How To Make NPCs That Aren't Completely Annoying

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Where would we be without companions: The sidekicks, allies and general hangers-on that accompany us through all the best videogames? Honestly, we'd probably be a lot happier, because most of them are annoying as hell - but why is that? Why are so many characters literally designed to be our friends and to help us so often irritating, pushy and generally useless, and what makes those few companions worth investing time into work so well?
The Architect is glad you asked - they've been flying through trans-dimensional abbeys, alternate versions of japan and a fair few dystopias in search of the ultimate companion, and what they found was that the ultimate videogame sidekick has less to do with how nice they are, and more about the person behind the keyboard. Yeah, you!
You Saw:
Marvel's Midnight suns - 2022
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - 2011
God of War Ragnarok - 2022
Grand Theft Auto IV - 2008
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - 2006
Bioshock: Infinite - 2013
Persona 5 Royal - 2019
Pokemon Sword and Shield - 2019
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - 1998
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - 2014
Fallout 4 - 2015
Undertale - 2015
Dark Souls - 2012
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2 - 2004
Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - 2022
Half Life 2 - 2004
Halo: Infinite - 2021
Crosscode - 2015
Portal 2 - 2011
Ico - 2001
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Hitman - 2016
Fire Emblem Awakening - 2012
Jedi: Fallen Order - 2019
Portal - 2007
Mass Effect 2 - 2010
Puella Magi Madoka Magica - 2011
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
The Witcher 3 - 2016
OneShot - 2016
The Outer Worlds - 2019
Pokemon Fire Red - 2004
The Last of Us 2 - 2020
Half Life 2 Episode 1 - 2006
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
God of War - 2018
Pokemon Scarlet - 2022
Monster Hunter World - 2018
Mario and Luigi Dream Team - 2013
Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 2018
Ace Attorney Investigations 2 - 2011
High On Life - 2022
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - 2022
Symphony of War: The Nephelim Saga - 2022
Fire Emblem 3 Houses - 2019
The Banner Saga 3 - 2018
Titanfall 2 - 2016
Dragon Age Origins - 2009
Nier Automata - 2017
Genshin Impact - 2020
Earthbound - 1994
Final Fantasy 7 Demake - 1990
Left 4 Dead 2 - 2009
Grand Theft Auto V - 2013
Yoshi's Island - 1995
Spyro Reignited Trilogy - 2018
Stardew Valley - 2016
Mass Effect 3 - 2014
Disco Elysium - 2019
Dream Daddy - 2016
Potionomics - 2022
Half Life Alyx - 2020
Borderlands 3 - 2019
Watch Dogs 2 - 2016
Fallout 3 - 2008
Half Life 2 Episode 2 - 2007
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 2006
Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 2022
Deltarune - NOT OUT YET
Stray - 2022

[@ArchitectofGames]

(Note: I changed the title of the vid to something less boring - for transparency's sake, the original was "What Makes A Good Companion Character") Wait! This isn't the end of year video!! Don't worry my sweet child it's already being worked on and will be out before the end of the year! (probably) get earlier access to it here!: www.patreon.com/ArchitectofGames Do you like me and will you be my friend? Yes/No - Vox Populi, Vox De (please I desperately need this I'm so lonely my wife left me and my robot cars keep crashing please): twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot

[@umbrosia5202]

Hold on, since when is Lorenz a house leaders companion?

[@samadams8533]

Yo i know this is pedantic, but isn’t the Golden deer Lieutenant Hilda?

[@zafferung4440]

Learn to pronounce 'lieutenant' correctly.

[@greghuffman3061]

jinkleoid

[@safe-keeper1042]

When you talked about us disliking characters meant to just be friendly and helpful, the first "character" that came to mind was actually the MS Word paper clip. Cute, polite, ever helpful, and almost universally disliked.

[@ArchitectofGames]

I see you're trying to write a youtube comment, would you like some help with that?

[@truthseeker7815]

@@ArchitectofGames, why did you make him like that 😭?

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

Clippy was great. I’ll fight anyone over that.

[@LethalLuggage]

You know it's funny. I actually liked clap trap and clippy, but I didn't interact with either very often in the grand scheme of things.

[@Respectable_Username]

I loved Clippy. Gave me something to interact with while procrastinating from my homework. Also changing him to all the other characters who had their own animations. I seem to remember also liking the dog and the wizard

[@davidbodor1762]

Bioshock Infinite really did it well with Elizabeth, I had a moment in a tough fight that I will always remember. I had no ammo at all, I won the fight, but right as I was leaving and opened the door there was a big enemy behind it, I tried to shoot and immediately I hear 'Booker, catch!' and there she is throwing a shotgun for me to blast the enemy with, when I needed it the most. She was perfect.

[@DrEcho]

We must pay proper homage to the OG patron saint of beloved companion characters The Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube™️ 💖

[@DrEcho]

And for me personally, the OG demon spawn of odious companion characters Omochao 💀

[@MaxG628]

It’s nice to have an NPC who will never threaten to stab you.

