I was doing the Question of Motivation heroic with a level 72 character and an influence 41 ranged companion and I attacked a mob of two collicoids...

There are a couple of such places where, depending on class, setup, etc. you may have seen issues before 7.0 already, and all these are emphasized now big time. That also implies that things which were just about ok for everyone can break now in certain combinations of class, setup, and companion.

As a sidenote to this specific one, some of them are melee, and others are spitters, and the spit stuff is what you need to disable fast, one way or another.

Why is Presence Capped?

 

Presence in level 80 area/Stronghold: 3961

Presence on Alderaan: 698

Presence on Taris: 655

Presence on Voss: 752

 

Not wearing any Presence enhancing gear

 

Reducing presence by 80% pretty much across the board makes the companions much weaker than they should be. An interesting note is that when I first went to Alderaan (in the Ship Hanger), Presence was correct but as soon as I exited the spaceport it dropped.

Ouch.

No wonder companions are so horrible now.

Something has also happened to their AI. They are significantly slower to actually start healing when you need it. They just DPS like a drunk group finder teammate.

To add to the Presence Caps listed at the start of the thread, here are the healing comparison for Level 1 and level 50 comps for the two main Force healing abilities

Influence 50 Companion

Stronghold (Level 80 area)

Soothe: 26426-30468 with a 9 second cooldown

Mending: 29400 with a 10.5 sec cooldown

Taris (Republic)

Soothe: 520-584 with a 9.6 sec cooldown

Mending: 669 with an 11.5 sec cooldown

Voss

Soothe: 1867-2131 with a 9.3 sec cooldown

Mending: 2277 with an 11.2 sec cooldown

Influence 1 Companion

Stronghold (Level 80 area)

Soothe: 24187-28229 with a 9 second cooldown

Mending: 23968 with a 10.5 sec cooldown

Taris (Republic)

Soothe: 475-540 with a 9.6 sec cooldown

Mending: 490 with an 11.5 sec cooldown

Voss

Soothe: 1742-2006 with a 9.3 sec cooldown

Mending: 1730 with an 11.2 sec cooldown

Across the board, very little difference in the performance of a Influence 50 or Influence 1 companion. Companion healing does not keep pace with damage output of NPCs as you move from the lower level planets to the higher level ones. In effect, you companion's performance steadily gets worse as you level until you get to a non-capped area where it increases astronomically. In an Uncapped area, 7.0 companions are only slightly less powerful than 6.0 companions.

To add to the Presence Caps listed at the start of the thread, here are the healing comparison for Level 1 and level 50 comps for the two main Force healing abilities

 

Influence 50 Companion

 

Stronghold (Level 80 area)

Soothe: 26426-30468 with a 9 second cooldown

Mending: 29400 with a 10.5 sec cooldown

 

Taris (Republic)

Soothe: 520-584 with a 9.6 sec cooldown

Mending: 669 with an 11.5 sec cooldown

 

Voss

Soothe: 1867-2131 with a 9.3 sec cooldown

Mending: 2277 with an 11.2 sec cooldown

 

Influence 1 Companion

 

Stronghold (Level 80 area)

Soothe: 24187-28229 with a 9 second cooldown

Mending: 23968 with a 10.5 sec cooldown

 

Taris (Republic)

Soothe: 475-540 with a 9.6 sec cooldown

Mending: 490 with an 11.5 sec cooldown

 

Voss

Soothe: 1742-2006 with a 9.3 sec cooldown

Mending: 1730 with an 11.2 sec cooldown

 

Across the board, very little difference in the performance of a Influence 50 or Influence 1 companion. Companion healing does not keep pace with damage output of NPCs as you move from the lower level planets to the higher level ones. In effect, you companion's performance steadily gets worse as you level until you get to a non-capped area where it increases astronomically. In an Uncapped area, 7.0 companions are only slightly less powerful than 6.0 companions.

Emphasis mine.

This is really, really bad.

It is significantly diminishing the enjoyment of almost all solo and story content in the game. That's a pretty big problem.

Agree.

Bioware is so full idiot devs, who are also thieves, stealing peoples hard earned cash for now useless companion tokens.

