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Forums > Home› Neverwinter Discussion › General Discussion (PC)

Suggestion: Allow companions to have skins like mounts.

ltgamesttv#0999 ltgamesttv
ltgamesttv#0999
 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,438 Arc User
in General Discussion (PC)
While I recognize the type of powers that companions have may make this techinically trickier, I'd enjoy the ability to make my companion look different than whatever is BIS for the particular mod. Differentiation and individualization are part of what players of MMOs enjoy.

When specific companions become the meta and the obvious BIS summoned companion it homogenizes the appearance of an otherwise customized character. Players enjoy personalizing their toons by changing their cosmetic appearances, riding mounts that are as unique as they can afford, coloring their gear with dyes... Yet if they desire to be BIS for the current mod it really limits the ability to fit companions into this desire to individualize.

It would be really nice to be able to cosmetically alter the appearance of your companion to any companion you'd like, or at least any companion of the same "type"... i.e. melee for melee, ranged for ranged, etc. etc.

The more players have control over their characters appearance, including extensions of that customization such as mounts and companions, the more they enjoy purchasing new gear, mounts, and companions. It also has the benefit of enriching the market with renewed interest in companions with less than optimal stats but interesting and appealing visualizations.

Thoughts?
On ambush rings: "How would you like PVE if all the mobs were invisible?"

imgur pics don't work


Comments

  • pitshadepitshade Member Posts: 5,665 Arc User
    It is really just the debuff powers that create the issue. A solution would be to put a 'Companion Upgrade Tome' in the WB that would give any blue or better pet a 10% Debuff on its appropriate attack.
    "We have always been at war with Dread Vault" ~ Little Brother
  • ltgamesttv#0999 ltgamesttv
    ltgamesttv#0999
         Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,438 Arc User
    pitshade said:

    It is really just the debuff powers that create the issue. A solution would be to put a 'Companion Upgrade Tome' in the WB that would give any blue or better pet a 10% Debuff on its appropriate attack.

    Even if they felt it was necessary to keep an item like this in the zen store as most of the new BIS companions are being sold from there, I still think there would be significant interest just to be able to use whichever companion you prefer.
    On ambush rings: "How would you like PVE if all the mobs were invisible?"

    imgur pics don't work


  • asterotgasterotg Member Posts: 1,742 Arc User
    If it would change their movement and their size, it would be great. I have the cult tiger on two of my characters and went back to sellsword/ conartist, bc I hate his proc rate and the fact, that a bunch of tigers is like a herd of cattle blocking everyone's way.

    The problem woul be, that the minmaxers would change their companions to the one melee with the fastest procrate, resulting in a different, but still homogeneous picture.
    Chars: CW, DC, GF, GWF, HR and TR.
  • hypervoreianhypervoreian Member Posts: 1,036 Arc User
    While i agree on everything Tolkien said,i think it would be a -immersion wise- bad idea.
    let me explain:
    Some companion powers ,are companion spesific only.For example the con artist ,its power is described as a wide arc sword slash.
    So someone change con artist skin to a rust monster...which by lore eats everything metal...does that makes sense?
    Imagine Lilend with golem abilities,dog with tiger abilities,angel with erinyes abilities...and so on.

    What should be done in my opinion:
    In zen market or bazaar ,should be aditional companion skins.More exotic than the ones we have.i mean con artist to have an extra armour set ,Angel more bright wings and so on.So we could customize our companions better.
  • nitocris83nitocris83 Member, Cryptic Developer, Administrator Posts: 4,498 Cryptic Developer
    I know that when we make variants of existing mounts for things like promotions (or when Sony/Xbox need the blue/green ones), there is an approvals process with WotC. I'm not sure how player created custom skins would fall under the terms of approvals.
  • ltgamesttv#0999 ltgamesttv
    ltgamesttv#0999
         Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,438 Arc User
    edited July 2018
    The big issue here is that some companions are simply the best, they offer the best debuff/buff for content which then limits the use of other companions. I.E. 10% debuff on bosses that stacks then whatever percentage of increased damage the companion offers while some give minimal returns like some extra stat or a very small percentage of increased damage.

    What I hoped here to present was a way to circumvent that, similar to equipping a mount power, then using a different mount that you actually ride and is visible. This allows customization. Perhaps if you have companions their abilities should be on a similar page where you can select the ability of the summoned companion (i.e. 10% debuff) and have it attach itself to *that* companions normal attack.

