely just annoying with his happy-go-lucky bookworm attitude.

 

Sagani is mostly useless as a character. She's also the biggest basic bitch in the game even though she's an eskimo dwarf. Commoners on the street are more interesting. So is her pet.

 

Pallegina feels more like a teenager pretending to be a paladin than an adult entrusted with forging a trade agreement with another people. Sometimes I just wanna slap her, but hey, at least I care enough to do so.

 

Hiravias is the druid who dumps his Cha for that extra +2 to Wis. He's effective but pretty obnoxious. For me, he replaced Aloth as the primary caster and I didn't have any problem tolerating him, but I'm pretty good at tolerating anticharismatic characters who think they're funny.

 

I loved the idea of the connection with the Grieving Mother, but I would have liked it better if she wasn't a glorified midwife. I hate babies and I couldn't bring myself to care, so I left her at home after her quest.

 

So while the companions didn't overly impress me, I had to choose Kana as the one I liked least. I don't like his portrait, his story, his attitude, his voice, his hat, his family, his race; Pretty much none of it.

 

That said, for me, the biggest annoyance on the part of companions was the bloody companion quests that just wouldn't end (Durance, Sagani, Hiravias). I like to be able to finish side quests in a timely fashion, not drag them along for three bloody acts. Especially with characters that I don't want to take with me in the first place.

 

 

I guess that it's really a matter of personal taste. 

 

I didn't mind Kana's attitude at all.  My problem with him was more of a problem with chanters in general, i.e. how long it takes to get enough chants going to all you to cast an invocation.

 

I've never kept Hiravias around mostly because I've never been able to like druids all that much.  I guess that we just don't click.

 

I also don't mind Sagani at all, but I have a soft spot in me for rangers.  That said, I haven't used her, except for a very short time, in my current party, because she just doesn't fit with the group.  I have Eder and Pallegine as my frontliners, my PC Monk, a custom made ranged Rogue to be the traps and locks specialist, Durance, and Aloth.   My custom Rogue is the team's ranged specialist and I don't see the need for a second one, even though I don't mind Sagani at all.

 

I don't mind Aloth either, though I agree that he's not the most assertive of personalities.  I might consider replacing him with Grieving Mother, who is the only one of the Companions I haven't picked up to put in my stronghold for various SH missions. 

 

I agree about Eder.  He really does his job as a hold-the-line front liner.  Hard to ask for more, plus he's so laid back and not b!tchy.

 

As for Pallegine, I happen to like having her along.  She's a fairly durable second tank, certainly moreso than my monk, even though my monk has been doing crazy damage through out this run.

 

Durance?  Well, he is a grumpy pain in the arse.  But he's also a priest, so it's rather hard to dump him, short of replacing him with a custom priest, which I won't do this far along into things.

 

Personality wise, I'd have to say that my least liked is Durance, though I have to admit that I haven't played Hiravias nearly enough to get a real feel for his personality.  As far as a useful party member in combat, I tend to think that they're all useful in their own way.  It's probably more a matter of play style than of actual usefulness.  Some people may find some characters more useful than others, and other players may have the reverse opinion, strictly based on their individual play styles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[b0rsuk]

That said, for me, the biggest annoyance on the part of companions was the bloody companion quests that just wouldn't end (Durance, Sagani, Hiravias). I like to be able to finish side quests in a timely fashion, not drag them along for three bloody acts. Especially with characters that I don't want to take with me in the first place.

 

At least in case of Hiravias it made sense. That's where other druids live.

I have a soft spot for short brunettes, but Sagani is just dull as a character. Once you learn she's an Inuit dwarf, that completely sums her up. Her voice is very American, she sounds much more native to Dyrwood than Pallegrina. She has no interesting observations or habits, and that's REALLY strange because Massuk is supposed to be an isolated village! All kinds of weird stuff goes on in isolated villages. They're fascinating if you like channels like Discovery, National Geographic, and so on. But not Sagani.

 

If you try playing with Hiravias, keep in mind he's a bit of a beast, not a pure spellcaster. Druids are okay for melee and Hiravias has stats for that. Early spell Taste of the Hunt gives you endurance drain, and druids have okay HP. Good Might, Dex, not so much Intelligence.

Edited April 25, 2015 by b0rsuk

[Keneth]

My problem with him was more of a problem with chanters in general, i.e. how long it takes to get enough chants going to allow you to cast an invocation.

Use short phrases to stack up for invocations. Use long phrases for party buffs.

 

My custom Rogue is the team's ranged specialist and I don't see the need for a second.

I started out with with my rogue going into flanking positions and Durance faffing about in the thick of it, but by the end of the game, everyone except the tank(s) was just standing in the back autoattacking with ranged weapons and occasionally popping an ability, like summoning ogres (or other beasties) for extra smashy goodness.

[Dadalama]

I actually quite liked Segani myself. Sure she wasn't as bombastic as Kana or as well written as Durance but she just seemed like the kind of person you could sit on the back porch drinking with. Her and Eder both on that front.

[Crucis]

 

My problem with him was more of a problem with chanters in general, i.e. how long it takes to get enough chants going to allow you to cast an invocation.

Use short phrases to stack up for invocations. Use long phrases for party buffs.

 

My custom Rogue is the team's ranged specialist and I don't see the need for a second.

I started out with with my rogue going into flanking positions and Durance faffing about in the thick of it, but by the end of the game, everyone except the tank(s) was just standing in the back autoattacking with ranged weapons and occasionally popping an ability, like summoning ogres (or other beasties) for extra smashy goodness.

 

 

To a certain degree, this is what I already do.  Before I picked up Pallegine, I used my monk PC as a secondary front liner, and she was pretty decent at it at least in terms of producing damage.  OTOH, in a fair number of battles, she would get pounded on pretty mercilessly.  It's difficult finding a happy ground between being able to take enough damage to produce Wounds and not getting pounded into the ground and knocked out too easily or often.

 

With Pallegine now supporting Eder, I can use my Monk a little more cautiously.  I've armed her with a warbow to use when she's not in melee, which seems in character for a monk.  But when the time seems right, she's more than able to go charging in to kick butt and take names.

[nakno3]

Actually in the beginning i disliked nearly every character, cause they nearly alle have kind of psychological disorder.

i disliked that stoic fatalism of Eder, or that pseudo-noble british accent of Aloth and so on.. but in the end i liked most oft them.

 

Eder is a very good tank (so my fighter could go for damage), though i disliked his stoic fatalism at the beginning and didnt want to pick him up in first place.

 

I just kept Aloth (annoying british accent!) and Durance in the group.. cause well u need a mage and a priest^^ .. and Durance is so very crazy with a crazy story, that you just have to like him.

 

Kana Rua is annoying with his voice at battle start and i also disliked his voice and his appearance... but just had him in the group for Main and Od Nua quest, cause i liked how he reacted with comments to the game lore.

 

Sagani seems to be the only "normal" character in the game.. though she is kind of from another world .. had her in group for big parts of the game.. she is strong against trashmobs with safe consecutive damage and bringing another offtank pet, so your group can focus on range-combat.

 

The Grieving Mother was part of my group for a while, cause her sory was bound closely to the main plot. Some of her skills are very strong.. that shockwave pushing down every enemy for example.. but she got replaced by..

 

At first i disliked Hiravias, but he is an enormous powerful spellcaster. He decided some of the last battles for me and i got warm with his aggressive swearing. In the end one of my most liked chars.

 

The only char i didnt get warm at all with was Pallegina.. neither from story, appearance nore skills .. so my vote goes for Pallegina.