Like mine.

That's the thing. If anyone used real money to buy those thingies from CM to boost their companions, nerfing them practicaly useless is a scam. And it's not just the companions being weaker in combat, the people who leveled their companions for crafting were also scammed, as crafting has been killed from the game almost completely.

 

Not to mention the fun factor, I don't think the devs have heard about it. But here you go:

 

Feeling powerful = fun

Feeling powerless = not fun

Like me. Thieves don't care about stealing my money, which I spent on those stupid tokens.

I was really hoping Tuesday would bring an update to fix these busted, horrible, weak companions.

Its part the the scaling as a whole. They are not going to change it.

I've cleared those with level 1 influence companions. That content isn't hard.

No, you haven't cleared MM KotET with influence 1 companions. You are clearly making things up. Dps, Tank, or heal spec, you wouldn't finish some of those bosses or chapters with influence 1 companions, in any era of the game.

Don't take any of this person's posts seriously on this topic. They obviously aren't participating in the discussion honestly.

I was really hoping Tuesday would bring an update to fix these busted, horrible, weak companions.

Why haven't seen any patches yet.

I'd anticipate a change to this, but not until they start patching 7.0, maybe even several patches in.

Agree.

 

Bioware is so full idiot devs, who are also thieves, stealing peoples hard earned cash for now useless companion tokens.

 

 

 

 

 

Like mine.

Calling BW employees thieves and idiots isn't going to help make the game better for anyone. It's also hostile and uncalled for.

Its part the the scaling as a whole. They are not going to change it.

You are lying all over this entire forum and have been busted on it in numerous threads. You're a Final Fantasy 14 streamer so clearly you are here posting lies hoping this game is made worse.

It is mind boggling that you are even attempting such stupid, obvious lies because we all know how companions functioned pre-7.0 compared to now.

You are lying all over this entire forum and have been busted on it in numerous threads. You're a Final Fantasy 14 streamer so clearly you are here posting lies hoping this game is made worse.

 

It is mind boggling that you are even attempting such stupid, obvious lies because we all know how companions functioned pre-7.0 compared to now.

I've never once streamed FFXIV and I've said nothing incorrect here lol.

I've never once streamed FFXIV and I've said nothing incorrect here lol.

Have you looked at your signature and the twitch link in it? Enough said.

But that's an example of where it wasn't necessary. Balmorra is totally out of balance right now. I was doing the Question of Motivation heroic with a level 72 character and an influence 41 ranged companion and I attacked a mob of two collicoids... my companion couldn't keep me alive. I had to use a kolto, my shield ability (don't have unity on this particular legacy), heroic moment for extra healing, and I had to run across the room to stay alive which I barely managed to do. A mob of two golds on a level 20 something planet should not be absolutely wrecking an experienced player. I could have approached differently given I was on an Assassin and could have stunned one of the golds first had I thought it was necessary but I've struggled with other mobs with two silvers and one gold and I shouldn't have to stun a gold in every single fight just to survive, especially with my fairly high influenced companion on heals with all abilities active (some people turn the channeled heal off, so being clear I didn't). The changes are **** on Balmorra if you are playing heroics solo, unless this is just a tuning problem.

Same thing here. Ran CZ198 with my companion in Tank spec with no problem, Went to Nar Shaddaa and did Breaking down Shadowtown with no problem, again with companion in tank mode. Went to do Lab Animals, and died on first group of silvers. Changed companion to healing spec, and died twice more. Something is terribly skewed when two heroics on the same planet are so horribly inconsistent.

Plus, unless it was a graphics glitch, some of the silvers had 31M health. And what's with this new telegraphing stuff? You can't get out of it and 1 shot takes more than half my health? The healing companion couldn't keep up with the incoming damage. Oh, and it was a level 50 companion, by the way.

Same thing here. Ran CZ198 with my companion in Tank spec with no problem, Went to Nar Shaddaa and did Breaking down Shadowtown with no problem, again with companion in tank mode. Went to do Lab Animals, and died on first group of silvers. Changed companion to healing spec, and died twice more. Something is terribly skewed when two heroics on the same planet are so horribly inconsistent.