    There are a multitude of ways to solve this customization issue, these are just a few. There's likely one that's simpler or more elegant. There's so many really well designed companions, and many are collectors, it's unfortunate that all that great artwork goes to waste based off of simple stats when all the other gear/mounts in the games are able to be transmuted/equipped while maintaining the stats you desire.

    Thoughts?
    On ambush rings: "How would you like PVE if all the mobs were invisible?"

    imgur pics don't work


  • shadoewraythshadoewrayth Member Posts: 183 Arc User
    Players have been wanting something to fix this for a LONG time! Can’t tell you how many people complain about always hearing “I’ve got a high dexterity!” Etc... I personally love companions like the skull, battlerager, etc. Maybe there is a way to classify the companions into types that match? I know it would be ridiculous to try and use Lillend as a skin over Con Artist, but, what about the Battlerager? His attacks aren’t so different overall in cosmetics, maybe some other... so, some way to make ‘like’ companions able to be used as cosmetics?
  • grimahgrimah Member Posts: 1,658 Arc User
    Hmm the original idea wouldn't work but there could be alternative solutions. Like removing debuffs from companions but having it as a "companion power" similar to mount power. These could be on-hit effects, stackable auras, healing, taunt effects. They could be categorised by role. It would also allow you to choose where tank pets whether to taunt or not.
    Creator of the featured survival horror foundry: "The Silence of Haydenwick" Video Review
    and also the featured satirical comedic adventure "A Call for Heroes".
  • shadoewraythshadoewrayth Member Posts: 183 Arc User
    grimah said:

    Hmm the original idea wouldn't work but there could be alternative solutions. Like removing debuffs from companions but having it as a "companion power" similar to mount power. These could be on-hit effects, stackable auras, healing, taunt effects. They could be categorised by role. It would also allow you to choose where tank pets whether to taunt or not.

    That would probably be an optimal concept... to have certain powers be labeled the "Companion Power", and the companions still have a basic power, and a 30 level ability (which would trigger the companion power slotted). That way, we could slot whatever, like (my favorite) the Battlerager, could do pounces, and then their double-punch power (escalating fury) would trigger the power (like 10% debuff from Con Artist), instead of the Battlerager's hasting power from Escalating Fury (which could be slotted on some other companion, since that would be a companion power)
  • cdnbisoncdnbison Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 806 Arc User
    hypervoreian said:


    What should be done in my opinion:
    In zen market or bazaar ,should be aditional companion skins.More exotic than the ones we have.i mean con artist to have an extra armour set ,Angel more bright wings and so on.So we could customize our companions better.

    Selling companion skins? That sounds like money, my friend.... Not sure I'd buy any myself, but the right skin, on the right toon? You'd better believe I'd check it out... You could take this further with the variant skins, too - "Female Con Artist" (instead of the current male) - complete with new voice work! Chult Lion skin instead of tiger (or leopard, or, for all the Drizzts out there, a black panther... :-p)...

    Not sure how possible it'd be to add additional skins to the companion menu, but I think it'd offer some more variety, and maybe even put a bit of cash in Cryptic's pockets.

    The other issue that it only really partially addresses is that of "BiS" - most people have one of the sword trio (con artist / sellsword / rebel mercenary) or tiger as their summoned. New skins or not, you'll still be seeing a lot of the same general models.
  • merceron17merceron17 Member Posts: 30 Arc User
    Selling companion skins is kinda dumb but having them as a drop would be cool
  • cdnbisoncdnbison Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 806 Arc User
    merceron17 said:

    Selling companion skins is kinda dumb but having them as a drop would be cool

    Playing a computer game that is a giant Skinner Box is also kinda dumb, yet here we are... :-p I agree, it's not for everyone, but other games make good money by just strictly limiting cash shop stuff to fashion items - and people buy it. A LOT of it.

    The benefit of something like this is that it isn't game-affecting - it's strictly cosmetic, so won't affect game balance at all. You might not buy it, *I* might not buy it, but I'm betting there are enough players out there that would buy it to make it worthwhile (assuming it's easy enough to add extra skin slots to companions). That money helps keep the servers running, and (in an ideal world), lets the team expand a bit to, say, add a new class. ;-)
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