Just curious is this to give the gifts a large credit sink? or is there another specific reason influence diminishes at specific levels such as after 20, 35 etc? I guess it isn't a super big deal, I am guessing it is to justify the cost for the instant 50's but, the companions such as droids and creatures from the CC store or crates imo should not be affected by this. just a thought.

 

EDIT: I can understand the need for the ones that are used for crafting, but for the store Vanity ones there really isn't a purpose to have the influence diminish the way it does...

Edited December 8, 2019 by CKNORTH

The diminishing influence has been around since way before the insta-50. In fact, it's more the reverse - the insta-50 is priced so that it costs more than using gifts.

I have no guess as to why it's that way. 🙂

 

Edit - or maybe one guess. It's done that way so that the cost of levelling a companion is not linear. It costs less initially, so more people can afford some level of companion influence.

Edited December 8, 2019 by JediQuaker

The diminishing influence has been around since way before the insta-50. In fact, it's more the reverse - the insta-50 is priced so that it costs more than using gifts.

I have no guess as to why it's that way. 🙂

 

the insta 50 is instant. you are paying extra to get a companion to 50 instantly, vs the hour or so spending gifts.

The diminishing influence has been around since way before the insta-50. In fact, it's more the reverse - the insta-50 is priced so that it costs more than using gifts.

I have no guess as to why it's that way. 🙂

 

Edit - or maybe one guess. It's done that way so that the cost of levelling a companion is not linear. It costs less initially, so more people can afford some level of companion influence.

 

But my question is more for the Store companions like droids and creatures, they don't do any crafting their only purpose really is a cosmetic skin so why is the diminished influence even their for them, yeah I get it is a needed thing for crafting companions I can understand that. but cosmetic ones? I don't see it as needing to be there. we pay a lot for those companions, I don't mind feeding them gifts but it is kind of odd to have the diminished influence there seeing as the best way to get gifts for them is through Jawa junk

But my question is more for the Store companions like droids and creatures, they don't do any crafting their only purpose really is a cosmetic skin so why is the diminished influence even their for them, yeah I get it is a needed thing for crafting companions I can understand that. but cosmetic ones? I don't see it as needing to be there. we pay a lot for those companions, I don't mind feeding them gifts but it is kind of odd to have the diminished influence there seeing as the best way to get gifts for them is through Jawa junk

 

Don't waste your money - the CM companions cannot be used for crafting, and are trash for combat compared to normal companions (free game provided humanoid companions, who can also craft, are far better as combat support).

Don't waste your money - the CM companions cannot be used for crafting, and are trash for combat compared to normal companions (free game provided humanoid companions, who can also craft, are far better as combat support).

 

Ah it isn't about that really I like a my collections, and my companion collections is at 66% so it would be nice to have them function at the 50 mark regardless of how well they are or not... the Presence boost is a boon for leveling lower characters, and the fluff companions are nice to use seeing as we pay for them.

Ah it isn't about that really I like a my collections, and my companion collections is at 66% so it would be nice to have them function at the 50 mark regardless of how well they are or not... the Presence boost is a boon for leveling lower characters, and the fluff companions are nice to use seeing as we pay for them.

 

I have a few of them and thought about collecting the others, but when you actually need your companions for support (which granted isn't a lot of places anymore), they are trash compared to a similar level influence non-CM companion.

 

I don't think they should be better than standard companions (too close to P2W), and not sure I agree they should perform at rank 50 influence from the start, but they should be adjusted to be as effective as the non-CM comps.

 

But if you are just collecting them for looks / completion-ism - collect them and ignore leveling their influence as right now, they suck, and you'd be better of just using a non-CM companion.

Edited December 8, 2019 by DawnAskham

I have a few of them and thought about collecting the others, but when you actually need your companions for support (which granted isn't a lot of places anymore), they are trash compared to a similar level influence non-CM companion.

 

I don't think they should be better than standard companions (too close to P2W), and not sure I agree they should perform at rank 50 influence from the start, but they should be adjusted to be as effective as the non-CM comps.

 

But if you are just collecting them for looks / completion-ism - collect them and ignore leveling their influence as right now, they suck, and you'd be better of just using a non-CM companion.

