Is a Chocobo Companion rework needed?

[Setesh45]

Chocobos are great, but aside from it being an iconic mount, I never really cared for it as a companion.
I would prefer a humanoid companion, maybe taking your retainers out with you, anything that would resemble the companion system from SWTOR would be amazing.
I think no other mmo beats SWTOR when it comes to the companions. Each companion has a different personality, a different personal story, romancing options.

[Rowde]

Definitely
said before in various topics over the years
Don't know where all those topics are though since kinda feel like search functionality on this forum is kinda dicey as well lol
so to reiterate the things I would like to see

1) more ranks and abilities: [Attacker]Choco meteor, [Healer]Choco Esuna, and for [Defender] either Choco reflect(reflect all dmg back for a period of time) or Choco Feather(automatically dodge the next 3 attacks for a period of time)
maybe even [Healer]Choco Pinion(resurection spell) since they seem to be making more aspects of the game solo friendly
I'm not sure what a 2nd [Attacker] ability could be since Choco meteor is the most iconic thing they're missing
maybe Choco Somersault(flash kick animation) or Choco Dive(jump and dive at the opponent slamming their beak into them at high speed)

2) the ability to turn abilities on/off in the companion window
I got my chocobo to 10 in each stance and then promptly used a Reagan Pepper to drop it back to 9/9/9 in each category since I don't want the chocobo to grab extra adds I don't want to deal with by accident with the aoe attacks and the ai seems to prioritize choco medica use over choco cure even when healing a single target

3) better companion ai
probably not trust level but at a minimum maybe code it so that defender stance will move to stand in front of the target, attacker stance will move behind the target, and healer stance will only move if it falls out of max casting range from you
I guess free can just do whatever like it does right now (as far as positioning)

4) less thav onions used if more ranks are added
either require it 'every other rank' or 'every 5 ranks'

[ICountFrom0]

Definitely
said before in various topics over the years
Don't know where all those topics are though since kinda feel like search functionality on this forum is kinda dicey as well lol
so to reiterate the things I would like to see

1) more ranks and abilities: [Attacker]Choco meteor, [Healer]Choco Esuna, and for [Defender] either Choco reflect(reflect all dmg back for a period of time) or Choco Feather(automatically dodge the next 3 attacks for a period of time)
maybe even [Healer]Choco Pinion(resurection spell) since they seem to be making more aspects of the game solo friendly
I'm not sure what a 2nd [Attacker] ability could be since Choco meteor is the most iconic thing they're missing
maybe Choco Somersault(flash kick animation) or Choco Dive(jump and dive at the opponent slamming their beak into them at high speed)

Those would be perfect skills to drop into my idea of special training to give them 5 more skills and points to claim them (but not levels and thus onions).

If making the requirement to just be at max in a single tree, to get the quest to get the special training, that would make it possible to reach with just the non onion levels.

I think my idea could just be hammered onto the edges of the existing code, but if there was a rebuild I'd want everything mentioned in this topic, heh.

[Shougun]

Definitely
said before in various topics over the years
Don't know where all those topics are though since kinda feel like search functionality on this forum is kinda dicey as well lol
so to reiterate the things I would like to see

1) more ranks and abilities: [Attacker]Choco meteor, [Healer]Choco Esuna, and for [Defender] either Choco reflect(reflect all dmg back for a period of time) or Choco Feather(automatically dodge the next 3 attacks for a period of time)
maybe even [Healer]Choco Pinion(resurection spell) since they seem to be making more aspects of the game solo friendly
I'm not sure what a 2nd [Attacker] ability could be since Choco meteor is the most iconic thing they're missing
maybe Choco Somersault(flash kick animation) or Choco Dive(jump and dive at the opponent slamming their beak into them at high speed)

2) the ability to turn abilities on/off in the companion window
I got my chocobo to 10 in each stance and then promptly used a Reagan Pepper to drop it back to 9/9/9 in each category since I don't want the chocobo to grab extra adds I don't want to deal with by accident with the aoe attacks and the ai seems to prioritize choco medica use over choco cure even when healing a single target

3) better companion ai
probably not trust level but at a minimum maybe code it so that defender stance will move to stand in front of the target, attacker stance will move behind the target, and healer stance will only move if it falls out of max casting range from you
I guess free can just do whatever like it does right now (as far as positioning)

4) less thav onions used if more ranks are added
either require it 'every other rank' or 'every 5 ranks'

My thought for more ranks and skills was that there would be a FF Tactics job system, including sub job like concept. The bird could continue to own multiple jobs at once, and rank up akin to warframe gear does (splits across things that need the exp, you can equip less if you want/need to funnel). Earning jobs could be the new thav. onion. Assuming there are like 10+ jobs you've not really lost any onions. For those already spent the levels past rank 10 would turn into free job purchases (equal to the number of onions spent)- so everyone is a winner.

Now ranks are easier to earn as well since you'd be ranking up jobs. With jobs having similar systems like in the tactics (and FFXI) games, mastery, pre-req unlocks, major passive / skill boosts that combine interestingly with other jobs.. etc.

Imo, would be more fun than attacker...level 15...20.. etc. Especially as you'd get to see fun theme to the concepts. Thief chocobo could be helping you farm open world monsters with treasure hunter and mug that actually mugs.

[Lunalepsy]

100% true. This feature needs a huge revamp.