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Devs, Please Give ALL Current Companions Prominent Roles In The 6.0 Storyline


CharmerLeonhart

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Yes, yes, I know. The kill option/dead/bricked issue... But let me explain.

 

I've been watching the discussions on the forums and the devs need to realize there are a lot of angry players who feel their favorite companions, either dead or alive, have been left in the dust. Erased. Never to again have a cut scene, or even an email (which, let's be real, takes only a few minutes to write and requires no voice acting). These companions are clearly special to the players and each needs an appropriate amount of screen time in the future.

 

I just feel the devs should avoid introducing too many new characters/romance arcs and focus on who they have (and open up those old romance options for same gender romance thus eliminating the need for an excessive number of new romance options). And I know the saying "you can't please everyone" but they literally could come close to doing that. I'll give an example of how Vette/Torian could come back in 6.0 (And be SGR options as well, two birds one stone lol):

 

Say there is a critical mission objective you , the player, can't get to so you get a holo call from either: Vette, if Torian is dead, or Torian, if Vette is dead (That's literally just two branches). They say they'll take care of whatever dangerous thing that needs doing. Make one option a flirt> Your character can say something along the lines of "You know I love you... So come home safe." If same sex, cue Vette or Torian being a little confused. If originally romanced: have a really sweet response. Now if you took the flirt as a same sex character, have an alliance alert style mission "Torian/Vette wants to speak to you." They ask you what you meant by that, you confess, kiss, fade to black, similar to Jaesa and Nadia's reunion. Straight romances should get this alert too; and they should have something like the sunset scene with Lana. Everyone is happy, straight and lgbt players, yay.

 

Now with other characters like Iresso, Aric, Rusk, it would be so easy to have these characters show up, if alive, leading a huge number of troops together. Kira and Nadia could be training young Jedi for the coming conflict, Khem could be trying to consume force users on the battlefield, Jaesa could be using her powers on a prisoner with vital information. Koth could be aiding Zakuul and helping his home rebuild. But there could be a 1 min holo call from him at least, saying that if you need him he'll come running.

 

There are just so many scenarios you could write these characters into. All-out war, high stakes, everyone involved and fighting for what they believe in, is the best setting to achieve this.

 

I have high hopes for 6.0. But I feel as though they've stretched themselves too thin with having such a large cast of characters, that they need to scale back a little and give the original companions the spotlight for 6.0, because its going to get to a point where they can't give all characters their own moment (which the devs said they want to do).

 

I hope I got my point across ok, I have a bit of trouble when it comes to explaining my thoughts. I just want everyone to have the content they want with their favorite companions. If you agree or have story suggestions for the devs for 6.0, feel free to post them here :)

 

Note: I know and am aware of the problems with PvP and progression etc but as I play solely for the story I can't comment on that. So please note I'm not disregarding those issues with this post but I feel like I don't have the understanding of those issues enough to comment on them.

Edited by CharmerLeonhart
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Not gonna happen. Having every voice actor in every language record a few lines for a single expansion is too expansive, leaving not enough budget for the actual story. What the devs want to do and what they actually can do are two seperate things. Best we can hope for are ingame mails, but that's it.

My hope is that after Anthem is finaly released in february maybe SWTOR will get some ressources and staff back for one last attempt to realy revive this game via the started return to empire vs republic, essentially rebooting the game. But i doubt it. Right now the priority clearly has to be bugfixing 5.10.

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Unfortunately I don't think they have the funds or staff to do this - but I wish they would. Everyone deserves to see their LI, and I miss hearing from some of the companions even if they aren't LIs.

 

Some lower-budget ways to maybe include LIs more, in the meantime:

 

- Someone mentioned a function like the Mass Effect scene where you can find your LI and have a kiss, hug or fade-to-black. No dialogue, or recycled dialogue.

 

- Letters. They need the staff to write these, but they are far less labor-intensive than cut scenes, and getting regular letters from a LI and maybe your old class companions would make you feel more engaged with them.

