Dragonborn: Slayer of Alduin, Thane of Whiterun, restorer of the Gildergreen and Legate of the Imperial Legion. Vilkas: 'I've never even heard of this outsider' as you ask to join the companions.
Fortunately there is a mod that fixes this issue.And i agree.Bethesda should have added a Reputation or Karma System like the one in Fallout New Vegas.
Sadly being a PS4 player I don't have access to that mod =(. I always hated when Vilkas said that because it felt lore breaking and that I had to instantly complete the companions or join them during the start of the game for a lore friendly play through. Just feels stupid joining them late game.
Activision & EA, Twin Pairs of Destruction I was trying to think of some good writing, but yeah... the good writing seems to be reserved purely for the main storyline as well as the main storylines of the DLC
I thought you meant the Courier in Skyrim voiced by the same voice actor as Max Goof. That guy is also genius, manages to deliver the mail to you no matter what city you are at!
@@jacoblyman9441 you could be in the depths of Blackreach and you bet your ass that guy will track you down just to deliver some letter about an inheritance
I remember I entered a vampire cavern with my Wood Elf and Lydia was by my side, stealthy approach I saw one of the nightstalkers in the distance, I drew my Nightingale bow, pulled back the string and held in a deep breath as I aimed for the creatures heart that ceased beating long ago. I released my arrow, as my aim had been true, but out of the corner of my eye, as if death had been whispering in her ear, Lydia strolled in the path of my arrow and promptly died at my feet, still encumbered with all of my dragon bones and other items.
Personally, I was not fond of the fact that you had to become a werewolf to complete the plot. Or the fact I couldn't turn around and tell kodlak that " hey uh aela and skjor are turning other companions into werewolfs in the underforge. Should we stop them?" Edit: Holy shit. This is HANDS-DOWN ( thumbs up, actually) the most likes I have ever gotten. Thank you all and you are all awesome.
Attribute this to Bethesda’s ever increasingly poorer writing with every passing installment. They remove role playing aspects as they continue to remove dialogue options.
Let we talk about you have to sell your soul to Nocturnal and become a priest in order to complete a questline wich simply started with pickpockets and mafia works?
BLASPHEMOUS WHELP! HOW DARE YOU TALK ILL OF HIRCINE'S GIFT! Jk I think while the idea of the Circle being werewolves was interesting, being infected by werewolves in the wild the same way you contract vampirism and keeping it separate from the Companions questline would've been better, and cooler.
If you can download and use mods try this mod if you want to be recognised for your deeds or feared for your misdeeds. www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/95269
If u read kodlaks diary it says he saw u in a dream stood next to him when he died, thats why he let u in easily because u were prophesised or something
Going to the gate in Sovngarde be like: "Yeah, I am the head of the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood, the Stormcloak hero, the Archmage of winterhold, best sword of the companions, a vampire lord, clubbed that tentacle prince and I live in a house that I build in the middle of nowhere because I can where I live with my wife that I seduced over delivering a letter to her parents and 2 random kids I picked up the street. Donno how happy they are though, that house gets suprisingly often attacked by bandids or Bounty hunters. Thinking of it I should finally invest into some sort of walls and security, but my wife and kids are not paying enough for that at the moment." Guard: "meh, sounds like you barely pass the entry requirement for sovngarde then"
history and moral philosophy Oh dang, imagine making a Axe specifically for taking down Elves, I guess it’s like the Blades making armor specifically to be anti dragon
I have a hard time with the honorable part seeing as one of the radiant quests involved beating the crap outta some NPC to settle some unknown dispute. Also Farkas will say it's fun to push people around.
That, and he (along with others) repeatedly hints that they're only helping anybody out because they get paid. They're literally just glorified hired thugs who delude themselves with weird fantasies of honor and glory, whilst also showing straight-up sadism and predatory characteristics (Aela never shuts up about the 'thrill of the hunt', and shows no remorse when you brutally butcher endless people in front of her).
I played that quest yesterday and this time it was Uthgerd the Unbroken. Poor lady wanted to be a Companion, got sent to fight some milkdrinker she accidentally killed and then got kicked out of the Companions. Now she's the one who had a new Companion sent to beat her up and that apparently broke her mentally because she became said new blood's loyal follower.
In pretty sure it's chance related their inventory. Also reread your comment. He's the best Smith bc of enchants? Enchants isn't smithing... Doesn't make sense
Balimund can only teach the player Smithing up to 75 while Gunmar of the Dawnguard can teach up to 90 (the same as Eorlund). So Gunmar is the obvious choice.
My money is on Rustleif and Seren's unborn child. Two talented smiths for parents and a grandfather who taught them everything they knew. The protagonist may be dragonborn, but that kid will be steelborn.
"If you want to progress with the story you have to become a werewolf." Me: But I don't want to be a werewolf! "Then suffer the consequences of forever having this quest in your journal and never getting it out! Mwa ha ha!" Me: NEVER SHOULDA COME HERE
@@psionikal Pretty sure it's canon that the Dragonborn will become another 'seeker' in Apocrypha, and will thus vanish. Technically Akatosh can't claim your soul in that event, as you're not dead, you're just forever lost and going nuts.
to be fair, they're warriors first and foremost. Farkas might as well be their posterboy. Big, strong, completely indifferent towards anything not in front of him and willing to kill anything that looks at him the wrong way
Say what you want about the guy. He might be all muscle and not a lot of brains, but, he's loyal to his own and will watch out for your character at great risk to his own life. I remember I was playing a female High Elf "spellsword" build (heavy armor/smithing/one handed/destruction) and I ended up having her propose to Uthgerd the Unbroken. When she built her homestead near Falkreath, I had her hire Farkas as the estate Steward. It would have been hilarious if he and Uthgerd got into it about being rejected by the Companions, lol..
ah, look what we have here, it's one of those bethseda haters that use every chance they get to criticize bethseda and skyrim. what they like to forget, is that skyrim came out in 2011, and the AI of that time wasn't as good back then. and surely they can't afford to make every frickin character into an actual human, especailly not in some fighters guild replacement that nobody really cares about.
@@eyesack6845 yeah what about fo4? And I'm not even talking about stupid dialogues. Want to compare that one with the games that came out in that year? Well there is Witcher 3 but we both know Witcher is much better in that term. Don't get me wrong I love Bethesda games (some of them, at least) but if they keep making games with lazy writing and stupid AI with fuck ton of loading screens, I will criticize the hell out of them.
The warrior and assassin groups being mutually exclusive makes sense. In fact I can imagine a branching questline where you choose one and destroy the other. But I don't think mage and warrior should be mutually exclusive. What is a spellblade character supposed to do?. There is no reason a character can't pursue both strength and knowledge.
Probably because of the superstition in Skyrim against mages. On the other hand, mages from the College are universally accepted, although with a huge asterisk. It would be nice if the game had delved further into the logistics of this subject imo
I had a High Elf "spellsword" once who joined the Companions after she became the Arch Mage (heavy armor/smithing/one handed swords/ice destruction). My story for her was that she was a veteran of the Great War on the Thalmor side and stayed in Cyrodiil after her superiors discovered that her paternal Grandfather was a Wood Elf; "unpure" bloodline. For a brief period she was a Lieutenant in the Anvil Castle Guard until she had to leave to avoid getting lynched by the townsfolk. Then, she formed a series of bandit groups over the decades. Even though she's officially pardoned by Emperor Titus Mede for her role in the war, no self respecting Count/Countess grants her amnesty for long once people realize who she really was. Fast forward to the events of Skyrim: She crossed the border to scout out places to settle as she and what remains of her latest outlaw band aren't doing well in Cyrodiil. She returns to the border on the Skyrim side to go back for her friends, and she's captured in the Legion ambush. The whole idea is that she scares herself straight over the years and decides to make an honest living in Skyrim. Anyway, pardon the long reply. In a nutshell: Former Thalmor spellsword joins the most unlikely group of warriors to take her in while travelling as a private mercenary in Skyrim. And I agree with your point, completely.
@@GlidingZephyr I like it. Creating characters and backstories is probably my favorite part of skyrim. Which is why I have like 30 characters. I once made a character who was a breton archer mage. She fought primarily with the bound bow. And used conjuration, archery, illusion, and stealth. Only magic game I never got into enchanting because I didn't need the 100% cost reduction for magicka. Her story is that she was a young girl in High Rock, who had training in archery from her parents, and enjoyed exploring nature. One day she traveled to far and encountered a band of deadra worshippers. She was able to skip away, but not before one of the cultists stabbed her eye with an enchanted dagger. She was blind in that eye now. Fortunately it was the eye she closed when she used her bow anyway. But something strange happened after the wound closed. She still couldn't see out of that eye, except she could see strange homanoid shapes floating around. Her parents took her to a priest, who couldn't identify what the problem was, and suggested they try a wizard. The wizard discovered that she sees shadows of oblivion, and she might have some potential in conjuration because of this. She trained in magic from that day onward. Until one day she saw a light in the distance. One too strange to be of tamriel but one too bright to be of oblivion. And she saw it with both eyes. From the direction it came from she knew it originated in skyrim. She took a long road through cyrodil so she could avoid the mountain ranges and the forsworn of the reach. When she was about to walk across the border into skyrim, she heard the sound of hooves, followed by clashing of steel. She tried to run, but the horse she heard earlier knocked her onto the ground, unconscious. She awoke bound and her clothes stolen. Only wearing rags. Through the events that follow she discovered that the light she saw was the time wound that alduin emerged from.
@@GlidingZephyr I played as an Altmer mage who after getting ahold of Volendrung and literally standing in Sovengarde decided he should learn how to use two handed weapons, because magic is good, but there has to be something to big weapons if the nords like them so much, right? He also joined the Stormcloaks, because he was an ex-thalmor and after killing the worldeater in Nord heaven, a man becoming a god suddenly didn't seem so weird anymore...
