ACCEPTED Enhanced Skyrim Factions - Companions Guild (by DreamKing)

[Kelmych]

No, it doesn't change the quests.

[vidalia]

Does the full version allow the player to join the Companions without becoming a werewolf?

Yes you get the option to refuse Skjor and Aela in the Underforge and still continue the quest(s).

[GrantSP]

Another mod that sorely needs FISS support. That list is a long one.

[Nebulous112]

I have edited the topic title to include the author's name.

[EssArrBee]

Marked for Testing.

[Shadriss]

If it matters, I've been running this for a while now. Much like what the Thieves Guild mod we already have does, this controls and extends the pacing of the associated questline, forcing you to actually... you know... PARTICIPATE in the guild before somehow magically becoming it's leader/advisor. Pretty seamless in it's integration as well... think it's a good choice for inclusion in STEP for all the same reasons as the Thieves guild mod.

[Greg]

I've been using this for a while now and I really like it with a caveat.

 

After joining the Companions Guild, the player must meet the following requirements before the Proving Honor quest triggers:

• Level 30 in a weapon skill (one-handed, two-handed, or archery)
• Level 30 in an armor skill (light armor or heavy armor)
• Player level 10
• Complete at least 10 radiant quests for the Companions Guild (radiant quests outside the Companions Guild do not count)
• Complete at least one radiant quest for each member of the circle
• At least 14 days have passed since joining the Companions Guild

After the trial in Proving Honor, the player must meet the following requirements before Joining the Circle:

• Level 50 in a weapon skill
• Level 50 in an armor skill
• Player level 20
• Complete 20 radiant quests after completing Proving Honor
• Complete at least one quest for each member of the circle
• At least 28 days have passed since completing Proving Honor

After joining the circle, the player must meet the following requirements before Kodlak's Request:

• Level 70 in a  weapon skill
• Level 55 in an armor skill
• Player level 25
• Complete 10 radiant quests after joining the circle
• At least 14 days have passed since joining the circle

It should be very easy for the player to reach level 10 given the above requirements, so I think the player level requirement is pretty much a moot point for the most part. I completed about 15 quests in about 10 days. At this point the main quest triggered, so I killed the dragon and ran off to Solitude to do the initial Potema quest and a few other side quests elsewhere.

 

I then returned to Whiterun after about 15 or 16 days had passed since joining the Companions Guild (meaning I had met all requirements to begin Proving Honor), but the Proving Honor quest would not trigger. To get the Proving Honor quest to trigger, I had to accept one more radiant quest. On my return from completing this radiant quest, the Proving Honor quest triggered. I don't think this is a bug because the vanilla Proving Honor quest triggers after returning completing a radiant quest.

 

The caveat is that when I talked to Vilkas and said I had rescued the kidnap victim, the only dialog choice is "I'm looking for work". This might be a wee tad confusing because the player has to get out this dialog (press ESC to stop the conversation) and then talk to Vilkas to start the Proving Honor dialog.

 

I think the Requirements Only version of this mod is a perfect fit for STEP and I vote for its inclusion in the next version. The mod is very well made and fits right in with Timing is Everything and Thieves Guild Requirements.

[EssArrBee]

Awesome, thanks for testing it. These type of mods can be a pain to test since you have to put in the hours.

[DoubleYou]

I personally hate radiant quests. They're more "busy work" than anything. And the beauty of the Companion quests and being a werewolf is more geared toward the lower leveled player. Being a werewolf isn't nearly as advantageous in the higher levels. And by the looks, you will need to be a higher level for you to get it. A typical player will get frustrated when they can't figure out how to trigger the quest.

 

But then, I have yet to try this.

[Greg]

Radiant quests are mostly busy work but you are Dragonborn, Master Butler to all Tamriel. Your purpose in life is to gain employment as a Novice

Butler and advance through the ranks until you eventually become Master Butler to all guilds and associations. :O_o:

 

In the early stages of the game, I think the radiant quests force the player to explore Skyrim. I agree this does become rather old and stale as the player becomes Expert Butler in three or more guilds. The College of Winterhold radiant quests are notoriously dull because Dragonborn is nothing more than Labrador Retriever fetching worthless books that are readily available in any bookcase or nightstand in Skyrim.