 

- Animating the LIs and other characters into existing cut scenes. Maybe if you saved Vette she's typing in the war room. Maybe your character is silently sitting around a table and playing sabacc with some of the friends they've saved.

 

- Small cut scenes like the ones they had in KOTFE and KOTET for the LIs. Thirty seconds, before battles, you see your LI and they wish you luck with a kiss. Again, could probably be accomplished with outttakes or existing dialogue re-tooled.

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Unfortunately I don't think they have the funds or staff to do this - but I wish they would. Everyone deserves to see their LI, and I miss hearing from some of the companions even if they aren't LIs.

 

Some lower-budget ways to maybe include LIs more, in the meantime:

 

- Someone mentioned a function like the Mass Effect scene where you can find your LI and have a kiss, hug or fade-to-black. No dialogue, or recycled dialogue.

 

- Letters. They need the staff to write these, but they are far less labor-intensive than cut scenes, and getting regular letters from a LI and maybe your old class companions would make you feel more engaged with them.

 

- Animating the LIs and other characters into existing cut scenes. Maybe if you saved Vette she's typing in the war room. Maybe your character is silently sitting around a table and playing sabacc with some of the friends they've saved.

 

- Small cut scenes like the ones they had in KOTFE and KOTET for the LIs. Thirty seconds, before battles, you see your LI and they wish you luck with a kiss. Again, could probably be accomplished with outttakes or existing dialogue re-tooled.

 

This. All of the above would make a huge difference, and cost very little, allowing most of the production budget to go to content. A little can go a long way.

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I have high hopes for 6.0.

 

If your high hopes include your companion wishes, it would be prudent to lower your expectations.

 

I would already be happy if they send out a couple of companion ingame-mails. I'd guess this is the best we could hope for.

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Unfortunately I don't think they have the funds or staff to do this - but I wish they would. Everyone deserves to see their LI, and I miss hearing from some of the companions even if they aren't LIs.

 

Some lower-budget ways to maybe include LIs more, in the meantime:

 

- Someone mentioned a function like the Mass Effect scene where you can find your LI and have a kiss, hug or fade-to-black. No dialogue, or recycled dialogue.

 

- Letters. They need the staff to write these, but they are far less labor-intensive than cut scenes, and getting regular letters from a LI and maybe your old class companions would make you feel more engaged with them.

 

- Animating the LIs and other characters into existing cut scenes. Maybe if you saved Vette she's typing in the war room. Maybe your character is silently sitting around a table and playing sabacc with some of the friends they've saved.

 

- Small cut scenes like the ones they had in KOTFE and KOTET for the LIs. Thirty seconds, before battles, you see your LI and they wish you luck with a kiss. Again, could probably be accomplished with outttakes or existing dialogue re-tooled.

 

+1

 

It totaly escapes me why we are getting all these breakup mails but none from our LI or supportive mails from old companions. Bioware, i'll write you a couple of smalltalk and cheesy LI ingame mails withing a day. They don't even need to be story relevant, let Vette write about some weird stuff she saw on the Holonet!

 

Or in case a teammember experienced something strange and interesting during work, Star Warsify it and let them write an ingame mail. Example:

Witnessed another Bioware employee drop of the chair because of some crazy cat video during work laughing like a lunatic? Turn it into a smalltalk letter from Kaliyo wondering how the Alliance managed to overthrow the eternal empire when apparently all it needed to disable the Odessen staff was some holovid about a dancing kowakian monkey - lizard.

Scamers caused trouble on the GTN again? Turn it into a story about Gault's newest "business proposal"!

 

What i mean by this is that the devs should write down all the little anecdotes between patches and then sit down in the week before the next patch release, turn the anecdotes into ingame mails and send them to the players via ingame mails. This sounds like a fun and anonymous exchange between devs and players, and like a cheap way of companion inclusion while we wait for the next big update.