How the 'ell Would the companions know you're in the murder guild? The door may seem conspicuous but cannon wise only Maro really knows who's in, the thief guild is a diff story I'll admit. There practically the fucking mascots of riften.
@@marcospindola8078 Man the only quest I did that involved Rorikstead was giving that kid Erik some cash to buy his gear. Took off right afterwards towards Solitude to rescue the Grey-Mane guy from those Thalmor pricks. After I'm done with Oblivion, I'm gonna play Skyrim and check this out. Thanks!
*Cyrodiil Fighter's Guild:* A privately administrated and organized peacekeeping force who are dispatched when the job either falls out of the Legion's jurisdiction or the County Guard is stretched too thin to address it. They pride themselves on professionalism and let their reputation speak for them. Their only real competition are the thugs from the Blackwood Company. *Skyrim Fighter's Guild:* Doesn't exist. Please read, below... *Companions:* A group of drunken braggarts who stylize themselves as a small mercenary force. Once you enter the front door of their hall you're greeted with a heated, nearly fatal bare knuckled brawl between two of their junior members. Their screening process for prospective initiates relies less upon official background records and more on personal intuition during an impromptu interview. Said to be leaderless, but there is a clear unofficial chain of command and it's secretly organized around a clique referred to as "the circle." Upon reaching higher ranking, you'll be coerced into becoming a werewolf before accepting the position.
It’s cultural stereotyping. Cyrodiil is based on Rome, one half of the cradle of Western civilization. The Nords are mostly based on...Nords, who didn’t become civilized until their post-pagan era.
The thumbnail makes them look like a band. Wish factions lock you out from joining other factions. Hell still wish there were rival factions. Like joining the Morag Tong to destroy the Dark Brotherhood.
Unfortunately Morag Tong is part of the culture of Dunmers, it wouldn't make sense in Skyrim. But they could have made Penitus Oculatus a joinable faction with a more extended questline to destroy Dark Brotherhood.
Again, some of your complaints rest with the physical game, not in the lore of the game! Plus if you read Kodlaks journal you find out why he let the player in so easily.
And yet it's the developer's responsibility to include that lore in the game itself, or even allude to it. Within the confines of the game, the Companions are illogical in their ideology and general structure. It's a shame that every subsequent Elder Scrolls title diminishes the great groundwork the previous games have paved for the franchise
Everytime I play the companions story line it makes me miss the fighters guild from oblivion. I miss the miscellaneous titles you would earn as you rank up. The guild members would recognize you as your title. ::sigh::
Yeah, I always think of the companions as a poor man's fighter's guild. I consider the fighter's guild quest line in Oblivion to be one of the weaker ones. But it's still a lot better and more fun than the companions quest line in Skyrim. It felt like I really earned my place in the Oblivion fighter's guild. It was also nice how the guild had a presence in more than one town. I also liked the twist in the main quest and the undercover quest.
Yeah, I think the Companions were meant to have a bigger presence in the game more like the Fighters Guild did, but as it is they're weak and their questline is bad, but so are all of them factions and their questlines in Skyrim. All the factions and all the questlines were far better in Oblivion.
I watched the video and was like "makes sense, what a bunch of idiots." But when I remembered Kodlak's diary and read through...it answered a lot of questions for me. Maybe you should try that out too
Well, when you consider the things that happen in Skyrim, you compare ALL the groups you can join, how idiotic most people are in Skyrim, whats allowed and what isn't, along with the BS "Essential Tags" that literally break immersion. It becomes hard to have any high expectations for Skyrim to offer. Dragons for instance are suppose to be THE most powerful beings in Nirn, yet a Giant can still one-shot-launch a Dragon (I've seen it happen). You can do quests that will introduce you to the Thalmor (Or Aldmeri Dominion) early before you go to the Embassy. If it played out realistically, the Thalmor would have recognized you as an enemy before you even stepped through the door. Then there's Delphine giving orders to someone she is bound by oath to serve. It's like a lowly soldier giving orders to the President of the US. It makes zero sense why we don't get a say in the matter. And TBF with the Companions about being Werewolves, they aren't "mindless" as you claim, otherwise Farkas would've killed you while in Werewolf form and that ritual would've been impossible. If as a Werewolf you are "mindless" then how are you able to still control your character? In that world's view, you're basing it on the opinions of non-werewolves. There's plenty in Skyrim that could be dismantled in the realism & immersion sense. If the Dark Brotherhood only recruits murderers, then every murderer in Tamriel should be an assumed member (Bandits are definitely murderers, why don't they recruit them?). And hell, why does a Cook with a kitchen knife think he/she stands a chance against a DRAGON? When you accept Skyrim for how everything was made, how everything works, the Companions and every other group in Skyrim doesn't seem all that dumb.
One thing that would be great for the guilds in Elder Scrolls 6 is having to meet a certain goal or quota. For example if you want to go join the Dark Brotherhood you should have to go kill a contract however you can’t get caught by the guards. You shouldn’t be able to just say fine I’ll pay off my bounty. If you do get caught by the guards you’ll be removed from the guild or be ridiculed by the rest. It will slow down your progression to gain the trust and likeness of others. Or like the College Of Winterhold you would need to be at least a certain level in Destruction, Conjuration, Illusion, Or Restoration. I would rather have the challenge of Joining and becoming the leader of the Guild be harder but the reward be even better.
But they don't normally recruit members like they did the Dragonborn. We find through his journal, Kodlak had a dream about the Dragonborn and recognized him on sight. This caused him to forgo the normal procedures.
They also have the worst intelligence network. Dragonborn, Slayer of Alduin, Thane of everything, Imperial General, Archmage, hero of a bunch of cities. Vilkas: I've never even heard of this man/woman! And a horrible judge of skill. Athis: I never thought they would actually let me join the Companions. But now it looks like they're letting anyone in these days. And their knowledge of inner workings is just as bad. Njada: I'm still trying to figure out why Skjor let you in in the first place. (Skjor had nothing to do with that, it was Kodlak that accepted the player)
Vilkas: “I’ve never even heard of this outsider.” Meanwhile, The Dragonborn: *Slayer of Alduin, Archmage of Winterhold, Savior of Solsteim, Listener and Leader of the Dark Brotherhood, Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, Stormblade of the Stormcloaks/Legate of the Imperial Legion, Thane Of Whiterun, Thane Of Morthal, Thane of Riften, Thane of Hjaalmarch, Thane of The Reach, Thane of The Pale, Thane of Falkreath, Thane of Winterhold, Vampireslayer of the Dawnguard, Honorary member of the Moth Priests, Member of the Nightingales, Champion of the Nine Divines and Champion of the Sixteen Daedric Princes, Restorer of the Eldergleem, Escaper of Cidhna Mine/Destroyer of the Forsworn*
While I agree with most of what you said, it's kinda subjective to say that hunting for eternity isn't a good afterlife. I think Aela the Huntress will be fine with it.
One thing I don’t like with this video is the fact you wouldn’t consider an assassin as a warrior, even a mage for that matter. I hate the D&D vibe of there being set classes such as “barbarian” and all that, a warrior is someone who fights. It doesn’t matter what the warrior uses if they’re getting the job done and can fight then they’re a warrior. Unless the assassin is some kind of civilian or courtier who jabs a dagger in someone else’s back whilst they ain’t looking or uses poison, but the general assassin in this game is a warrior such as dark brotherhood ones.
The way I remember it, you're not to use magic when sparring with Vilkas during your initiation. He'll frown upon your spells and belittle you for not relying on your steel like a true warrior.
Well you are dragonborn, you can also use dragon priest masks because your blood automatically unlocks them and can use shouts when nearly every other nord has to train half his live to even master a single one.
I would have preferred if Skyrim had some limits to how many groups you can join although I would pick Companions over Dark Brotherhood any day of the week. For the simple reason that there is no quest that allows you to ruthlessly murder the spineless Black Briars but justifies killing innocent people who contribute to absolutely no harm.
If you read kodlak's journal it reveals that he let you in because I saw your character in a prophetic dream, in which the dragon born helped him fight off one of hircines wolves
I liked the Companions and their quest line when I first played it (in my first playthrough when I joined them almost immediately), but now I hate it (like all the other faction quest-lines - but the Thieves Guild most). Like all the faction questlines, it's ill-conceived and rushed. There are clearly some good ideas there, but they're wasted. The Silver Hand are hinted at being an offshoot of the Companions (which could have been interesting if you could side with them instead), you're railroaded into being a werewolf, the quest line is too short and they don't recognise your reputation. Joining the Companions should be very different if you join at the start of the game, compared to mid-game where you're an established badass or late-game where you're the slayer of Alduin. Every faction should knowledge this, treat you accordingly and cut off options if they're not appropriate. I feel that most of these are problems with the game being rushed and half-assed in these areas.
Weird that you'd think being a mage in the companions doesn't make sense considering Sovngarde literally has mages in it. Being a mage doesn't tarnish your skill or bravery in battle. Hence why like I said there are archmages in Sovngarde. Like Kodlak says to Vilkas when first joining the companions that it doesn't matter who you are as long as you have the heart and the fire.
Honestly, they could just force you to leave any other factions you are in if they conflict, similarly to how you cannot be a vampire lord and a werewolf at the same time
I'm making a mod that overhaul's Lydia's dialogue to make her less of a human cinder block, and I had a look inside the companion's questline while I was adding commentary from her on it. It is by far, without a doubt, one of the most low-effort parts of the game. Six quests in total, with only about 3-6 stages each. They literally refer to the fragments of Wuuthrad as "MacGuffin" in the script. The whole thing was probably written in a week, and then implemented in another week.
Ha, ha yeah it felt that way when I did the quest line back in 2011. I still play Skyrim on a regular basis and I don't think I've ever bothered to replay the companions quest line. I just find it too dull and boring so I just ignore it.
