Combat is already easy mode. Leave friendly fire as is as it already adds to the strategy of when and where to AOE

There is a console command that you can use to make followers unkillable. Not sure what it is, offhand.

Strange, in all the games I've played since 1982, this is the only game where spells you cast injure, and even kill, your follower.

Should not happen.

I finally got smart and made Lydia "essential," and now she goes down on one knee. I can't remember how many times she jumped in front of me at the moment I fired an arrow and killed her. And, also recently when my mage got the chain lightning spell.

What I plan on doing is making some armor when I get to 100 Enchanting. Max out magic and elemental resists and that should make this a non-issue for magic damage..well, as far as one's follower is concerned.

Just need to be able to armor up your dog and horse.

At least that way you can still enjoy area effect spells when you have your fighting team around.

I no longer use companions for exactly this reason, a decision which was confirmed when someone put a hit out on the local Hagraven and Lydia and I went to kill it. Lydia, being 'tactically declined', jumped into my line of fire and took my stealth-shot arrow (that would have killed the HR) in the back of the head, which not only one-shot her but broke my stealth and got me killed in the process. Had she stayed put, like I asked her to, none of that would have happened.

Similar behavior is why it's just as well that the fools from the Companions who accompany you on some of their quests are essential, as otherwise you'd be the only one left by the last mission. I'm tempted to do those missions at low level on all subsequent characters, as that's the only time they don't get summarily battered to one knee.

Rather than disable friendly fire, I'd like to see them enable the companions' brains, because it's very clear that they're currently not using them.

I use the Dark Brotherhood initiate female... she's really awesome, carries a lot, and cannot be killed (glitch). I figure that glitch makes up for the fact that other followers will jump in front of my fireball mid-cast, etc.

Really, the main reason I keep a follower is to be a mule, and a companion in those dark and lonely dungeons.

How terrible is it for immersion when you take a Follower with you who always charges head first into a room of 3 or more enemies while you were trying to take them out in stealth?

I think the problem is expert spells that aoe are the only viable spells endgame so is the storm call shout they need more viable shouts and spells endgame IMO

Don't know what you're doing wrong, when i'm in stealth my companions go into stealth with me, and stay behind me. No problems.