[@solsystem1342]

@@MaxG628 Me coming from checking up on my diplomacy games completely whooshed that

[@DrEcho]

@@MaxG628 and, in fact, cannot speak 💕

[@insaincaldo]

@@MaxG628 I could have sworn... Right about the time when my beans ran out, while trying to wait out GLaDOS' ultimatum.

[@MehnixIsThatGuy]

Disadvantage of having game mechanics linked to character friendship is that it makes it optimal to be friends as opposed to purely a choice. This can end up turning characters into walking game challenges that need to be resolved as opposed to people. Of course i'm friends with every character, doing anything less is suboptimal, I can even remember some of the names of the more useful ones, amazing.

[@TheYellowMask5421]

I always feel a bit like a manipulative psychopath in the Persona games, because I'm answering optimally rather than authentically.

[@insaincaldo]

Usually that is only an issue if you already know the optional way to do it.

[@eadbert1935]

Spoilers for Pyre: This is great in a game like pyre, where you actually get rid of the people you play most with and you want to get rid of them narratively. Also, it's a good way to somewhat force people to look into more strategies, as they have to switch characters whenever their favourite is finished. you can somewhat work around that by not choosing that guy for ascension, but the game really tells you to do it. On the other hand, it had the effect for me that i didn't care about the dialogue as much in the late-game because all my besties weren't there anymore.

[@AnotherDuck]

@@TheYellowMask5421 That tends to be the case for games that encourage optimisation while also claiming to encourage roleplaying. Those are not two concepts that mesh well in most cases. I find it just detracts from the personal aspect of it, and makes it much more gamey.

@@AnotherDuck If you get good enough, you can roleplay anyway?

[@rage_2000]

13:15 I love how Kim roast you so hard, you actually take physical damage

[@jaspervanheycop9722]

I read an article on a driver's assistant that was trialed in Japan, it was a cute anime girl (because... of course) who would pop up when drivers were speeding (among other "helpful" tips). It was so grating that drivers apparently started recalcitrantly speeding up more. It's just human nature, no-one outgrows that 2 year old phase were you want to do and figure things out yourself, even though you are actually completely incapable of doing such.

[@momom6197]

Do you mean speeding up less? There's something I don't understand here.

[@altdechet5075]

@@momom6197 It has to do with what was talked about in the video, the anime girl is a companion supposed to be friendly, cute and helpful, but it does all the opposite. When a driver speeds she will tell them not to but due to that drivers would just want to go against that annoying companion more and speed more. Basically, a badly designed companion that serves a purpose even though we don't like it

[@juanrodriguez9971]

Funny how some times the dev's intention are taken the completely opposite way, on one hand we have all the "likable" characters we end up hating because of how annoying and infuriating they are, while on the other hand we have Lisa The Painful with Terry Hintz, which the dev intended to be useless, annoying, and easy to hate so we could have an easy sacrifice, accidentally creating best boy and one of the favorite characters in the whole game.

[@tinchosabala]

Terry Hintz o7

[@pottern2296]

He's not "that" useless, he get one of the best moves in the endgame if you cared about him enough and kept feeding him exp.

[@juanrodriguez9971]

@@pottern2296 he is not that useless, but he was intended to be useless, I would like to know if Dingaling have him some of the best endgame attacks as a secret for those who decided to sacrifice him, or if they came in an update in order to buff a fan favorite.

[@CowCommando]

I let Elizabeth dance on the beach for ten minutes in Bioshock Infinite because I liked her and felt bad for her having to live in that tower for all those years.

[@kotzpenner]

Kim Kitsuragi of Disco Elysium is hands down the best partner of all time.

[@mousek801]

1) Doesn't have the ability to stand in doorways and block your path. 2-10) Honestly whatever, after #1, everything else is just gravy.

[@anophelesnow3957]

Oh Lydia! As the Dragonborn, I liked her so much. Considered marrying the brave and hot lass, but her insistence of standing in doorways was a turn off. Hard as nails though.

[@safe-keeper1042]

I agree Kim is just the best sidekick, and also such a wonderful character and person. He starts off understandably cold towards you (although he also understands you and says he's seen cops way worse off than you, which is a great touch), and then he gradually warms up to you over time as you earn his respect, even lightening up and starting to crack jokes himself. Don't know if I've ever experienced an AI partner/sidekick with character development before, by the way.

[@safe-keeper1042]

SPOILER I think my favourite Kim Katsuragi moment is when . . . . . . you discover that he has FM Speedfreaks saved on his motor carriage radio. For most of the game he's seemed like an almost uptight by-the-books-cop, and then you discover this side to him and you realize he's a human being beneath that layer of cold, effective professionalism and his frustration over the protagonist's antics. Also love how his ears start blushing and he hurriedly changes the channel xD. Wonderful characterization. By the way I also love how it's foreshadowed by him instantly recognizing the channel when the kids sing the song they heard.

[@kotzpenner]

@@safe-keeper1042 it’s weird for me because it’s like one of the first things I did for some reason lol but afterwards it’s sooo much better lol

[@TheCaliforniaHP]

Kim is one of the best characters in gaming. The journey you have with him throughout, then that amazing payoff for the finale is just so damn good

[@athenabrown3117]

My favorite part is that he's a much more complicated person that you initially might think, with various backstory touches that influence how he sees the world (why he doesn't like Cuno and the other kids is a good example) and why he's so dedicated to being professional _on the job_, despite being seemingly a pretty showoffy Car Guy elsewhere.