 

Urag: Would you be so kind as to fetch a worthless book for me?

Dragonborn: Don't you already have a copy of that book in the bookcase over there?

Urag: No I don't or I wouldn't ask.

Dragonborn: Isn't this a mass printed book available all over Skyrim?

Urag: Yes it is. What of it?

Dragonborn: I don't understand why I need to go delving into a dark cave or dungeon to get a copy of a book I can get across the street.

Urga: Your job is to to do my bidding, so stop asking questions and go fetch!

Dragonborn: Woof!

 

The radiant quests in the Companions Guild  are a bit different in the early stages of the game because they force the player to explore the unexplored territories and to build offensive and defensive combat skills. The initial radiant quest from Aela is to fetch six wolf pelts. This is a relatively easy radiant quest because wolves are readily available anywhere in Skyrim. Eventually she gave me a radiant quest to fetch six Snow Sabre Cat pelts. Gulp! Here I a decked out in the finest fur armor with the finest hunter's bow and she wants me to stalk kitty cats? Not just any kitty cat... kitty cats that weigh about 600 pounds with sharp teeth and claws and that are fast as greased lightning. I'm so dead.

 

Dragonborn: So Aela how'd you like to come along to help me collect some pelts?

Aela: You still need to prove yourself whelp!

 

Dragonborn: You know Jenassa, you really need to get out more often. Want to tag along on a little adventure?

Jenassa: Sure, I'd love to go on an adventure but it'll cost you 500 septims.

Dragonborn: Could you maybe do half an adventure for 300? Please!

Jenassa: Go away and come back when you can afford it!

 

At this stage I was forced to do a bit more hunting, woodchopping, and mining so I could upgrade my attire to leather armor and my weapons to a long bow with steel arrows. I'm still so dead, but at least I stand a 15% chance against a snow cat. I won't bore you with the details of how many times I went running with my tail between my legs or how long it took to collect snow cat pelts. Let's just say I jumped off the side of more mountains to get away than I can count.

 

The one disadvantage to extending the Companions Guild questline for me is that I'm forced to stay a werewolf a lot longer than normal and I really don't like being a vampire or a werewolf. I usually cure lycantrhopy immediately after curing Kodlak so I can get back to being a regular Dragon-blooded Joe.

[TechAngel85]

Radiant quests are designed to have the player explore and level up before getting to the later, much harder main quests. I know the first time I played Skyrim all the way through (before I discovered STEP), I was a weakling that was forced to use God mod a lot. This is because I skipped all the radiant quests and stuck straight to the main storyline. That was a mistake.

[DoubleYou]

Boy. I had too much fun raiding nearby bandit settlements when I started playing to bother with the main quest. I just went out and explored, found a bunch of madmen, and started chopping away at them. It took me forever to go up High Hrothgar. That old Frost Troll that so faithfully guarded that one passage made me not want to do that quest, because I always died. Then I discovered this one spot that the Frost troll wouldn't go, and just pelted him with a million arrows...

 

Giants were the best. Fresh from Helgen, I wander up to a giant, and weeeeee!!! I had to do that 3 times before I decided I wasn't David.

[Crimson13]

I've used this for quite some time and it brings out some life that wasn't there for the Companions. It's a great mod and I'm bummed out that the author isn't going to bring this kind of work to the other guilds, I've yet to really find any others that touch upon the same sort of idea. 

[Shadriss]

You mean like...

 

Thieves Guild Requirements? (Included in Step...)

Not So Fast - Mages Guild? (In testing for Step...)

Not So Fast - Main Quest? (In testing for Step...)

 

I agree one for the Dark Brotherhood would be nice, but I think we have the other ones covered at this point. :)

[DoubleYou]

Not So Fast - Main Quest is included in STEP now.