WTF are sidekicks?

[Yosharian]

Did I miss something?  What are sidekicks?

 

Someone said they are meant to act as more interesting versions of the hired mercenaries you have in your party...

 

But I don't understand that explanation, because as far as I can tell they still have fixed race, class, stats, etc so they are no more flexible than the main companions.

 

I would love to have named companions that have their class, stats, starting feat, etc (basically everything except their race and gender) modifiable.  That would be great.

[Dagda]

Ever play Shadowrun? You know those extra runners you can hire outside of your companions? That is basically what sidekicks are, though with more personality, you meet them in the world and you have to recruit them, and depending on your PC you might get different ones.

 

The reason you don't get to fully customize your companions is because they're not dolls for you to play with, they're supposed to be characters, with backstories, making Eder a wizard wouldn't mesh with his lore, he is a farmer, and deadfire doubles down on that by adding more interaction with them than PoE1, so they can leave  if you burn down an orphanage or enter into romances with other companions.

 

Also for game play purposes, there was nothing balanced around having as many created characters as you like, creating 6 rangers or druids and breaking the game by over-stacking on one type of class was silly.

[Wormerine]

You did miss something - like couple updates and one stretchgoal.

 

Game features 7 companions and 4 sidekicks.

 

Companions are getting expanded in Deadfire - with the relationship system. They will also have all their own character arch’s and personal quest.

 

Sidekicks are companions light - unique NPC whom you will meet on your journey, with their own story and character, but they are less complex. They won’t have relationship system, nor story arc nor personal quest. The idea was to give players more cool characters to choose from, with less design and narrative work. Josh compared it to how in Baldur’s Gate some of the companions had robust arcs, while other were cool, but didn’t evolve or interact with you all that much.

[the_dog_days]

They're companions without personal quests. They have a recruitment quest, unique dialog, and specific backgrounds.

[Guest]

So glad this hasn't been covered a thousand times already.

[Yosharian]

So glad this hasn't been covered a thousand times already.

I searched and there wasn't a single topic about this that came up.

 

So excuse me for using the forums to find out information, so sorry to have inconvenienced you.

 

Jesus.

[Silent Winter]

Though they won't have the same level of personal quest as the companions, I heard Josh say that some might join you after you help them with something (so 'personal quest lite') - unless I'm confusing them with ship crew, but I don't think so.

[Yosharian]

Though they won't have the same level of personal quest as the companions, I heard Josh say that some might join you after you help them with something (so 'personal quest lite') - unless I'm confusing them with ship crew, but I don't think so.

Can you use any of these sidekicks, or companions you're not currently employing in your party, as ship crew?  That'd be cool.

[Guest]

 

So glad this hasn't been covered a thousand times already.

I searched and there wasn't a single topic about this that came up.

 

So excuse me for using the forums to find out information, so sorry to have inconvenienced you.

 

Jesus.

 

Clearly

[Silent Winter]

 

Though they won't have the same level of personal quest as the companions, I heard Josh say that some might join you after you help them with something (so 'personal quest lite') - unless I'm confusing them with ship crew, but I don't think so.

Can you use any of these sidekicks, or companions you're not currently employing in your party, as ship crew?  That'd be cool.

 

I'm not totally sure, but I heard something to that effect.  Whether it's just that the companions stay at the ship (like in PoE1's stronghold) or actually work as crew (unlike defending said stronghold) I don't know.

[injurai]

God damn, they were announced in the Fig campaign. This question never ceases to amaze me.

[TheisEjsing]

 

This is a sidekick!

[Silent Winter]

Chuck Norris could sidekick all other sidekicks into a cash grab remake ... except Konstanten.

[Yosharian]

 

 

So glad this hasn't been covered a thousand times already.

I searched and there wasn't a single topic about this that came up.

 

So excuse me for using the forums to find out information, so sorry to have inconvenienced you.

 

Jesus.

 

Clearly

 

Not sure what you're trying to achieve with this link but it leads to an error.

 

Carry on though, this is an excellent look on you.

[Yosharian]

The reason you don't get to fully customize your companions is because they're not dolls for you to play with, they're supposed to be characters, with backstories, making Eder a wizard wouldn't mesh with his lore, he is a farmer, and deadfire doubles down on that by adding more interaction with them than PoE1, so they can leave  if you burn down an orphanage or enter into romances with other companions.

 

Also for game play purposes, there was nothing balanced around having as many created characters as you like, creating 6 rangers or druids and breaking the game by over-stacking on one type of class was silly.

We're talking about sidekicks.  Who are supposed to have limited interactions.  Hence why they'd be suited to having custom classes.  Hence why I mentioned it.

 

Your balance comment is just daft.  Obsi already allows us to create as many custom characters as we want, so having sidekicks with custom classes wouldn't alter balance in the slightest.

[Messier-31]

Yahtzee

 

https://www.fig.co/campaigns/deadfire/updates/273

 

[Posted: 02/17/2017] !!!!!!!!!!1!!one

Edited February 22, 2018 by Messier-31

[Guest]

 

 

 

So glad this hasn't been covered a thousand times already.

I searched and there wasn't a single topic about this that came up.

 

So excuse me for using the forums to find out information, so sorry to have inconvenienced you.

 

Jesus.

 

Clearly

 

Not sure what you're trying to achieve with this link but it leads to an error.

 

Carry on though, this is an excellent look on you.

 

It was the two pages of search results related to sidekicks that you "couldn't find" before starting yet another thread on the subject. Apparently search results don't hyperlink well, but no matter.

[Sedrefilos]

Sidekicks are companions without a questline tied to main plot and relationshim system.

 

Think as what Minks was in BG2.

 

PS. sidekicks were extensively explained in Fig campaign and several times by Sawer in updates and interviews.

[Boeroer]

Think as what Minks was in BG2.

 I remember now:

 

[Faustus2]

Pre-apology for not knowing the answers to the questions i'm about to ask...

 

 

 

I read that there are 7 companions and 4 sidekicks.  So there are only going to be 11 choices to fill the four available spots in our party?

 

Are the amount of companions/sidekicks finalized?

 

Are the companions and/or sidekicks customizable?  To what extent?

[daven]

Well there's only about 5 weeks til release I imagine they are completely finalized.

[Boeroer]

Pre-apology for not knowing the answers to the questions i'm about to ask...

 

 

 

I read that there are 7 companions and 4 sidekicks.  So there are only going to be 11 choices to fill the four available spots in our party?

 

Are the amount of companions/sidekicks finalized?

 

Are the companions and/or sidekicks customizable?  To what extent?

 

You'd have to apologize if you'd ask a question of which you knew the answer.

 

- Is the amount finalized?

Pretty much. But there will be expansions and I'm 100% sure they will come with additional companions and/or sidekicks.

 

- Are the companions and/or sidekicks customizable? To what extend?

Yes, they are customizable. You can level them up by yourself from lvl 1 on. You can choose different classes for some and multiclass several of them, but your choice of classes and their combinations is restricted (like fighter or rogue or fighter/rogue for Edér). You can not freely chose the classes or subclasses, the background or the stats.

 

If you want a fully customizable companion you'll have to use a hireling that you can get at every merchant/tavern/inn. You can customize those like you can with your own main character.

Edited February 27, 2018 by Boeroer

[Bill Gates' Son]

I read that there are 7 companions and 4 sidekicks.  So there are only going to be 11 choices to fill the four available spots in our party?

 

Are the amount of companions/sidekicks finalized?

 

Based on everything we know, probably.  But who knows?  There may be hidden sidekicks in the game.  I personally think that's possible.

[Faustus2]

 

If you want a fully customizable companion you'll have to use a hireling that you can get at every merchant/tavern/inn. You can customize those like you can with your own main character.

 

 

This is a thing?!?!  Confirmed?

 

Why would anyone NOT fully customize their entire party? 

[Boeroer]

What do you mean "confirmed"? It is the case in Pillars of Eternity and in the current Deadfire Beta as well. This is like asking if swords are confirmed.

 

Why would anyone NOT fully customize their entire party?

Because the official companions have a unique backstory, unique questlines, they have relationsships and banter, some of them even have unique subclasses and abilites.

 

The price for full customisation is that your hirelings have none of that. But hey: you can give them a custom portrait and name.

Edited February 27, 2018 by Boeroer