New hirelings: Companions

[nirnel]

Now, it may be a fit of crazyness on my part, but it would be nice if we had access to a special kind of hireling that represents a character who is a companion of the main character. It would work like a custom hireling, but maybe the player can control it for a little while (say, up to 1 minute per rest) and the main character would meanwhile behave like a hireling.

They would be created in special character slots purchased with TP and level earning XP (or be bound to a character and be always of this character's rank and level). They wouldn't be hired (that is, you don't have to pay them in advance to join you in a quest), but share the loot (there would be less treasure for the main character, and the player must equip them with equipment the main character has in its inventory, although a Companion's equipment can't be sold or given to the main character, just destroyed, representing the companion selling it)

The way to interact with them outside dungeons wouldn't be through Hireling vendors, but "leaving a message" in a tavern for them with a Barkeep.

Now, any comment that doesn't say just "that's a crazy idea"?

[Memnir]

I think it would be far easier to just group with other actual people.
I don't want to have to play dress-up with a chunk of AI.

And speaking of AI... the code needed to implement this would, in my opinion, not be worth the time or money spent on developing it.




I hope the Devs put more time into giving us incentive to group with other actual people more - and not just adding different ways to solo.

[Lorz]

Seems to be nothing but horrible ideas from the fresh meat.

If they would only spend their timing improving their game play, instead of trying to "improve" the game.

[azrael4h]

So basically you want to run two characters at once? WHY?

Use a hireling if you need a hand and are anti-social. Or don't and just actually solo it. Or you could remember that it's a Multiplayer game, and go hit 'o' and find some help. Not too much requires a second player, though some classes might have a rough time without a healer or UMD.

[Chai]

Seems to be nothing but horrible ideas from the fresh meat.

If they would only spend their timing improving their game play, instead of trying to "improve" the game.

Because expecting new players to learn in a few months what you learned in 4 years is now the in thing. Yeah everyone understands this. This is why Froobs are afraid to admit its a first run, because there is always someone there with this attitude waiting to make their presupposed ego based "earned importance" well known.

I know I know, back in my day, up hill both ways, against the wind, no shoes, carried brothers and sisters, no casual, old school, XP debt, Threnal was the end game, halfling throwers were uber, THACO will never die man!! YEAH!! WIN!!

Quality play is not something that is accrued over time like vacation or sick pay, LOL.

[Valindria]

I really liked when GW added Heroes. You could set their skill bar and give them some gear.

I would enjoy it if you could have a companion in DDO. Something that is a permanent contract hireling that stays at or maybe 1 level below yours. You should send him to a trainer to get skills (limited to the current hireling skills) and set the bar. Also there should be a way to set the race.

So I envision a companion as a customizable hero. Basically you could have a companion vendor where you select the race, class, and skills/spells. Then when you hit accept the contract is created in your inventory. This would be similar to a gold contract in you could still summon another one. Maybe it costs gold or TP to get the original one and then gold to respec them into something else.

[GhoulsTouch]

Now, it may be a fit of crazyness on my part, but it would be nice if we had access to a special kind of hireling that represents a character who is a companion of the main character. It would work like a custom hireling, but maybe the player can control it for a little while (say, up to 1 minute per rest) and the main character would meanwhile behave like a hireling.

They would be created in special character slots purchased with TP and level earning XP (or be bound to a character and be always of this character's rank and level). They wouldn't be hired (that is, you don't have to pay them in advance to join you in a quest), but share the loot (there would be less treasure for the main character, and the player must equip them with equipment the main character has in its inventory, although a Companion's equipment can't be sold or given to the main character, just destroyed, representing the companion selling it)

The way to interact with them outside dungeons wouldn't be through Hireling vendors, but "leaving a message" in a tavern for them with a Barkeep.

Now, any comment that doesn't say just "that's a crazy idea"?

I think making your own npcs would be great...or taking along one of your other characters you made and alloting skills you can access from them, accessing them from characters you made on your account. Could even edit out their responses to your commands or choose a list of responses. Could take an xp penalty that would go to your other character as well. None if there were too great a level difference however instead only a penalty for the higher character who would always be the one active not submissive.

