So Ydwin (and by lesser extend Rekke) is wasted as sidekick

[Whitewolfsp]

I'd actually prefer the other way around - ditch all useless sidekicks and make more content for existing characters, especially old ones. It's always cool to explore growing bonds and attachment feelings between companions and protagonist in sequels. Good ideas for new companions can be endless, knowing when to make a cut is paramount for maintaining focused narrative.

 

Im with you in that , use the money and time to make better quests and better interactions with the companions .

[FecklessFool]

Ditch either Xoti or Eder, though I prefer Xoti as I wanted Eder to get to meet his god without dying, get rid of all sidekicks, make Rekke a full companion. 

 

Now on my 2nd playthrough, and I'm having more fun with Rekke in the party.

 

Now I kinda wish he was the main character. Replace the Watcher with someone from Rekke's land, and the game is about sailing back home after you've left your mark on the Deadfire as the number one captain. 

 

Because on my 2nd playthrough, I am having fun with everything that is not main quest related. The main quest is boring and dumb, the rest of the game is fun. Down with the Watcher.

 

Also add in more Modwyr stuff / interactions. Or add in more talking weapons.

Edited May 26, 2018 by FecklessFool

[CENIC]

In case it's not obvious, I absolutely adore Rekke. He's such a great character, and they made the effort to invent his gibberish language. He even says something that sounds like he's making a pass at the Watcher at one point. Ydwin also seems more interesting than several of the characters that are proper companions and both of their stories are loose ends. I'm sadly starting to think it would have been better to ditch Eder and Aloth and give us those 2 as proper companions instead.

In my next save file I'm going to do Aloth's negative approval romance and encourage him to stick to his mission.

 

As soon as he leaves Rekke and I are going on a cruise to Yezuha.

[Aridea]

I'd actually prefer the other way around - ditch all useless sidekicks and make more content for existing characters, especially old ones. It's always cool to explore growing bonds and attachment feelings between companions and protagonist in sequels. Good ideas for new companions can be endless, knowing when to make a cut is paramount for maintaining focused narrative.

 

Just wanted to put my 2 cents here that yeah, I am with you on this one.

Less companions and more content > more companions and less content.

Sidekicks just feel like glorified mercenaries you can build yourself, except resources were wasted on their models, portraits and voices.

I am even not recruiting them on purpose so it would register in telemetry. I know one person doesn't mean anything but still.

[Crucis]

 

Gotta disagree.  I'd rather have as many sidekicks as possible.  To me, sidekicks are essentially pre-rolled adventurers who have more flavor than the ones you make.  And I don't feel any crushing need to grow bonds with companions.  Give me more sidekicks (though with some banter)!!!

Well, if you like playing all custom party with mindless drones I can see why you'd want that. But many people value rpgs not simply for gameplay mechanics but for lively interactions with companions as well.

 

 

Yawn.  Give the sidekicks banter, and it's all good.  I don't want nor need in depth conversations or navel gazing with companions.  Nor do I want romances.  I've turned down every advance on my Watcher, because I simply don't want them getting in the way of the game.

[Slotharingia]

 

In case it's not obvious, I absolutely adore Rekke. He's such a great character, and they made the effort to invent his gibberish language. He even says something that sounds like he's making a pass at the Watcher at one point. Ydwin also seems more interesting than several of the characters that are proper companions and both of their stories are loose ends. I'm sadly starting to think it would have been better to ditch Eder and Aloth and give us those 2 as proper companions instead.

 

Ditching Aloth?  maybe.  Ditching Eder?  Heaven forbid!  You can't ditch the Watcher's best buddy!  After all, you'll always know that he has your bat.   Ummm, I meant "back".  

 

Yeah I like Eder, but not as much as Aloth, and it seems people who were really into Eder in POE1 feel he's lacking in 2. So if they can't be bothered to flesh them out or turn them into obnoxious gits, it kind of defeats the whole point of bringing them back, so I'd rather have new characters than ruined or lackluster old ones. Eder is nothing like as bad as Aloth, but he does also act mostly like he doesn't know the Watcher and you have to work to get his approval. Ofc it's much easier, so you don't end up feeling like he prefers some random zealots you only just met as long as you crack jokes.

 

In case it's not obvious, I absolutely adore Rekke. He's such a great character, and they made the effort to invent his gibberish language. He even says something that sounds like he's making a pass at the Watcher at one point. Ydwin also seems more interesting than several of the characters that are proper companions and both of their stories are loose ends. I'm sadly starting to think it would have been better to ditch Eder and Aloth and give us those 2 as proper companions instead.

In my next save file I'm going to do Aloth's negative approval romance and encourage him to stick to his mission.

 

As soon as he leaves Rekke and I are going on a cruise to Yezuha.

