Companion Quests

[LaSpeakeasi]

First of all, I quite enjoyed most if not all of the companions. This is one of the few party-based RPGs where I used everybody almost equally. They each contribute something interesting and are a diverse enough cast, visually and personality-wise.

 

But the companion quests felt a bit lackluster for me. Most of them felt like a tagged-on afterthought rather than an integrated part of the story. Maybe they were designed this way so that players playing custom parties won't miss much?

 

Any way, here are my thoughts:

 

1) They are simply too short. Aloth's was the first companion quest I completed. I remember thinking, "Wait, that's it? We talk to a scientist lady and... nothing happens?" The same can be said about Pallegina. You don't even need to do anything extra - you have to do it for the main quest any way.

 

There were no choices to make, bosses to fight, maps to explore etc. And as a result leave no lasting impression. Just another entry on the journal to complete.

 

 

2) They aren't rewarding. I don't do quests solely for rewards. But I'm not opposed to shiny objects you get at the end of a fight. A unique item that ties to the character's backstory would be nice.

 

Dragonfall DC did this exceptionally well. After completing a companion's quest, the companion gains a special ability that recalls events that took place during the quest.

 

One of the reasons I use pre-made companions, besides character development, is their unique abilities. Like Hiravias' Stelgaer form and Sagani's Itumaak. Why can't Aloth be able to call forth Iselmyr and give a boost to his spells, or Eder get a soul-bound weapon that belonged to his brother (a standard flag that doubles as a spear would be soooo cool)?

 

3) They are all downers. None of them resolve the conflict those characters came with. And as a result none of the characters felt like they developed in any meaningful way. Sagani even said so herself!

 

I don't think they all need to have a happy ending. But I'd like to be able to at least have a meaningful conversation with them afterwards. If I lashed out at Grieving Mother, I would like to see her come to recognize the error of her ways; I'd like to see Eder take his faith more seriously, or have Kana be less idealistic and dorky. But alas.

 

An entire chapter after finishing his quest, Aloth came to me and said he's finally taken my advice. I was pleasantly surprised. I like the idea of long-term consequence that manifests itself much later down the line. I just wished they were a bit more impactful.

[joshua43214]

I have to agree, they are a bit lackluster. Hopefully they will get some love in the expansion.

 

It is almost more fun to recruit them then leave them in the stronghold and use custom characters.

 

 

Sagani (who I hate) wastes her life hunting Dude before she returns home to find half her family dead and has trouble readjusting.

Durance (who is irritating) sets himself on fire

 

 

[evilcat]

I like scripted companions, and even if all their offer are short talks, simple task, and some comments during play that is nice enought.

I see the upgrade over mercenaries.

 

Having more talk lines, and some bigger story connected with companions would be improvment if possible.

And it would be nice if companions could learn some unique abilities if we did their quest.

That would change fact "i can do the same but better".

 

It would be nice if we could help Eder start some Eothas temple (maybe even switch him into Paladin since why not) , or if Pellegia could find her purpose as godness choosen. 

 

But that takes time. Maybe there is no chance for that without changing everything. But there is some hope for future companions (there is no rule that they could not repeat class) to be more connected with plot.

[magritte]

The companion quests are definitely written in a peculiar way.  I haven't got through all of them yet, but so far they've all had unsatisfying resolutions, as if the point of them is to emphasize the futility of striving for any sort of goal.  I can't see it as simply being a case of insufficient time.  It wouldn't really take any more time to have a vision that explained exactly how Eder's brother had come to join Waidwen or have Sagani be able to have an actual conversation with Pessoq.  It's clearly a conscious choice to end the quests that way.  It's a bit too nihilist for my taste.

[LaSpeakeasi]

The companion quests are definitely written in a peculiar way.  I haven't got through all of them yet, but so far they've all had unsatisfying resolutions, as if the point of them is to emphasize the futility of striving for any sort of goal.  I can't see it as simply being a case of insufficient time.  It wouldn't really take any more time to have a vision that explained exactly how Eder's brother had come to join Waidwen or have Sagani be able to have an actual conversation with Pessoq.  It's clearly a conscious choice to end the quests that way.  It's a bit too nihilist for my taste.

Exactly. I wasn't aware that I was playing Pillars of Warhammer Fantasy, which would've been fine but the rest of the game is neither that grimdark nor that nihilist. It's not any more low fantasy that say Dragon Age; and even that game had companion quests that usually end well.

 

Eder's and Sagani's were the two better done quests IMO. At least they left an emotional impact, which is more than I can say for Aloth's or Kana's. I don't necessarily need the quests to have a satisfying ending. I just want to know that the experience meant something to the characters involved. Instead we barely even speak of it ever again.

 

The problem with nihilism as a stylistic device is, if it's all pointless, then why frame them in such a way that would suggest these characters trust each other and bonded over them? I can't be like 'meh this is pointless' and 'awww that's sweet' at the same time.

[globalCooldown]

The thing about the character quests is, even after you complete them, you have to haul the party members around with you for a while to see what impact the quests had. Since you can only have five party members with you at a time, max, that's at least three companions at high risk of not having onscreen development post-companion quest. Being religious about switching up your party doesn't seem to help matters; if you don't bring the right five into certain plot locations and have them for certain cutscenes, I get the feeling entire dialogue paths are Lost Forever or behind a stat check wall that your characters might not be able to pass.

[Cantousent]

Okay, I can agree with the nihilistic complaint. Not that some resolutions shouldn't be nihilistic, but that doesn't mean every ending should have a dark cloud. However, not all of them are horrible. One in particular is never resolved in a 'positive' fashion, but it does allow the NPC to have closure and that NPC enjoys a more or less 'favorable' ending at the conclusion. Still, I can see why some folks feel the way they do about the 'endings.' I would just remember that 'endings'in real life often tend to be the same way. There is no 'ending' in real life until someone's 'real' life ends. In the case I cited above, the circumstances didn't have a Pollyannic ending, but the NPC in question came to grips with what had happened and managed to find peace. That's about as good an ending I have ever found in my 'real' life, and I accept it in PoE.

 

On the other points, however, I disagree. If folks want real choices and consequences, let those start with the people with whom they associate. On your first playthrough, take the NPCs you most want with you. Get to the end of their stories. That conclusion is a reward in and of itself. I particularly found a couple of the conclusions quite rewarding, even if they didn't yield 'shiny' rewards. The reward was the story. The reward was the journey.

 

I loved PS:T. I loved it so much I played it several times. Then I edited my stats to get the widest variety of dialogue options possible and then played it again several times. Then, after many many completions, I downloaded an editor and went through the dialogue to glean the little bits and pieces I had missed. I *want* a game that doesn't give me everything in one playthrough. Certainly, I want to have a great game the first time, but if it leaves me wondering and wanting more, that's a good thing. :Cant's shrug and grin icon: