Query: Retainer Companions?

Just looking at the new retainer features, I almost see this as being an inevitable next step for retainers.

Imagine, being able to summon a retainer like one would summon a chocobo... and have that retainer fight alongside a player. It probably wouldn't have nearly the amount of combat effectiveness as an actual player (between retainers only having classes (no jobs) and probably being slower with the skill usage), but it could be really useful in future content, especially if a solution gets ironed out where players will be able to summon companions in dungeons.

IMPORTANT: This thread is under the assumption that, if such a feature were to be added, then there would be retainers added to the system via quests rather than needing to be purchased from the mogstation. Please, please do not turn this thread into a complaint thread towards mogstation retainers. That is not the topic at hand.

I would love to be followed around everywhere by a shirtless elezen man. @_@

I have fond memories of the FFXI Adventuring Fellow, aside from the abysmal opening day, where the line for it stretched to the outside of the zone, and you had to wait a solid 2-4 hours if you didn't get there quick enough. I thought that's what they were aiming for with the 1.0 companion, but clearly that has yet to be the case.

Whether it be our retainers, or something akin to XI/1.0, I am very much down for humanoid NPC companions. The giant bird is nice and all, but it's just not the same.

Damn I thought this thread was going to be about getting companions for Retainers, and then getting companions for those companions. Fooled.

i made mine to be my older sister :3 i want my sister to help me fight!
she could be a summoner haha..yah i suggested this too.
the idea is awesomme n sounds real fun! \o/ maybe our other retainers too. so we can have a lil party on our own
during random quest. n.n
so i 1+ !

Would be cool to summon in your FC House. =)

Everything you're asking and more is being discussed in this thread: Suggestions for Path Companions Return :)

Although not retainers, it's essentially the same basic system. Anyways check it out! I'm trying to get a bunch people to discuss these features in one unified thread and to hopefully get a dev response eventually.

I would love this because of the gear customization possibilities it has. Chocobo barding doesn't have any effect so that's why the current companions aren't really deep as a system.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aerin92

Everything you're asking and more is being discussed in this thread: Suggestions for Path Companions Return :)

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Well the two suggestions are similar, but I must admit there are some key differences. For one, you are suggesting a system that would be more story-driven, whereas I can't see how my retainer companions idea could benefit from having much in the way of plot (unless there was a way to assign some kind of "story template" to them or something). I wish there was a way to combine our ideas together. I like yours because it does add in that lore that is so sorely needed. On the other hand, with the retainer implementations in 2.2, it just feels like a natural progression to turn retainers into companions. I honestly couldn't pick one above the other.

I hate chocobo companions, so... Yeah, I'm up for this.

But not for using retainers as mounts...