Conners
Sergeant at Arms
What would be VERY good, is if your companions became proper, deep characters, with more gameplay aspects, and not so annoying, whiny, and useless.
Here are some ideas on how to improve gameplay aspects, and story aspects of the companions. Take what you like.
Companions Complaining:
Companion Relations:
More Gameplay:
* Romance options, as with Lords/Ladies. When you start a romance, Relations with the Companion would be reduced by a percentage, or to "no lower than 1" type of thing, to show that you need to make progress in your new relationship (this'd probably be more severe with Deshavi and Firentis, and generally vary between companions).
When married, the companion could get an experience/level-up bonus and Relation Ship bonus, to show their new determination to be helpful to you. Could also get a Companion-specific bonus, such as Matheld getting more recruits from Nord villages, and making Nord Cities/Villages more happy with you (since you have a shieldmaiden for a wife). Firentis, being a more martial Character, might get another level up bonus. Marnid might increase the amount of caravan traffic in the nation you serve. Etc..
* Mistress/Concubine option(??). Just like Marriage, except you can have several of these while married, and it's a lot harder to convince a companion to this (it'd get harder as you get more concubines, too). Honour would also be reduced each time you took a new concubine (even more so, if married). Good way to get all the bonuses available, though.
Companion Quests. Companion-specific quests, both for general roaming and for epic story. They'd influence your companions relations, and sometimes their abilities.
* Delegating Quests. Someone wants you to go and kill Florence Bubbles the murderer in Mechin? Send Rolf to deal with it. The king now says to you the vassal, that he has a quest worthy for one of your companions, if he doesn't have one worthy of you.
Companions can fail these missions, but it'll have less negative effects on your whichever having them fail it rather than you. The higher their stats, level, and skills which are appropriate to the given mission, the more likely they are to succeed. They'll be gone a day or two either way.
* Splitting party. There have been mods that allow you to split your party. Be good to have this for such a companion depth mod. Maybe a Mod Compilation.
* Companion Lords. Lets your Companions act as Lords, instead of wandering taverns, when you tell them to leave. Perhpas tihs only happens if you are in charge of your own faction, though, since they aren't vassals to whoever you serve.
That's the idea, hope someone likes it, or wants to add-to/revise it. Or, better still, wants to help mod it
.
Here are some ideas on how to improve gameplay aspects, and story aspects of the companions. Take what you like.
Companions Complaining:
* Extended Conversation Options, resulting in temporary or long-term effects to either Companion's relations (clever choices, and having a high Persuasion skill, would let you keep all the companions without too much hassle).
* A Companion to Companion relations system, much like the one Lords have, would be good. More possible falling-outs and falling-ins.
* More Complaints/Events, including:
* A Companion to Companion relations system, much like the one Lords have, would be good. More possible falling-outs and falling-ins.
* More Complaints/Events, including:
Companion A and B are about to come to blows, you must decide what to do ("Go at it then!", "Stop!", "A/B is in the right.", "What is this about?". etc.).
Companions B comes to you, begging for protection from Companion A, who has become violent ("Let's settle this peacefully.", "You two duel to settle this.", "I'll fight you in Companion B's place.", "What's this about?" etc.)
Companions A and B both come to you, asking you to sort out some disagreement, such as who deserves the fat purse of an enemy both claim to have killed in the battle. ("Fight for it!", "Split it in halves.", "I'll take it since you can't decide.", "I'll give you both the amount that is in that purse if you stop quarrelling.", etc.).
Companions B comes to you, begging for protection from Companion A, who has become violent ("Let's settle this peacefully.", "You two duel to settle this.", "I'll fight you in Companion B's place.", "What's this about?" etc.)
Companions A and B both come to you, asking you to sort out some disagreement, such as who deserves the fat purse of an enemy both claim to have killed in the battle. ("Fight for it!", "Split it in halves.", "I'll take it since you can't decide.", "I'll give you both the amount that is in that purse if you stop quarrelling.", etc.).
Companion Relations:
* Have relation points start at 20 or 10 or 5 or 0 (depends on companion?).
Let it be reducible to the negatives, through continuous abuse, causing them to become less helpful, wanting to leave, or even treacherous.
Positive treatment and circumstances raises relations, so that they'll become more useful (heal faster? level up faster? more effect from going on missions like spying and making you more King-worthy?), loyal and tolerant (relations don't decrease as quickly), and willing to be more diplomatic (fight less with other companions for your sake, making it easier to keep multiple companions).
* More ways to raise relations. Doing Quests/Things they like (Looting caravans for Baheshtur, defeating Lords for Rolf, caravan protection missions for Ymira and Marnid).