[@safe-keeper1042]

​@@athenabrown3117 I love Cuno for the same reason. You get such a terrible first impression of him, and I thought he was just going to be this annoying kid throughout the whole game. But like with Kim, he's such a fleshed-out character once you get to know him, with completely understandable motivations for acting the way he does (just like, you know, kids who come across as insufferable at first glance in real life). I found myself going from detesting him, to growing to like his antics, to eventually trying to save him. He grew to become my second favourite character in the game, after Kim Kitsuragi.

[@kanalkucker14]

Preston Garvey just apprearing out of the ground killed me xxxDD

[@Ashtarte3D]

I love that not only do you mention Diana from the massively underrated Symphony of War, but that she is a BIG LADY. I love her Titan upgrade it's goddam ridiculous as a fellow tall lady.

[@TheCaliforniaHP]

I must learn more about this character

[@RidireOiche]

Palicoes and the Shakalaka are the greatest assistant AI companion characters in all of gaming. Follow commands, stay out of the way until absolutely necessary, then roll in with that clutch heal or agro draw at the last second and almost zero maintenance outside of battle.

[@Schneeregen_]

I try to make the same Palico in every game, because at this point Horace feels like an actual partner to me, more so than most prewritten characters.

[@thomasallen9974]

Agreed no one has ever had my back like my palico in Monster Hunter World. Just when I was looking at a cart or worse a hunt fail, BOOM here comes my Palico right on time. AND HE ACTED INTELLEGENTLY!

[@BraveryBeyond]

@@Schneeregen_ 100% agree. I cheated a little in this respect, because I designed my palico after my real-life cat, Apollo. But can you blame me? What could be better than a boy and his cat adventuring the new continent, hunting giant monsters side by side? Oh wait, I _can_ answer that. It's when Monster Hunter Rise introduced being able to take multiple palicoes and I could make his sister, Artemis, as well!

[@johntimothyvalenzuela8146]

generally agree with palicoes, but i still do remember the times when i get stunned and the bugger goes near me and fucking heals himself, that always irritates the hell out of me.

[@Lishtenbird]

11:27 Hey, being emergency food isn't the most common companion feature, but a useful one nonetheless.

[@DragN_H3art]

also a huge part of Paimon being disliked is the voice work/direction, she's way less grating when she's dubbed in other languages

[@DragN_H3art]

it's a problem with the game's English dub in general, the dub direction makes it really abnoying to listen to

[@AnotherDuck]

@@DragN_H3art I find the English voices generally good enough (with exceptions). Then there's Itto. He's obviously the best.

[@sonickhable]

Isn't Hilda the lieutenant of golden deer?

[@ArchitectofGames]

I am an absolute moron, I literally just got done with a GD playthrough!

[@weaponmasterJConn]

Me hauling back Doretta's head after a successful escort mission, the alien swarm nipping at my heels: "No Dwarf get's left behind!"

[@derrinerrow4369]

Rock and Stone Brother!

[@pieterfaes6263]

Daffodil in Spiritfarer is such a sweet companion. Having a cat float around like a balloon losing air including sound effects is consistently funny.

[@TheCaliforniaHP]

o spiritfarer my heart

[@thedizzytuna]

Love the video but the Venom bell scene is a classic comics scene that was adapted multiple times before Spider-Man 3

[@RAFMnBgaming]

Speakin' of Companions, how do you think this sorta thing ties in to permadeath party games like xcom or nuzlockes? People do seem to get pretty invested in video game companions/minions, even procedurally generated ones, when the challenge of keeping them around is part of the game but not a game over condition.

[@LimeyLassen]

I've been more busted up over the death of 50 pixel pawn in RimWorld than any cinematic cutscene, just because it was my responsibility to take care of them. I feel like a schoolchild who forgot to feed the goldfish.

[@AnotherDuck]

If they're not a completely constructed and scripted character by the devs, but instead more or less created by the player, or a randomised character unique to your playthrough, then it's often much more personal. It's not the character everyone else who plays the game meets. You're the only player interacting with this character. That can have a tremendous effect on some players.

[@ToxicBastard]

I think there needs to be a better defined difference between companions, allies and minions. Companions are tied to the player like Ellie from TLOU. Minions are controlled directly by the player like the Guards in Half Life. Allies are NPCs who are friendly to the player and help them in some way such as by being hostile to enemies like the Rebels in Just Cause 3.

[@coolbanana165]

What would party members in Persona 5 or Final Fantasy be?

[@Baamthe25th]

It's impressive how you managed to make such a long video without talking about Mass Effect (while using the image, though)

[@ArchitectofGames]

I deliberately had to *stop* myself talking about mass effect (specifically the second game's loyalty missions) because I talk about it too much!

[@ebonslayer3321]

@@ArchitectofGames Mass Effect is that good, nobody could blame you.