Plus, unless it was a graphics glitch, some of the silvers had 31M health. And what's with this new telegraphing stuff? You can't get out of it and 1 shot takes more than half my health? The healing companion couldn't keep up with the incoming damage. Oh, and it was a level 50 companion, by the way.

It doesn't make it better but there is a reason Lab Animals is much harder than Breaking Down Shadow Town. Nar Shadaa and several other planets have bonus series that were originally intended to be run at higher levels (you would leave the planet and then come back to do the Bonus Series when you were higher level). Lab Animals is one of the Bonus Series Heroics and as such is tuned to a higher level. Level Sync does not currently take into account that bonus series heroics were tuned higher. With the much lower companion performance, that tuning difference is showing up.

It doesn't make it better but there is a reason Lab Animals is much harder than Breaking Down Shadow Town. Nar Shadaa and several other planets have bonus series that were originally intended to be run at higher levels (you would leave the planet and then come back to do the Bonus Series when you were higher level). Lab Animals is one of the Bonus Series Heroics and as such is tuned to a higher level. Level Sync does not currently take into account that bonus series heroics were tuned higher. With the much lower companion performance, that tuning difference is showing up.

I forgot about those stupid bonus missions. Thanks for the reminder and the sensible response. I won't be doing Lab Animals again any time soon.

I've never once streamed FFXIV and I've said nothing incorrect here lol.

More lies.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1406029178

And just in case he decides to delete it:

https://i.imgur.com/29XcLTJ.jpg

I really have no patience for "Git Gud Gatekeepers" like Raansu.

FPs and OPs of multiple difficulty levels exist for people who want challenging content.

I'm pretty good at the game so I'm handling solo content just fine. But my companions are significantly worse at their jobs which just makes me care about them less and that's a bad thing.

Solo story mode stuff the player SHOULD be OP. You're the protagonist. Having companions who do their jobs very well is part of what forges a bond with them where you actually care about them (unlike most companions in video games that are an annoyance or hindrance).

Pre 7.0 companions were awesome in solo (or even duo!) content. They could heal, tank, DPS, whatever you wanted.

Now they suck at all of those roles. There's no justification for it or upside. Solo story content was solid before. Now it is significantly worse due to whatever broke or nerfed them.

Solo story mode stuff the player SHOULD be OP. You're the protagonist. Having companions who do their jobs very well is part of what forges a bond with them where you actually care about them (unlike most companions in video games that are an annoyance or hindrance).

Not OP necessarily, but stuff should be easy to do, except for story-bosses which should require some attention. Doable, but one needs to look out at least a little bit. Feels more satisfying to win, then. Aside from this nitpick I absolutely agree. A player should *want* to have their companions along, as would be normal under such circumstances. If help is available, noone in their right mind would go alone. Companions should not clear everything by themselves, but be a reasonably helpful support.

Not OP necessarily, but stuff should be easy to do, except for story-bosses which should require some attention. Doable, but one needs to look out at least a little bit. Feels more satisfying to win, then. Aside from this nitpick I absolutely agree. A player should *want* to have their companions along, as would be normal under such circumstances. If help is available, noone in their right mind would go alone. Companions should not clear everything by themselves, but be a reasonably helpful support.

Agreed. As a mostly solo player improving companions' efficiency is the first step I take as soon as I get a new one. I enjoy their comments while completing quests, besides of course their help, but since 7.0 they are like: "I can't last much longer!"...

Have you looked at your signature and the twitch link in it? Enough said.

You mean that 50 second clip where I was playing around with steamlabs instead of OBS? Neat I guess? I never meant to actually start that stream considering that clip was me literally just standing around waiting for our healer to get home so we could start the raid.

I don't stream XIV and I likely never will. If I do ever stream anything its going to be when I'm not in discord and doing something like pvp in a game or playing DoA or Halo or something. I mean, for crying out loud the banner on my profile is from swtor lol.

I just realized how bad they herfed the comps.

I got Deathless Champion and Sprint Champion titles in 6.0. But I tried the Zakuul arena today and my lv50 comp can't even keep up the damage output of the 2nd and 3rd bosses lol