Bring back character path companion system

[Sandpark]

At the original FFXIV launch there was a system called path companion.
http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Path_Companion

It was cool because they came with some story and were supposed to be able to battle alongside you in the field. I feel this would make me feel a closer bond with my companions and character npcs in the universe, besides just main story quest.It would make XIV feel more in line with a traditional Final Fantasy game as well. I really want to see this happen..

I would like to see them brought back in conjunction with a trust like system.
http://ffxiclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Trust

Perhaps even throw in a conversation system to learn more about them and gain trust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlCeHL9gAS0

Please leave any feedback or suggestions!

[Amiaze]

I support this 100%, for several reasons.

1) It would give us another companion besides the Chocobo. My Chocobo is Colibri Pink, and I hate him oh so much.

2) Players would be able to see their retainers/companions use the gear that they have rather than just checking on them every hour or so.

3) Some people (like myself) paid as much attention to their retainer customization as they did their own, yet we only see them very briefly.

4) Lore-wise, we always hear that we should "gather your party of adventurers" to take on harder raids. These are obviously the people we play the game with, but it would be nice to actually have someone representing these mystery adventurers as an NPC.

[Enkidoh]

As much as I would love the Path Companions to return, I think Yoshi made it pretty clear in the past that they won't be returning sadly, and that the Chocobo Companion is their replacement in ARR

Also you have to remember the whole point they were even in 1.0 was to simply allow Disciples of the Hand and Land, which a player could actually start FFXIV 1.0 as, to undertake the main story without having to level a Disciple of War or Magic - i.e., the Path Companion would do all the fighting while the player stood back and watched.

Hence, they were only used battle-wise for a grand total of.... four times, and only during the 'Path of the Twelve' story. You could not actually call them whenever you felt like sadly. It was one of those things about 1.0 that never really worked as well as it should have.

Still, I miss Imarah, my sophisticated, sultry, bisexual Moonkeeper GLA Path Companion...

[neoxdeciple]

i would love to see something like this (idea just poped into my head while using my chocobo so came to see if anyone else thought something similar already.)

I would love to see more selection in terms of companions, theres so much more that could be done with this system. Just to name a few ideas
-Retainer companions
-Beast tribe companions
-Monster companions
-Job companions????

i wouldn't even care if the different companions had special traits or ability's and was just the same as a chocobo (albeit abilitys named different which different animations and same effects because a Kobald using choco regain would be worrying.)

[Anova]

I don't think it'll ever happen, but I'd really like to use venture tokens to summon my retainers to fight by my side.

Just imagine it working like a Gysahl Green. Except you can't ride them, unless you're a lalafell and you have a highlander/roe/male au ra companion...

Actually, that's a great idea. Just let me reskin my chocobo companion!

[Amiaze]

I don't think it'll ever happen, but I'd really like to use venture tokens to summon my retainers to fight by my side.

Just imagine it working like a Gysahl Green. Except you can't ride them, unless you're a lalafell and you have a highlander/roe/male au ra companion...

Actually, that's a great idea. Just let me reskin my chocobo companion!

I think this would work. Their abilities could work the same, for all I care -- even if it's a simple glamour. I want a companion other than my chocobo. One of my retainers would be amazing, but I could settle with making some of the mounts we have double as companions. I think a giant demon eyeball or behemoth fighting alongside you looks a lot better than an oversized chicken pecking away at a dragon.

[MicahZerrshia]

I always wonder what happened to my path companion after the Calamity.

They were incredibly underutilized in version 1, I was really hoping they would be more present in ARR. However I wouldn't want them to be the same as trusts. Trusts in xi make parties a thing of the past and the game even less social and what is the point of playing an mmo if you are just going to play solo anyway. May as well play something like Skyrim.

[Martin_Arcainess]

100% Support this and yeah retainers would be a awesome way for this and another reason to spend ventures.

[Zyne]

It would be interesting to see our retainers used for more than playing fetch. I'd love to see them implement this in game!

[Paladinleeds]

I'd be interested to see this, however it would have to be on the basis that you could start the game as a DoH/DoL (similar to how it was in 1.0 I guess?) and then you could only use them once. In doing so, it would change focus from you to your companion (and you would play as the companion) in order to pass the content (at the very least in party dungeons like Sastasha and The Vault that form part of the MSQ). As for the single player duties, maybe it could be like how it was in 1.0 - but I don't think they'll let us start as a DoH/DoL.