[@armelior4610]

It's like talking about difficulty without evoking Dark souls or other fromsoft games

[@TheCaliforniaHP]

Indeed because it's arguably the best use of companions ever

[@Artersa]

@@TheCaliforniaHPSomeone else mentioned this in another comment, but for me companions in games can have systems that make companions objects of optimization. Mass Effect get like that for me most people in ME2 onwards. I think in part the main quest didn’t have the payoff or direction I was hoping for. Haven’t played Midnight Suns so can’t speak to that, but it looks pretty neat.

[@Ludiscere]

hi Adam! i just wanted to say i really enjoyed the video, but mate i cannot tell you how surprised i was to see myself at the end haha! thanks so much for the shout-out, i can’t tell you how much i appreciate your kind words. really means a lot. thank you ☺️

[@maguc5906]

How DARE you put the Adoring Fan in the "annoying" category. He's the only one who is devoted to us and loves us for who we truly are. We are his star, and all he wishes to do is to help us in our journey because of his devotion to us. You cannot get a more pure companion than that in all of video game history.

[@wouju9600]

The „escort missions” gag with the GTA clip is simply genius

[@TheCaliforniaHP]

wait...lol nice hah

[@sylbeth808]

Poor Hilda, she got left out

[@sylbeth808]

@@ArchitectofGames I know, I know, Lorentz was made into a liutenant in Hopes, but Hilda was the og. And I worked my ass out not to kill her in Edelgard's route.

[@draghettis6524]

@@sylbeth808 I did the same in my latest CF run, but it was hard. Because I'm not good at optimizing, only Byleth, Edelgard and Jeritza could tank one of her hits. But she had a high crit rate against Jeritza, and they could only tank 2 by using that 50% self-heal art and additional healing. Only Byleth had that art equipped, so it was a pain to move all my characters past Hilda. Couldn't take the boat route, as Nader had the same problem. This wasn't even in hard mode.

[@sylbeth808]

@@draghettis6524 I tanked her with Byleth, and I don't remember which two (probably Caspar and someone else, without weapons), so I could heal them with Byleth, and used Petra, Dorothea and Edelgard to basically nuke the rest of the army. It was painful, buy worth it

[@sylbeth808]

Wyvern Rider Petra going berserk while having her wife in the back healing her is one of the best things that ever happened to me, ngl

[@wellurban]

I was planning to mention B-12 from Stray, and then saw your gameplay footage at the end! I liked B-12, and from what I’ve seen some players developed a strong emotional bond with them. Part of that might have to do with the way that your gameplay is intrinsically linked to their abilities, so they feel like an extension of you much of the time. But the understated dialogue and simple but spot-on animation helps give them a cuteness that might be easier to pull off in a game populated entirely by cats and robots than one with human characters, since we have a different level of expectation. We readily anthropomorphise the actions of not-visibly-human entities, whereas a slightly imperfect attempt at a human NPC can just give us uncanny valley revulsion.

[@sayethwe8683]

only writers who have good friends can write good friends.

[@lifetime05]

Showing Mishima on screen timed with the word "disgust" is a choice that I appreciate

[@ivanbluecool]

I do love ai companions who you can adjust to fit your play styles. Tales of series is a good example of allies that can fit any play style while you attack like a barbarian or in graces case you see cheria is both a healer and aoe on top of able to stop time which is a massive combos. Though I also like full ai units are also great to just have some extra coverage like Atreus in gow

[@ebonslayer3321]

Divinity Original Sin 2 is also a good one for this. Each character has a style they're best suited for or just lean towards with their character but can fulfill any role you need them to.

[@Evanz111]

18:25 - respect to you for thinking up the idea of filming this footage to go along with the line 😂❤

[@jinkeloid]

Just a clarification: no this is not a Pokémon name. And yes “Jinkeloid” is my favorite quote which I definitely use daily in my real life.

[@CardboardBones]

Jinkleoid

[@Valyn]

The banter between Morrigan and Alistair is one of the best parts of DA:O. So good that on repeat plays I could not play without the two of them, it felt wrong and boring. My problem with 'good' characters is that many of them veer into preachy territory.

[@bugwrld8891]

Agreed!!! But I can't believe he said Alistair was unlikable.. he's such a sweet funny guy that you get to watch grow up and come to terms with becoming king. I've never met a person who played that game who didn't love him

[@hikaritsumi2123]

Ah yes Paimon, the beat companion ever. I can't wait for the next emergency food choice to appear in the next story. Annoying but also somewhat semi-self aware of own's uselessness. I ended up liking the EN voice more than JP because in JP voice she sound more sincere and it's VERY annoying. Meanwhile EN voice just crack it up to another level, absolutely beautiful.

[@Bronze_Age_Sea_Person]

I prefer the JP version because the EN goes too high-pitched, but the best part of Paimon is actually when she is the "straight girl" in a joke, like the tsukkomi in the "tsukkomi humor" you often find in comedy anime like Gintama or Danshi Kokousei no Nichijou( The tsukkomi is usually the protagonist like in these two, and they often "narrate" their remarks), while the other characters act as the "boke", the stupid ones.