[Zachski]

Seems to be nothing but horrible ideas from the fresh meat.

If they would only spend their timing improving their game play, instead of trying to "improve" the game.

Hi Welcome

[Cylinwolf]

Seems to be nothing but horrible ideas from the fresh meat.

If they would only spend their timing improving their game play, instead of trying to "improve" the game.

Do you literally have to go into every thread, find someone with a join date after yours, and then berate the person who you simply disagree with as being a terrible player?

[GhoulsTouch]

^ I am bumping this up just for a brainstroming project that I believe the developers should look at after weeding out the trolls who just want their name in the thread.

[AdahnX]

While I understand that this is a MMO and the idea is to group with other people, I still like the idea. Especially Ghoul's spin of being able to "hire" your other characters. I can think of a few combinations that would be particularly complementary from my PnP history (would require some tweaking for DDO's game mechanics though).

From what I've seen, in my admittedly short time here, there seems to be a large population of people who prefer to solo, despite the fact of it being a multiplayer game.

They already have hirelings. I don't see why you couldn't summon one of your other characters and have it behave like a hireling, though I'll admit I have no clue whatsoever about programming, so I could be horribly horribly wrong. As far as why you would want to control more than one character at a time, well, like most D&D fans I imagine, I have a long history of playing games where you controlled an entire party rather than just one character. Even NWN had hirelings that stuck with you through the whole campaign and leveled up with you.

Just as a disclaimer, I would like to say that there are issues that people have been asking about for a very long time that deserve to be addressed before they start thinking about implementing new game mechanics, but still, it's a nice idea nonetheless.

[DiAGO77]

Do you literally have to go into every thread, find someone with a join date after yours, and then berate the person who you simply disagree with as being a terrible player?

+1 , lol just noticed him in another thread .

ANYWAYS ,
If I did not have to click the hireling "use" button 10 times while they are standing 10 feet in front of the rest shrine then I would even consider your idea but none the less a good one .
New to the game myself but I am suprised at how backwards some of the things are in this game let alone the hirelings .
Have you read about the hirelings? "Hirelings don't like water and ladders" LOL .

[Jendrak]

Bad idea IMO.

The point of DDO is to group with other people (soloing is just for braggin rights) and not to build an entire party of hirelings and companions for you to quest with. There are plenty of other games on many different platforms that you can play by your self.

Again, bad idea.

[nanobot1994]

Why dont we just have the same hirelings, that are currently implemented, except:

1) You buy em' once and they stay with you till you destroy the contract, so permanent hires, but it should cost ~100times (just a random number, my point being it should cost a lot more) more than the normal version.
2) Instead of all equipment you could just give them potions, maybe even only Cure XXX Wounds, and XXX Mnemonic Aid.

Just my thought on the matter, but i still think the devs should spend resources on fixing existing bugs and making new *bug-free* content.

[nirnel]

Well, I think I like the simpler ideas that some of you posted more than mine.

Most of times, when I solo, I don't use a hireling (when I do is for certain runes or levers that require it), so it isn't a "it's too difficult!" rant. I agree that when you need aid it's supposed to be aid from another player, but sometimes that isn't an option (if you haven't created a party to play a dungeon and waited fruitlessly for 30 minutes for someone to join, then we may be playing different games)

The part of my suggestion about controlling the companion may be a bit out of the way, but other characters as companions (working just as a normal Hireling) would be a way to customize your own character. The companion could be a friend, associate, sibling or even spouse (it might list the relation where other hirelings say just 'hireling of X')

[Kriogen]

Bad idea IMO.

The point of DDO is to group with other people (soloing is just for braggin rights) and not to build an entire party of hirelings and companions for you to quest with. There are plenty of other games on many different platforms that you can play by your self.

Again, bad idea.

The "point" of any MMO is entertainment for user, money for producer. It's a show buisness.

It is a know fact, that people hate being "forced" into anything. Like "grouping". Now, people are a social creatures, they like to group. But hate being forced into groups. They want to pick there on friends and when they group or if they group at all.

MMO where the only option is "group" are small and/or fail.

And "solo" is not just for braggin rights. It's a play-style. Many like to solo on monday, lowman on wendsday and run 12-man epic raid on friday.