The companions let you join because kodlak was like yeah he can join he was the harbinger, and the reason he let that happen was because he saw you in prophetic dreams
I think there's hints at better writing in lots of places, but they were so rushed with the implementation in the game that it's all half-baked. Lots of the problems mentioned in the vid point to game features (e.g. reputation or only being able to join certain factions) which should have been there but weren't, probably because it was rushed and they couldn't do it on time and so just cut it. For example there's hints that the Silver Hand had more depth or maybe even was a rival faction that you could have sided with in the original vision, and that there should have been an anti-Thieves Guild faction.
"Bloodthirsty beast" actually describes Ysgramor to a "t". He was a genocidal maniac remember? But since it was elves he was genocidal against, he is remembered as a honorable and noble warrior.
@@akai4942 the elves in Tolkien were faaar from pacifists, to be fair, 90% of the elf on elf violence was propagated by this one asshole named Feanor who just really wanted his damn stones back and then taught his sons to make bad decisions and violently murder your own kin
Which par is that? There isn't a single other similarly open-world game with superior writing. The Witcher 3 isn't really open world, you're literally forced to play a specific character with a specific appearance and a specific backstory. It's more like watching a fantasy TV show except you get to choose the order of the plot (especially because half of that game is scripted cutscenes...). I mean, I guess older Elder Scrolls games... Oblivion has better quest writing, but worse everything else. Morrowind too, but incredibly worse everything else.
I could handle every other video where you talked about different idiots in Skyrim. But now you've gone to far buddy. Do agree about the Werewolf thing though.
Honestly, the Werewolf thing is the main bit I disagree with. Namely the thing about the Hunting Grounds as the afterlife. If you’re someone who prefers the thrill of the hunt to everything else in life (much like Aela), Hircine’s Hunting Grounds would be a paradise. That, and it’s important to remember that the Companions can control their Lycanthropy, and thus aren’t bloodthirsty monsters in their werewolf form. All in all, it’s a pretty decent deal for them. Maybe not the best ever made, but a decent one.
Personally I think Hircine’s after-life sounds utterly amazing. Engaging in endless hunts, guiding only by your senses and bloodlust sounds amazing. Plus everyone is already dead so their is no guilt as you hunt and kill to your hearts content. Depending on how you see a werewolf’s state it could be argued where it’s like Nirvana, you cease being and enter a world of eternal bliss.
3:37 you might have a point IF The companions guild were normal werewolves.... But they have full control over when they transform and full control over what they do while they're transformed!!! Fact is it is a payment from Hircine, nothing more... Honestly... the hunting grounds don't sound that bad to me!!!
Hey you look strong, welcome aboard! Here, bash Vilkas abit. Go give his sword to Graymane and take Aela shield to her. Ok now go bash up the Battleborn. etc etc etc
Kodlaks journel tells you why you were able to join so easily as for the blacksmith he’ll probably teach someone eventually cause why would you want an expert craft to be gone I will agree on the thing where you can join all the factions and most of the points you’ve made are solid Edit: ironically this came out around the same hour or an hour later when I finished the companions storyline
To be honest these videos help expose some of Bethesda games problems: they lack creativity in how there world interacts with its self and how they basically just makes a game of what is popular at the time in pop culture and a shallow one at that
With the test to join thing, kodlak's journal also says he had visions of your character saving them, and the dark elf implies he didnt think he would make it in
Difference between book smarts and intelligence, he is the smartest, though I will say wth during the last companion quest, seriously that ghost wolf killed me like 7 times on legendary mode before I could kill it.
@The Real Talk with Jacob Wilson Skyrim was written in 2011, they decided to add genocide in 2011, in a fantasy world where a Living Thundercloud was turned in a 5 years old child soldier only to summon a giant Kaiju Version of his king of the underworld so he could wrestle the harbringer of the end times out if the sky, that's not a realistic story happened ages ago, so, yes, dude's a monster and was either envisioned as one, or Bethesda is really shit when it comes to morally ambiguous characters (most likely), which doesn't make him less of a monster.
The reputation mod does give you a sort of workaround or real consequence to a degree. Like if you join the companions then work your way through the Thieves' Guild or Dark Brotherhood your reputation gets around and you get kicked out until you pay a fine. Similar thing with the College of Winterhold.
I think Oblivion is more of a "I get to do everything" offender. It's probably the most black sheep of the last three main titles to me. Morrowind's main story clearly clashes with it's tribunal 'guild' but that's not really the case. You're recognized to have performed the Tribunal's pilgrimage and can naturally gain faction power as a result. But after progressing through the main quest they are naturally the ones to rebuke you as a heretic for fulfilling the Nerevarine prophecies. Nonetheless the archcanon and the guard-informant outside of the Baar-Dau jail respond to you according to your rank. Saying "You have rank within the Tribunal, maybe you can use it to your advantage inside." or something like that. For your point about Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood (shit ass Hot Topic guild) and the Companions (also a shit ass guild with an underdeveloped rival clan) it still makes sense than if the Hero of Kvatch just becomes everything in Cyrodiil. There was that one werewolf inside the Falkreath sanctuary so it's not too far off to assume that he'd hear of you before joining the Brotherhood, or if you haven't joined maybe influence the Dragonborn to join after becoming the listener or somewhere between both. Trash-tier guard dialogue aside the Brotherhood is supposed to be secretive. Nobody is supposed to know the power you hold there. Even Oblivion held that standard.
You learn from Kodlak's journal that he recognizes the player character as the person shown to him in his dreams as a the next harbinger and the person who will save the Companions and Kodlak himself from Hircine's curse. This is the reason he lets you join so easily. And the rest of Companions accept you mostly because of Kodlak's decision, not because of the stupid test of strength. It is not until you actually distinguish yourself as a worthy warrior on a mission with Farkas when you are officially acknowledged as a proper Companion. In fact, many of them will openly show their dissatisfaction with admission of a stranger from the streets into their ranks up until the end of the Companions' quest line. The members generally display the traits and values you'd expect from a warrior guild. Farkas is literally pointed out by each member of the guild as an "idiotic" person so he's hardly counts as a proper example of the group's idiocy + in reality, despite the Companions' words, Farkas is clearly written as a simple and honest character uninterested in politics of the guild and Skyrim, but hardly an actual idiot. As for Aela, her words of jealousy for the soldiers of fighting in the civil war are an obvious example of a warrior archetype in fantasy: a person more interested in a glory, valor or thrill of the fight rather than the reasons for the said fight. Once again this is a particular set of values and beliefs, quite fitting for the ancient guild of warriors, and hardly a display of idiocy. The problem with the player's playstyle in Companion's missions is clearly a game design issue, so I don't believe it's fair to point it out here. Bethesda clearly wanted to let the player be a jack of all trades (Dovahkin may play a mage for the first 40 levels and a berserker with a giant axe for the rest of the game until they decide to pick up a bow) , the champion of all aedras and daedras at the same time etc. which is bad for character writing if the player actually decides to be all that at the same time but is a save bet in terms of player convenience as it allows the person to experience the game in its entirety in a single play through (which, taking into account how rushed and unfinished most of the guild quests in Skyrim feel is ultimately a good thing).
Don't forget, Terrfyg might have a valid reason for the lycanthropy. The Oblivion Crisis was only "a few hundred years ago." On top of that, Skyrim got the worst of the beating out of any of the other regions. Why it wasn't the smartest long term decision, Terrfyg did make it with good intentions. Does that excuse it? No, but it does show that it was not pure idiocy, but rather getting desperate for a way out of a very, very bad situation. As for Farkas, his stats show he has 100s in speech, blacksmithing, and pickpocketing. If you ask me, that 100 in blacksmithing tells me he has been using the Skyforge behind everyone's backs when no one is looking andcan cover it up well with that 100 in speech. On top of that he apparently gets along with Orcs since he is frequently seen wandering in by himself without anyone telling him to get out. Also, sometimes, smart people don't need flowery language. They just need the right words, which could be as simple as "no." And yeah, I definitely agree he is not interested in politics. He is likely smart enough to recognize just how messy and distracting politics is and to avoid it altogether.
@@princessbinas That's a good point. This may be my new headcanon for why the Companions accepted Lycanthropy. When you're fighting Daedra, maybe you need some daedric powers of your own.
You make excellent points about the guilds! Part why I love your videos is because you always explain inconsistencies in a lore friendly manner. Main reason is your voice! It is like the thuum in my ears :)
I’m not embarrassed to say this, but, on my first ever play-through of The Companions, I managed to get teary-eyed when Skjor and Eorlund got killed. Skjor died in story-line and I think Eorlund died at the hall when those Silver-hand attacked Jorrvaskr but it’s been so long since I played Skyrim, I forgot.
Eorlund can't die to the Silver Hand attack since he's needed later in the quest to reforge Wuuthrad. Something else must have killed him after the quest was done.
I think it is dumb how someone brought lycanthropy into the companions. It’s basically warriors that live on honorable combat and essentially dream of Valhalla and willing choose Hel. Stupid idea for that Harbinger to do that.
Some of your arguments - is a problem of game. This is called “game convention”. So you’re mustn’t replay every time you want to try new guilt. And also not having big test - is for saving interest of gamer. It’s just not pain in ass. Also I think their first quests - are tests
I've been watching videos about Skyrim for quite some time. I guess I should probably start playing it again. Maybe I won't join the Companions unless I'm an actual warrior this time. Great video by the way. UA-cam recommendations really did its job right now.
