I'd really like an actual NPC companion for solo content

Something I'd really love to see with FF, due to it being so solo quest heavy, is having an actual companion that you can customize pretty heavily. The Chocobo, while cute, doesn't really cut it either visually or mechanically.

Give me a companion that becomes part of the story, and doesn't kick them out of story sequences. And let me choose the job. That way anyone can solo with whatever job they desire. Hell, I'd be fine even if I have to give them gear.

Obviously though, should 100% be optional.

I fear as soon as that character becomes part of the MSQ the story might become quite limited because that character will never be allowed to be hurt or killed permanently due to his supporting role for your character. Also they will have to come up with a reason why that character will never leave your side. At least for the chocobo they can argue that he is at the chocobo stable while you do MSQ content. Also MSQ fights are already soloable on any job so I do not see a reason for such a character. For overworld stuff I could see them adding something like a mercenary system in which you could buy mercenary contracts for NPCs that support you in the overworld.

FFXIV actually had that back in it's original version (version 1.0). It was called the Path Companion and was a fellow Echo-awoken adventurer assigned by Minfilia to you as a partner that would appear during main scenario quests and help you out in battle (hence you had to choose a class for them that was suitable for battle). They even had dialogue in cutscenes, basically functioning as the player character's 'voice' in them.

Unfortunately you couldn't just call them in the overworld whenever you wished, they only appeared specifically for the main scenario quests that involved them, and SE abandoned them completely when Yoshi took over as producer and the original citystate/Path of the Twelve main scenario was replaced by the 'Seventh Umbral Era' scenario that was leading the game into it's shutdown and replacement with ARR (story wise, it's handwaved that they participated in the Battle of Carteneau and were presumed to have perished there).

So alas, as much as I would love to have my flirty, sophisticated GLA moonkeeper kittygirl Path Companion Imarah back, it's pretty clear they're now gone forever, replaced by the Chocobo companion. :(

Well, the original FFXIV had this (Path Companion system). Would be awesome to have that horny AF Miqo'te back

Vette for the Win. :)

The responses in regards to the original companion have made me extremely jealous.

It would be nice if they could allow you to summon one of your squadron members in the open world instead of your chocobo. They wouldn't really even need to have more expansive AI than the chocobo does given that the chocobo already operates in different roles. That would make a nice expansion to the sorely neglected Squadron system.

And then they could let me romance them. Because every Final Fantasy needs a romance subplot. It is one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy. It would probably make Alisaie jealous, though.

Leveling your chocobo down the healer or tank tree actually is pretty beneficial. I always have my chocobo out and he has proved to be a capable healer.

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Originally Posted by Raltar

And then they could let me romance them. Because every Final Fantasy needs a romance subplot. It is one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy. It would probably make Alisaie jealous, though.

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Coming here to say Snow/Serah were the worst part of XIII and [laughs in XV].

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Originally Posted by Raltar

And then they could let me romance them. Because every Final Fantasy needs a romance subplot. It is one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy. It would probably make Alisaie jealous, though.

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I feel like I'm getting one, to be honest.

Obviously interpretation is going to vary a lot with your individual character, but we've had a few NPCs now that could be taken as potential romances.

Personally compounded by the fact I had decided to "get the romance subpolot out of the way" and ship my character with G'raha Tia back in the CT arc - more as a story idea after the fact, based on a few wistful stares into the sunset and the deliberate choice that any romance would be over before it really started, because this side-story character was hardly going to make his way into the main plot...

So much for that theory. Shadowbringers was interesting.

Also Alisaie is definitely jealous, judging from 5.1.

I miss my path companion from Version one. I was quite sad to say goodbye to my little friend :(

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Originally Posted by Raltar

And then they could let me romance them. Because every Final Fantasy needs a romance subplot. It is one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy. It would probably make Alisaie jealous, though.

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Oh it’ll make her jealous, but Alisaie is also too busy getting the crystals to summon you as a primal, the centerpiece to the not so small shrine she has of you.

A lot of the people that say this have a level 3 chocobo, and didn't level trusts at all. A rank 20 chocobo is super boss.

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Originally Posted by Kallera

Oh it’ll make her jealous, but Alisaie is also too busy getting the crystals to summon you as a primal, the centerpiece to the not so small shrine she has of you.

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so how i don't doubt that i can see Alisaie sitting in her room on the Source praying to her shrine of your player char

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Originally Posted by Iscah

I feel like I'm getting one, to be honest.

Obviously interpretation is going to vary a lot with your individual character, but we've had a few NPCs now that could be taken as potential romances.

