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Too many companions

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AuthorMessage
Ensign
Mar 17, 2011
5
Would like to "deactivate" or archive companions. It is near impossible to keep them all trained and up to my characters' level.

So activating and deactivating specific ones, would be awesome - maybe "send them on vacation somewhere" and bring them back when I'm ready to train them.

The problem is (if they are active), when I get in to a high level battle, they still have a chance of appearing. I can't afford to have them appear in a high level battle, or I will lose.

And to top it all off, they cost too much to train up after character level 43 or so.

Thanks,
Pirate: evan ironside
Ensign
Dec 30, 2011
37
Dear KI, as an avid player along with my son, we have decided together that there are too many comopanions at one time on our teams. we belive we should be able to keep some of them at our homes oe even "bottle them" so to speak. just like you are able to take some of your spells out of your deck in wizard, why not be able to side line some of your companions? it would really help with some of the more tough battles where your outnumbered and dont get to choose the crew.

on another note, my son suggested that maybe ships level up as well? because he loved his pirate ship "galleon" and now he has to use a bison one because its better than his pirate. just an idea, make ther ships level up but keep the nautical requirements for specific gear. Thankyou for reading and god bless
Petty Officer
Feb 10, 2011
97
Valdrick on Nov 25, 2012 wrote:
Dear KI, as an avid player along with my son, we have decided together that there are too many comopanions at one time on our teams. we belive we should be able to keep some of them at our homes oe even "bottle them" so to speak. just like you are able to take some of your spells out of your deck in wizard, why not be able to side line some of your companions? it would really help with some of the more tough battles where your outnumbered and dont get to choose the crew.

on another note, my son suggested that maybe ships level up as well? because he loved his pirate ship "galleon" and now he has to use a bison one because its better than his pirate. just an idea, make ther ships level up but keep the nautical requirements for specific gear. Thankyou for reading and god bless
Agree, agree, agree about the issue with companions. I don't mind the pseudo randomness, but let it be "random" from a smaller pool of choices. Make it so you have to have a minimum of 6 (not counting your First Mate) and leave the rest at home.

And I hadn't really paid attention to the ships not leveling but that is an excellent point.
Ensign
Oct 23, 2012
15
I agree 100 percent that we should be able to deactivate, bottle, or put in our home....just like posted above.
Bosun
Sep 08, 2008
388
I kind of like it the way it is.

It really does kind of force you to train really good. After all, if you want to be good, and be able to survive battles, some kind of effort has to be made so you could do so.

I can't really complain. The only complaint I have is that the bundle's Cat Corsair does not really have any epics to keep in par with the starter companions (he is after all, a promotional and unique companion that should be sought after) and that the crab hermit is absolutely crippled due to his little "glitch".
Petty Officer
Feb 10, 2011
97
theHealerGuy on Nov 12, 2012 wrote:
Would like to "deactivate" or archive companions. It is near impossible to keep them all trained and up to my characters' level.

So activating and deactivating specific ones, would be awesome - maybe "send them on vacation somewhere" and bring them back when I'm ready to train them.

The problem is (if they are active), when I get in to a high level battle, they still have a chance of appearing. I can't afford to have them appear in a high level battle, or I will lose.

And to top it all off, they cost too much to train up after character level 43 or so.

Thanks,
Pirate: evan ironside
I want to say I 100% agree with you and have said so - often.

Let us actually "manage" our companions, including who to have on our Active Duty roster. Make a minimum sure, but this page after page of companions doesn't make any sense.

We can't afford to keep them all leveled up because the Training Points cost so much and your "random" system seems to favor those at the bottom instead of those at the top. A 2% chance should show up twice in a 100 fights but it seems to show up far more often and always when you really need your best crew members in a fight.

Let us bottle them, give them some R&R in our dorm room or at the nearest tavern (or below deck when/if a below deck feature is ever implemented), decline them but, above all, give the players the respect as captains and allow us to fully manage our own crews.
Petty Officer
Sep 19, 2010
98
Disagree and heres why: if we are able to remove companions then everybody would run with the same 4 high output damage and never have to work at battles really. I t completely removes the enjoyment in the game if theres not a chance that a lower level character is put in battle with you and your first mate.. Makes you have to strategize a bit better to win. I dont see them switching this ever because it would take away the randomness in the game. Besides most of the tougher battles already let you choose your 3 companions and so in essence what your asking for is already incorporated into the game at the right times.
Ensign
Dec 30, 2011
37
Dracorro on Dec 3, 2012 wrote:
Disagree and heres why: if we are able to remove companions then everybody would run with the same 4 high output damage and never have to work at battles really. I t completely removes the enjoyment in the game if theres not a chance that a lower level character is put in battle with you and your first mate.. Makes you have to strategize a bit better to win. I dont see them switching this ever because it would take away the randomness in the game. Besides most of the tougher battles already let you choose your 3 companions and so in essence what your asking for is already incorporated into the game at the right times.
I disagree with the idea that people would all run with the same 4 peeps. because each class gets different companions in the first place that whipes out that idea. and second of all, people usually pick those that actually benefit the field, sooo there is my oppinion.