[@Dionysus24779]

Companions in games are really an interesting topic, so much can go wrong. Tying gameplay mechanics to relationships can backfire though, because it might force a player to spend time on/with a character they dislike or keep them in the party just because they are useful, but not because you really want to have them around. I think to me personally one of the most important aspects which determines how much I enjoy a companion is how they treat the player and how interesting they are to talk to or be around them, being able to just talk to companions is a huge bonus here. Bioware used to be really amazing with that stuff. Alyx I actually never liked much though, because the game is just too obvious with how it tries to manipulate you into finding her endearing or likeable. I always felt that way, but later on when I played with developer commentary on the devs straight up admit to many of the tricks they use to accomplish that. Stuff like Alyx being introduced by saving your, then having an elevator ride where there is nothing to focus on but Alyx, which stands in contrast to a later elevator ride with a character you're suppose to dislike who keeps talking to you while more interesting stuff is happening around you. And much more stuff. Had similar feelings towards Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite, there are just too many moments where it feels too obvious the devs want to make her endearing to the player. I think something important might be that a companion does not have to be endearing like that. For example in Dragon Age 2 both Fenris and Merril can give you completely different experience depending on how you interact with them. On my first playthrough I kind of dismissed Fenris and he acted like some anime edgelord who's in the wrong game, but I did support Merril who seemed like a sweet but very driven person. On my second playthrough I reversed who I supported and Fenris became an absolute bro while Merril revealed how much of a childish and selfish idiot she was. But now I'm just rambling, there are so many video game companions that could be talked about. So many factors that go into liking or disliking them.

[@zacharywong483]

Absolutely beautiful video, Adam! Your scripts always expertly balance humour and insightful commentary! And your choice of video game examples always perfectly illuminate your arguments! Also, I love the Shrek and It's Always Sunny edits you've made here!

[@VAustin89]

This is also what I love about Dragon Age 2 even if I hate most of it dumb-down and reuse of assets, the friendship/rivalry was a novel idea which Bioware should enhance. I dont have to be friends with everyone.

[@yoshiman9521]

potionomics does a great job of making you care about interacting with the other npcs to get new cards and better prices

[@unrealengineaustralia]

Fantastic Channel! Just Watched the entire Architect of Games Playlist. Well done...

[@sircrashtonii9718]

This is probably the most insightful video I've seen from you yet! I will be sure to implement the things you talked about into my own projects!

[@fusionfountain]

Thank you so much for maki my this video, I had no idea there was a system like this in Midnight Suns, you convince me to try the game and it’s great

[@GambitRaps]

Love this lad’s channel

[@mauriceraat2781]

Ashley is actually not a bad companion character. She ain't great but apart maybe a handfull of sections where she's made the "damsel in distress", she's surprisingly capable of staying out of your way. She's surprisingly good at not being in your line of sight, and hiding/following. Also, Atreus in GoW 2018 was a pretty good companion. Atreus feels like a companion you fight together with, both story- and gameplaywise. And while it is, justifiably, regarded as the worst part of the story. The one time you can't rely on Atreus in combat is at the same time when the relation between Kratos and Atreus is muddy in the story.

[@thomasallen9974]

His benificialness to combat is genuinely tied to the story as you said. And for that reason he feels like he actually develops combat wise as well as character wise. Honestly that is a risky move to make, but perfectly executed imo.

[@AnotherDuck]

Yeah, most of the time you can only really shoot Ashley if you're actually trying. And she keeps the game closer to a horror game compared to the power fantasies 5 and 6 are. Well, 5 if you have a friend to play with. If you have to play with the AI it keeps it fixed in horror.

[@ReleeSquirrel]

That was great. I'm glad I finally got around to watching this one.

[@GibbsGibbsGibbs94]

Ludiscere has some really good videos! The Haikyuu one and the Hades lore ones are great!

[@Alex-re3qm]

Awesome timing! I’m working on my ubiNEXT submission which is on this topic!

[@vertigq5126]

Great video with some good insights! Merry Christmas :) and thanks for the awesome content. God bless you!

[@Dracinard]

I love companions who push back, simple as. Eiger from Shadowrun Dragonfall is my go to for that, I'll always remember her. So, right at the beginning of the game, you're a shadowrunner, taking over the team of an old friend of yours who you haven't seen in years after a job goes wrong and she's killed. Everyone's taking her loss hard, and isn't well disposed to you coming in and acting like you own the place when you've practically just stepped off the plane, and I went hard into sympathising with everyone. Trying to figure out what everybody wanted to hear, agreeing with whatever they said, all that. I think Gloria and Dimitri reacted well enough, but then I tried it on Eiger, and it went terribly. She shut me right down, called me out for just going along with what everybody else said and said she'd never follow someone without the backbone to stand up for themself. It was a massive shock. I don't think I'd ever had a companion tell me to stop agreeing with them before, and it got me to take a step back and work out who the hell I actually was in the game. Never mind what companions want to hear - what do I want to say? It made the whole game richer, and that's all down to Eiger. Having that challenge, that pushback, I think that's crucial to truly great characters, and I think it's often forgotten. Sure, I like getting on with people, but I'd much rather have to struggle with someone interesting than autopilot with someone bland any day. Challenging characters force you to mature and evolve, and don't let you get away with the bare minimum - that's invaluable for the player. Plus, challenging characters are infinitely more satisfying to win over in the end. With Eiger, I ended up being a hardline "mission comes first" leader, making sure we completed whatever we were paid for before we tried to change things or fight back against people we didn't like - though being open to "technical fulfilment". Like, OK, we're hired to retrieve this cyborg prototype, but it becomes obvious they're undergoing immense suffering? We never said we'd get them back *alive*, so... That no nonsense attitude played well with hers, and she became my closest companion and most reliable ally. That's so much more satisfying than if she'd just been on board with me cynically trying to please everybody, and that's always what I look for in a great companion.

