7 New companions, not a single cool active bonus

mutantdemocracy

So 7 new companions popped up on the gateway test collection book(http://gatewaytest.playneverwinter.com/):
Assassin Drake(epic) - [+165 Armor Pen, +165 Recovery]
Redcap Powrie(epic) - [+165 Armor Pen, +165 Life Steal]
Battlefield Medic(green) - [+3% Incoming Healing]
Neverember Guard Archer(green) - [+55 Power, +55 Recovery]
Dragonborn Raider(green) - [+100 Power]
Dragonborn Brawler(green) - [+100 Power]
Scarecrow(green) - [+55 Armor Pen, +55 Recovery]

The thing that should be apparent here is that every one but the Battlefield Medic has a +stat active bonus... Which is super boring. I realize that flat stat bonuses are a lot easier to balance and implement than cool active bonuses. I realize that you don't just get companions for the active bonuses. I'm just disappointed that they're releasing more and more of these companions with boring active bonuses, instead of interesting ones that can make the game play in much cooler way.

iambecks1

Oh two new ones , the Scarecrow and Powrie , I posted screenies of the others a couple of weeks ago as well as the new permanent consumable item the Champions battle horn here http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?746121-New-event-next-month-Siege-of-Neverwinter

If they aren't going to give them good active bonuses then I wish they would just make all Companions Augment type so we can get some variety , some companions look really good but nobody ever bothers to have them activated .

mutantdemocracy

What's more annoying, though? The fact that they made more boring stat bonus or the fact that they passed up on some really cool possibilities for active bonuses?

Assassin Drake could have let you have a percent chance to shoot a wave of poison spit or launch poison upon death. The Redcap Powie could have rewarded you(damage, lifesteal, regen, ???) for attacking one target in succession. The Scarecrow could have come with a percent chance to hard taunt a target you're attacking.

chaoscourtesan

I pick pets for the active bonus, and I prefer stat bonuses to something that I can't measure.

I would really like to get a Redcap Powrie for each of my characters. I will take his stat bonuses and be very mean to him. XD

(I'd name him Jackie Wright, and pat him on the back of the head everytime he spoke.) LOL

obsiddia

The Epics are okay. Assuming you're actually using them as your (for fun) sidekick,
or are under L60. Dunno why there isn't an Epic Dragonborn.

I do MUCH prefer the weird game-mechanic bonuses, rather than stats.
Making more (non-chunk of stone) Augments would also be nice.

axyrem

i never needed any other companion than my basic Cleric for any of my characters.

the reason is that they are all boring with their 3 powers and slow AI.

i transfer some stats from my companion to my character and hope the cleric heals me between battle.

Until these companions start to fight or react the battle is usually over or the companion dies........

The companions arent good and mostly showoff in this game...............

Take a look at the Everquest 2 Companions , thats how it should be done in NW

i would never pay any real money for them.....

hustin1

redcap powrie(epic) - [+165 armor pen, +165 life steal]

Yes! Yes! YES!!!!!!

thirstius

obsiddia wrote: »

The Epics are okay. Assuming you're actually using them as your (for fun) sidekick,
or are under L60. Dunno why there isn't an Epic Dragonborn.

I do MUCH prefer the weird game-mechanic bonuses, rather than stats.
Making more (non-chunk of stone) Augments would also be nice.

Agreed.

But I'd still like to have an active companion be as useful as an augment, so that there is more reason to play them.

A few suggestions, mostly repeats of what I've seen from others, but still relevant to the topic at hand:

1) Fix companion AI to be useful and responsive.

2) Implement companion "orders" system (like many other games). This would address the usability in dungeons problem (hopefully), as you should be able to make a companion passive (not draw aggro) until you want them to be engaged with mobs.

3) Add companion voice/sound responses for more situations/actions (especially to go with orders). If this annoys other nearby players, perhaps we need a UI option to not be able to hear them (our companions or nearby companions).

4) other ideas?

zshikara

The redcap and dragonborn ones look awesome to me.

chaoscourtesan

thirstius wrote: »

3) Add companion voice/sound responses for more situations/actions (especially to go with orders). If this annoys other nearby players, perhaps we need a UI option to not be able to hear them (our companions or nearby companions).

^This. I'd love to turn sounds back on again. But the noise from pets and certain NPC's is just too much. Feel like I wandered into an episode of the Simpsons or something. The Lizard Shaman's regurge. I have keys to the rooftop garden but don't go there because the flame eater noise actually does some weird compression thing to my ears. Sounds shouldn't bother me.. I listen to Motorhead, Hawkwind, and MonsterMagnet.. lol. Anyway.. I babble. Like someone's out of control companion. Hahaha!

hustin1

chaoscourtesan wrote: »

I pick pets for the active bonus, and I prefer stat bonuses to something that I can't measure.

