Bethesda,

Can you please fix the broken followers, it applies to all followers on all platforms (PC, 360, PS3).

When we give a follower better equipment and then never take it off them, we expect them to keep that equipment as their default because it is superior. We also want our followers to go to the home we are currently using if we choose as such, but this is not an option. I would hope you could fix the following issues:

• Followers will not stubbornly use their inferior default Bow if you give them one that is superior
  
• Followers will not default back to inferior default armor/weapons when they go back home
  
• Followers will set their homebase to our current homebase, or another of our specific choosing at our discretion (like we can for our married partners)
  
• Followers are not capped in their skill level as this is unrealistic
  
• Followers carry weight should not decrease every time we send them home and then ask them to join us once again (eventually they can carry nothing!!!!!)

These five pieces of broken code are not exactly game breaking, but they are extremely annoying and if you were to ask people how much they would like to see this fixed then you might be suprised that quite a few people do get frustrated by it. I assume that not much coding would be needed for this, any chance it can be thrown in with the next update?

I support this 100%. They should be able to evaluate which weapon is better, and better their skills alongside us.

Good suggestions.

I'd also like to have some way to control what they do in combat. I don't like all hell breaking loose because my follower wants to run off or charge ahead into a room full of enemies when I'd prefer to take things slow. An option to make them always follow behind from a distance and always attack the same enemy as the pc would be nice.

Doing the Companions quests has turned me off from using followers. They always seem to jump right in front of my melee attacks as if they are trying to shield the enemy, and constantly bump into my character, which either pushes them forward, and sometimes keeps them from retreating.

Getting them to use a given daedric bow over their default would be nice (as previously suggested).

Traveling with followers feels like it's more of an annoyance than something that makes the game more fun.

As followers are an optional feature (aside from certain quests), I wouldn't count on a fix anytime soon, if at all.

You know, when you try the XXX mod this becomes a real annoyance because they bump into you and if a fight breaks out there is a war going on.... you turn around only to see your follower is on the floor having some fun time lmfao. i removed that mod by the way, I was just curious haha

I just hate how followers are usually trailiing way behind when I'm running, but when I'm in sneak mode they are right on top of me, and if I stop, they trip over me. Personal space, please!

I know that followers are an optional feature, but some kind of Dragon Age tactics system would have worked wonders.

Aye I know exactly what you are syaing there, you have pretty much send you follower home for the Dark Brotherhood quests. They are a good way to increase your sneak skill but your follower is always wrecking that, so you have to do it alone instead.

Gotta admit Followers are half-assed. Some of the stuff that should work just doesn`t. They really ought to be much better than this by now.

Followers should not run directly at you like little kids do, but aim for a place beside you. It will stop them from running into you and pushing you around, and possibly from standing in the door way half of the time.

Pretty much the reasons why I don't use followers because they're so obviously bugged it's not even funny and it's mind baffling why none of this has been fixed yet.

I totally agree.

The followers in skyrim make the Hirelings in Dungeons And Dragons Online look like top class harvard graduates.
And hirelings can be really stupid. They lag behind, don't attack mid fight, have to be dragged back to you a lot.
In a ill judged dungeon difficulty, had a female dark elven hirling stand in a room going ow, surrounded by orcs, as I ran away and died, recovered 3 times, as she failed to come to me, then died.
But they're still much smarter than skyrim followers.

Skyrim has the worst followers I ever saw.
Even compared to FO3, were they are bad too.
Jericho walks straight into every landmine and trap there is. Fawkes jams you into your bedroom in megaton when you sleep, and using any wide range weapon near him is suicidal. Dogmeat pushes you and stands straight across the door in buildings.
But you can at least tell them to change tactics so they die less.

They see you powering up attacks and run straight into them.
I accidentally killed every follower I had. Vorstag was from thinking he was a enemy, not his fault. He's a good follower.
Only a few of them actually work right.
The not using better stuff when you give it them is stupid.

I did not know about their carry strength decreasing on dismissal. I did notice Lydia could carry less a second time I had her though.

You should be able to tell them to go to a specific house.