[@derrinerrow4369]

Suprised to see someone else talk about Shadowrun Dragonfall, great game, and great teammates.

[@AnotherDuck]

Of those games, Dragonfall has the best characters. Personally I prefer Glory, although Eiger's a close second. Glory's more passive, but also takes a long time to warm up to you. I do like some from the other two games as well, like Racter, who's got an... interesting personality. Shares a lot with Glory, but taken in a completely different direction. Dragonfall has the best characters and story, while Hong Kong has the best mechanics.

[@C0C0L0QUIN]

Also, in Dragonfall you also have a cute doggy hellhound to pet, which is always a plus.

[@AnotherDuck]

@@C0C0L0QUIN The main reason I didn't use Dante much was that I just found the other characters more useful for specific mission objectives. However, for the act 2-3 transition, Dante wrecked house. Speaking of that, I liked how clear it was that the game had three acts. Introduction, middle with "random" missions and building up everyone, then the final act where everything comes together.

[@Karanthaneos]

The thing with Kim is that he hints or pushes us in some direction when our actions are very unhinged, but overall rolls with what the player does because despite our nuclear bender he trusts that you can do a good job. Because of that trust some people tend to want to reciprocate that trust into showing how capable we are, and due to how Disco Elysium is constructed, we can express that capability in a lot of ways.

[@AshenDust_]

10:11 Hilda couldn’t even be bothered to show up to the video, she got Lorenz to sub in. Ironically, she’s the strongest of the retainer characters, which is the point you’re trying to make here.

[@ArchitectofGames]

such a dumb mistake! I feel like an idiot! My golden deer Byleth even married her!

[@AshenDust_]

@@ArchitectofGames it’s a fair mistake though, Lorenz is more important to the story than she is.

[@DrEcho]

Not one but TWO F. Reynolds references? Adam Millard, man of high culture

[@Runegrem]

I tend to not be annoyed at characters who are overbearing with their hints. I just tend to chalk that up to bad game design and not attribute the annoying behaviour directly to the character. I also don't tend to like characters more because they're stronger or more useful. Not directly anyway, since if you've got the choice, it's easy to pick the stronger members to be in your party. Which means you'll see them more and bond with them more.

[@CC42_]

Half of Ragnarok's gameplay loop is ruined because of how they blurt out the answer to every puzzle. I can't think of a game that treats the player like we're stupid like Ragnarok does. Such a shame.

[@theblancmange1265]

You seriously made a video about companions without Inigo. (mod for Skyrim) One man did what very few professional devs managed.

[@betin731]

Went searching for this. Inigo is genuinely amazing

[@darcyphillips8156]

The after the video segment kinda offensive "happy winter holidays" - regards, Australia

[@ArchitectofGames]

teary-eyed apology video incoming plz don't send a kangaroo to kill me

[@er00ic]

I won't stand for you badmouthing Claptrap. I will sit for it, however.

[@squeekydog8468]

Yesterday, I spent twenty minutes trying to explain to my daughter why Midnight Suns is the first game in which I enjoyed the “socialization” mechanic. I think I left her more confused than when I started. Now I can just point her to your video. Thank you for enhancing my relationship with real-life npc companion/daughter!

[@justinsinke2088]

It's nice to hear good things being said about this game. When it was first shown what it was, it seemed so many people went "It's not Marvel XCOM, therefore bad", then the card pack looking mechanic was shown people went "looks like pay to win loot boxes, therefore bad". So many people weren't even giving it a chance right off the bat, assuming the worst and seeming to go out of their way to find reasons to dislike it, and likely still won't give it a chance now that it's been out and reviewed. It was different, sure, but I thought it looked interesting from the start at first. People really need to stop complaining about how "all games are the same" and then immediately call anything that dares to be different "garbage".

[@prfctstrm]

Yo I've watched that Ludiscere video its excellent

[@keiyangoshin3650]

I love companions that are funny, smart, helpful and nice! So there. 😂 Honestly, more companions overall would be cool! I can’t stand RPGs where I spend hours running around, alone! It’s not fun. 😣 Or maybe I just miss Dragon Age. 👀 Thank you for this video Adam. Stay safe. ❤️👍

[@commissarfox]

I, for one, am just glad Adam likes tall lady.