I would really like to get a Redcap Powrie for each of my characters. I will take his stat bonuses and be very mean to him. XD

(I'd name him Jackie Wright, and pat him on the back of the head everytime he spoke.) LOL

Just so you know, the powries are chicks :rolleyes:

That said, I love how the witherers talk smack to the Fomorian warriors. "Your eye would look good on my cap." Gets me every time.

thesensai

mutantdemocracy wrote: »

So 7 new companions popped up on the gateway test collection book(http://gatewaytest.playneverwinter.com/):
Assassin Drake(epic) - [+165 Armor Pen, +165 Recovery]
Redcap Powrie(epic) - [+165 Armor Pen, +165 Life Steal]
Battlefield Medic(green) - [+3% Incoming Healing]
Neverember Guard Archer(green) - [+55 Power, +55 Recovery]
Dragonborn Raider(green) - [+100 Power]
Dragonborn Brawler(green) - [+100 Power]
Scarecrow(green) - [+55 Armor Pen, +55 Recovery]

The thing that should be apparent here is that every one but the Battlefield Medic has a +stat active bonus... Which is super boring. I realize that flat stat bonuses are a lot easier to balance and implement than cool active bonuses. I realize that you don't just get companions for the active bonuses. I'm just disappointed that they're releasing more and more of these companions with boring active bonuses, instead of interesting ones that can make the game play in much cooler way.

Besides the stats these just seem like boring companions in general, just conceptually.

chaoscourtesan

hustin1 wrote: »

Just so you know, the powries are chicks :rolleyes:

DRAT! Hahaha.. how do ye know that?

hustin1 wrote: »

That said, I love how the witherers talk smack to the Fomorian warriors. "Your eye would look good on my cap." Gets me every time.

I've always found these critters to be amusing as well. Except when the Powrie GIRLS steal my power points! That just makes me want to eat planets.

chaoscourtesan

thesensai wrote: »

Besides the stats these just seem like boring companions in general, just conceptually.

I find most companions boring these days. That is why I have 9 attack dogs and spend all my time in here. XD

rashylewizz

thesensai wrote: »

Besides the stats these just seem like boring companions in general, just conceptually.

As long as they don't have a separate slot for augments, all companions will be evaluated by their active bonuses purely.

ryugasirius

thirstius wrote: »

1) Fix companion AI to be useful and responsive.

2) Implement companion "orders" system (like many other games). This would address the usability in dungeons problem (hopefully), as you should be able to make a companion passive (not draw aggro) until you want them to be engaged with mobs.

3) Add companion voice/sound responses for more situations/actions (especially to go with orders). If this annoys other nearby players, perhaps we need a UI option to not be able to hear them (our companions or nearby companions).

4) other ideas?

The only way they could make them somewhat useful is to make augment companions a different "type" of item, so that you can have an augment AND a normal companion summoned.

Or if they made companions powerful enough to have some actual utility (but it probably won't happen).

Or if they made an entirely new game mode where you lead a party of companions, much like SCA, but "real", so that companion type, powers and equipment really matter.

ulviel

but the powrie companion is soooo cuuuute! If I only could give her some ribbons, and maybe a pink dress..... We need companion fashion items!

bioshrike

ulviel wrote: »

but the powrie companion is soooo cuuuute! If I only could give her some ribbons, and maybe a pink dress..... We need companion fashion items!

At the very least, some sort of companion dye packs would be a great start - they we could coordinate their outfits with ours!

chemboy613

Stat bonus companions are highly overrated, by the time we are in endgame, we are so hard into dr we can normally find something better....

l33thaxxor1

I really wish they would change the Pseudo dragon into an augment pet, especially seems how they are supposed to be familiar, abd the only companions worth keeping active are augment pets.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

bioshrike

tousseau wrote: »

Out of curiosity... just what would be considered a interesting active ability?

Perhaps a companion that gave a boost to tenacity in open pvp areas?

While flat stat bonuses are fine, we already have plenty of those. Ones that provide some other benefit are more interesting. We have a lot of companions that grant extra crit or bonuses on dealing/suffering a critical hit. What about a companion that gave a bonus on non-critical hits? What about a companion that has a chance to encase enemies in a block of ice when you or it are struck in combat? What about a companion that can rez you if you are fallen - almost like a soulforged, but in companion form?

lirithiel

The companion AI needs to be looked at long and hard. I was addicted to collecting pets back in my WoW days on my Hunter and those bonuses they provided were definitely more interesting than what NW has to offer. Stat boosts not needed tbh as we are pretty well stocked in most departments come end-game. The problem with collecting companions with the really good active bonuses are that they are too hard to obtain or just too **** expensive. As long as I have an Ioun Stone I cba about the rest of my companions. I would love the black panther for aesthetic reasons but I'll be damned if I'm selling my kidney to own one.

sexwax45

tousseau wrote: »

Out of curiosity... just what would be considered a interesting active ability?

Perhaps a companion that gave a boost to tenacity in open pvp areas?

Some personal favorites...

Lightfoot Theif - on crit nearby targets bleed 3x level based damage every 2 secs for 10
Erinyes - 5% crit severity
Dancing Blade - 3% crit severity
Wild Hunt Raider - on encounter use 2% change to increase damage 10% for 5 sec
Tomb Spider - On encounter use 1% chance to inject deadly poison
Wererat Thief - On encounter use 3% chance to poison target
Black Smith - On damage taken 15% chance to reflect 10% of damage taken if hit 4 times will reflect 3x as much (great on my GWF)
Sprite - 2% action point gain (great on SW)
Fire Archon - increase damage 5% on targets below 30% health (again great for SW)
War Dog - reduces threat 6.5% (good for HR)
Owl - reduces threat 25% (great for HR)

Just to name a few

shockerizer

I agree on the War Dog. That 6.5 percent really shows.