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Not gonna happen. Having every voice actor in every language record a few lines for a single expansion is too expansive, leaving not enough budget for the actual story. .

 

 

There's a budget? I thought they watched an old episode of clone wars and ripped off the story, then edited it down to 2-3 lines. c.f. "The Bounty Hunters." in season 2.

 

"well have some farms and a base and tip a coupe of old NPCs into the mix. - That'll do."

 

 

Back on topic. There are som amny companions, some of which are currently Schrödinger's companions, that there is no way they'd all feature in future. My guess is, that one or 2 might have a part to play. - But don't bank on it.

 

Lana B will be back. She has plot-armour thicker than Bantha hide. :rak_03:

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Lana B will be back. She has plot-armour thicker than Bantha hide. :rak_03:

 

And i am glad about that because i enjoyed Lana from the moment i first met her! I am a convinced Lanaist and absolutely loved the chance to finaly propose, the sunset scene during 5.10 and to finaly learn how she is currently viewed among other Sith. They don't like her at all. Well played devs, well played. You might even consider it a nice little wink towards the Lana haters :D

 

Lana is life, Lana is love :p

 

(especially since she has the same voice actress as Miranda Lawson in the german game client and i absolutely adored Miranda's story arc during Mass effect)

 

I want more Lana, so much more. 24/7 Lana Beniko, just to make me happy and troll the Lana haters :cool::D

Edited by McBaal
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I doubt this is possible. There's just too many companions.

Of course it's *possible*. It isn't feasible. (That is, the cost is unreasonably high.)

 

OP also hasn't addressed a key point: Are all these bits of content "side" elements? If Iresso, Aric, and Rusk are supposed to lead some block of troops *in the main storyline*, who leads those troops for non-Consulars (only Consulars get a return-alert for Iresso) who killed / rejected Aric *and* Rusk?

 

Also: why this insistence on turning *all* the companions "playersexual"? Even the pro-LGBT folks here acknowledge that some of them don't seem to suit that. I, personally, can't see Doc ever falling for a man, and I'd be really surprised and a little disappointed if we get a call from Kaliyo that runs like this:

 

Commanderess: Hey Kaliyo, what's up?

Kaliyo: You remember when I told you that head games are all I'm good for with women, and that I'm getting too old for head games?

Commanderess: Uh, yeah, what about it?

Kaliyo; Turns out I was wrong. Kiss me!

Commanderess: ...

 

Hugely out of character.

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Also: why this insistence on turning *all* the companions "playersexual"? Even the pro-LGBT folks here acknowledge that some of them don't seem to suit that. I, personally, can't see Doc ever falling for a man, and I'd be really surprised and a little disappointed if we get a call from Kaliyo that runs like this:

 

Commanderess: Hey Kaliyo, what's up?

Kaliyo: You remember when I told you that head games are all I'm good for with women, and that I'm getting too old for head games?

Commanderess: Uh, yeah, what about it?

Kaliyo; Turns out I was wrong. Kiss me!

Commanderess: ...

 

Hugely out of character.

 

I don't necessarily think every companion is meant to be bisexual, but cxpanding options for existing companions is a way to expand LI possibilities for LGBT+ players/toons that use existing resources.

 

In the case of Kaliyo, I will point out that it's not uncommon for LGBT+ folks to strenuously deny they're LGBT+ or even make some very negative remarks when they're still figuring things out, because it can be scary.

 

Kaliyo's normal mode of operation seems to involve being very abrasive and not letting her vulnerability or feelings emerge, so I could see her finally realizing that women mean more to her than she wanted to admit.

