Guild Wars 2

pretty much what the title says, while in PVE it would be cool to have an NPC or even a PC companion, one of the big problems for early game characters that are not warriors or guardians is excessive death. A companion could help ease this problem, of course they would have to be “nerfed” a little to prevent a game made too easy, this could also be a new opportunity to add a side story and build options, or something.

They had summoning stones in GW1. They gave you a 30 minute NPC companion to fight beside you. Maybe ANet needs to look into bringing them into the game for regular PvE.

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Summoning_stone

i was thinking as more of a trainable follower, for those that already have maxed out characters and need something to keep them going in game. now that i think about it tho, this would also be an opportunity to open more higher level areas.

It worked in GW1 because each map was a personal instance for your party. It isn’t much of a problem in open world play. There is bound to be someone in your area that you can tag with. Even if you want to play solo, each class has methods of relieving pressure.

I have to agree with you Gnat but that is not the problem I am proposing a solution for. The problem is there are people that travel alone and would benefit from an update such as this. my self included, but not to seem selfish it seems a logical update. for example in place of raising the level cap and adding more to traits (which would make many in game characters over powered and PVE redundant) this would add some “spice” if you would to the world, and a new topic on which to build, allowing for more difficult in world events and areas to explore regardless of party size. though this does seem a little pushy i am only projecting my opinion. An opinion that I think would make the game overall more entertaining.

I understand the need for it and do think it is a good idea. Another factor of this is fitting in a companion system with the flow of ArenaNet’s living world.

I think the most natural way to implement this system is to have your character “request the help” of an NPC involved with the story of a particular heart/Dynamic Event.

I don’t think it would be too difficult at all, in following the story line there are a set of companions that assist your character in each of the events aside from the conversation portions. You see all of the characters are already there they just need a new role. Using these characters with perhaps a small portion of free adjustments to them for originality would add more realism to the companion portion of their role, and take note that these characters are already relatively understated in the story line, not many changes would need to be made. If anything it would add a little more “real world feel” to the game as it implements another aspect of the story to the game and more fully fulfills the role of your “long time companion” according to some character setup and or a plea for assistance in accordance with some story line recruitment options , this would make each individual story much more personal and original.

I do not support this suggestion. Plus we already have it in our personal story. Now I would support more personal stories

While I’d love to be able to use my extra characters as NPCs, I don’t think it’s a good idea for this game. The one place it might work is dungeons, and even then I doubt the AI would be complex enough for it to work.

To Krosslite:I have to ask then what are your reasons for not supporting this topic? could it possibly be that at present it is too vague or in decisive, or do you just not like this ideas fundamental purpose? I was not trying to force this topic on anyone I just thought it would be a better alternative to raising the lvl cap for a while, and it would help assist lower lvl players that may be un-motivated to play due to inexperience or not to be mean but a possible lack of skill that results in an abundance of deaths. i know i had problems like these when i first started this game, and now am just trying to get more players a fair chance. along with this there would also be more options in PVE and to clear up any mist on the topic i did not intend it to be used for any form or PVP or dungeon use.

To darkace: the matter on AI has already been solved as hunters use a set of simple commands to control an NPC in combat i am simply reusing this in another area of similar purpose. if direct control over a companion is too powerful, there is the AI used on necromancers minions that only engage in combat when you do this could be slightly reworked to serve a similar purpose. however i must disagree with this use in dungeons as their purpose is to stimulate a teamwork experience from a group of players and having a companion like this would defeat the purpose, and my suggestion was no just limited to other characters of the same account if people feel this would “break” the game implementing my other choices would probably be better served. i would love some feed back on the topic that could help “rough out some of the more coarse edges” if the term suits the discussion.

Rubber Ducky.8627:

I have to ask then what are your reasons for not supporting this topic?

If this question is directed at me, I just don’t think PvE is so difficult to warrant a henchman/hero system. I think it would hurt balance; it would ruin what little challenge there is to be found in the game.

Sure, there are times when you need to complete that difficult Dynamic Event or Skill Challenge in that abandoned mid-level zone where an NPC would be very helpful. But on the whole, most of the PvE content is more than playable by yourself. And such a system would on some level work to undermine the social community the developers are trying to cultivate.

There are also lag/culling considerations to make. Imagine Jormag on a Friday night if everyone popped an NPC. Then there is the difficulty of programming NPC AI. If they still haven’t got the ranger’s pet AI where they want it, imagine how many resources they’d have to pump into programming competent companion AI available to all characters.

And how would AI-controlled companions affect the difficulty scaling of Dynamic Events? If the answer is “not at all”, they’re going to become so easy you can complete them while going downstairs and making a sandwich. If they do have an impact, then the AI had better be good enough to warrant an increase in difficulty.

Ultimately, it seems like it would take a lot of resources to add a feature that doesn’t add a whole lot to the game.

i understand the difficulty placed on the production team and the system as a whole but i wouldn’t suggest an idea that would be impossible, this would be up to the specs. of the individual computer. with that said it is stated on the box when purchased (if that person read the back) that there may be updates that would possibly result in a computers inability to play the game smoothly, as with what happen with my lap top. as to your leveling issue and the topic as a whole a companion would not be mandatory and for events that already have a large number of players participating there could be a limit placed like those placed on reviving allies (limit 3 people i believe) the game would just register your follower as a by stander of phase it out altogether, as to not affect the level adjustment of the event. i understand your concern but all that I’m suggesting is well within the limits of a game such as this. now for the issue of how effective a players’ companion is i have noted that they would need to be “nerfed” to what degree is to be decided by the development team as needed if they decide to use this idea in their game. as to game play it would fill in the gaps. A dedicated player could power through their story in under a week i know I’ve done it, but that is just a few quests and a little talking here and there, what about every thing else i chose this topic for experience not completion if it serves the argument at all the party system could void the purpose of a companion and cause it to leave for the duration. i know this would take a considerable amount of time to develop that is why it is in a suggestion forum, if implemented i expect a considerable amount of time before it becomes available in game.

If anyone else would like to help me refine the topic they are welcome to, I’m sure there are some aspects i have not covered.

I doubt the Dev’s will ever honor this request as they are quite hopelessly tied to the fiction that all players will easily find people to group with; despite the large number of posts and threads that clearly state otherwise; and the vast streches of the PvE landscape that are basically empty.

But I have been thinking for some days, I would be a great help if during the escort missions, like Help Reztiff Sunderfoe capture the East Tower, if the NPCs one was helping were something more than useless; I don’t believe I have ever seen a friendly NPC win a fight with a mob unassisted. They are simply and Sadly worse than the Allies in GW1.

Giving the Allies/Companions one encounters in a given mission a small buff might allow players to complete a given bit of content without making sure they are +10 Level over the purported level of the content before trying because if your only help in a mission is Allies, your soloing.

It need not be done all on one monsterous patch, the idea could be play tested in some midlevel zones and spread out slowly if the idea is found to work.

Ugh. Please no. I hated them in GW1 and Swtor. It’s just annoying micro management that i don’t want.