Let me open with saying that I agree that most guilds in Skyrim are kind of dumb. But this comes to the fact that Bethesda has gotten worst and worst at writing throughout the years and my hopes for TES6 are low currently, that being said; They are all what they need to be and nothing more. A band of battle-hardened mercenaries with a honor code. The circle made a mistake accepting lycanthropy, but the dragonborn can cure everyone excluding Aela (iirc). In her case, with her personality, spending an eternity in a majestic woodland with rolling rivers and hills hunting prey would be a paradise. The werewolf afterlife in Hercine’s realm is nothing like nocturnal’s or Morlag Bal’s. Hercine, much like Meridia, is an exception to the draedra. He’s not evil and values honor and skill and the aspects of a true hunter. Aela could fit well in this realm and would most likely enjoy it, hunting along side past companions who chose this route as well. They’re also wise to stay out of the fight as I’m sure they all have opinions on the civil war with the rest of Skyrim. So I’m sure they appear to be dumb at first glance, but intelligence often isn’t measured by deep intricate political opinions or an understanding of the finer details of Skyrim’s macroeconomic. They’re skilled warriors and battle hardened tacticians. They’re intelligent in that convention. Many of them are masters of their respective fighting style (toe handed, block, heavy armor, etc). So in conclusion, no they’re not idiots.
One problem with your analysis is that most of the inner circle seems to regard the hunting grounds of Hircine as a glorious afterlife, in the same way that many Nords regard Sovngarde as glorious. Kodlak might think it’s a terrible fate, but that’s simply a matter of perspective.
I understand that they could have made it more of a challenge to be a member of the companions. But overall for myself I actually enjoyed the companions quest line. Except for that time where it glitched a quest for me so I couldn’t progress anymore 🤣🤣
i straight up kill dragons but Aela still thinks i'm a welp also i love how they won't let me fight villas with magic but after that no one bats an eye at my bound sword
One thing I will say is the first point about the companions accepting anyone isn’t clear cut as uthgerd was turned away for going to far in a trial and also I think kodlak only let you in as easily due to him seeing you in a dream as the next in line as harbinger before you arrive. Although there are kind of dumb members like Torvar who are only their to pay off drinking debts. But I do get the point of the magic hating companions being indifferent to someone using magic for the entirety of the quest line.
A better start for the companions would've been having the starting quest unlocked at lvl 30 to 40 and have you kill a unique monster that is really tough to prove yourself.
What you said about being part of one guild excluding the possibility of being in another is something I find very true and makes a lot of sense. In Fallout New Vegas this is done very well and is an older game than skyrim. You can't join the NCR and be a Great Khan, but in skyrim you can be arch mage of the college and still finish the companions quest line using only magic.
Not to sound annoying. But the way that kodlak phrases how the companions gained lycanthropy makes it seem like the previous harbinger got tricked into it, he asked for power but he didnt know it would require the price of becoming a werewolf, albeit he still stupid for believing there wouldnt be a catch. But just wanted to put that out. Also for the being allowed into the companions it seemed more like the fact that kidlak wanted you in as well, and since hes highly respected they let it happen, even when vilkas had his objections and skjor definitely didnt want you.
Not to mention Vilkas never having heard of you even though you killed dozens of dragons, decided the civil war, were summoned by the gray manes in a manner that everyone noticed it, defeated Miraak, saved the world from Vampires, banished Potema, destroyed the dark brotherhood and had a kickass party with sangiune
A faction living to glorifying a genocide of elves, is what they are. I was going to join them as my Bosmer hunter, but as soon as I remembered Ysgramor and learned just a little bit more about it (...the "Elf Grinder", anyone?), I said nothx. The only character I could play as a Companion would be a "true Nord", Stormcloak, Talos, all of that. Meaning never, because I only play as elves.
I remember when I first joined companions I accidentally killed Aranea (my follower at that time). I needed to load the save where she was alive which was about 30 minutes earlier. Great times
I disagree with the idea of a guild of mages and a guild of fighters being mutually exclusive. You can be both a mage and a warrior, just look at the battlemages in Oblivion walking around in heavy armor. Maybe instead Bethesda should bring back the skill requirements for advancements in Morrowind, where technically you can join the Mages Guild while knowing nothing about magic, but you'll be stuck as a beginner-ranker until you improve your magic skills.
The game should at least require a character to qualify by having mage or warrior skill or attribute requirements for entry / advancement for their respective guilds. It doesn't sit right with me that there are there "mage guild w/ no magic" videos floating around. If you're not actually a mage I see no problem with preventing entry to the guild of mages, same with other factions. I absolutely agree with you on this, it just stirs a bit of contempt up in me when someone who doesn't have skills suited for the questline in question and no reason to do it does it anyway. It's pointless. (And the playstyle of the mage in an impenetrable carapace of heavy armor is one of my favorite ways to play. Divayth Fyr style. I just don't like to utilize weapons)
Dragonborn: Slayer of Alduin, Thane of Whiterun, restorer of the Gildergreen and Legate of the Imperial Legion.
Vilkas: 'I've never even heard of this outsider' as you ask to join the companions.
Fortunately there is a mod that fixes this issue.And i agree.Bethesda should have added a Reputation or Karma System like the one in Fallout New Vegas.
Sadly being a PS4 player I don't have access to that mod =(. I always hated when Vilkas said that because it felt lore breaking and that I had to instantly complete the companions or join them during the start of the game for a lore friendly play through. Just feels stupid joining them late game.
@@nowan6221 what's it called?
@@nowan6221 I need that now to complete my mod list I have 249 so far
Blame games mechanic
Anyone in Skyrim: *breathes*
Avarti: So you have chosen idiocy
As fun as it is, goes to show Skyrim had a lot of bad writing.
Activision & EA, Twin Pairs of Destruction I was trying to think of some good writing, but yeah... the good writing seems to be reserved purely for the main storyline as well as the main storylines of the DLC
Not General Tullius though
@@justinbatts8053 well Harkon and Miraak were both idiots so even then the dlc's story is up for debate
Duc Nguyen not denying that. Just saying that it’s better than the rest.
Next video: "why the Skyrim Courier is a genius"
Because it wasn't done by Bethesda........
I thought you meant the Courier in Skyrim voiced by the same voice actor as Max Goof. That guy is also genius, manages to deliver the mail to you no matter what city you are at!
@@kiingghxst9554 still no modifier but is still smarter
@@jacoblyman9441 you could be in the depths of Blackreach and you bet your ass that guy will track you down just to deliver some letter about an inheritance
Franken Waifu because he comes up to you to slow things down a lil and let you appreciate the view of the world during an intense dragon fight
“Kodlak is a really smart guy”
Fans: “Omg do you actually like a faction in Skyrim?”
“Lmao no companions are idiotic”
Me: likes any group in the elder scrolls
Avarti: “this is why that group is absolutely horrible”
I hope silver hand are viewed at the very least good by him
They all kinda suck though.
@@shadysam7161 The silver hand in Skyrim are just bandits that hint werewolves on the side.
@@shadysam7161 Silver Hand is just a band of glorified bandits with side job of werewolf hunting
Me: likes elder scrolls
Avarti: this is why you shouldn’t play any elder scrolls ganes
I remember I entered a vampire cavern with my Wood Elf and Lydia was by my side, stealthy approach I saw one of the nightstalkers in the distance, I drew my Nightingale bow, pulled back the string and held in a deep breath as I aimed for the creatures heart that ceased beating long ago. I released my arrow, as my aim had been true, but out of the corner of my eye, as if death had been whispering in her ear, Lydia strolled in the path of my arrow and promptly died at my feet, still encumbered with all of my dragon bones and other items.
Ouch, that hurts. All those poor items
Lol 😆
And that's why my only runs with companions are runs with minimal to no stealth.
@@massimogiorgini6193 she isn't
this is why followers suck in stealthy playthroughs
Personally, I was not fond of the fact that you had to become a werewolf to complete the plot. Or the fact I couldn't turn around and tell kodlak that " hey uh aela and skjor are turning other companions into werewolfs in the underforge. Should we stop them?"
Edit: Holy shit. This is HANDS-DOWN ( thumbs up, actually) the most likes I have ever gotten. Thank you all and you are all awesome.
Attribute this to Bethesda’s ever increasingly poorer writing with every passing installment. They remove role playing aspects as they continue to remove dialogue options.
Let we talk about you have to sell your soul to Nocturnal and become a priest in order to complete a questline wich simply started with pickpockets and mafia works?
Pretty much everything tries to railroad the Dragonborn. It's not exclusive to the Companions.
Renzo Raschioni Goddamn the thieves guild in skyrim is so cringey
BLASPHEMOUS WHELP! HOW DARE YOU TALK ILL OF HIRCINE'S GIFT!
Jk I think while the idea of the Circle being werewolves was interesting, being infected by werewolves in the wild the same way you contract vampirism and keeping it separate from the Companions questline would've been better, and cooler.
Reject Skyrim groups
Embrace Dragon Mario
Let's a go.
*PRAISE PARTYSNAX*
They called the slayer of Alduin a welp
Like seriously. What gives them the right to call the Dragonborn "a welp" when they literally saved you from Alduin? This attitude really annoys me
If you can download and use mods try this mod if you want to be recognised for your deeds or feared for your misdeeds.
www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/95269
Bring back the reputation mechanic
Not canon
Well... most Nords are known to be ignorant
That's it, he's finally called every guild in the game idiotic, what's next?
Why Bethesda is an idiot
Every NPC, every randomly generated bandit, every courier, every mod, each animal, each building
why nazeem is an idiot
Why Hermaus Mora is an idiot
@@Prophet1 He already did that one.
If u read kodlaks diary it says he saw u in a dream stood next to him when he died, thats why he let u in easily because u were prophesised or something
kodlak needs someone to save his soul dude, id be real nice to the person i saw in my dreams if i was looking for ways to save my soul
When will "Why Avarti is an Idiot" coming out?
September 11 2115
Grievous In other words earlier then the release of Elder Scrolls 6
Yoooo he should do this for April Fools
@The Real Talk with Jacob Wilson Idiotically genius battle brother!
