So I decided to pick up a follower, decked her out in fully enchanted daedric gear with mace and shield and what does she do?
Use a moldy wooden bow 80% of the time, a bow that I can't even see in the inventory.
Being an archer myself, I really need her to rush in while I stay back. As it is, if I stay back, she stays back too, pelting baddies with the [censored] bow.

Is there a way to force melee at all times?
Something through console perhaps?

Unfortunately I don't think there is.

Also remember followers have skills you can't see, some are archers some are mages and some are melee, but as a rule they will still use whatever is the highest damaging weapon anyway so the trick is to give them only the weapons you want them to use. They will still use their default bow from range I don't think that can be changed.

You can see the skills/roles of the followers here: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Followers

(No spoilers there so take a look)

I'm melee myself, but when Lydia stands there plunking away with her lovely wooden bow and missing most of the time, I just drag an enemy back to her and she gets her sword out. Not really a great idea for you as an archer, but it's one way.

Sadly their usage of weapons is a bit bugged. Sometimes they will use the higher quality weapons you give them but definitely not always. Goes for armor too sadly. Let's hope this will be fixed in the next patch. It would be nice if the legendary bow with lots of shock damage actually got used.

vD

If you're on a pc, I think you can take their default items from the trade window with a mod. Can't remember which one but it should be easy to find. There's probably more than one too.

As long as the weapons/armor you give them are better than the ones they default to, they will use them.

tell that to stenvarr who uses a wooden bow instead of a daedric greatsword upgraded to legendary..

No.

Might look for that.

Was also thinking of maybe lowering their archery skill through console to 0 or something, that might deter them from using it but I'm not sure.

It seems to be based on proximity. If an enemy gets close, they'll pull out their melee weapon and attack. Otherwise they'll just hang back and fire away. If an enemy is chasing you, just run next to your follower.

yes. sorry but that is just how it goes. I must have leveled up companions then, and great weapons. they ALL(the few that I rarely do use) use what I give them.
300+ hours in, in limbo at level 67.

it was/is funny watching lydia dual wield staffs, and use them.

/edit I do recall one of them not wanting you use a "OP'd" bow I made, I just can't remember who.

yes they do use the gear you give them, but the OP wanted to know if there is a way to force them to only use melee weapons - and that cannot be done (afaik). I currently have Lydia decked out with full Ebony Gear and an awesome Flaming sword. But she still makes heavy use of her default-bow

got the same problems with my lydia.... i started to only use aela, because she atleast really is an archer. lydia is usually melee, but she keeps using her damn bow. she only switches if the enemy gets close to her.