Devs: If you're not going to improve the Chocobo AI, at least make them invulnerable

Pretty simple request. The last time our Companions had a smidgeon of developer attention was when Accuracy was removed in 2017 patch 4.0 (despite the fact that they still have an accuracy trait, go figure).

I can't count the number of times by 'Boco Buddy has bit the dust because I have him on healer stance and he decides he has to stand RIGHT next to me at ALL times.

Not to mention that while he is moving, he can't cast, causing me to bite the dust numerous times.

So please. Make their heals instant cast, give them a simple Stay command, or make them immune to damage so they're not dying to simple avoidable attacks.

It anoys me no end , especially if you try to build into the tank stat tree , that they wont attack anything until you do , and not only are they clumsy slow they use there main ability's ( like taunt) way to late a way too little.

I wonder why they are so stale as battle companions . If they didn't want solo/small partys in the open world to have extra "effective" dps/heals/tanks then why did they add the chocbo companion?

Its a nice supplement i guess but they are always taking damage as a healer because they stand right next to you and are slow to react when you move from AOE, that they spend more time healing themselves (when it matters like in FATEs) that healing you , the tank build is clumsy slow at using its enmity gen skill that you're always taking agro anyway , and the DPS build over uses its stun ability cancelling yours because of diminishing returns (if you have them).



This dev team have a weird idea about friendly battle AI . They want you to have them , for fun/immersion in scenarios , but they seem to think they need to be shit.


GC AI super OP but utterly dumb as rocks

Trust AI clever to dodge major mech but awful dpsers

Companion Chocobo a dumb mob that only attacks when you "land" a blow when its not attacking anything, ignoring the DOTs on mobs once its stopped attacking the mob prior.


One thing i actually miss from SWTOR is proper combat companions (especially Shae Vizla)

It's a bird it isn't the smartest animal.

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Originally Posted by Deceptus

Pretty simple request. The last time our Companions had a smidgeon of developer attention was when Accuracy was removed in 2017 patch 4.0 (despite the fact that they still have an accuracy trait, go figure).

I can't count the number of times by 'Boco Buddy has bit the dust because I have him on healer stance and he decides he has to stand RIGHT next to me at ALL times.

Not to mention that while he is moving, he can't cast, causing me to bite the dust numerous times.

So please. Make their heals instant cast, give them a simple Stay command, or make them immune to damage so they're not dying to simple avoidable attacks.

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Healer bird does definitely need some love. I like the idea of a stay command so that way you could actually place it somewhere (mostly) out of harm's way, AND it would be able to actually cast on you since it was staying put.

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Originally Posted by Skivvy

Healer bird does definitely need some love. I like the idea of a stay command so that way you could actually place it somewhere (mostly) out of harm's way, AND it would be able to actually cast on you since it was staying put.

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Yep. We already have a "follow" command, and a Stay command for SMN (old) / SCH. A Stay shouldn't be hard to put on the Chocobo's Hotbar as another pet already has it implemented.

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Originally Posted by Izar_Chillen

I wonder why they are so stale as battle companions . If they didn't want solo/small partys in the open world to have extra "effective" dps/heals/tanks then why did they add the chocbo companion?

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Relic of 1.0 which is probably why they have largely been forgotten.

Unless it's a current expac A/S rank or a zone FATE my healer chocobo is immortal. Especially if I bother to help it at all.

They probably aren't gonna put effort into fixing something that works fine.

I don't even bother to call out my bird because they're kinda useless. Ineffective as a tank, weak as a DPS, and tends to die a lot as a healer.

You have to depend on the Companion in World content?

Set it on "decide what you want to do yourself", draw the mobs and keep the forward AoEs aimed at you. The Chocobo Companion will cast regens or heals if necessary, and you can move the mobs so that their frontal attacks do not affect it. (Think "I am the tank").

It already costs anywhere from 1 to 1.5 million gil in Onions to level it to 20.

For those actual Tanks out there: why do you want the Chocobo to be that DPS who pulls instead of you? You want it to attack first? Use 'Sic'. Just don't put it into "do what you want" mode, or it will think you want it to tank, which is not what you really want to do.

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Originally Posted by Kewitt

It's a bird it isn't the smartest animal.

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my chocobo is smarter then most of the people i get grouped with in alliance roulette

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Originally Posted by Deceptus

Yep. We already have a "follow" command, and a Stay command for SMN (old) / SCH. A Stay shouldn't be hard to put on the Chocobo's Hotbar as another pet already has it implemented.



Relic of 1.0 which is probably why they have largely been forgotten.

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The companion was introduced by Yoshida's team, much later than 1.0.

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Originally Posted by DPZ2

You have to depend on the Companion in World content?

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Depend on? no.

But when you're just a non-melee (bard etc) and don't have access to Bloodbath, extra healing on fates is nice allowing you to multi mob pull.

Except mobs are constantly throwing out AoE's that you have to move from and every time you do, your bird follows you and stops healing. At some points you just say screw it and soak everything.

You know it's bad when they have significantly worse AI and far fewer options than the original WoW pets from 2004.

At Rank 20, my chocobo rarely dies, doubly so if I have him on healer stance. I think out of all the grinding I've done in the past month, he's died twice, once to an S rank (which makes him the same as half the people there).

Would love an update overall, I know I read the title lol... but I'd still love that they just worked on the system over "meh fine, we're not going to make it better" :p.

Like I imagine they could add job trees to the birb, as we have currently those three roles perhaps you could equip new spheres that have their own trees - giving the bird a sort of FFT vibe. Allow us to take them in trust / squadron content. Chocobo hot and cold, etc.

As an aside similar systems can be used for Trust members such that leveling them up becomes rewarding, fun, and allows them to become a bit more powerful (though I understand if they never reach the glory of squadrons on max offensive in the old content).

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Originally Posted by Deceptus

healer stance and he decides he has to stand RIGHT next to me at ALL times.

Not to mention that while he is moving, he can't cast, causing me to bite the dust numerous times.

So please. Make their heals instant cast, give them a simple Stay command, or make them immune to damage so they're not dying to simple avoidable attacks.

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All of this. If the stupid thing stops healing me as soon as I have to kite it's completely useless. If scholar fairies can be placed, so can chocobos.

All I can think about is all the chocobos who die to The Lizard A rank in Thavnair everytime it does its aoe.

Those poor chickens.