Personally compounded by the fact I had decided to "get the romance subpolot out of the way" and ship my character with G'raha Tia back in the CT arc - more as a story idea after the fact, based on a few wistful stares into the sunset and the deliberate choice that any romance would be over before it really started, because this side-story character was hardly going to make his way into the main plot...

So much for that theory. Shadowbringers was interesting.

Also Alisaie is definitely jealous, judging from 5.1.

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Oh there are definetely plenty of NPCs who are clearly head over heels in love with the WoL (both male and female), but of course the game never allows the player to actually show any kind of direct reciprocaition other than a warm smile if that.

It's getting to the point now that when yet another NPC declares how fondly they feel towards Enki after she's shown her typical WoL heroism I pretty much say to my monitor "You and a thousand others! Take a number and get in line pal!" *holds up wedding ring on finger* "I'm already taken sorry!"

Seriously, Enki is married and happily so, to a woman who is very very protective of Enki, and is also something of the jealous type, so it's perhaps best for all concerned that those NPCs get their hearts broken by Enki, rather than their faces broken by her wife Jing. ;)

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Originally Posted by Doki

A lot of the people that say this have a level 3 chocobo, and didn't level trusts at all. A rank 20 chocobo is super boss.

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Well, part of the issue is that you don't get your Chocobo....a lot/possibly majority of the time in MSQ.

Also, I far prefer humanoid companions, but that's just a personal preference.

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Originally Posted by Klaleara

Well, part of the issue is that you don't get your Chocobo....a lot/possibly majority of the time in MSQ.

Also, I far prefer humanoid companions, but that's just a personal preference.

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ShB did a good job addressing this problem by giving you the Scions as NPC companions for MSQ instances or the Au Ra girl during the new relic quest. I do not really see the need for a permanent NPC, however, that sticks around you every opportunity because all MSQ instances are soloable on every job. And for dungeons you have Trusts now or your squadron.

The 1.0 companions were very nice but I am glad they are gone because the MSQ would need to address their presence again as they did during old 1.0 times in which those companions played a major role in the MSQ.

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Originally Posted by Schwarzwind

ShB did a good job addressing this problem by giving you the Scions as NPC companions for MSQ instances or the Au Ra girl during the new relic quest. I do not really see the need for a permanent NPC, however, that sticks around you every opportunity because all MSQ instances are soloable on every job. And for dungeons you have Trusts now or your squadron.

The 1.0 companions were very nice but I am glad they are gone because the MSQ would need to address their presence again as they did during old 1.0 times in which those companions played a major role in the MSQ.

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They can be my butler :D

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Originally Posted by Doki

A lot of the people that say this have a level 3 chocobo, and didn't level trusts at all. A rank 20 chocobo is super boss.

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Max lvl chicken, while being a WHM, is a pretty beautiful mix to pull & kill every living thing in FATEs

Thana Vesh* > all companions.

*Swtor dropped the ball on her. :(

I like Kaliyo better :D but oh well, swtor is a good example why it might be difficult to implement a similar system into FFXIV's MSQ. NPC companions in MSQ simply take up too much space in the story and swtor did a pretty bad job with the returning love interests. Mine has not talked to me in MSQ for ages which is pretty sad.

Maybe they could add love interests or NPC companions in general to the adventurers guild. They could even give them a personal sidequest for each NPC.

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Originally Posted by Schwarzwind

I like Kaliyo better.

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Kaliyo was 1a on my list and the IA story was great.

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Originally Posted by Schwarzwind

I like Kaliyo better :D but oh well, swtor is a good example why it might be difficult to implement a similar system into FFXIV's MSQ. NPC companions in MSQ simply take up too much space in the story and swtor did a pretty bad job with the returning love interests. Mine has not talked to me in MSQ for ages which is pretty sad.

Maybe they could add love interests or NPC companions in general to the adventurers guild. They could even give them a personal sidequest for each NPC.

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I mean, in my opinion, I don't think they'd have to take a big part of the story. If anything, they could just add some random dialogue insight, and that's about it, if that at all.

I'm in Heavensward, and I can't really think of many times where it would feel off if they were there at all.

SWTOR tried to make them a much bigger deal than they needed to, and failed at it. If FF14 implemented it, I would rather 100% customize them like we do our retainers. Hell, just let me recruit my retainers to tag along with me, and I'd be happy.

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Originally Posted by Klaleara

Something I'd really love to see with FF, due to it being so solo quest heavy, is having an actual companion that you can customize pretty heavily. The Chocobo, while cute, doesn't really cut it either visually or mechanically.