Going to the gate in Sovngarde be like: "Yeah, I am the head of the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood, the Stormcloak hero, the Archmage of winterhold, best sword of the companions, a vampire lord, clubbed that tentacle prince and I live in a house that I build in the middle of nowhere because I can where I live with my wife that I seduced over delivering a letter to her parents and 2 random kids I picked up the street. Donno how happy they are though, that house gets suprisingly often attacked by bandids or Bounty hunters. Thinking of it I should finally invest into some sort of walls and security, but my wife and kids are not paying enough for that at the moment." Guard: "meh, sounds like you barely pass the entry requirement for sovngarde then"
IKR like jeez how legendary was ysgramor then?
Moo_Shrooms He must have been killing armies with his dong for him to be that legendary
history and moral philosophy Oh dang, imagine making a Axe specifically for taking down Elves, I guess it’s like the Blades making armor specifically to be anti dragon
the stormcloak hero? that's stormblade. idk, only played a stormcloak playthrough once. then i realised the empire is better.
@@muscularcatholicism Not the first time that's happened. Soul Edge has a similar start, if I'm right.
I have a hard time with the honorable part seeing as one of the radiant quests involved beating the crap outta some NPC to settle some unknown dispute. Also Farkas will say it's fun to push people around.
There should be a mod to make sure that random NPC is always Nazeem or Heimskr.
@@akechijubeimitsuhide i second this
@@akechijubeimitsuhide why heimskr? I like heimskr. Whiterun is not really the same for me without his shouting.
That, and he (along with others) repeatedly hints that they're only helping anybody out because they get paid. They're literally just glorified hired thugs who delude themselves with weird fantasies of honor and glory, whilst also showing straight-up sadism and predatory characteristics (Aela never shuts up about the 'thrill of the hunt', and shows no remorse when you brutally butcher endless people in front of her).
I played that quest yesterday and this time it was Uthgerd the Unbroken. Poor lady wanted to be a Companion, got sent to fight some milkdrinker she accidentally killed and then got kicked out of the Companions. Now she's the one who had a new Companion sent to beat her up and that apparently broke her mentally because she became said new blood's loyal follower.
Skyrim is Like:
Dragonborn: Exists....
High ranking Guild Member: LoOkS LiKe wE haVe oUrself a new (insert highest title).
Playing with mods was fun "its just a test of skill i wont kill you" *proceeds to decapitate my character*
Lmao it's just a prank bro
He might of confused you with the headless horseman and thought that he could safely "decapitate" you. I mean, he does have an ice brain.
Balimund is the best smith in Skyrim, he sells more enchanted weapons and armor than any merchant in the game, fight me.
In pretty sure it's chance related their inventory. Also reread your comment. He's the best Smith bc of enchants? Enchants isn't smithing... Doesn't make sense
He's also one of the nicest and most relatable npcs. We both hate Laila's eldest son!
Belethor will sell his sister
Balimund can only teach the player Smithing up to 75 while Gunmar of the Dawnguard can teach up to 90 (the same as Eorlund). So Gunmar is the obvious choice.
My money is on Rustleif and Seren's unborn child. Two talented smiths for parents and a grandfather who taught them everything they knew. The protagonist may be dragonborn, but that kid will be steelborn.
I really love Farkas mostly because he's a bit of an idiot and it's adorable.
He's so dumb it's cute.
He knows he's not smart, he knows people tease him for it but he's just happy to do what he does.
The main reason why I married him
An his only weakness is his fear of spiders. xD
And understandable fear.
I mean normal spiders? Fine.
Giant spiders? I'm fucking good.
"If you want to progress with the story you have to become a werewolf."
Me: But I don't want to be a werewolf!
"Then suffer the consequences of forever having this quest in your journal and never getting it out! Mwa ha ha!"
Me: NEVER SHOULDA COME HERE
you can become normal after the questline.
Even if you don't like the Hunting Grounds, you have to admit that Coldharbour is a much worse place to end up
This is why I go with neither and instead pledge myself to Sheogorath. The Shivering Isles seem fun
@@silverman1205 Go play The Shivering Isles dlc. It sure as hell was fun. Especially Haskill.
Doesn't teh dergenburn go to Akatosh when he dies no matter what?
@@psionikal
you okay?
@@psionikal Pretty sure it's canon that the Dragonborn will become another 'seeker' in Apocrypha, and will thus vanish. Technically Akatosh can't claim your soul in that event, as you're not dead, you're just forever lost and going nuts.
to be fair, they're warriors first and foremost.
Farkas might as well be their posterboy. Big, strong, completely indifferent towards anything not in front of him and willing to kill anything that looks at him the wrong way
😂 So what you're saying is that not only is he stupid, but also a violent psychopath.
@@octavianpopescu4776 no
I married him with my gay Nord but he really isn't the brightest XD
@@akechijubeimitsuhide I did the same.
Say what you want about the guy. He might be all muscle and not a lot of brains, but, he's loyal to his own and will watch out for your character at great risk to his own life.
I remember I was playing a female High Elf "spellsword" build (heavy armor/smithing/one handed/destruction) and I ended up having her propose to Uthgerd the Unbroken. When she built her homestead near Falkreath, I had her hire Farkas as the estate Steward. It would have been hilarious if he and Uthgerd got into it about being rejected by the Companions, lol..
Here is the reason:
Cuz Bethesda was too lazy to write great characteristics and/or AI for the companions. Or pretty much any other NPC in the game.
True
Its their fault for spending 80 of the 85 million dollar budget on advertising.
ah, look what we have here, it's one of those bethseda haters that use every chance they get to criticize bethseda and skyrim. what they like to forget, is that skyrim came out in 2011, and the AI of that time wasn't as good back then. and surely they can't afford to make every frickin character into an actual human, especailly not in some fighters guild replacement that nobody really cares about.
@@eyesack6845 yeah what about fo4? And I'm not even talking about stupid dialogues. Want to compare that one with the games that came out in that year? Well there is Witcher 3 but we both know Witcher is much better in that term. Don't get me wrong I love Bethesda games (some of them, at least) but if they keep making games with lazy writing and stupid AI with fuck ton of loading screens, I will criticize the hell out of them.
Ali Bozkuer Lmao witcher 2 came out the same year,not the third one
The warrior and assassin groups being mutually exclusive makes sense. In fact I can imagine a branching questline where you choose one and destroy the other. But I don't think mage and warrior should be mutually exclusive. What is a spellblade character supposed to do?. There is no reason a character can't pursue both strength and knowledge.
Probably because of the superstition in Skyrim against mages. On the other hand, mages from the College are universally accepted, although with a huge asterisk. It would be nice if the game had delved further into the logistics of this subject imo
I had a High Elf "spellsword" once who joined the Companions after she became the Arch Mage (heavy armor/smithing/one handed swords/ice destruction).
My story for her was that she was a veteran of the Great War on the Thalmor side and stayed in Cyrodiil after her superiors discovered that her paternal Grandfather was a Wood Elf; "unpure" bloodline. For a brief period she was a Lieutenant in the Anvil Castle Guard until she had to leave to avoid getting lynched by the townsfolk. Then, she formed a series of bandit groups over the decades. Even though she's officially pardoned by Emperor Titus Mede for her role in the war, no self respecting Count/Countess grants her amnesty for long once people realize who she really was.
Fast forward to the events of Skyrim: She crossed the border to scout out places to settle as she and what remains of her latest outlaw band aren't doing well in Cyrodiil. She returns to the border on the Skyrim side to go back for her friends, and she's captured in the Legion ambush. The whole idea is that she scares herself straight over the years and decides to make an honest living in Skyrim.
Anyway, pardon the long reply. In a nutshell: Former Thalmor spellsword joins the most unlikely group of warriors to take her in while travelling as a private mercenary in Skyrim. And I agree with your point, completely.
@@GlidingZephyr I like it. Creating characters and backstories is probably my favorite part of skyrim. Which is why I have like 30 characters. I once made a character who was a breton archer mage. She fought primarily with the bound bow. And used conjuration, archery, illusion, and stealth. Only magic game I never got into enchanting because I didn't need the 100% cost reduction for magicka. Her story is that she was a young girl in High Rock, who had training in archery from her parents, and enjoyed exploring nature. One day she traveled to far and encountered a band of deadra worshippers. She was able to skip away, but not before one of the cultists stabbed her eye with an enchanted dagger. She was blind in that eye now. Fortunately it was the eye she closed when she used her bow anyway. But something strange happened after the wound closed. She still couldn't see out of that eye, except she could see strange homanoid shapes floating around. Her parents took her to a priest, who couldn't identify what the problem was, and suggested they try a wizard. The wizard discovered that she sees shadows of oblivion, and she might have some potential in conjuration because of this. She trained in magic from that day onward. Until one day she saw a light in the distance. One too strange to be of tamriel but one too bright to be of oblivion. And she saw it with both eyes. From the direction it came from she knew it originated in skyrim. She took a long road through cyrodil so she could avoid the mountain ranges and the forsworn of the reach. When she was about to walk across the border into skyrim, she heard the sound of hooves, followed by clashing of steel. She tried to run, but the horse she heard earlier knocked her onto the ground, unconscious. She awoke bound and her clothes stolen. Only wearing rags. Through the events that follow she discovered that the light she saw was the time wound that alduin emerged from.
@@GlidingZephyr I played as an Altmer mage who after getting ahold of Volendrung and literally standing in Sovengarde decided he should learn how to use two handed weapons, because magic is good, but there has to be something to big weapons if the nords like them so much, right?
He also joined the Stormcloaks, because he was an ex-thalmor and after killing the worldeater in Nord heaven, a man becoming a god suddenly didn't seem so weird anymore...