also dont you think in wizards, that tere are people who have the exact same spells per deck? what does it matter as long as they are happy with what they got?
Ensign
Dec 01, 2012
9
I agree that there should be a way to "keep out" lower level companions or just ones you don't want to use. Maybe it can be like the way you arrange your spells in Wizard101 in your deck manager( You should also use this idea for the "Abilities" so you don't start a battle with a bunch of "useless" ones.)

Petty Officer
Sep 19, 2010
98
Valdrick on Dec 8, 2012 wrote:
I disagree with the idea that people would all run with the same 4 peeps. because each class gets different companions in the first place that whipes out that idea. and second of all, people usually pick those that actually benefit the field, sooo there is my oppinion.

also dont you think in wizards, that tere are people who have the exact same spells per deck? what does it matter as long as they are happy with what they got?
What i meant is people would run with their 4 best companions not ever switching it up to play other companions that dont do as much damage or that are not as good as the top 4 they got. The game is designed to be random and this whole idea takes away that whole game mechanic. Furthermore, like i stated before the game lets you pick your companions in the tougher battles so you can strategize better. So ne need really to be allowed to remove companions. Believe me id be happy with just my top 4 but i like the idea that they throw in random companions so i have to work to win a battle, as the game is already too easy for those that have any intellect at all.
Ensign
Nov 28, 2012
12
I like that are forced to use random companions during battles as I am forced to use companions that I normally wouldn't use, the problem though is the training system. There are tough non-boss battles in the game that won't allow players to choose their companions so I try to keep all of my companions at least at the same level. I keep them 3 levels below my character so that I can level them up cheaply while preserving their usefulness in battle as much as possible.

There are companions in the crown shop that I would like to get but held off at acquiring them because they will only be a further burden to me and while browsing through the forum, I noticed that there are many who had the same idea. Ideally, the players shouldn't be punished for having many companions. A system where players are forced to put getting crown companions on hold seems counterproductive business-wise.

I have no problem getting stuck with my Watermole Slingman in a tough battle as opposed to using my Kobe Yojimbo who clearly has better offensive tools, but if you are going to force players to use companions with less tools and/or lower stats, the training system should at least make it easier for the players to train all of their companions equally. People would naturally level up the characters who have better tools/stats and put them ahead of the pack and getting stuck with a companion who is not only weaker tools/stat-wise but also level-wise seems a bit overkill.
Bosun
May 10, 2010
396
Valdrick on Dec 8, 2012 wrote:
I disagree with the idea that people would all run with the same 4 peeps. because each class gets different companions in the first place that whipes out that idea. and second of all, people usually pick those that actually benefit the field, sooo there is my oppinion.

also dont you think in wizards, that tere are people who have the exact same spells per deck? what does it matter as long as they are happy with what they got?
Your explanation is exactly why this should not happen. Battles in Wizard101 get very repeatative, the same mobs, the same spells, the same fights over and over again.

In Pirate101, every battle is different. You dont know what talents or cards you will start with, you dont know usually what companions you will get or how many, you dont know if you will get your pet.

The randomness of the battles is what keeps it from being monotonous and repeatative. It keeps the game fun and interesting, give you something to strive for, keeping your companions promoted, trained, and getting to know each and everyone that is on your crew. Learn their strengths and their weaknesses, as a true captain should.
Ensign
May 07, 2011
45
I agree. There are very many companions and I would like to limit the ones I can use. I have seen many people wanting this as well but I have not seen any responses from KI about this. I'd like to know what's going on with this and if KI is going to hear our plea or not.
Ensign
Nov 07, 2012
5
There are some companions that i loved in the beggining when i got them, but as you progress, better ones come along. It is hard, and expensive, to keep everyone equal. I like all the ideas posted above. But now there are few that i never use, and if i had the choice, i'd give 'em the boot. The "bottle" idea or keep them in like "crew quarters" would be nice, but that wont help me use them more, just get worse untill their presence is no longer needed. So, i was thinking of perhaps a "disband companion" option. Gaspard, 1%, and when he shows up, i cry a lil inside. Nurse Quinn, she is cool, but just not for me, As a swash', i have rouse and rally so her companionshp does me little good. Maybe assign them to "special" little tasks to help maintain the ship? Or have 'em keep guard at my house? just ideas. Tricky Vinney was my hero, now the sight of him makes me want to go have a few choice words with Frofather, someone wanna go tell him for me? His nephew's helpfullness has all but diminished. sad, i liked him.
Ensign
May 17, 2012
3
I agree!