Give me a companion that becomes part of the story, and doesn't kick them out of story sequences. And let me choose the job. That way anyone can solo with whatever job they desire. Hell, I'd be fine even if I have to give them gear.

Obviously though, should 100% be optional.

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The chocobo doesn't cut it mechanically because it hasn't been updated in years. They still have accuracy traits despite accuracy as a stat being removed in 2017

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Originally Posted by Klaleara

I mean, in my opinion, I don't think they'd have to take a big part of the story. If anything, they could just add some random dialogue insight, and that's about it, if that at all.

I'm in Heavensward, and I can't really think of many times where it would feel off if they were there at all.

SWTOR tried to make them a much bigger deal than they needed to, and failed at it. If FF14 implemented it, I would rather 100% customize them like we do our retainers. Hell, just let me recruit my retainers to tag along with me, and I'd be happy.

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Oh, I would not object should they implement an NPC that has absolutely no relevance to the story and is not mentioned or shown as even being there. If you just want someone to tag along without any reference of their existence this would be fine with me. They would function exactly as your chocobo companion with different appearance. But I fear having an companion in MSQ instances might break the mechanics of those fights because your companion could heal you, tank for you or deal additional damage that would skip bits of the fight just like we skip parts of extreme trials due to our level and damage output. For overworld stuff I would totally be fine with such a companion.

Edit: regarding MSQ instances: In SB and ShB there are instances where a companion would actually change the flow of the fights. I do not want to spoiler you, since you are just in HW but there a companion just would not work because you either do not actually play as yourself or the fight is designed as such that you are not supposed to win the battle. Also SE would have to edit every existing instance due to New Game+ and would have to keep in mind that some players would like to go in solo or with a companion. I believe this might be hell to balance.

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Originally Posted by Deceptus

The chocobo doesn't cut it mechanically because it hasn't been updated in years. They still have accuracy traits despite accuracy as a stat being removed in 2017

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Does accuracy still affect the chocobo's attacks, perhaps?

I know there are other NPCs in quest battles that still use old versions of skills removed from players, so accuracy stat could conceivably still apply to those skills, depending on where and how the calculation is applied.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

Oh there are definetely plenty of NPCs who are clearly head over heels in love with the WoL (both male and female), but of course the game never allows the player to actually show any kind of direct reciprocaition other than a warm smile if that.

It's getting to the point now that when yet another NPC declares how fondly they feel towards Enki after she's shown her typical WoL heroism I pretty much say to my monitor "You and a thousand others! Take a number and get in line pal!" *holds up wedding ring on finger* "I'm already taken sorry!"

Seriously, Enki is married and happily so, to a woman who is very very protective of Enki, and is also something of the jealous type, so it's perhaps best for all concerned that those NPCs get their hearts broken by Enki, rather than their faces broken by her wife Jing. ;)

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Haha, it's a bit like that.

I don't exactly mind the "will never go in-depth" approach to any of the potential relationships though - I'm used to filling in extra details of how my characters would be handling things anyway, and I'd rather not have a romance actually forced on my character. Just give something that I can interpret into something bigger if I want, or dismiss if I don't.

(Doubly so when I'm going to be going through the story again with alts, which just makes everything a bit weirder in terms of NPC relationships with "your character".)

*sad warking noises*

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Originally Posted by Raltar

And then they could let me romance them. Because every Final Fantasy needs a romance subplot. It is one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy. It would probably make Alisaie jealous, though.

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Now I would love that !

An apprentice would be interesting.

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Originally Posted by Slirith

An apprentice would be interesting.

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Isn't that just a retainer? They can't outclass you, and you're the one outfitting them in gear. There's also Squadrons that you personally train.

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Originally Posted by Gula

Isn't that just a retainer? They can't outclass you, and you're the one outfitting them in gear. There's also Squadrons that you personally train.

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I was more thinking of the Adventuring Fellow from FFXI but /shrug

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Originally Posted by Gula

Isn't that just a retainer? They can't outclass you, and you're the one outfitting them in gear. There's also Squadrons that you personally train.

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Retainers would be great, but the outclassing would definitely be a problem. I didn't even think of that.

They wouldn't be useful at all as you progressed with your main job, unless you kept leveling a side job alongside it, which would be heretically annoying.

1.0 had exactly what you are asking for.

And due to you being a silent protagonist and them not, the story felt more about them than you.

Mixed feelings. I would like something other than my Chocobo, but I really don’t want *another* thing to level when I have 8 perfectly good Max level’d idiots waiting around my grand company to run errands and 4 Max’d retainers continually robbing some poor kid of their Allagan lunch money.