A little dragon as a new combat companion

[Firago]

Hello fellow WoLs! Another suggestion thread incoming and I'll admit this one may be a bit far fetched. It's still not going to stop me from suggesting it!

In FFXI Dragoon was a semi pet job since they had a little "wyvern" that fought alongside them. The way it fought depended on your chosen support job. If it was a melee dps then your wyvern would use an elemental breath attack when you used a weaponskill, sort of like a mini black mage. If you used a mage job is would use a healing breath on a low HP party member or an esuna breath if needed whenever you cast a spell.



While I'm okay with Dragoons no longer having a pet in XIV I've always felt that it's been a missed opportunity that SE never implemented a mini dragon companion that could be used by all classes back in HW. While I know chocobo companions don't see much use I can see SE eventually letting us use companions in Eureka when it inevitably dies out once Shadowbringers hits. Maybe let us use companions in squadron missions. Wouldn't it be neat to be able to use a mini dragon companion that fights instead if you wanted? It would be another option for a companion.

I'm not going to get my hopes up too high but here's how I think it could work:

You unlock your new companion through a quest where you find a dragon child or egg next to its dying parent. The dying dragon tells you that they wish for their child to grow up fighting alongside mortals like the old days and to travel the world and to grow strong. A npc named Rahal (in name only, not the XI Rahal) accompanies you and would agree that the wish would definitely come true should the child dragon join you. At this point you can agree to adopt the child dragon and name it.

You would summon the little guy by using a certain piece of meat like how you summon your chocobo with gysahl greens. It would function and rank up similarly to a chocobo.

I don't see a baby dragon being capable of tanking so how about a support role that will buff the party? The possibilities are endless on this one.

Here are some example skills I can think of besides +HP and +Stat traits:

DPS: Elemental Breath*, Toxic Spit (DoT), Startling Rawr (Stun/Silence)

Healer: Healing Breath, Draconic Shield (Adloquium), Holy Crest (Succor)

Support: Determination Rawr, Haste Rawr, Sleepy Yawn (Sleeps an extra enemy you may have aggroed)

*Since there are no elemental weaknesses Elemental Breath will cause unaspected damage regardless of the element used. Randomizes the element for flavor.

Of course there are considerations regarding leveling speed while lacking a stable. Maybe Rahal can be spoken to and he would provide features that a stable would: rename, feed, train, etc.

Color: Starts out blue colored but can be changed by feeding the dragon certain things. This shouldn't be as convoluted as coloring a chocobo since this isn't a mount.

Dragon's dialog: Maybe the child dragon would have an energetic personality like he wants to go fight and that he enjoys fighting with you. Maybe the dragon wants to grow up to be just like you!

Again not getting my hopes up too high. (Okay maybe I am.) but it's fun to come up with ideas like this. What are your thoughts and what skills can you come up with?

TL;DR: I'm not asking for DRGs to get their wyverns back like in XI. I'm saying it would be neat to have the option for all jobs to use a mini dragon companion instead of a chocobo. I speculate that SE will expand upon the companion system.

[Enkidoh]

It was asked ages ago for something like DRG's wyvern to return (and repeatedly too), and Yoshi basically said "no". We do have several dragonling minions which look a lot like FFXI's DRG wyvern, so that's the closest you'll get I'm sorry to say.

Also it's clear SE have pretty much moved away from adding further (non Chocobo) companions to the Chocobo Companion system, instead we've got the Grand Company Squadrons (which can be used in certain dungeons), and the soon-to-be-added Trust NPC system that will be able to be used to take the player through the main scenario (based loosely on FFXI's ironically enough).

[Bacent]

I love your taste in attire, Firago. And as much as I'd like people to have options for other things, I don't see this being added, due to the squad/trusts stuff like Enkidoh mentioned.

[WellFooled]

I love your taste in attire, Firago. And as much as I'd like people to have options for other things, I don't see this being added, due to the squad/trusts stuff like Enkidoh mentioned.

I'm of the opinion that SE is being silly by having THREE different systems that all accomplish basically the same thing (an npc that fights with you). The Companion, Squadron, and Trust systems could all be merged into one. That way any companion (Chocobo, Squadron member, trust...dude, or even a future dragon companion) could all be summoned in the open world or all be brought into a dungeon or whatever else they have planned for battle npc in the future.

[Firago]

I love your taste in attire, Firago.

So far it looks like us ChocoRoes are a rare breed.

Some of us have rank 20 chocobos. I know it’s going to be hotfixed but I can’t help feeling ripped off due to the increased exp gain for companions. I can’t take advantage! x.x

I know dragon companions are unlikely to be implemented. It would’ve been awesome if SE did such a thing though.

[Floortank]

I played a Dragoon in FFXI from the game's release until 2012, and I loved my wyvern, but I never, ever, ever, ever

eeeeeeeever

want to see it brought back in FFXIV.

While I had strong positive feelings for my wyvern, it came with way too many negative associations, and a lot of bad, bad, horribly bad game design.

When I heard that FFXIV's Dragoon would not have one, it's what caused me to resub in 1.0.

[WellFooled]

While I had strong positive feelings for my wyvern, it came with way too many negative associations, and a lot of bad, bad, horribly bad game design.

One isn't tied to the other. How drgs were designed and balanced in FFXI has no impact on a Wyvern companion in FFXIV.

[Shougun]

Also it's clear SE have pretty much moved away from adding further (non Chocobo) companions to the Chocobo Companion system, instead we've got the Grand Company Squadrons (which can be used in certain dungeons), and the soon-to-be-added Trust NPC system that will be able to be used to take the player through the main scenario (based loosely on FFXI's ironically enough).

I'd like to see some consitency between the three systems, companion, squadron, and trust (four if you count battle class retainers). Even if there has to be differences due to say "you can't summon this guy all the time, he's special".

Then add OP's idea into that somewhere lol. I could see it being fairly reasonably added to the squadron system as is, since then there'd not really be a talent tree or mounting to consider (but again imo the the systems becoming more harmonious would be nice).

Not sure why I can't call my squadron mate to help me out with a FATE no one is at for example, even if it's only a few members rather than all. Also revive our 1.0 companions somewhere into that marriage of systems, plz. :3