NPC's (as partners): Do we really need them?

[Baldur Moon]

Ok so I've noticed that alot of open world rpg's (primarily those by Bethesda) offer you the option of bringing a partner along with you during your quest. I don't know about you but the only thing I really need them for is as a pack mule, other than that they don't really contribute much to the game other than breaking the challenge since most can take an artillery strike to the face and act like it was nothing and your probably decked out enough already to clear out a room without breaking a sweat.

On the opposite side of that spectrum we've got the NPC's in shooters (both "realistic" ala Call of Duty and non like Halo) which makes me question the selection process in fictional militaries because they are downright retarded ("Oh man everyone just got killed... Oh I know I'll attack them the exact same way! Those stupid aliens/robots/terrorists wont know what hit em") or have the aim of a blindfolded 4 year old. They don't seem to serve any purpose other than making the main character seem more competent (No wonder everyone worships Master Chief and Gordon Freeman; their the only one in their respective galaxy that can hit the broadside of a barn.)

Then theirs games like the newer Resident Evil's that forcefully pair you up with an NPC's if you play solo that really all they do is get in your way, waste all your ammo, or cause you to fail if their too stupid realize that getting shot in the face is bad.

Ofcourse their are exceptions like the Mass Effect series which pairs you up with partners that you're actually glad to have with you (but thats just because Bioware's good at making you care) and help without being annoying or useless.

I'm sure there are other great examples but i can't think of any, (that's what the forums are for lol)

So anyways what do you guys think?

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Well, in some games they make good bullet-magnets. That is useful. After all, it doesn't matter where bullets go, so long as they're not going your way.

 

[Baldur Moon]

Wow I'm surprised how quickly this thread died

 

[Baldur Moon]

Let's see if I can resuscitate it..

There are no exceptions really. I bring along team mates as bullet shields.

Well, in some games they make good bullet-magnets. That is useful. After all, it doesn't matter where bullets go, so long as they're not going your way.

Well, someone beat me to it.

Thats what I meant by challenge breaking like in Fallout 3 I'd bring Fawkes with me and it would just suck the challenge out of the game when i could just chip away at a Deathclaw or Reaver's health while it wailed on Fawkes. No strategy involved; essentially just became push button to win.

 

[skywolfblue]

Gears of War 3 is a good example of decent friendly AI. Part of that comes from being designed as a co-op game first and foremost. If you play the campaign on single player, the friendly AIs take over and handle tasks that your other partner would have done. (Picking you up when you're down, Operating the doo-hicky while you run for it, etc) They have their occasional moments of pants-on-head retarded moments, but a lot more often I'd be the one making stupid mistakes and the friendly AI were picking me up.

Dragon Age also has good NPC partners. They're not exactly the brightest in terms of AI, but the party mechanics are good and make it enjoyable.


I like NPC companions if they're done right.

 

[DoPo]

Ok so I've noticed that alot of open world rpg's (primarily those by Bethesda) offer you the option of bringing a partner along with you during your quest.

So, Skyrim and...what else, actually? Or are you counting the Adoring Fan, too?

OT: I don't like any sort of companions. I'm really reluctant to have them when I play a game, I even played through the whole of Neverwinter Nights (including the expansions - Them I've played three times) solo. Very rarely, do I play with other NPCs, and mostly if they are almost mandatory (BioWare games...aside from NWN) or if it's a mod I really like. So, no we don't need them, but I imagine some players find some use...otherwise I don't know how the devs justify them.

 

[Baldur Moon]

Ok so I've noticed that alot of open world rpg's (primarily those by Bethesda) offer you the option of bringing a partner along with you during your quest.

So, Skyrim and...what else, actually? Or are you counting the Adoring Fan, too?

OT: I don't like any sort of companions. I'm really reluctant to have them when I play a game, I even played through the whole of Neverwinter Nights (including the expansions - Them I've played three times) solo. Very rarely, do I play with other NPCs, and mostly if they are almost mandatory (BioWare games...aside from NWN) or if it's a mod I really like. So, no we don't need them, but I imagine some players find some use...otherwise I don't know how the devs justify them.

Well Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas have the same deal in terms of companions. And well I imagine its probably for players who find the game too difficult or want some form of company other than the blood thirsty bandits that want to kill you

 

[DoPo]

Ok so I've noticed that alot of open world rpg's (primarily those by Bethesda) offer you the option of bringing a partner along with you during your quest.

So, Skyrim and...what else, actually? Or are you counting the Adoring Fan, too?

OT: I don't like any sort of companions. I'm really reluctant to have them when I play a game, I even played through the whole of Neverwinter Nights (including the expansions - Them I've played three times) solo. Very rarely, do I play with other NPCs, and mostly if they are almost mandatory (BioWare games...aside from NWN) or if it's a mod I really like. So, no we don't need them, but I imagine some players find some use...otherwise I don't know how the devs justify them.