It would be cool with companions around your house. !
Ensign
Nov 28, 2012
12
While that's one solution it is not the option that I would pick. As I see it, what's giving people headaches are the combination of:

random companions in battle + scarce/expensive training points + large numbers of companions

Take one out of the equation and things will get easier. As a person who was drawn to the game because the player can essentially build a pirate crew of his own with as many members as possible, I would prefer that there's no limit to the amount of companions we can recruit so taking out the third option is out for me. As it stands now, the game mechanics feels like it's punishing the players who have a lot of companions.

I would also prefer to keep the random companion picks that we get in battle because like the others have said, it prevents the game from being monotonous and repetitive and keeps it fresh and challenging. It will be tedious if people like me would have to go the the companion page everytime to switch out characters just because we want to at least try to use every companion in battle as much as possible. People will "shelve" their weaker characters in favor of their stronger ones, heck I would probably do the same thing if KI does implement this. In addition, it also makes sure that the hard work that KI put into designing these companions will not go to waste and guarantees that every companion is utilized.

So I would rather KI fix the scarceness/expensiveness of the training points. I realize that training points were probably designed so that people will use crown points to get gold in order to buy the training points but...man it's really hard for people like me who wants a large crew!!!!
Community Leader
I floated this idea in Episode 7 of my podcast, but I'll assume that not everyone listens I thought it would be a good idea to have side missions you could send companions on. You go into the tavern and check with a quest board (or maybe talk to the barkeep) and he gives you a list of companion only missions. For example, you see a mission to raid a banditoad hideout that would require 4 companions and would take 4 hours of game time (so four hours of you logged in a playing). It rewards a training point and a few thousand gold. You select which crew members you want to send, like you would select crew for an epic battle, then they go off to try and complete the mission, thus being gone for 4 hours of playtime. The trick with this is that you can send your weaker companions on lower level missions, but you also want to send good enough crew members so that the mission isn't failed. Maybe there is some risk involved, like you have to buy the mission for 500g, but it rewards 2,000g if successful.

To me, this seems like a much more interesting idea than just benching or bottling your companions as it gives them something to do, feels piratey as you are now a captain delegating lesser missions to your under-utilized crew members, and it also clears up your roster a bit. Later in the game it is very rare for companions at the bottom of the list to show up, especially once you have a second page of them. This way, there is a purpose and, if you're doing a difficult dungeon, you can guarantee that they won't pop up at an inconvenient time. Everybody wins!
Host of the Talkin' the Plank Podcast, where we talk about Pirate 101 every Friday!
Ensign
Apr 19, 2011
2
I wait a long time before training my companions so I have a lot of weak companions at the bottom of my crew. Despite this, I can't say that I've ever lost a battle because a weak companion showed up in a battle. I may have had to alter my strategy, the battle may have taken longer, it may have been more challenging, but I still win battles 99% of the time. I think the system is fine as it is. However I wouldn't complain if it were a little easier to get training points.
Ensign
May 02, 2010
1
Talkin The Plank on Dec 11, 2012 wrote:
I floated this idea in Episode 7 of my podcast, but I'll assume that not everyone listens I thought it would be a good idea to have side missions you could send companions on. You go into the tavern and check with a quest board (or maybe talk to the barkeep) and he gives you a list of companion only missions. For example, you see a mission to raid a banditoad hideout that would require 4 companions and would take 4 hours of game time (so four hours of you logged in a playing). It rewards a training point and a few thousand gold. You select which crew members you want to send, like you would select crew for an epic battle, then they go off to try and complete the mission, thus being gone for 4 hours of playtime. The trick with this is that you can send your weaker companions on lower level missions, but you also want to send good enough crew members so that the mission isn't failed. Maybe there is some risk involved, like you have to buy the mission for 500g, but it rewards 2,000g if successful.