 

That's gonna be the only way I can romance Aloth. Both of my Deadfire Watchers (which were imported from POE1) have failed miserably in getting his friendship. The first one managed to get it to 1 in spite of constantly harvesting his sneers, the second one who has actually been trying to please him is still at 0 with about 1/3 of the game left. Neither of them are the types of people where one could say it makes sense Aloth doesn't like them, as they are pretty much like him (benevolent but sneaky) except they have a sense of humour and aren't uptight, judgemental gits with double standards xD. And since I don't want to be foreced to play some weird duty obsessed zealot or a compulsively honest person (which seems to be the only ones he likes), my only options are to cheat or make an a$$hole. I did experiment with a Bleak Walker and Aloth gave me the "ur 2 traditional, bud" talk about 10 min after recruiting him. Needless to say, my guy did nothing that could be considered "traditional", so he told him to shut up and bam -1 xD

 

Ditch either Xoti or Eder, though I prefer Xoti as I wanted Eder to get to meet his god without dying, get rid of all sidekicks, make Rekke a full companion. 

 

Now on my 2nd playthrough, and I'm having more fun with Rekke in the party.

 

Now I kinda wish he was the main character. Replace the Watcher with someone from Rekke's land, and the game is about sailing back home after you've left your mark on the Deadfire as the number one captain. 

 

Because on my 2nd playthrough, I am having fun with everything that is not main quest related. The main quest is boring and dumb, the rest of the game is fun. Down with the Watcher.

 

Also add in more Modwyr stuff / interactions. Or add in more talking weapons.

Rekke is great and a pretty big missed opportunity if he stays as is. I had him in my party a lot of my first pt, though this time I'm forcing myself to cart Pallegina around instead. Apart from being hilarious, he also literally never died and took next to no damage. I think a lot of the issues with Deadfire are related to recylcing the character from 1: The lackluster storyline, the characters from 1 being dull/annoying/not making sense. They should either have put more effort into making it work or just saved themselves the hassle and given us a new character with a clean slate. I also wish the characters were capable of self reflection/growth which they don't seem to be.

[drchocapic]

As much as I enjoy Aloth, his inclusion in the game really does feel forced.

 

The guy spent five years as some sort of spy and just happens to not only be in the region of the world you end up in but also on the very first island you visit.

 

Eder's presence is a little more believable as it feels much less coincidental (even though his personal quest also feels really forced) and Pallegina's inclusion makes perfect sense.

 

I understand the appeal of including characters from the first game, especially fan-favourites, but I don't think half of the "actual" companions should have been returning characters. Especially when their personal quests feel like such dead-ends.

[Slotharingia]

As much as I enjoy Aloth, his inclusion in the game really does feel forced.

 

The guy spent five years as some sort of spy and just happens to not only be in the region of the world you end up in but also on the very first island you visit.

 

Eder's presence is a little more believable as it feels much less coincidental (even though his personal quest also feels really forced) and Pallegina's inclusion makes perfect sense.

 

I understand the appeal of including characters from the first game, especially fan-favourites, but I don't think half of the "actual" companions should have been returning characters. Especially when their personal quests feel like such dead-ends.

Aloth would have made more sense if the character was new, not the Watcher. Eder makes more sense with the old Watcher as he's already on the boat. Maybe they could ahve done something like give a magey type Eder on the boat and a fighter type Aloth, not that there's any point in speculating on could have's xD

[Skazz]

Konstanten.

[Wormerine]

Josh has been rather clear that writers really really didn’t want to take upon themselves to write the 8th companion during fig campaign. I do agree that both Yidwin and Rekke are welcome candidates to be developed further. Will it happen? Time will tell. Yidwin certainly seemed to change since it’s origial concept a bit - if devs are planning to expand her role in the game down the line, hooking her personal goal with the overarching narrative seems like a great first step. The first priority, however, should be sorting out current companions and their schizophrenic nature.

[Yenkaz]

I really wouldn't have minded a new main character. I feel like the Watcher had their story and that of his/her companions wrapped up nicely in POE1. The idea of essentially starting as shipwrecked 'Rekke' with a short intro indicating what the stormfolk culture was like on a ship voyage west you had joined for [custom reason]... Maybe Eothas, not the storm, was the final reason you were the sole survivor?

 

Yeah it could've been interesting.

[Crucis]

I really wouldn't have minded a new main character. I feel like the Watcher had their story and that of his/her companions wrapped up nicely in POE1. The idea of essentially starting as shipwrecked 'Rekke' with a short intro indicating what the stormfolk culture was like on a ship voyage west you had joined for [custom reason]... Maybe Eothas, not the storm, was the final reason you were the sole survivor?

 

Yeah it could've been interesting.

 

That's actually not a bad way to start a story in the Deadfire, if a new main character was involved. 

 

Heck, it could probably be made to work even with the Watcher.  Maybe you got Caed Nua stomped, perhaps while you were "out of town".  And decided to give chase, so you bought a ship, but while at sea, either Eothas stomped your ship or you ran into a storm and you were the only survivor, left adrift on your ship's wreckage.  Until you get picked up by someone, perhaps a kindly merchant ship.  (If you got picked up by one of the factions, you might end up a slave or in debt or something else bad.)

 

 

Anyways, I think that they probably committed pretty early to making this a sequel for The Watcher.  They could have used 100% new Companions had they chose to, but I suspect that a fair number of people wanted to see at least some familiar faces as Companions, so we have what we have.