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And i am glad about that because i enjoyed Lana from the moment i first met her! I am a convinced Lanaist and absolutely loved the chance to finaly propose, the sunset scene during 5.10 and to finaly learn how she is currently viewed among other Sith. They don't like her at all. Well played devs, well played. You might even consider it a nice little wink towards the Lana haters :D

 

Lana is life, Lana is love :p

 

(especially since she has the same voice actress as Miranda Lawson in the german game client and i absolutely adored Miranda's story arc during Mass effect)

 

I want more Lana, so much more. 24/7 Lana Beniko, just to make me happy and troll the Lana haters :cool::D

 

Selfish much? Lana is not the only companion in this game. Other people deserve to have companions they like put in the spotlight. Also, your smug potshots at 'Lana haters' just make those of us who like Space Waifu Lana usually but are getting sick of her being shoved in our faces constantly a lot less sympathetic towards the Space Waifu Lana fans' demands that she never get a kill option. Why should I worry about your favorite companion potentially being bricked when you are literally gloating about every companion but Lana being already bricked?

Edited by AscendingSky
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Selfish much? Lana is not the only companion in this game. Other people deserve to have companions they like put in the spotlight. Also, your smug potshots at 'Lana haters' just make those of us who like Space Waifu Lana usually but are getting sick of her being shoved in our faces constantly a lot less sympathetic towards the Space Waifu Lana fans' demands that she never get a kill option. Why should I worry about your favorite companion potentially being bricked when you are literally gloating about every companion but Lana being already bricked?

 

Obvious bait and you just ate some of it. The problem with the way Mcbaal went around his comment is that humor is often subjective, one persons fun is another persons intense dislike, but he did it in such a way to disrespect every other user on purpose for his amusement by calling them haters.

 

Doesn't matter what his response is, that boat has already sailed. Hater is becoming a sterotype these days for people you don't agree with and as a result it is a form of discrimination since it is taken as such.

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That's absolutely the way to go if you want people who don't hate Lana yet to end up hating her too... :rolleyes:

 

Yep. I don't hate Lana, yet. I am getting annoyed that she's already getting more romance content then Theron is though. Killing him off in some cases was NOT supposed to change Theron availability. Yet we get a short hug compared to Lana's two kisses and conversation. Meh.

Edited by Suzsi
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Devs, Please Give ALL Current Companions Prominent Roles In The 6.0 Storyline

As per my signature I am all for this. At the very least I want my character's LIs to have more prominent roles. I'd really like to be able to choose who I take on story missions rather than have some new "companion" shoved on me (I am probably one of the few people who hated both Anri and Tau & would have preferred to have my information in the recent update come from someone other than Lana). Reality dictates that it is very unlikely to happen unless the swtor gets a lot of money and staff back after Anthem is launched.

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Yep. I don't hate Lana, yet. I am getting annoyed that she's already getting more romance content then Theron is though. Killing him off in some cases was NOT supposed to change Theron availability. Yet we get a short hug compared to Lana's two kisses and conversation. Meh.

I don't hate her either, but i still think that considering my JK is with Theron and is siding with the Republic (already sided twice with the Republic on Iokath and at the end of Nathema too), there was absolutely no reason for Theron not to be included in that sunset walk scene as well.

 

It could've played out like that :

- The scene starts with your character sitting on the ground watching the sunset with their Li (doesn"t even need any animation or dialogue).

- Lana stands up (if romanced) or walks in (if romancing anyone else), has a short line like "I'm really sorry to interrupt that lovely moment, but i need to talk to you"

- The rest of the scene plays out pretty much the same, except that if Theron's still part of the Alliance and you side with the Republic you get either Theron saying that he'll contact the SIS (if romanced as he'd already be there), or Lana saying that she'll ask Theron to contact the SIS (if not romancing Theron). And if Theron's not part of the Alliance anymore, then, it's the exact same scene we have now.

 

And at the end of Ossus, a short mail from your Li saying they'd love to get another opportunity to watch the sunset with you soon.

Not too much to change and gives everyone a little bit of something with their LI.

