Forum:Companions-faster, strong, better in 1.02

One of the biggest things reworked in 1.02 is companions. Its not noted as much as some other things, but clearly the most changed next to safehouse elite goodies (NCR Combat/Power armor free :)). Here's some things I've noticed thus far:

Ranger Andy bug fixed so you can max out Raul. (If you failed to before that is. You still may have to re-talk to Andy!)

Veronica had about 100 more hp. (She my level now?)

ED-E has a more powerful blue machinegun laser. (No joke. I remember him hardly scoring kills even after the Followers upgrade. Now if a lightly armored thug attacks the team, I've seen ED-E fry him to ash bacon in seconds! John Henry Eden would be proud of him.)

Arcade is a much better fighter with his pistol. (Energy weapons are overall better.)

When you dismiss a companion, they no longer walk back to places like the 38. They now instantly go there. (House must be letting me use his Star Trekish teleporter...)

Active companions are now marked, by name, on your Pip-Boy world map. (So lets say you left Boone waiting Nelson and ED-E at Hope. You would see Boone's name and ED-E's name where you last left them.  This applies even if they are still following you.  This does not apply if you dismiss them.)

There might be other stuff, I'll edit this if I find any more.--Vault Master 08:21, December 13, 2010 (UTC)

I didn't had this impression with companions and I saw a lot of people saying that they are more powerfull.

First the SPECIAL of all of them was re-writed, so they actually became more weaker.

When using the Followers upgrade ED-E gain a cannon wich he uses to fire at long range targets (blue shot). For close targets he uses the old energy/eletrical zap (red shot). Cass and Boone became less proficiently with weapons, now you can't give them some guns that have 75 or 100 skill requirements too earlier in the game, like All-American or Gobi/Sniper rifle, they won't use them very well. Boone became extremelly weak, BTW, now he have 1CH and very low DT.

Veronica didn't changed much, she was already good balanced, her problem was not levelling properlly, this were corrected and her energy weapons skill was raised (75 before, 100 now).

Lily always was a monster of resistance and strengh, this doesn't changed.

Arcade also became more weak, he don't have 10 points anymore in P/A/L, but my impression is that his AI was tweaked, his behaviour is not suicidal anymore, he wait a little before engaiging the enemy.

All in all, Cass and Boone became crap to having around, Veronica and Arcade gods destroying everything in front of them and Raul is the same thing: hitting everything with his .44 Magnum revolver. I want one too!. Brfritos 22:21, December 21, 2010 (UTC)

I disagree that Cass is crap but totally agree that Boone is. Once Cass gains her Hand of Vengence perk, she becomes very lethal with guns. I'm experimenting with her at the moment, giving her a Cowboy rifle with the level action mod and she just now mows down enemies in a matter of a couple of seconds! O.O I'm going to give her an Assault carbine today and watch her blaze away. Boone though....well quite honestly I find him a boring angst riddled emo git who seems to prefer going into Melee with his combat knife rather than acting like a sniper which he's supposed to be. Yesterday he died after running in to go hand to hand with Cazadors and rather than go back to a previous save, I thought, screw you buddy, stay dead. His quest takes too long to activate and he's just not an intersting companion IMO. He's only worth picking up early in the game and then dumping as soon as you can get any of the others. Bye Bye Boone Captain Taipan 23:33, December 21, 2010 (UTC)
 * Well, I will test her more this time, my actual build - heavy energy weapons - don't really favor her. You said one thing interesting, I always portraited her like a "cowboy", so she are supposed to be best with lever-rifles and shotguns, but she was good with every fire weapon, even military ones (Raul for example shines more with a Trail Carbine than a Marksman Carbine). I will try give her this type of weapons, maybe is this. Brfritos 08:39, December 22, 2010 (UTC)
 * Don't forget Cass has Shotgun Surgeon now. Usernametaken 18:23, December 22, 2010 (UTC)