» Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:35 am First dog was in a cabin by his dead master. It was wonderful to find a new friend, we start a new life together- just like Dogmeat started after his master died in the junkyard. That's where the resemblance ended, unfortunately. This dog ran ahead when we encountered a fort and charged right up to the bad guys. I thought he must know what he was doing since he charged so well. But he took an ice cycle in the ribs and died. I had my new dog for about 4 minutes.
The second dog was OK for 15 minutes. I told him to wait before I entered another castle. (I'd paid 500 dollars for him- he was a fighting dog.) I was no fool; no more dead dogs for me. But the animals were noticed by the bad guys, ( I had Shadwowmere as well) and they fired a few arrows and one ran out of the castle to attack us. The dog (vigilence ) left his post and ran to meet the bad guy. I swung my axes and the bad guy fell. The dog was barking, looked fine. I went into castle and when I came out Shadowmere was there but no dog. We looked everywhere. We even fast traveled to the castle so we'd be exactly where we'd been when I told doggie to wait. No deal.
A few days go by, some of which had me going to the stables in Markath to find my dog, but he wasn't there. When I fast traveled to Solitude a script appeared telling me 'my dog has gone back home." Fastraveled and found him at the stable, but he wouldnt talk to me because at 8:12 in the evening it was time for bed and he went inside. I waited 12 hours for morning and then had to buy my own dog back in order for the dialogue option to appear. Now he's a thousand dollar doggie.
A few minutes later on the road we were attacked by skeevers and I almost killed him with an axe strike. He jumped in front of me. I don't think dogs last too long in Skyrim. We went to Whiterun and I told him to wait by my bed. Will he be there if I am gone for a week? Or will he go back to Markath and I'll have to buy him again?
The guy at the stable said, "He'll follow you to Oblivion and back", but we hit a steep hill and doggie couldn't make it. After some minutes he hadn't shown so I fast traveled to a icon I knew nearby to re-materialise him.
IN Fallout Dogmeat can take a licking and keep on ticking. In Skyrim dogs die, get lost, can't climb too well and have two dialogue options; wait here, and go back home. (wherever home is...)
I think Dogs in Skyrim are another example of Bethesda giving us what they thought we wanted. Like missing acrobatics and fast speed running and other fun things, they decided dogs must act exactly like dogs. They probably did so in all sincerity after someone they trusted told them so- the same someone's who told them acrobatics was bad.
I figure we get the dogs Bethesda thought we wanted. I wonder how we can ever talk to Bethesda again? I sure would like a dog that lasted longer, that had dialogue options, and could jump a bit. Heck, I'd like to be able to jump a bit.....