How the 'ell Would the companions know you're in the murder guild? The door may seem conspicuous but cannon wise only Maro really knows who's in, the thief guild is a diff story I'll admit. There practically the fucking mascots of riften.
avarti: "wanna see me denounce an entire faction?"
avarti: "wanna see me do it again?"
no one:
Avarti: WHY LOKIR OF RORIKSTEAD IS AN IDIOT
He was living in a village full of fucking crazy people who sacrifice fertile women, if Camelworks is to be believed.
@@shadysam7161 Wait, what? Where the fuck is this implied?
@@theinquisitorisamage1653 Its in the game, search for evidence by asking around Rorikstead, things get suspicious...
@@marcospindola8078 Man the only quest I did that involved Rorikstead was giving that kid Erik some cash to buy his gear. Took off right afterwards towards Solitude to rescue the Grey-Mane guy from those Thalmor pricks. After I'm done with Oblivion, I'm gonna play Skyrim and check this out. Thanks!
Because he decided to run away despite praying to Akatosh. Only a true Nord would have faith in the dragon god of time!
"You cant be a warrior and the arch-mage"
Me, who uses bound swords: ?
You're a spellsword, not just a warrior.
*Cyrodiil Fighter's Guild:* A privately administrated and organized peacekeeping force who are dispatched when the job either falls out of the Legion's jurisdiction or the County Guard is stretched too thin to address it. They pride themselves on professionalism and let their reputation speak for them. Their only real competition are the thugs from the Blackwood Company.
*Skyrim Fighter's Guild:* Doesn't exist. Please read, below...
*Companions:* A group of drunken braggarts who stylize themselves as a small mercenary force. Once you enter the front door of their hall you're greeted with a heated, nearly fatal bare knuckled brawl between two of their junior members. Their screening process for prospective initiates relies less upon official background records and more on personal intuition during an impromptu interview. Said to be leaderless, but there is a clear unofficial chain of command and it's secretly organized around a clique referred to as "the circle." Upon reaching higher ranking, you'll be coerced into becoming a werewolf before accepting the position.
TBH I would of made the companions the jarl's bodyguards and make a separate Skyrim fighters guild
Oblivion was just better written, pure and simple.
It’s cultural stereotyping. Cyrodiil is based on Rome, one half of the cradle of Western civilization. The Nords are mostly based on...Nords, who didn’t become civilized until their post-pagan era.
@@Sorakeyblademaster37 the nords did massacre the snow elves and force them into dwemer slavery just to settle a couple hundred people in skyrim
The thumbnail makes them look like a band. Wish factions lock you out from joining other factions. Hell still wish there were rival factions. Like joining the Morag Tong to destroy the Dark Brotherhood.
Unfortunately Morag Tong is part of the culture of Dunmers, it wouldn't make sense in Skyrim. But they could have made Penitus Oculatus a joinable faction with a more extended questline to destroy Dark Brotherhood.
Consequences? In Skyrim? Naaaaaah.
@@renzoraschioni7954 yeah I know. Considering how the Penitus Oculatus do things lore wise that would work well. Better than the Blades.
Back in TES3 Morrowind you couldn't just join every faction
@@renzoraschioni7954 The fact that the Penitus Oculatus is one quest long still angers me to this day.
3:02 We just gonna ignore that guy that killed his own friend lmao
XDXD i didnt notice that!
Again, some of your complaints rest with the physical game, not in the lore of the game!
Plus if you read Kodlaks journal you find out why he let the player in so easily.
And yet it's the developer's responsibility to include that lore in the game itself, or even allude to it. Within the confines of the game, the Companions are illogical in their ideology and general structure. It's a shame that every subsequent Elder Scrolls title diminishes the great groundwork the previous games have paved for the franchise
Bethesda keeps justifying their bad writing with notes, books and holotapes. Doesn't make it any better.
Everytime I play the companions story line it makes me miss the fighters guild from oblivion. I miss the miscellaneous titles you would earn as you rank up. The guild members would recognize you as your title. ::sigh::
Yeah, I always think of the companions as a poor man's fighter's guild. I consider the fighter's guild quest line in Oblivion to be one of the weaker ones. But it's still a lot better and more fun than the companions quest line in Skyrim.
It felt like I really earned my place in the Oblivion fighter's guild. It was also nice how the guild had a presence in more than one town. I also liked the twist in the main quest and the undercover quest.
Yeah, I think the Companions were meant to have a bigger presence in the game more like the Fighters Guild did, but as it is they're weak and their questline is bad, but so are all of them factions and their questlines in Skyrim. All the factions and all the questlines were far better in Oblivion.
@@antiochus87 yeah..someone prob got fired before they got to work on skyrim
Oddly enough skyrim is the most popular even though it's not to be mean a little worse than Oblivion.
I watched the video and was like "makes sense, what a bunch of idiots." But when I remembered Kodlak's diary and read through...it answered a lot of questions for me. Maybe you should try that out too
Well, when you consider the things that happen in Skyrim, you compare ALL the groups you can join, how idiotic most people are in Skyrim, whats allowed and what isn't, along with the BS "Essential Tags" that literally break immersion.
It becomes hard to have any high expectations for Skyrim to offer. Dragons for instance are suppose to be THE most powerful beings in Nirn, yet a Giant can still one-shot-launch a Dragon (I've seen it happen). You can do quests that will introduce you to the Thalmor (Or Aldmeri Dominion) early before you go to the Embassy. If it played out realistically, the Thalmor would have recognized you as an enemy before you even stepped through the door.
Then there's Delphine giving orders to someone she is bound by oath to serve. It's like a lowly soldier giving orders to the President of the US. It makes zero sense why we don't get a say in the matter.
And TBF with the Companions about being Werewolves, they aren't "mindless" as you claim, otherwise Farkas would've killed you while in Werewolf form and that ritual would've been impossible. If as a Werewolf you are "mindless" then how are you able to still control your character?
In that world's view, you're basing it on the opinions of non-werewolves.
There's plenty in Skyrim that could be dismantled in the realism & immersion sense. If the Dark Brotherhood only recruits murderers, then every murderer in Tamriel should be an assumed member (Bandits are definitely murderers, why don't they recruit them?).
And hell, why does a Cook with a kitchen knife think he/she stands a chance against a DRAGON?
When you accept Skyrim for how everything was made, how everything works, the Companions and every other group in Skyrim doesn't seem all that dumb.
I was a breton and just summoned a familiar and let it hit farkas while i was just running away and won like that
One thing that would be great for the guilds in Elder Scrolls 6 is having to meet a certain goal or quota. For example if you want to go join the Dark Brotherhood you should have to go kill a contract however you can’t get caught by the guards. You shouldn’t be able to just say fine I’ll pay off my bounty. If you do get caught by the guards you’ll be removed from the guild or be ridiculed by the rest. It will slow down your progression to gain the trust and likeness of others. Or like the College Of Winterhold you would need to be at least a certain level in Destruction, Conjuration, Illusion, Or Restoration. I would rather have the challenge of Joining and becoming the leader of the Guild be harder but the reward be even better.
_(After the part about lack of guild exclusivity and how it's "muh immersion-breaking!" )_
(Spellswords, Battlemages, NIghtblades etc): "Bruh..."
But they don't normally recruit members like they did the Dragonborn. We find through his journal, Kodlak had a dream about the Dragonborn and recognized him on sight. This caused him to forgo the normal procedures.
They also have the worst intelligence network.
Dragonborn, Slayer of Alduin, Thane of everything, Imperial General, Archmage, hero of a bunch of cities.
Vilkas: I've never even heard of this man/woman!
And a horrible judge of skill.
Athis: I never thought they would actually let me join the Companions. But now it looks like they're letting anyone in these days.
And their knowledge of inner workings is just as bad.
Njada: I'm still trying to figure out why Skjor let you in in the first place. (Skjor had nothing to do with that, it was Kodlak that accepted the player)
Vilkas: “I’ve never even heard of this outsider.”
Meanwhile, The Dragonborn: *Slayer of Alduin, Archmage of Winterhold, Savior of Solsteim, Listener and Leader of the Dark Brotherhood, Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, Stormblade of the Stormcloaks/Legate of the Imperial Legion, Thane Of Whiterun, Thane Of Morthal, Thane of Riften, Thane of Hjaalmarch, Thane of The Reach, Thane of The Pale, Thane of Falkreath, Thane of Winterhold, Vampireslayer of the Dawnguard, Honorary member of the Moth Priests, Member of the Nightingales, Champion of the Nine Divines and Champion of the Sixteen Daedric Princes, Restorer of the Eldergleem, Escaper of Cidhna Mine/Destroyer of the Forsworn*
While I agree with most of what you said, it's kinda subjective to say that hunting for eternity isn't a good afterlife. I think Aela the Huntress will be fine with it.
One thing I don’t like with this video is the fact you wouldn’t consider an assassin as a warrior, even a mage for that matter. I hate the D&D vibe of there being set classes such as “barbarian” and all that, a warrior is someone who fights. It doesn’t matter what the warrior uses if they’re getting the job done and can fight then they’re a warrior. Unless the assassin is some kind of civilian or courtier who jabs a dagger in someone else’s back whilst they ain’t looking or uses poison, but the general assassin in this game is a warrior such as dark brotherhood ones.
The way I remember it, you're not to use magic when sparring with Vilkas during your initiation. He'll frown upon your spells and belittle you for not relying on your steel like a true warrior.
Last time i was this early skyrim only had one edition
That feels like forever ago
Literally every guilds or characters: *Exists*
Avarti: You have a lot of nerve being alive
“Skyforge requires specialist training”
Dragonborn can use it at the start game
Well you are dragonborn, you can also use dragon priest masks because your blood automatically unlocks them and can use shouts when nearly every other nord has to train half his live to even master a single one.
William Paul Singh Harika don’t fully see how it relates to the skyforge, but I do see where you’re coming from.