Winning tournaments, castles, etc. makes you more popular with them (even if you lost a ton of troops, Borcha would probably feel less bad if you got a castle out of it, or a city).
Ability to give presents to companions, to improve relations. Whether it be Fiefs, Denars, or (Special )Items.
Let it be reducible to the negatives, through continuous abuse, causing them to become less helpful, wanting to leave, or even treacherous.
Positive treatment and circumstances raises relations, so that they'll become more useful (heal faster? level up faster? more effect from going on missions like spying and making you more King-worthy?), loyal and tolerant (relations don't decrease as quickly), and willing to be more diplomatic (fight less with other companions for your sake, making it easier to keep multiple companions).
* More ways to raise relations. Doing Quests/Things they like (Looting caravans for Baheshtur, defeating Lords for Rolf, caravan protection missions for Ymira and Marnid).
Winning tournaments, castles, etc. makes you more popular with them (even if you lost a ton of troops, Borcha would probably feel less bad if you got a castle out of it, or a city).
Ability to give presents to companions, to improve relations. Whether it be Fiefs, Denars, or (Special )Items.
More Gameplay:
* Romance options, as with Lords/Ladies. When you start a romance, Relations with the Companion would be reduced by a percentage, or to "no lower than 1" type of thing, to show that you need to make progress in your new relationship (this'd probably be more severe with Deshavi and Firentis, and generally vary between companions).
When married, the companion could get an experience/level-up bonus and Relation Ship bonus, to show their new determination to be helpful to you. Could also get a Companion-specific bonus, such as Matheld getting more recruits from Nord villages, and making Nord Cities/Villages more happy with you (since you have a shieldmaiden for a wife). Firentis, being a more martial Character, might get another level up bonus. Marnid might increase the amount of caravan traffic in the nation you serve. Etc..
* Mistress/Concubine option(??). Just like Marriage, except you can have several of these while married, and it's a lot harder to convince a companion to this (it'd get harder as you get more concubines, too). Honour would also be reduced each time you took a new concubine (even more so, if married). Good way to get all the bonuses available, though.
Companion Quests. Companion-specific quests, both for general roaming and for epic story. They'd influence your companions relations, and sometimes their abilities.
Deshavi would have a quest where you can try to hunt down the bandits who wronged her.
Firentis could have a quest where you have to stop him, or help him, in killing the seducer who led him to kill his brother.
Ymira's aged betrothed could approach you, demanding you hand her over, offering a huge sum of denars. Refuse and send him away, kill him and take the money, or trade Ymira for money.
Borcha has a general quest, where every so often he suggests "borrowing" some horses. Sneak into town, mount some placed horses, and escape to succeed, getting some horse loot.
Marnid asks permission to go do a quick Caravan-routine, asking for some funds and a few days. Be neat if you could go with his caravan through this time, protecting it. He'll return a day after completing his route, or after having been robbed by bandits, giving you any earnings.
Baheshtur could alert you to enemy caravans that have recently left nearby towns, when asked. Or, you could be hunted by a band of mercenaries, sent to kill him for the attack on the rival tribe.
Bunduk is surprised to meet the "princeling" he deserted when he joined you, whether you are talking to them as an ally or have just captured him in battle (they'd be a Lord). In the former case, he demands Bunduk handed over to be hanged, or he'll alert the matter to the King (you can bribe him not to). In the latter, Bunduk wants to have a duel (to the death?) with the Princeling.
Rolf is disgusted when someone you ask for Rumours, tells you about a "bastard bandit pretending to be a baron". You track it down to an old enemy of Rolf's, and might get a bit more of his history from this encounter.
Matheld receives a letter, reporting trouble for her family. Another group of Nords have accused them of conspiring against the King/Local-Lord/Mayor. Fix it through Coin, diplomacy, or blades to the throat. Alternatively, you could convince them to have a duel, between you or Matheld, and the head of the rival house.
Alayen gets word from his brother(-in-law? I forget). He is challenged to a duel, and he wants you to go with him as his second. You can refuse, and he'll go off on his own, whether you like it or not ( he won't refuse a duel). If you go with him, to the meeting place, you'll find it's an ambush! After winning it out, the brother begs for his life, and you can influence Alayen's decision. You can force the brother out of the country, making him go on a merchant ship heading somewhere distant, or Alayen can kill him, or you can kill him. Do the former or latter, and Alayen will regain his inheritance, receiving a full set of armour, his family sword (a slightly better Bastard Sword) and some cash.
If you didn't go with Alayen, he might fail the quest and not come back, and you'll find him, drunken, depressed, and injured, in a tavern. You can re-do the Quest to cheer him up.