 

You may be right in that regards, but OCD doesn't work that way, Granted they are optional companions I just rather one day have ALL companions at 50 Just because. I mean its kind of silly in the first place they arnt 50 to begin with, we pay real money for them, then pay more to get them where they become somewhat effective. I am not saying they need to be on par with other companions but the simple fact the droids cant be sent to craft is kind BS too

Edited December 8, 2019 by CKNORTH

But my question is more for the Store companions like droids and creatures, they don't do any crafting their only purpose really is a cosmetic skin so why is the diminished influence even their for them, yeah I get it is a needed thing for crafting companions I can understand that.

Mostly it's just that they didn't make a separate means of influencing the CM companions. As has been said - considering that they don't craft, and if they don't do that well in combat**, there's not much point in giving them gifts.

 

** Their effectiveness in combat is not something I've taken any notice of. I have a bunch of CM companions - from packs - but I don't actually use any of them.

Mostly it's just that they didn't make a separate means of influencing the CM companions. As has been said - considering that they don't craft, and if they don't do that well in combat**, there's not much point in giving them gifts.

 

** Their effectiveness in combat is not something I've taken any notice of. I have a bunch of CM companions - from packs - but I don't actually use any of them.

 

Kind of making my point even further that there isn't a need to give them gifts, so why don't they come at rank 50 then? Regardless...

 

Edit: in other words they should just give them a base stat of presence and get rid of feeding them gifts all together.

Edited December 8, 2019 by CKNORTH

Kind of making my point even further that there isn't a need to give them gifts, so why don't they come at rank 50 then? Regardless...

 

Edit: in other words they should just give them a base stat of presence and get rid of feeding them gifts all together.

 

All companions are the same, they probably can't make it different for CM companions. (Programming or such?)

@OP

why the diminishing returns? poorly applied game theory (it's supposed to 'feel rewarding, like an accomplishment" but it doesn't) mixed with slavish adherence to ineffectual (and yet still somehow overbearing) credit sinks.

if you'd like to minimize your time / credits wasted, this may help you.

 

All companions are the same, they probably can't make it different for CM companions. (Programming or such?)

No, they really aren't.... I wish they were.

Really doesn't matter any more. You get so much jawa junk from disintegration that you can just buy the purple gifts from the Jawa vendors and level them effectively for free just invest some time clicking.

Edit - or maybe one guess. It's done that way so that the cost of levelling a companion is not linear. It costs less initially, so more people can afford some level of companion influence.

It's already non-linear - at low ranks, the number of points required is small, and increases progressively as you rank up the companion. (It takes 2500 points to reach rank 5, and another 7500 on top to reach 10 from 5, for example.)

 

It's probably more accurate to say that it's to reduce the effectiveness of gifts relative to conversations and crew skill missions at higher influence values.

Kind of making my point even further that there isn't a need to give them gifts, so why don't they come at rank 50 then?

The key thing for me is that I haven't confirmed, to my satisfaction, that the CM companions are actually less effective. I've heard lots of things in the past about various companions, such as Treek (as a healer), or HK-51 (one shotting), or Z0-0M (healer), that people swear by, but that seem to be more just folklore and confirmation bias.

Treek never seemed to be all that different to me; HK-51's one shot ability was too specialized, and not that effective when you consider damage vs time; Z0-0M I haven't used.

 

So before I would write off the CM companions, I'd have to test them. If they truly are less effective in action, then I suppose it wouldn't matter what influence level they started with.

Edited December 9, 2019 by JediQuaker

The key thing for me is that I haven't confirmed, to my satisfaction, that the CM companions are actually less effective. I've heard lots of things in the past about various companions, such as Treek (as a healer), or HK-51 (one shotting), or Z0-0M (healer), that people swear by, but that seem to be more just folklore and confirmation bias.

Treek never seemed to be all that different to me; HK-51's one shot ability was too specialized, and not that effective when you consider damage vs time; Z0-0M I haven't used.

 

So before I would write off the CM companions, I'd have to test them. If they truly are less effective in action, then I suppose it wouldn't matter what influence level they started with.

 

Treek and HK-51 do not count however because they can be used for crafting I.E. why I see the point in diminishing influence I am however talking about the Ones that cannot craft to which are all the other store droids and also the creatures. there is no need to even have diminishing influence on gifts or to say the least gift them at all, in other words they should have a base stat of Presence of 2500 but that's my opinion. Also the fact they work great or not at 50 is purely subjective from 1-50 the might over perform where later levels they might not be on par. either way gifting the non crafting CC store companions is like added kick to the Jawa Junk....