Edited by Goreshaga
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That does not work, there are too many companions. But they could include the love relationships. If they are not in the main story, then in other little chapters. Maybe 15 minutes chapter. And a letter. I want to have Arcann in the main chapter.
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At this point I would be happy for a mail recognizing our relationship with a couple of gifts like we got in vanilla. An anniversary mail would be nice too. It shouldn't be too hard for the new ones like Lana or Theron because it would be sent within a set timeframe after finishing Nathema. We could get a reunion love mail of how happy they are to be back with us if we reunited with our former LI. Kira sent one while you are in carbonite expressing how she celebrated their anniversary alone so they have a way of determining time in those cases. Even if it's close and not exact, I would be happy about it.
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In the case of Kaliyo, I will point out that it's not uncommon for LGBT+ folks to strenuously deny they're LGBT+ or even make some very negative remarks when they're still figuring things out, because it can be scary.

It's probably best to agree to disagree on this one, although I'd say that in the conversation in question, she didn't seem remotely uncomfortable or, as you say, strenuous, in her statement. It all felt fairly natural, if (for Kaliyo) uncharacteristically open-and-honest. But that's just my opinion, based on how I interpret the character.

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Look, i was obviosly trolling. I am just tired of all the jealous Lana hate and with the way companions with kill/imprison/ban options are handled after that point the demand by some players to have a kill option for Lana is worrying me. Right now the Lana romance is de facto the only romance with continous content and i don't want that content to stop because some players are angry because their LI got bricked.

 

I totaly understand the anger and frustration. I agree that for rep side players it made no damn sense that Lana would talk to her SIS contacts instead of Theron. It would have been better if the Odessen LI sunset scene would have been for every LI instead of just for Lana (and kinda LS Jaessa).

But then to hate on Lana and demand to brick her too is absolutely selfish and with the Lana kill option thread continously staying on the top page i felt the need to troll back. Taking away from others so they suffer too is not the way to go! THAT is selfish. I'd support your demand for more scenes with your LIs anyday, anytime. But if it comes at the expense of the last remaining functioning LI during the last years my support drops to zero.

 

My rep main is a smuggler and i love, love, love the Risha romance. I'd loved her to be part of the main story and have more companion interactions with my queen in crime. But not at the expense of other LIs. Kill options for companions are absolute garbage and catering to a small group of haters (let us finaly kill the traitor Quinn blablabla) was just a baaaaaaaad idea. So bad.

 

I'll oppose every kill option, no matter if i like the character or not. Just because i hate a character doesn't mean that it should get taken away from someone else. And with the limited ressources right now this is what happens. Less companions = less voice actors = less payments for voice acting = more money for other content. It's sad, but i don't see it changing in the future.

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Look, i was obviosly trolling. I am just tired of all the jealous Lana hate and with the way companions with kill/imprison/ban options are handled after that point the demand by some players to have a kill option for Lana is worrying me. Right now the Lana romance is de facto the only romance with continous content and i don't want that content to stop because some players are angry because their LI got bricked.

 

I totaly understand the anger and frustration. I agree that for rep side players it made no damn sense that Lana would talk to her SIS contacts instead of Theron. It would have been better if the Odessen LI sunset scene would have been for every LI instead of just for Lana (and kinda LS Jaessa).

But then to hate on Lana and demand to brick her too is absolutely selfish and with the Lana kill option thread continously staying on the top page i felt the need to troll back. Taking away from others so they suffer too is not the way to go! THAT is selfish. I'd support your demand for more scenes with your LIs anyday, anytime. But if it comes at the expense of the last remaining functioning LI during the last years my support drops to zero.

 

My rep main is a smuggler and i love, love, love the Risha romance. I'd loved her to be part of the main story and have more companion interactions with my queen in crime. But not at the expense of other LIs. Kill options for companions are absolute garbage and catering to a small group of haters (let us finaly kill the traitor Quinn blablabla) was just a baaaaaaaad idea. So bad.

 

I'll oppose every kill option, no matter if i like the character or not. Just because i hate a character doesn't mean that it should get taken away from someone else. And with the limited ressources right now this is what happens. Less companions = less voice actors = less payments for voice acting = more money for other content. It's sad, but i don't see it changing in the future.