@@williampaulsinghharika2627 not to mention being able to fuck over daedra like its nothing
I would have preferred if Skyrim had some limits to how many groups you can join although I would pick Companions over Dark Brotherhood any day of the week. For the simple reason that there is no quest that allows you to ruthlessly murder the spineless Black Briars but justifies killing innocent people who contribute to absolutely no harm.
....aww man he even fked up the companions, no group in Skyrim is safe 😂
If you read kodlak's journal it reveals that he let you in because I saw your character in a prophetic dream, in which the dragon born helped him fight off one of hircines wolves
I liked the Companions and their quest line when I first played it (in my first playthrough when I joined them almost immediately), but now I hate it (like all the other faction quest-lines - but the Thieves Guild most). Like all the faction questlines, it's ill-conceived and rushed. There are clearly some good ideas there, but they're wasted.
The Silver Hand are hinted at being an offshoot of the Companions (which could have been interesting if you could side with them instead), you're railroaded into being a werewolf, the quest line is too short and they don't recognise your reputation. Joining the Companions should be very different if you join at the start of the game, compared to mid-game where you're an established badass or late-game where you're the slayer of Alduin. Every faction should knowledge this, treat you accordingly and cut off options if they're not appropriate. I feel that most of these are problems with the game being rushed and half-assed in these areas.
Weird that you'd think being a mage in the companions doesn't make sense considering Sovngarde literally has mages in it. Being a mage doesn't tarnish your skill or bravery in battle. Hence why like I said there are archmages in Sovngarde. Like Kodlak says to Vilkas when first joining the companions that it doesn't matter who you are as long as you have the heart and the fire.
Honestly, they could just force you to leave any other factions you are in if they conflict, similarly to how you cannot be a vampire lord and a werewolf at the same time
I'm making a mod that overhaul's Lydia's dialogue to make her less of a human cinder block, and I had a look inside the companion's questline while I was adding commentary from her on it.
It is by far, without a doubt, one of the most low-effort parts of the game. Six quests in total, with only about 3-6 stages each. They literally refer to the fragments of Wuuthrad as "MacGuffin" in the script. The whole thing was probably written in a week, and then implemented in another week.
Ha, ha yeah it felt that way when I did the quest line back in 2011. I still play Skyrim on a regular basis and I don't think I've ever bothered to replay the companions quest line. I just find it too dull and boring so I just ignore it.
That's where you're wrong, kiddo. Farkas is actually a 500IQ genius.
true, its Vilkas who's the idiot.
The companions let you join because kodlak was like yeah he can join he was the harbinger, and the reason he let that happen was because he saw you in prophetic dreams
All your video's just point out how bad bethesda is at writing. Kinda sad how bad they are actually.
I think there's hints at better writing in lots of places, but they were so rushed with the implementation in the game that it's all half-baked. Lots of the problems mentioned in the vid point to game features (e.g. reputation or only being able to join certain factions) which should have been there but weren't, probably because it was rushed and they couldn't do it on time and so just cut it.
For example there's hints that the Silver Hand had more depth or maybe even was a rival faction that you could have sided with in the original vision, and that there should have been an anti-Thieves Guild faction.
They weren't always bad. But when Emil Pagliarulo joined, it all went to shit.
ah, lookie here, it's one of them lurkers who criticize bethseda at every chance they get...
Still better than Sonic Team.
Kodlak let you become a companion easy because he knows player will help him cure his beast form you can read it in his journal.
"Bloodthirsty beast" actually describes Ysgramor to a "t".
He was a genocidal maniac remember? But since it was elves he was genocidal against, he is remembered as a honorable and noble warrior.
elves attacked first tho
Actually, the Snow Elves killed all the settlers in Saarthal first. Ysgramor, as violent as he was, was justified to do it.
he’s remembered as a hero to the nords. he led the ancestors of nords to skyrim and they exist because of him
Let's not act like the elves were tolkien like pacifist.
The elves attacked the nords first.
@@akai4942 the elves in Tolkien were faaar from pacifists, to be fair, 90% of the elf on elf violence was propagated by this one asshole named Feanor who just really wanted his damn stones back and then taught his sons to make bad decisions and violently murder your own kin
Any elder scrolls faction : *Exists*
Avarti : You fucking donkey
Ah, another episode showing why skyrims writing just isnt up to par ❤
Yet people have been playing the game for over 7 years...🤐🤐
French & Sims mods.
Which par is that? There isn't a single other similarly open-world game with superior writing. The Witcher 3 isn't really open world, you're literally forced to play a specific character with a specific appearance and a specific backstory. It's more like watching a fantasy TV show except you get to choose the order of the plot (especially because half of that game is scripted cutscenes...). I mean, I guess older Elder Scrolls games... Oblivion has better quest writing, but worse everything else. Morrowind too, but incredibly worse everything else.
I've waited for you to make a video about the companions for so long... This cheers me up a bit, thanks!
I could handle every other video where you talked about different idiots in Skyrim. But now you've gone to far buddy.
Do agree about the Werewolf thing though.
In what way did he go too far?
@@Voduke789 I don't know, probably because these ""idiot" videos start making skyrim unplayable for us, I guess.
@@bonegrave4963 Saying it as more of a joke honestly.
Right? No one get's to call Farkas an idiot! Except a few people, because he likes them.
Honestly, the Werewolf thing is the main bit I disagree with. Namely the thing about the Hunting Grounds as the afterlife. If you’re someone who prefers the thrill of the hunt to everything else in life (much like Aela), Hircine’s Hunting Grounds would be a paradise. That, and it’s important to remember that the Companions can control their Lycanthropy, and thus aren’t bloodthirsty monsters in their werewolf form. All in all, it’s a pretty decent deal for them. Maybe not the best ever made, but a decent one.
Personally I think Hircine’s after-life sounds utterly amazing. Engaging in endless hunts, guiding only by your senses and bloodlust sounds amazing. Plus everyone is already dead so their is no guilt as you hunt and kill to your hearts content. Depending on how you see a werewolf’s state it could be argued where it’s like Nirvana, you cease being and enter a world of eternal bliss.
The hunting grounds are a perfect afterlife for hunters and werewolves, IMO.
But I actually like the Companions🥺
Same
Agree that the ability to join almost every guild is immersion breaking but I also acknowledge I can play as though they were mutually exclusive.
3:37 you might have a point IF The companions guild were normal werewolves.... But they have full control over when they transform and full control over what they do while they're transformed!!! Fact is it is a payment from Hircine, nothing more... Honestly... the hunting grounds don't sound that bad to me!!!
Vilkas: *turns into a werewolf*
Random Silver Hand: *drops dead before the battle even begins*
Hey you look strong, welcome aboard! Here, bash Vilkas abit. Go give his sword to Graymane and take Aela shield to her. Ok now go bash up the Battleborn. etc etc etc
Kodlaks journel tells you why you were able to join so easily as for the blacksmith he’ll probably teach someone eventually cause why would you want an expert craft to be gone I will agree on the thing where you can join all the factions and most of the points you’ve made are solid
Edit: ironically this came out around the same hour or an hour later when I finished the companions storyline
To be honest these videos help expose some of Bethesda games problems: they lack creativity in how there world interacts with its self and how they basically just makes a game of what is popular at the time in pop culture and a shallow one at that
With the test to join thing, kodlak's journal also says he had visions of your character saving them, and the dark elf implies he didnt think he would make it in
We need *"Why House Hlaalu were idiots"*
Yes all hail tellivanni for vvardenvel
House Dagoth ftw
"Who have a combined IQ of 82"
Vilkas: am i a joke to you?
Difference between book smarts and intelligence, he is the smartest, though I will say wth during the last companion quest, seriously that ghost wolf killed me like 7 times on legendary mode before I could kill it.
"Respectable" "honorable" and all that shit are not words I'd use to describe Ysgramor.
Genocidal Monster is way more fitting.
Filthy knife-ear sympathizer...lol
@The Real Talk with Jacob Wilson Skyrim was written in 2011, they decided to add genocide in 2011, in a fantasy world where a Living Thundercloud was turned in a 5 years old child soldier only to summon a giant Kaiju Version of his king of the underworld so he could wrestle the harbringer of the end times out if the sky, that's not a realistic story happened ages ago, so, yes, dude's a monster and was either envisioned as one, or Bethesda is really shit when it comes to morally ambiguous characters (most likely), which doesn't make him less of a monster.
hey, he did what he did for revenge.
@@tahabashir3779 so did Dagoth Ur
@@travelkingable who dat
The reputation mod does give you a sort of workaround or real consequence to a degree. Like if you join the companions then work your way through the Thieves' Guild or Dark Brotherhood your reputation gets around and you get kicked out until you pay a fine. Similar thing with the College of Winterhold.
I think Oblivion is more of a "I get to do everything" offender. It's probably the most black sheep of the last three main titles to me. Morrowind's main story clearly clashes with it's tribunal 'guild' but that's not really the case. You're recognized to have performed the Tribunal's pilgrimage and can naturally gain faction power as a result. But after progressing through the main quest they are naturally the ones to rebuke you as a heretic for fulfilling the Nerevarine prophecies. Nonetheless the archcanon and the guard-informant outside of the Baar-Dau jail respond to you according to your rank. Saying "You have rank within the Tribunal, maybe you can use it to your advantage inside." or something like that. For your point about Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood (shit ass Hot Topic guild) and the Companions (also a shit ass guild with an underdeveloped rival clan) it still makes sense than if the Hero of Kvatch just becomes everything in Cyrodiil. There was that one werewolf inside the Falkreath sanctuary so it's not too far off to assume that he'd hear of you before joining the Brotherhood, or if you haven't joined maybe influence the Dragonborn to join after becoming the listener or somewhere between both. Trash-tier guard dialogue aside the Brotherhood is supposed to be secretive. Nobody is supposed to know the power you hold there. Even Oblivion held that standard.
