Friends/Alts as companions!

I'm all about my family tree having a function other than helping me figure out how to spell the name of a new alt so I can send them starter gear and money. They could just be a basic NPC who doesn't add anything to conversations and gain no affection points. That would save on asking all the main character's respective voice actors to come back and add dialog.

Friends on the other hand... no. I understand the fact that not everyone thinks this way, but people's characters are an extension of themselves. Some even go to great lengths to get them looking just right, myself included. I'll be damned if I'll allow someone to let my character trot around in a bikini on Hoth because they want her dressed that way.

I was thinking the same thing; a selection of companion "templates" based on whatever the character's advanced class is. If done right, the system wouldn't "break the game" in a significant way and would serve only to add some much needed variety to the companions we generally run around with and would also better allow you to curtail your play experience that much more.

As for making the current cast of companions obsolete, I don't think something like this would do any more damage than the galaxy full of Treeks we have now. However, I do see why some would be concerned but that concern really only boils down to personal choice since your alt/friend companions wouldn't be any more powerful than stock story cast.

This system could open up a whole new social aspect as well. My wife and I play Angry Birds Epic where some of the dungeons ask you to "borrow" a bird from one of your friends. I can see that working out pretty nicely with this system

Speaking of new content, I wouldn't mind a whole new kind of elder-game content based around this system either that focuses on the Presence stat and allows for solo and group play. Hell why not?

Thanks for posting this OP!

I've advocated being able to use your own alts as companions as sort of a Legacy perk for years now. I'd love to be able to bust out my Marauder alt as a companion on my Sorc main.

The idea of members of your legacy being able to help you, albeit as AI, seems to make the Legacy more real to me.

I for one would LOVE it if my friends borrowed my characters as I think systems like this only serve to strengthen the community through a sort of shared content that makes each player feel more important to the world.

However, that's just my opinion and so a system such as this should be entirely optional; if you don't want to share your toons then you should be allowed to set them all to "Private" or whatever.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but that completely goes against the second letter in 'MMO'. In fact, having them actually with you as opposed to a mindless NPC would improve the community more.

On one hand, I don't agree that it is entirely against the spirit of "MMO" because someone had to make that character to begin with. On the other I can see what you're saying and understand the apprehension.

However, since no one has ever done anything quite like this before, it would be interesting to see how it would turn out.

I understand this, but I stated on original post that one would need permission to use your toon as companion. Simply don't give then permission.

Or just group with them and dismiss your companions, perhaps? You can do that at this very moment and it takes a total of zero development time and resources. Yes, I get yours and everyone's point where that person also has to be online for this to happen.

Look, I think you're on to something, but this sounds like more of a solo player idea, rather than a multiplayer (what this game is designed to be). This is why I think a legacy option is more plausible.

That's a really good point.

Like the OP suggested above, nerfing "alt companions" down to the effectiveness of normal NPC companions would solve the issue without a hitch. And I'd gladly settle for that nerf if it was the main condition of being allowed to have alts as companions.

I'm not against having friends' toons as companion...I just don't have any in-game friends close enough to find that an exciting option. It could be a great option for other people with better friends. I'm all for new options.

I get your point, at least some parts. Sure it would be solo/small group feature, but why wouldn't this kind of players deserve features? I love doing Ops. I want more of them. But I also want CM gear, housing and more solo content. Different things to different folks )

I think this would offer cool feature to display our characters, our artwork. No one wants his/her toon run around naked as some creepers companion, that's sure, and that's why agreement is needed. But if my main would be my friend's healer always avilabe I would be just proud ^^ naturally everyone doesn't have close enough friends, but those people can use alts I was thinking my RL friend I play with while making suggestion.

This would also help people who for one reason or another dont like their crew. I could imagine male consular and perhaps female knight to not have anyone very interesting in (again matter of opinion)
Also if you hate your healer comp and you need him/her anyway thats too bad, and this solution of mine.
Again, big thanks for constructive and mature feedback