Well Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas have the same deal in terms of companions. And well I imagine its probably for players who find the game too difficult or want some form of company other than the blood thirsty bandits that want to kill you

Hmm, in Follout 3, I only remember several guys joined you towards the end, was there something earlier? I may have missed them on purpose, as I said, I don't like NPCs following me. Also, I consider NV a Obsidian RPG, not Bethesda (I know, I know...).

 

[Baldur Moon]

Ok so I've noticed that alot of open world rpg's (primarily those by Bethesda) offer you the option of bringing a partner along with you during your quest.

So, Skyrim and...what else, actually? Or are you counting the Adoring Fan, too?

OT: I don't like any sort of companions. I'm really reluctant to have them when I play a game, I even played through the whole of Neverwinter Nights (including the expansions - Them I've played three times) solo. Very rarely, do I play with other NPCs, and mostly if they are almost mandatory (BioWare games...aside from NWN) or if it's a mod I really like. So, no we don't need them, but I imagine some players find some use...otherwise I don't know how the devs justify them.

Well Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas have the same deal in terms of companions. And well I imagine its probably for players who find the game too difficult or want some form of company other than the blood thirsty bandits that want to kill you

Hmm, in Follout 3, I only remember several guys joined you towards the end, was there something earlier? I may have missed them on purpose, as I said, I don't like NPCs following me. Also, I consider NV a Obsidian RPG, not Bethesda (I know, I know...).

Yea you could recruit like 7 different people throughout. I tried taking one along with me at one point but it made the game way to easy. And fair enough i suppose but it is pretty much the same game from what I've seen.

 

[banksy122]

If the NPC partners had better AI and were stronger, then you would be pointless. I agree that most games have terrible writing for NPCs so you don't feel attached to them so they become meat shields/pack mules, but the games that create that emotional attachment to the NPC make the game so much better. For me the best example of this is Alyx form the half life series, I grew very attached to her and when ever I was fighting with her it made that game that much more entertaining, even if she wasn't doing that much (except for the sniper parts on episode 2, drawing enemies into her fire so she could destroy them was amazing).

 

[Lilani]

-snip-

Any game mechanic is like an ingredient in a food dish. Some ingredients are good for some recipes, some ingredients aren't good for some recipes. And its effectiveness can depend on how the ingredient is put in and how much of it is used.

So asking "Do we really need NPC partners" is like asking "Do we really need to have garlic?" Yes, garlic isn't always the best ingredient to use in some dishes, and when done wrong it can ruin a dish. But in other cases it is the perfect addition to the dish. So no, we shouldn't use garlic all the time. That would be silly. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep it in the kitchen.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I can't stand having NPC help in games.

I did Skyrim and Fallout 3 all alone. They just get in the way.
My exception was Boone and EDI in Fallout Vegas as they gave me some decent buffs and stayed at range.

 

[godofslack]

I usually just end up going solo in Fallout 3, NV and Skyrim. I sometimes bring my allies with me, but only when I'm playing a character specifically designed to be poor by themselves, a couple of builds are built around that. I once played through Skyrim with a character who was basically a merchant.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

In terms of RPGs, I like companions if they have a lot of depth and character and bring personality along with them as I play.
If they are just there to run around and get in my way, I will be less inclined. So long as it is an option though, I don't see the big deal.

 

[The Goat Tsar]

Personally, I prefer to use companions in Skyrim for certain characters. Most followers are useless, though. Archers have piss poor aim, spellcasters can't take a hit, and assassins can't sneak at all.

However, on my favorite characters, which are warriors that don't sneak, only use restoration spells and no other magic, and carry bows that aren't really used, I find that a follower using a two-handed weapon and heavy armor can actually be very useful. Off the top of my head, I can think of Mjoll the Lioness and Erik the Slayer. They can take a lot of damage and since they use a powerful two-handed weapon they can still be somewhat effective even if they only land a single hit in a battle.

As for first person shooters, I like to have NPC allies to add to the realism. Killing hundreds of people by yourself isn't exactly believable. However, I do wish that they could occasionally push towards the objective, and not have to rely on me holding their hand.

 

[jackinmydaniels]

If I can I'll trudge through an adventure all by my lonesome, mainly because I feel slightly emasculated when my followers end up doing a lot of the grunt work. Like when I first started playing New Vegas, I decided to try out having a follower for the first time in like ever, and when Boon joined me for my adventures he was always killings shit before I could even get a shot off. It made me feel like he was the main character and I was just the dude that hung around...oh shit...do you think that's how other followers in games feel?

 

[NeutralDrow]

Depends on the game. A lot of the time, I don't like having companions because it gives me one more person to worry about besides myself, double if I'm using tactics incompatible to their AI.

Other times, I actually appreciate the companionship.