[@Dark_Peace]

Adam : *shows Kyube* Ah, a man of culture, I see

[@III_phr]

Hey, thanks for he videos, I really enjoy them! I don't know if here is a good place to recommend topics or not, but I think you can make something similar to what you did with nier and disco elysium, this time with 13 sentinels aegis rim. I think it can be a lot of fun :D

[@armelior4610]

I think it depends also on the focus of the game : I remember reading about how much people love/hate almost every single character Bioware ever created based on their writing (even Kaidan !), because it's the strongest suit of their games. On the other hand, games more mechanically inclined will have NPC judged more on their usefulness to the gameplay. And also personnal preferences, I guess : narrative is more important to me than the average player. From what I've seen of Midnight suns the NPC could be the best fighters in the world (wait, they are) and I would still not care because they lose all appeal whenever they talk.

[@boobah5643]

Why single out Kaidan? Disbelief that people love/hate him or just that anyone feels strongly about him in any way?

[@armelior4610]

just the first example that came to me, but I don't think anyone could hate him when jacob is probably as boring but can at least move on from your romance so people think he "cheats" on them

[@fhjunior6183]

Thanks for the vid

[@danielhale1]

Precisely my response to the RE4 merchant as well :D I don't always feel quite as annoyed as most people toward characters like RE4 Ashley or Zelda's Navi. However, Hop in Pokemon Shield can go jump off a waterfall.

[@Artersa]

I love the subtle visual jokes.

[@Artersa]

I also love the bit about Ashley making RE4 better. She truly does. She’s a memorable PITA.

[@MrMightyZ]

Clear concise and many excellent points! I loved this video. However it is spoken in such an emphatic manner and with such pace that I was constantly in fear of the narrator spraining their tongue so I slowed it down to .75 speed and all the stress melted away. Try it!🤓

[@pierrelindgren5727]

So long as NPCs don't go faster than your walking speed yet are also slower than your running speed, then I am happy.

[@MattDiffey]

Another cracking video, even if there's minor Alistair slander. Have a lovely general winter festive time period 😊

[@alexpage4355]

Seriously, when trying to find examples of morally upstanding, friendly BioWare party members that fail to win over players, he managed to hit on the _one_ example that bucks the trend by being sarcastic, smart-ass, when Carth and Kaiden were standing off in the corner because no one wants to hang out with them.

[@TyphoonJig]

The in game power of characters indeed does a lot for a character. I just can't bring myself to killing Camelia in WOTR despite her... really deserving it. But how not to grow fond of a crazy girl that is of the best tanks and best buffers of the game ? She fills so many roles at once that playing without her is putting yourself at a disadvantage. So you start to like her. Even if she's crazy (a lot) and ultra bad at hiding it.

[@rezataghdisi6762]

Hire a mercenary and take levels in shaman or respec one of the other companions and make him or her a shaman.

[@TyphoonJig]

@@rezataghdisi6762 Of course you can do that but mercenaries feel like cheesing for me. So I'm not hiring one to have the exact same build as a pre written companion.

[@C0C0L0QUIN]

She is useful, isn't she?

[@RigsyB]

Shout out to Rook from Dragon’s Dogma. The annoying tutorial NPC you can immediately throw off a cliff.

[@scragar]

Cait is awesome, you take that back. He's the second best magic user in the game(behind Aerith), with a frankly ridiculously OP limit break(being able to one shot even enemies immune to death like bosses? Or give your party the equiv of mighty guard + white wind?). Sometimes you get a bad outcome, but that's rare and honestly if you're spamming limit breaks outside of boss battles(which have a save point right before them) you deserve what you get(it's not like he needs to unlock them like the other characters).

[@spartanwar1185]

11:37 I just let out the most obnoxiously loud laugh when i saw this clip God, Skyrim NPCs truly are on a unique level of intelligence, aren't they?

[@TheNero97]

In GoW, there are some funny moments where the banter between Mimir, BOI, and Dados is pretty funny... However once it happens 20 too many times or they keep the voiceline loop going when it should've ended on a funny dismissal that turns out to be a subtle hint rather than a blunt answer to the puzzle killing the victory of solving it yourself

[@bugwrld8891]

From a pure gameplay perspective it really sucks but I actually think it's really funny and appropriate that we feel patronized in the same way that kratos would be by his son figuring out the problem and telling him how to do it 😂

[@andreadangelo2299]

2:48 CROSSCODE MENTIONED LESSGOOOOOOOO

[@pandabosch]

Very surprised to see a random Kyubey cameo!

[@AnotherDuck]

The idea that you get closer to characters just because they're useful was something I learned playing Kantai Collection. It's a game with completely automatic combat, and for the most part any character within the same ship type is replaceable with another one, with stat differences being marginal. Despite that, most people I've talked with get attached to the characters they use. Which sometimes is by choice, especially later on, but in the early game where they just don't have the options, it's still as strong. And if a character randomly performs very well in a battle, like getting a clutch attack in, they like that character a little (and sometime a lot) more. I can mention several cases of my experience, even if it was many years ago since I played it. Of course characterisation plays a role too, but you shouldn't underestimate a character just being useful, and I find that to be stronger if the event isn't scripted.