Artimner, after doing some building work for you, is asked to build a great cathedral for whichever city seem appropriate. He is excited to start work, and will leave for it whether you want him to or not. If you go with him, you'll find there was a miscalculation with the funds, and they're a few thousand denars short. You can track down the embezzler and get the money or/and convince another merchant/lord/guild-master to help pitch in. Or you can pay the funds yourself, right then. If you didn't go with Artimner, the job might fail, and you'll have to find him embarrassed and drunk in a tavern. You can re-do the quest with him to cheer him up.
After this quest, Artimner is sad to find less pay than he hoped for.
On the bright side, now Artimner can construct smaller cathedrals in your cities, making your citizens happier.
That's all for the moment.
Firentis could have a quest where you have to stop him, or help him, in killing the seducer who led him to kill his brother.
Ymira's aged betrothed could approach you, demanding you hand her over, offering a huge sum of denars. Refuse and send him away, kill him and take the money, or trade Ymira for money.
Borcha has a general quest, where every so often he suggests "borrowing" some horses. Sneak into town, mount some placed horses, and escape to succeed, getting some horse loot.
Marnid asks permission to go do a quick Caravan-routine, asking for some funds and a few days. Be neat if you could go with his caravan through this time, protecting it. He'll return a day after completing his route, or after having been robbed by bandits, giving you any earnings.
Baheshtur could alert you to enemy caravans that have recently left nearby towns, when asked. Or, you could be hunted by a band of mercenaries, sent to kill him for the attack on the rival tribe.
Bunduk is surprised to meet the "princeling" he deserted when he joined you, whether you are talking to them as an ally or have just captured him in battle (they'd be a Lord). In the former case, he demands Bunduk handed over to be hanged, or he'll alert the matter to the King (you can bribe him not to). In the latter, Bunduk wants to have a duel (to the death?) with the Princeling.
Rolf is disgusted when someone you ask for Rumours, tells you about a "bastard bandit pretending to be a baron". You track it down to an old enemy of Rolf's, and might get a bit more of his history from this encounter.
Matheld receives a letter, reporting trouble for her family. Another group of Nords have accused them of conspiring against the King/Local-Lord/Mayor. Fix it through Coin, diplomacy, or blades to the throat. Alternatively, you could convince them to have a duel, between you or Matheld, and the head of the rival house.
Alayen gets word from his brother(-in-law? I forget). He is challenged to a duel, and he wants you to go with him as his second. You can refuse, and he'll go off on his own, whether you like it or not ( he won't refuse a duel). If you go with him, to the meeting place, you'll find it's an ambush! After winning it out, the brother begs for his life, and you can influence Alayen's decision. You can force the brother out of the country, making him go on a merchant ship heading somewhere distant, or Alayen can kill him, or you can kill him. Do the former or latter, and Alayen will regain his inheritance, receiving a full set of armour, his family sword (a slightly better Bastard Sword) and some cash.
If you didn't go with Alayen, he might fail the quest and not come back, and you'll find him, drunken, depressed, and injured, in a tavern. You can re-do the Quest to cheer him up.
Artimner, after doing some building work for you, is asked to build a great cathedral for whichever city seem appropriate. He is excited to start work, and will leave for it whether you want him to or not. If you go with him, you'll find there was a miscalculation with the funds, and they're a few thousand denars short. You can track down the embezzler and get the money or/and convince another merchant/lord/guild-master to help pitch in. Or you can pay the funds yourself, right then. If you didn't go with Artimner, the job might fail, and you'll have to find him embarrassed and drunk in a tavern. You can re-do the quest with him to cheer him up.
After this quest, Artimner is sad to find less pay than he hoped for.
On the bright side, now Artimner can construct smaller cathedrals in your cities, making your citizens happier.
That's all for the moment.
* Delegating Quests. Someone wants you to go and kill Florence Bubbles the murderer in Mechin? Send Rolf to deal with it. The king now says to you the vassal, that he has a quest worthy for one of your companions, if he doesn't have one worthy of you.
Companions can fail these missions, but it'll have less negative effects on your whichever having them fail it rather than you. The higher their stats, level, and skills which are appropriate to the given mission, the more likely they are to succeed. They'll be gone a day or two either way.
* Splitting party. There have been mods that allow you to split your party. Be good to have this for such a companion depth mod. Maybe a Mod Compilation.
* Companion Lords. Lets your Companions act as Lords, instead of wandering taverns, when you tell them to leave. Perhpas tihs only happens if you are in charge of your own faction, though, since they aren't vassals to whoever you serve.
That's the idea, hope someone likes it, or wants to add-to/revise it. Or, better still, wants to help mod it
.
However, this is a brilliant idea! It would be so good to see. 