Slyrim can be mastered by anyone. That's why the quests seem so.. undemanding, when compared to older titles.
You learn from Kodlak's journal that he recognizes the player character as the person shown to him in his dreams as a the next harbinger and the person who will save the Companions and Kodlak himself from Hircine's curse. This is the reason he lets you join so easily. And the rest of Companions accept you mostly because of Kodlak's decision, not because of the stupid test of strength. It is not until you actually distinguish yourself as a worthy warrior on a mission with Farkas when you are officially acknowledged as a proper Companion. In fact, many of them will openly show their dissatisfaction with admission of a stranger from the streets into their ranks up until the end of the Companions' quest line.
The members generally display the traits and values you'd expect from a warrior guild. Farkas is literally pointed out by each member of the guild as an "idiotic" person so he's hardly counts as a proper example of the group's idiocy + in reality, despite the Companions' words, Farkas is clearly written as a simple and honest character uninterested in politics of the guild and Skyrim, but hardly an actual idiot. As for Aela, her words of jealousy for the soldiers of fighting in the civil war are an obvious example of a warrior archetype in fantasy: a person more interested in a glory, valor or thrill of the fight rather than the reasons for the said fight. Once again this is a particular set of values and beliefs, quite fitting for the ancient guild of warriors, and hardly a display of idiocy.
The problem with the player's playstyle in Companion's missions is clearly a game design issue, so I don't believe it's fair to point it out here. Bethesda clearly wanted to let the player be a jack of all trades (Dovahkin may play a mage for the first 40 levels and a berserker with a giant axe for the rest of the game until they decide to pick up a bow) , the champion of all aedras and daedras at the same time etc. which is bad for character writing if the player actually decides to be all that at the same time but is a save bet in terms of player convenience as it allows the person to experience the game in its entirety in a single play through (which, taking into account how rushed and unfinished most of the guild quests in Skyrim feel is ultimately a good thing).
Don't forget, Terrfyg might have a valid reason for the lycanthropy. The Oblivion Crisis was only "a few hundred years ago." On top of that, Skyrim got the worst of the beating out of any of the other regions. Why it wasn't the smartest long term decision, Terrfyg did make it with good intentions. Does that excuse it? No, but it does show that it was not pure idiocy, but rather getting desperate for a way out of a very, very bad situation.
As for Farkas, his stats show he has 100s in speech, blacksmithing, and pickpocketing. If you ask me, that 100 in blacksmithing tells me he has been using the Skyforge behind everyone's backs when no one is looking andcan cover it up well with that 100 in speech. On top of that he apparently gets along with Orcs since he is frequently seen wandering in by himself without anyone telling him to get out. Also, sometimes, smart people don't need flowery language. They just need the right words, which could be as simple as "no." And yeah, I definitely agree he is not interested in politics. He is likely smart enough to recognize just how messy and distracting politics is and to avoid it altogether.
@@princessbinas Farkas got wrong NPC class I think
This is epic.
Agreed
@@princessbinas That's a good point. This may be my new headcanon for why the Companions accepted Lycanthropy. When you're fighting Daedra, maybe you need some daedric powers of your own.
You make excellent points about the guilds! Part why I love your videos is because you always explain inconsistencies in a lore friendly manner. Main reason is your voice! It is like the thuum in my ears :)
This whole questline was completely lackluster Imo.
All of them were.
@@antiochus87 not really, I had fun with the Thieves Guild, even if a little.
I’m not embarrassed to say this, but, on my first ever play-through of The Companions, I managed to get teary-eyed when Skjor and Eorlund got killed. Skjor died in story-line and I think Eorlund died at the hall when those Silver-hand attacked Jorrvaskr but it’s been so long since I played Skyrim, I forgot.
Eorlund can't die to the Silver Hand attack since he's needed later in the quest to reforge Wuuthrad. Something else must have killed him after the quest was done.
Need something?
I think it is dumb how someone brought lycanthropy into the companions. It’s basically warriors that live on honorable combat and essentially dream of Valhalla and willing choose Hel. Stupid idea for that Harbinger to do that.
Some of your arguments - is a problem of game. This is called “game convention”. So you’re mustn’t replay every time you want to try new guilt. And also not having big test - is for saving interest of gamer. It’s just not pain in ass.
Also I think their first quests - are tests
I've been watching videos about Skyrim for quite some time. I guess I should probably start playing it again. Maybe I won't join the Companions unless I'm an actual warrior this time.
Great video by the way. UA-cam recommendations really did its job right now.
Let me open with saying that I agree that most guilds in Skyrim are kind of dumb. But this comes to the fact that Bethesda has gotten worst and worst at writing throughout the years and my hopes for TES6 are low currently, that being said;
They are all what they need to be and nothing more. A band of battle-hardened mercenaries with a honor code. The circle made a mistake accepting lycanthropy, but the dragonborn can cure everyone excluding Aela (iirc). In her case, with her personality, spending an eternity in a majestic woodland with rolling rivers and hills hunting prey would be a paradise. The werewolf afterlife in Hercine’s realm is nothing like nocturnal’s or Morlag Bal’s. Hercine, much like Meridia, is an exception to the draedra. He’s not evil and values honor and skill and the aspects of a true hunter. Aela could fit well in this realm and would most likely enjoy it, hunting along side past companions who chose this route as well. They’re also wise to stay out of the fight as I’m sure they all have opinions on the civil war with the rest of Skyrim. So I’m sure they appear to be dumb at first glance, but intelligence often isn’t measured by deep intricate political opinions or an understanding of the finer details of Skyrim’s macroeconomic. They’re skilled warriors and battle hardened tacticians. They’re intelligent in that convention. Many of them are masters of their respective fighting style (toe handed, block, heavy armor, etc). So in conclusion, no they’re not idiots.
One problem with your analysis is that most of the inner circle seems to regard the hunting grounds of Hircine as a glorious afterlife, in the same way that many Nords regard Sovngarde as glorious. Kodlak might think it’s a terrible fate, but that’s simply a matter of perspective.
This is why I use a mod called Skyrim reputation. You need to do some quests to game a good or bad reputation which affects how you join any guild
I understand that they could have made it more of a challenge to be a member of the companions. But overall for myself I actually enjoyed the companions quest line. Except for that time where it glitched a quest for me so I couldn’t progress anymore 🤣🤣
i straight up kill dragons but Aela still thinks i'm a welp
also i love how they won't let me fight villas with magic but after that no one bats an eye at my bound sword
One thing I will say is the first point about the companions accepting anyone isn’t clear cut as uthgerd was turned away for going to far in a trial and also I think kodlak only let you in as easily due to him seeing you in a dream as the next in line as harbinger before you arrive. Although there are kind of dumb members like Torvar who are only their to pay off drinking debts. But I do get the point of the magic hating companions being indifferent to someone using magic for the entirety of the quest line.
A better start for the companions would've been having the starting quest unlocked at lvl 30 to 40 and have you kill a unique monster that is really tough to prove yourself.
buddy, I killed Alduin, who the hell else do you want me to kill? Talos himself?
What you said about being part of one guild excluding the possibility of being in another is something I find very true and makes a lot of sense. In Fallout New Vegas this is done very well and is an older game than skyrim. You can't join the NCR and be a Great Khan, but in skyrim you can be arch mage of the college and still finish the companions quest line using only magic.
Not to sound annoying. But the way that kodlak phrases how the companions gained lycanthropy makes it seem like the previous harbinger got tricked into it, he asked for power but he didnt know it would require the price of becoming a werewolf, albeit he still stupid for believing there wouldnt be a catch. But just wanted to put that out. Also for the being allowed into the companions it seemed more like the fact that kidlak wanted you in as well, and since hes highly respected they let it happen, even when vilkas had his objections and skjor definitely didnt want you.
Kodiak had a dream of the
Dragonborn becoming the leader, that's why he let him in. Read Kodlak's journal!
Hircine's eternal hunt sounds alright to me, at least if I'm a werewolf.
Not to mention Vilkas never having heard of you even though you killed dozens of dragons, decided the civil war, were summoned by the gray manes in a manner that everyone noticed it, defeated Miraak, saved the world from Vampires, banished Potema, destroyed the dark brotherhood and had a kickass party with sangiune
A faction living to glorifying a genocide of elves, is what they are. I was going to join them as my Bosmer hunter, but as soon as I remembered Ysgramor and learned just a little bit more about it (...the "Elf Grinder", anyone?), I said nothx. The only character I could play as a Companion would be a "true Nord", Stormcloak, Talos, all of that. Meaning never, because I only play as elves.
I remember when I first joined companions I accidentally killed Aranea (my follower at that time). I needed to load the save where she was alive which was about 30 minutes earlier. Great times
auto save every 15 minutes and everytime i open inventory
I was watching this vid and I thought to myself, "it's a game, I don't care"
I disagree with the idea of a guild of mages and a guild of fighters being mutually exclusive. You can be both a mage and a warrior, just look at the battlemages in Oblivion walking around in heavy armor. Maybe instead Bethesda should bring back the skill requirements for advancements in Morrowind, where technically you can join the Mages Guild while knowing nothing about magic, but you'll be stuck as a beginner-ranker until you improve your magic skills.
The game should at least require a character to qualify by having mage or warrior skill or attribute requirements for entry / advancement for their respective guilds. It doesn't sit right with me that there are there "mage guild w/ no magic" videos floating around. If you're not actually a mage I see no problem with preventing entry to the guild of mages, same with other factions. I absolutely agree with you on this, it just stirs a bit of contempt up in me when someone who doesn't have skills suited for the questline in question and no reason to do it does it anyway. It's pointless. (And the playstyle of the mage in an impenetrable carapace of heavy armor is one of my favorite ways to play. Divayth Fyr style. I just don't like to utilize weapons)