[@choczynski]

My favorite companion in any video game is Lily from Fallout: New Vegas

[@SheepUndefined]

On the topic of liking characters you have to work for, I'm reminded of that trick I've seen mentioned by numberous "I'm too smart"/conman type characters, where they suggest that getting someone to help you or give you a small gift makes them latch onto you more. Ie, "can you grab a napkin for me"

[@dragonchic360]

I never thought I would see Dream Daddy gameplay in a video essay... thanks!

[@NagaTales]

"Escort Mission" Heh. I see what you did there.

[@chiffmonkey]

Everyone hated Fi... until the ending of the game when they realised she was leaving.

[@lazydroidproductions1087]

The implication at the end that some people don’t love the shopkeeper utterly abhors me. He is best boy in all of gaming.

[@TheKlaun9]

Everyone had that kid in their neighborhood (or that colleague at your work) that just wanted to fit in, but just happened to be self-centred and dry as day old toast, so you left when he was in the bathroom. I sometimes wonder if the people that design npcs were that kid.

[@kaneobscurum6016]

To further comment on Midna being best companion: Much of what helps her case is that her alerts have a subtler audio cue in the form of just a different giggle than what she usually delivers, and her alerts are easier to ignore in general if you're exploring the overworld or on a side quest. Her advice is also usually either backhanded (like she herself thinks you're smart enough to figure things out) or some insult at whatever it is you're looking at. Compare that to Navi yelling HEY! every couple minutes, or Fi constantly making noise on the Wii remote till you acknowledge that your batteries will run out in 3 hours.

[@jonathanstark9147]

Wheatley was such a fun perversion of this trope. An annoying character meant to be annoying in a role that is usually ironically annoying.

[@grimtsk]

i absolutely love Persona's ncp (especially P5) and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 main cast & heroes, I cried so much Amazing video as always !

[@lambbonesdev]

“If they disgust us” as Mishima is on screen

[@MegaHasmat]

The 90s animated Spider-Man also had Peter take off the black suit in a church tower. I'm guessing it probably happened similarly in the comic.

[@SimuLord]

When it comes to beloved NPCs, I have just two words for you: Stardew. Valley. Other than Morris, who is a corporate stooge, I like absolutely everyone in Pelican Town. Even Pierre and Haley. Also, upon reflection, sports games that aren't licensed titles live in this lovable-companions world as well. My team in Super Mega Baseball 3, which I created from the ground up in the spring of 2020 (and had a LOT of time to play games with them), has over nine full seasons developed its own legends, beloved players, players I shipped out because they always seemed to strike out in the worst possible situation, snakebitten pitchers who always seemed to do just well enough to lose when I couldn't get the timing right on the batting... Only three members of my original Beavers team are still on the squad in Year 10, and I'm a bigger fan of those three than I am of any real-world athlete.

[@engineerkieran]

I'd like to see you explore the implications of large language model AI tools in NPC dialogue generation and how games would or wouldn't be as successful if they had LLM dialogue.

[@baconator_x4098]

At the beginning of the story we aren't suppose to like Midna. Just the opposite, but the devs want us to like her over time. At the start of the game is when she talks the most, but at the end of the game she interjects less.

[@cyborgzloth]

I like how because I haven't heard anything about darksun untill now, when I saw it release on steam I instantly though "huh, haven't heard anything about this marvel game and so it must be good."

[@flaviocampos3581]

11:37 this what a good companion looks like. Just quick save and load after the magic happened. Keeps this loop = hours of fun.

[@exilemediaprod]

Just discovered your channel. Awesome stuff ty keep it up

[@insaincaldo]

Had a couple of laughs when you get the "You are on fire, but I guess you knew that" or what have you lines in GoW, if not for the frequency they would have been okay in my book.

[@Tigersight0]

Was that a Oneshot clip?! Also: in regards to the 'companion that calls out the answer to puzzles before you can even look around' section, I feel like it would be interesting to try out something like that, but on purpose. Have easy puzzles in the game where the companion calls out the answer after just a few seconds. If you can assume the player would figure it out about as quickly, it makes the companion feel like they're mentally present. For the harder puzzles, have the companion stumped. Maybe temporarily, like they'll 'come up with' the answer if the player takes too long, (have ten people try it blind, take the average, triple/quadruple that.) If you have the budget, have them looking around, maybe voicing a few things as they "think about it" for the player to hear that might give them the clue they're missing. Before the companion eventually solves it. Hell, have the companion slowly but surely zero in on the solution over time, so the closer they get, the easier it is for the player to swoop in and "solve it" first. If you could do something like that with the companion, it could help make it clear that they're engaged with what's going on like the player is (not a 'you do everything while I sit back and relax' character because people hate those too.) That might help the player connect with the companion, and make them more likeable. Hopefully.

[@Dheinamar]

Probably one more (even if slightly less significant) reason to like characters that are not universally friendly and over-supportive is because that’s usually the kind of people that we relate to irl

[@Nomadith]

Someone finally mentioned Banner Saga yay ;;