I don't understand how you guys are losing companions. I'm playing on hardcoe very hard and the ONLY time I legitimately had a companion die was in vault 34 when I got bum rushed and sandwiched in between 3 glowing ones and the overseer(reaver).

In the open, Boone is a [censored] BEAST!! He'll aim for the head with his scoped hunting rifle quite often and does a huge amount of dmg, I think even more than my all american.

Companions can get in the way of bullets if you're at a distance and they're in melee combat. For me, companions are a must. I'm not playing in hardcoe mode, and am pretty advanced now in terms of XP level (30), weapons and armor, skills, etc. I don't need them for combat, necessarily, but I like to have them as backup and for the ability to carry ~750lbs of stuff between ED-E, other companion, and myself (I'm currently doing all the companion side quests).

I like a lot of people said didn't use them in F3. That said the companions of NV are so well written (IMO) and have some very useful or fun perks that come with them I use them all at some times. I recruit everyone of them and make the ones I'm not using wait at the Lucky 38 (except Raul).

If you don't keep Raul around for his perk, let him stay at his shack and he can fully Repair your stuff which is handy also. I love all the companions of NV. Grandma Lilly is hilarious.

Sometimes - I did use them in my first playthrough (40 odd hours but didnt complete the game) but i found them to be annoying. So i only use them to do any quests they might have related to them.

Too much of a hassle to keep alive, plus you never know when one of them will get attacked or start attacking due to their reputation or a bug. Their perks are useful though, so I manually bring them to my Lucky 38 room and tell them to wait there. That way I get their perk without having to watch over them. After a week or so they will leave you but you can just stop by once in a while and reset them.

I do use companions though I often have trouble choosing my favourite. In F3 I could never choose between Charon and Clover, now I have the same problem deciding between Veronica and Cass. It generally choose someone different from myself, in order to provide a mix - in this case Veronica, with her unarmed attacks can do serious damage up front is a good choice, while I pick them off at range. Cass carries a (rubbish) Caravan shotgun - as the shotgun is my weapon of choice, we end up being the same.

I like Boone as well, but he's far too similar to me to offer variety - rugged, handsome, and lethal with a rifle.

I use them most of the time, mixing up the party whenever I head out. I mainly use them as distractions. They lay down some suppressive fire and I use that to get the drop on who ever I'm wanting to kill at the time. The only one that I consider leaving behind is Cass. While she's fun to have around, she has way too many near death experiences for my liking.

Quest and dismiss. Many of them are really great characters but I am usually a lone wolf by nature.

For their dialogue?
Yes.
For their quests?
Yes.
For an extra backpack?
Yes.

For combat situations?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
God no they're all just plain awful in combat.
I have to rush up and heal them even if they wear Combat Armor MKII.
And I don't have time to micro-manage my inventory with special ammo and crap let alone for a companion.
So if there is combat I usually stay really close to them just to pump them full of stimpacks.

Companions are really annoying when sneaking, so I barely ever use them on my sniper character. Companions attack enemies even if they're only cautious (not actually hostile), which makes it very hard to remain hidden. On non sneak based characters though, I use them.

Yeah, companions are often a liability in combat situations. I especially hate it when they go running off trying to seek out the lone radroach remaining in the building. I feel that I have to follow them just in case they encounter something tougher.

I've tried to storm the Broc Flower cave with both Veronica and Cass and failed miserably every single time. I end up telling them to wait at the entrance while I pick off as many as possible in advance. :shrug:

Constant ferocious loyalty is pretty hot.

I know Raul and ED-E can tank deathclaws quite well with ferocious loyalty running.

I never used companions in FO3, since they were pretty much useless. In F:NV I use them a lot, though, since I tend to raise my non-combat skills first which means my characters svck at fighting until well into the teen levels and need the help.

I am constantly switching companions on my current character since she is going to do all their quests, but there is something to be said for picking two and sticking with them.

I already know I will have at least one character who has no companions, since I find sneaking around easier to do without them and have a Guns user planned who will exclusively use silenced weaponry once the appropriate weapon mods show up at the merchants.

While the companions are often quite funny (they really are well written), I noticed halfway thorugh my first playthrough that they really took away from the immersive aspect of the game for me. I kind of stalled out at level 25, deleted my game and started over.

I use companions minimally this go round and like it much better. With my low charisma (3), they die almost instantly anyway. :celebration:

Yup, 2 for me atm.

The last time I used a companion without being forced into it was way back in the days of Morrowind. Ariella from the Children of the Night mod. If you ever track this mod down you'll realise that she was a bit special and big trouble at times

On my 1st char in NV I knew about ED-E but didn't have the skills to repair him at the time. I turned left instead of right so missed Cass. I'd heard of Boon and skipped him as was my want. A little later I was chatting to what I thought was a random NPC when they suddenly ask to join me in my travels, Roni of course - she likes that name, says it makes her sound a little butch Well, I liked the sound of her voice, thought it sounded like someone I knew, so off we went. Great fun was had and with ED-E's help we saved the world, or close to it, many a fine adventure at least.

2nd char met up with Cass, and liked her attitude. While Roni was a bit of a tom-boy deep down she was a girlie girl, even when dressed in a tin can. Cass is full on attitude and truly her fathers daughter but her sadness gives her a vulnerable streak. There are times though when I do wish she'd shut up about whiskey, still, she doesn't complain about wearing raiders outfits so I guess we're even.

2nd char also met up with ED-E, heh, what can I say this little beeping ball of random death ? Actually I'm quite proud of ED-E at the moment, earlier this evening he sneaked off behind a shack, pew-pew and here we go again I thought. I rounded the shack to find little ED-E had soloed his very first deathclaw, I had to double take, lol. Ok, it was only a young DC but ED-E is yet to be upgraded and I still don't know how he managed to make the kill.

So, to answer the OP, no, I don't use companions but the ones in NV are quite fun to have around so I'm making an exception in this case.

Sometimes, if they're likeable/useful. I don't use companions to fight - I take advantage of their secondary perks. Raul is king.

Otherwise, I keep them around for company. In which Raul is also king.

It feels like some people are playing totally different games.

There are people like me who find companions overpowered in combat (even on Very Hard): they do good damage and almost never die: who cares if they wander off when you know they can handle whatever is there?

Then there are people complaining that the companions are weak and die easily.

WTF???? Did they balance companions differently on PC vs Xbox or something? What is up?

Yes I do. I love companions. Especially the Marcus companion mod that came out. The companions are probably some of the best characters in the game. In my opinion, they are. Their quests, particularly Arcade Gannon's, yield great rewards as well.

Companions carry my stuff, keeps me company and kill my enemies.
It was the same in FO3.
Note I play a nerdy diplomat (with a gun for protection and bobbypins begause welll :bolt: )