I'm curious to know the communities opinion on the new companion system. I'm noticing an increasing trend among quests where I am accompanied (often w/o choice) by a companion. Normally this would be a welcome addition to my adventures - especially in tight spots when low on health - but I seem to be running into a few issues with them:

Issue 1: Why do your companions feel it necessary to stand almost on top of you in small spaces? Can I get a little personal space please? Thankfully this time around companions will at least move backwards (although methodically slow) when they've trapped you in a corner.

Issue 2: Companions seem to have this "let me take all the glory" mentality, often times charging into battle even while you're trying for a more subtle approach (sneak bonus damage is so awesome).

Issue 3: Companions like to stand directly in front of the enemy target, which generally doesn't work when you're winding up a power attack. I seem to spend more time trying to avoid hitting them, than I do actually attacking the enemy target.

Issue 4: Path-finding difficulties. More often than not, they seem to have trouble getting around the most basic things.

Overall, I love the idea Bethesda was going for with the companion approach, but I feel like the execution isn't all there. I'd prefer to go it alone in Skyrim.

Tell me your thoughts.

playing on master, I have found them necessary. in tight corners they do get you into trouble, but i havnt had this stealth issue you experience. Lynda goes into stealth and I do and i always have time to do what i want. Of course I only use arrows in stealth. If you wan to stab, tell them to wait in the back.

Prefer to travel alone when exploring dungeons, If I know I am going after a specific target in the open world then i don't mind another sword

Expert, a benefit. They aren't a hindrance at all. Stuck? Move command. They carry loot I can't carry and chop enemies to bits. Loving them and I find them absolutely necessary for some dungeons.

However, when I'll be playing my Stealth Assassin I'll skip companions entirely. Just doesn't fit the character. All my other toons will use them.

Agree on all points, and I have noticed this as well.

Lydia is the only one that really has her sh together.

All the other ones run off and get themselves killed.

Can't even swim across a stream, for crying out loud.

I role play it in my mind as the companion is a [censored]. I don't worry about it and I don't reload, and I don't care what the reward was.
The guy I was supposed to take to the Everglade tree, got himself killed somewhere along the way. Would run into battle and get pounded in 2 seconds. I couldn't do anything about it, and since I had not been to that area of the map before, too bad for him. I don't like 'gaming the system' by exploring first, then Fast Travel, just to bring along my [censored]. I work better alone, anyway.

They need to introduce the Lydia system of staying put and following commands to every companion. A companion that won't accept commands just doesn't work for me.

In dungeons I dont like companions as they get in the way as an assassin, dont have the patience to tell them to wait everytime i want to take someone out with a knife. Dragon hunting they are very useful, tank damage while I ping it with my bow. Also have a nice item which gives me a high level dremora ally for 60 seconds useful in sticky situations.

I think they add a lot of flavor. What I have noticed is the varying personalities of the companions so far.

I agree that Lydia is better than most at reserving herself to your playstyle, like others have mentioned. There's a quest where you have to find someone's brother and the forced companion you get is the 'we'll get him no matter what, chaarrrgggee!!' type. I also took a quest and picked up a companion that wanted to see the spot where I was going. He promptly died to the first mud crab we encountered.

As far as close combat problems, I find it to be more realistic when we are both swinging two-handers that incidental contact happens. I find that I try to sneak around to the side and attack when possible or block a narrow hallway and initiate combat to keep my companion out of the way.

Sometimes they can get in the way, but their ability to hold all the loot you get is a god send. I've started to think of them less as companions and more as forced pack animals

To add to the OP.

I have this very problem with the horse in wilderness as well. I have a superhorse and he can take out a dragon. I have a Dragonhorsekiller.

My Erik the Slayer companion is very helpful! He carries all my soup.

Also, I gave him a soul trap two-handed axe and a bunch of empty gems to fill, since he closes on enemies a lot more quickly than I do (playing a primarily conjuration-based mage).

I personally find them very annoying. The pathing issues alone are enough for me to forget about using companions, let alone their AI when I'm fighting enemies and they jump in my way.

I find it frustrating that they freak out when I jump over something and they can not find a way around it. It would be nice if they could climb over things and scale mountains with me.

Lydia makes a great pack mule. Decent fighter too... but mostly a pack mule.

Not every companion has a command ability. I'm not concerned about "chopping enemies to bits," as I can do that quite well myself.

Incidentally that was my most favorite quest so far. The entire thing from start to finish was just awesome.

So far, compared to the companions we had in FO3, they are a disappointment. But I haven't had them for long. Only a couple of hours. I've tried two so far. They are merely pack mules imo as the two I have tried have no personality, no flavor, no stories, no idle pvssyr as we walk along, etc. I might as well be alone. My familiar is more entertaining. I haven't played with them long enough to decide how they actually work in combat or if they have any value in that regard; I'm still pretty low level (6) and am able to win most fights on my own so don't really need them yet.