Companions are underwhelming.

[TheRogueX]

The main issue with chocobo buddy is they changed their minds on the gambit system they said that would have happened. That would have given us insane control over its A.I.

This would have been awesome. I wonder why they scrapped it? Too complex? PS3 Limitations?

[Divine_Intervention]

Place / Heel, the only things I ask

Just this. Nothing more

[Tupsi]

This would have been awesome. I wonder why they scrapped it? Too complex? PS3 Limitations?

Same reasoning that they gave us for certain macros: "We don't want the game to play itself for you."

[Antonio_Xul]

Made mine a 3/7/6 hybrid'bo and it's survived every alexandrite map. Does a damned fine job of keeping a dps with pathetic defense/self-heals (aka a bard) up soloing boss fates and whatnot too. Reagan peppers are easy to get, try it out.

I had just reached Level 10 yesterday and changed it stats exactly like your 3-7-6 combination. Freaking coincidence! I feel that combination is probably the most useful and more all around better stats for your Chocobo.

The way I keep my Chcocobo alive is when you hit the mob, the side you hit is the side where your Chococbo is going to attack, so from there I run to the opposite side and keep the mob facing me. That way if it has any cone AOEs, it will only be in my direction. Chocobo is screwed if it is a circular AOE though.

[SeleneVenizelos]

I don't think they should be overly strong. I think the balance of their healing potency is just about right. It turns semi-perilous content like Alexandrite maps into soloable content for most jobs. I wouldn't be able to kill a few of them (The Cyclops and the Puks, for example) without my Chocobo's Cures. They are underwhelming, for sure, but I think that's by design. The most annoying thing about them is they push monsters around when in Healer stance. This is extremely annoying and is the main reason that the only time I use my Rank 10 Healer Chocobo is on Alexandrite maps, since his presence for some of them will be the difference between life and death.

Now he's Rank 10 I literally couldn't care less about using him simply because of how he pushes every monster around.

[Ecks007]

Hmm, when I was still doing my Alexandrite maps I used my Healer Chocobo on every one and it never died, unless I died, which rarely happened. But then after the first few maps I ended up duoing them with a friend too, and she used her chocobo as well. So yeah. Still though the Chocobo has been a huge help. Back when I was doing those books for the Animus I used my chocobo for every fate and there were definitely some fates that it was quite handy having a portable healer around for.

I kinda wish they would heal the Titan-Egi though. Instead they only heal actual party members, but they do it well enough that as long as you aren't taking tremendous amounts of damage you're perfectly fine. It definitely makes things that might be difficult to solo a lot easier.

[Naria]

Place / Heel, the only things I ask

+ Sic/Assault command.

[Ulathskullsplitter]

While I agree they are underwhelming, my tank chocobo has become pretty valuable for me as a dragoon on my Alex maps. The ones with multiple enemies I hit the first one, which is the one your choco will attack, then I switch to the others and point them away from my choco. This way it tanks the one saving me from getting hit with extra damage. And whenever I need a positional buff like heavy thrust I can swith to my chocobos mob to do it. They could be better but the Alex maps have given them some use at least.

[Mcshiggs]

I think the benefits they provide should match the restrictions they come with. They have already said that the reason you can't que or recieve an invite with your chocobo out is because they worked so hard for a system where your chocobo is an actual party member. If you want your chocobo to tank, you should be able to have him pull, like a real party member would do. Players can level up and gear up to get better at their jobs, we should be able to do the same with chocobos, we should be able to either gear them to make them better, or the chocobo's stats should raise according to our gear.