I can't believe they released the game with such broken followers.
You would think they'd have attempted to fix them before release, at least. Or after.

New Vegas = Awesome followers. And guess what, they keep the gear you give them. Always. Even when you send them home.

I support this, hopefully they'll be fixed.

As much as I can't stand Fallout New Vegas, the Followers were great. Maybe if Bethesda had created less followers they could have been just as good

OMG 100% agree with everything you say! My Warriors don't mind followers, since she just charges at the enemy LOL BUT Stealth characters? Now way! I always solo on my Shadow Warrior!



I always say that Beth could have learned a lot from Bioware, concerning romance and follower dynamic! That's one thing Bioware does extremely well! Even in the old NWN games, follower and romance dynamics were amazingly well done!

Oh, give over! I had just as many problems with Whisky Rose & Co. rushing into action in FONV as I do with Aela or Mjoll in Skyrim. I also had serious problems getting followers in that game to use the weapons I wanted them to use.
Followers in Skyrim need some tweaks, especially for Console players, but please lets not pretend that followers in New Vegas were "awesome"

Why would followers go back to your place? They are not your spouses. You can also tell them to take a seat when they are in your house - be polite.

The weps, armour and weight I agree with. Also some battle commands would be appreciated.

I'm not pretending, The were awesome. Fact. Done deal. Bye bye. Maybe you just gave them a gun and no ammo lol.

True they ain't married to you, at least not all of them because the game does not support multiple marriages. But it is nice to think you can go back to one place and find all your followers, one place to find the one most suited to your current needs.

But Housecarls are given to you by a specific city. It only makes sense that that's where they'd go back to. As for other followers, they're mercenaries, not slaves.

As for the OP, I largely agree. They'll use staffs of all variety and wear any armor, but give them a cool ebony bow you've enchanted to the gills with a cool effect... nope, they're sticking with the hunting bow. As for combat, they're a mixed bag. If you're running a stealth mission then you shouldn't have a follower with you anyway. Those are solo missions. But if going up against a wispmother and her floating goons, followers are invaluable. Same with Falmer. It's better to let your clunky follower take the initial hit from them and their chaurus pets than you.

I would love to see followers improved too.
First time I was nearly burst by mine, because I am always under friendly fire and I was too weak. Now it is much better. But it would be really good if this could be fixed.

The problem is that all actors that wear armor have "default" armor attached to them so no matter what they have to loot in they're inventories they always wear the default items (which is also a huge problem for followers).

It is hardcoded into the game however so that when a follower has an item thats better in armor value and weight they will use that instead (if you have not tried that then do that first).

What Bethesda should have done was made it so that instead of giving them items and they equip them automatically you instead "choose armor items" for them to equip and those items become the default items.

I think I will probably look into creating my own housecarls/followers, and see if I can assign their homebase to a new home that I download as a mod. I essentially just wanna walk into my home and see loads of my followers there just chilling out waiting for me to call on them, and ofcourse make the wife work for a change by keeping her busy in the kitchen! XD

No. I should be able to evaluate which weapon is better and take away their default equipment, imho. If I want them to run around in their undies I should be able to. Not that I would, but being able to take away all of their gear should be an option and would help with the problem of them using inferior gear. Hard to do that if they have none. Only becomes a problem if you give them junk to carry, but I tend to make sure I don't give them items that are inferior that they will use anyway. Like Lydia using an iron battleaxe instead of a steel or dwarven sword because it does more damage. She has skill in 1h not 2h weapons!

Agree with the OP.

I use Kharjo, he uses an enchanted bow I gave him, he also jumps down the side of rocks / cliffs etc. He never gets stuck, you just have to give them a definitive path to follow. Some followrs are idiots, this is true, no problems with Kharjo so far, and he pronounces the 'h' in What like in 'h' coolwhip!

They were still suicidal maniacs thou. Oh, what's that? a death-claw family huh? oh, sure Boone. Go right ahead and atack them with your little rifle! Never mind the fact that's its suicide or anything.

Out of combat they were very good. Inside however, not so good...