To me, this seems like a much more interesting idea than just benching or bottling your companions as it gives them something to do, feels piratey as you are now a captain delegating lesser missions to your under-utilized crew members, and it also clears up your roster a bit. Later in the game it is very rare for companions at the bottom of the list to show up, especially once you have a second page of them. This way, there is a purpose and, if you're doing a difficult dungeon, you can guarantee that they won't pop up at an inconvenient time. Everybody wins!
This seems to be the best of the ideas. It let's you build up lesser companions while not being stuck with them at the wrong time cuz it was a random choice by the game. Just because it isn't a "main" boss fight doesn't mean the fight won't be really hard. Case in point being the last few bad guys you have to take down for the sherrif in Cooper's Roost. Last thing Iwant is to get stuck with a trash companion when fighting the Crane brothers since that fight is a huge pain to begin with.

Also let's be honest here....even though it doesn't cost much per month to play, you still have to drop a fair amount of real money to get the good stuff from the crown shop and if I have to spend real money to enjoy this game fully, then the game should be more geared for my enjoyment. Having to work things out and use my skills is fine, but I've lost more then a few fights due to companions that aren't very good with almost no percent of showing up popping up way more then they should and always at the wrong times. Just my two cents.
Petty Officer
Feb 10, 2011
97
I came up with what I thought was a perfectly viable compromise: A minimum number of crew members, easy peasy.

Not sure why anyone would only take 4 companions, my suggestion was 6 plus your first mate (7 total). Then the game could still "randomize" from that. Even 8 would be fine (9 total).

As Captain, I want to be able to pick my crew, not have the game do it for me.

But I'm not really seeing the point of carrying around endless pages of companions that have a 0% chance of showing up anyway when you could let them lounge off duty at your house/room or below deck if/when that feature is ever implemented.

Besides, there are just some companions I plain don't like, they don't look cool and have lousy stats/attributes. Without a way to train/promote them, what's the point of having them?

And last, but not least, every other game that has a mandatory team is limited to a set number and they level up right along side the main character. You usually don't have to spend in game resources to level your team, it's part of the game design since it was built into the game.

It's the only frustration I have with P101.
Ensign
Dec 14, 2012
4
I too agree with all of this, but my main problem with this randomness is that i put my second favorite/strongest companion is the second slot and they almost NEVER appear in battle, and when i put them elsewhere in the lineup, they still rarely get in battle, and instead the weak, lame ones do. Does anyone else get this? :/
Ensign
Dec 30, 2012
2
While I understand the need to randomize the companions to allow for great diversity in battle, I actually look forward to who is going to pop up and then how I am going to fight the battle. BUT having over 12 companions is too costly to keep up the training. IMHO this is a money sink that is being exploited by the game provider.

In fairness to players, allow us the option to deselect, sell, decommission or archive companions over 12.
Ensign
Jul 18, 2010
15
Shiningfantasia on Dec 2, 2012 wrote:
I kind of like it the way it is.

It really does kind of force you to train really good. After all, if you want to be good, and be able to survive battles, some kind of effort has to be made so you could do so.

I can't really complain. The only complaint I have is that the bundle's Cat Corsair does not really have any epics to keep in par with the starter companions (he is after all, a promotional and unique companion that should be sought after) and that the crab hermit is absolutely crippled due to his little "glitch".
I do agree that people need to work to train their companions better. Here's the only problem though: I am a person who likes to get new things, so i find myself buying companions from the crown shop A LOT. But now that i have so many i've relized that equally training my compnions still makes it to where, even if i got my three best companions in battle, they still arn't as good as they would be if i just kept the normal story line companions. So, i also agree that we should be able to archive the ones that are too much trouble to train.

Musketeer Fan #1
Ensign
May 30, 2009
5
I sort of agree with both opinions. I think that we should be able to bottle up only a certain amount of companions, otherwise I do think it would be a less interesting game
Ensign
Mar 15, 2012
8
Dracorro on Dec 3, 2012 wrote:
Disagree and heres why: if we are able to remove companions then everybody would run with the same 4 high output damage and never have to work at battles really. I t completely removes the enjoyment in the game if theres not a chance that a lower level character is put in battle with you and your first mate.. Makes you have to strategize a bit better to win. I dont see them switching this ever because it would take away the randomness in the game. Besides most of the tougher battles already let you choose your 3 companions and so in essence what your asking for is already incorporated into the game at the right times.
I have to disagree with your disagreement. I'm sure by now you have played long enough, leved up and had many more companions join your crew so you may have changed your mind. I have 34 companions at this point. It's rediculous and frustrating to the point of discarding the idea of starting another pirate. I can't even turn down new companions that try to join never mind "fire" existing ones. If something isn't done to change this part of the game you'll simply loose players which means lost revenue.
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