The key thing for me is that I haven't confirmed, to my satisfaction, that the CM companions are actually less effective. I've heard lots of things in the past about various companions, such as Treek (as a healer), or HK-51 (one shotting), or Z0-0M (healer), that people swear by, but that seem to be more just folklore and confirmation bias.

Treek never seemed to be all that different to me; HK-51's one shot ability was too specialized, and not that effective when you consider damage vs time; Z0-0M I haven't used.

 

So before I would write off the CM companions, I'd have to test them. If they truly are less effective in action, then I suppose it wouldn't matter what influence level they started with.

 

Z00M use to have a very strong channeled heal, but it was nerfed down to about the same level as other channeled heals.

But my question is more for the Store companions like droids and creatures, they don't do any crafting their only purpose really is a cosmetic skin so why is the diminished influence even their for them, yeah I get it is a needed thing for crafting companions I can understand that. but cosmetic ones? I don't see it as needing to be there. we pay a lot for those companions, I don't mind feeding them gifts but it is kind of odd to have the diminished influence there seeing as the best way to get gifts for them is through Jawa junk

TL;DR - yes, gifts are a credit sink

 

Cartel Market creature companions are pretty diabolical as dps companions due to

Creature Companions are doing less damage than intended while in DPS mode

see Dev's known issues thread. As far as I'm aware that has not been fixed. I frequently use my companion as DPS so this issue is irritating. CM companions primary use is cosmetic - to have something a bit different; secondary is for the "must have them alls" (I'm partially guilty of that). I use droid companions on some characters because they are less annoying audibly/verbally than some class or later companions (e.g. Jakarro/C2-D4 would be a really good companion if Jakarro stopped howling every time something dies and C2-D4's quips were heard a bit more. I find all smuggler companions to be terrible so use a CM droid on my smugglers).

Z00M use to have a very strong channeled heal, but it was nerfed down to about the same level as other channeled heals.

And yet, people still think it's a better healer than others.

I'd be happiest if they removed companion gifts altogether and we were able to level them up by actively using them for combat and crafting.

I'd be happiest if they removed companion gifts altogether and we were able to level them up by actively using them for combat and crafting.

 

I would agree IF they increased influence Gains substantially. Also as said above a lot of the companion Chatter after every death is freaking annoying. its one of the nice things of the CC companions they don't really speak or say much thankfully

Edited December 9, 2019 by CKNORTH

Z00M use to have a very strong channeled heal, but it was nerfed down to about the same level as other channeled heals.

 

It's still pretty powerful since it cleanses as well as heals, makes soloing the droid in MM Hammer Station way, way easier.

 

 

No, they really aren't.... I wish they were.

 

I mean they are all the same when if comes to giving gifts, they probably can't change it, so that the CM ones (useless non crafting ones) come at level 50.

And yet, people still think it's a better healer than others.

 

People are in the habit of reading the first thing that pops up in a Google search, and not checking the dates. That's why I'm always such a jerk about demanding a reference when someone makes a claim, so that I can see where they got the idea from and what the original context is.

 

There are some decent threads regarding companion DPS, with an empirical basis... but healing? It's harder to measure (not that it can't be done). I've yet to see any data on healing other than hear say based, on individual game play (let alone one that's up to date with 6.0). But, I could have missed something.

 

If I had Z00m, I'd do a test myself. I think posting hard numbers would be the only way to put the claim to rest, if it's wrong.

 

It's still pretty powerful since it cleanses as well as heals, makes soloing the droid in MM Hammer Station way, way easier.

 

Talk about throwing a wrench in the works... definitely a benefit that falls outside of any test I would have come up with.

Edited December 11, 2019 by red_onion

People are in the habit of reading the first thing that pops up in a Google search, and not checking the dates. That's why I'm always such a jerk about demanding a reference when someone makes a claim, so that I can see where they got the idea from and what the original context is.

 

There are some decent threads regarding companion DPS, with an empirical basis... but healing? It's harder to measure (not that it can't be done). I've yet to see any data on healing other than hear say based, on individual game play (let alone one that's up to date with 6.0). But, I could have missed something.

 

If I had Z00m, I'd do a test myself. I think posting hard numbers would be the only way to put the claim to rest, if it's wrong.

 

 

 

Talk about throwing a wrench in the works... definitely a benefit that falls outside of any test I would have come up with.

 

Which one is the Z00m? I am unclear to this exact companion, care to let me know I may have it and not realize it, also if I do maybe I can help in the aspect of numbers