 

I agree with all of the above; I think the best we can hope for is some of the ideas that IoN suggested earlier in the thread. Taking out our frustrations about our favourite LI's unavailability on someone else's favourite LI isn't the answer. Let's work together, people!

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Look, i was obviosly trolling. I am just tired of all the jealous Lana hate and with the way companions with kill/imprison/ban options are handled after that point the demand by some players to have a kill option for Lana is worrying me. Right now the Lana romance is de facto the only romance with continous content and i don't want that content to stop because some players are angry because their LI got bricked.

 

I totaly understand the anger and frustration. I agree that for rep side players it made no damn sense that Lana would talk to her SIS contacts instead of Theron. It would have been better if the Odessen LI sunset scene would have been for every LI instead of just for Lana (and kinda LS Jaessa).

But then to hate on Lana and demand to brick her too is absolutely selfish and with the Lana kill option thread continously staying on the top page i felt the need to troll back. Taking away from others so they suffer too is not the way to go! THAT is selfish. I'd support your demand for more scenes with your LIs anyday, anytime. But if it comes at the expense of the last remaining functioning LI during the last years my support drops to zero.

 

My rep main is a smuggler and i love, love, love the Risha romance. I'd loved her to be part of the main story and have more companion interactions with my queen in crime. But not at the expense of other LIs. Kill options for companions are absolute garbage and catering to a small group of haters (let us finaly kill the traitor Quinn blablabla) was just a baaaaaaaad idea. So bad.

 

I'll oppose every kill option, no matter if i like the character or not. Just because i hate a character doesn't mean that it should get taken away from someone else. And with the limited ressources right now this is what happens. Less companions = less voice actors = less payments for voice acting = more money for other content. It's sad, but i don't see it changing in the future.

 

Very classy of you to go out of your way to insult and upset other people on a subject where emotions are already running high. I admit, I took the bait. Hope you're proud of yourself. The fact you won't even apologize for trolling and making a tense situation worse for giggles tells me everything I need to know about you.

 

What I think is selfish? Insisting that one LI companion, out of all the LI companions, deserves special treatment because reasons. I don't hate Lana--I actually like Lana--but I do hate how she's been given plot armor and 90+ percent of companion screen time and attention. I hate how that special treatment means the devs will continue to cheap out and give her more and more attention while all other companions fall by the wayside. I hate how the most vocal Space Waifu Lana fans insist anyone who isn't also in love with Lana is either a kill all the things edgelord or a homophobe. I hate how those same fans will also call the kill options on other LIs "karma" and justified, but will insist Space Waifu Lana should never receive one because they don't want one. That is selfishness.

 

I don't like kill options for LIs; I agree they were a horrible idea and I wish the devs could retcon them all out of existence and give people some proper companion interactions again. That said, if they're going to be a thing, I think it's a hell of a lot more fair for all LIs to have a kill option rather than for most LIs to have a kill option (and vanish from the story afterwards) while a lucky few dev favorites remain immortal and hog the spotlight forever.

Edited by AscendingSky
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I don't like kill options for LIs; I agree they were a horrible idea and I wish the devs could retcon them all out of existence and give people some proper companion interactions again. That said, if they're going to be a thing, I think it's a hell of a lot more fair for all LIs to have a kill option rather than for most LIs to have a kill option (and vanish from the story afterwards) while a lucky few dev favorites remain immortal and hog the spotlight forever.

 

That sounds really...spiteful. If my LI got killed, yours should be, too. Not a great argument. And that aside, the kill option has to make sense from a story standpoint. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't exist in the case of Lana, no matter how much some people dislike her. Maybe she'll betray the commander in the future, but until now she hasn't done anything other than mildly creep out a handful of people for dubious reasons, allegedly hang around too much, and give advice considered questionable. Those aren't killable offenses unless you're the darkest, wackiest Sith ever. Reasons to not want to be best friends with someone, sure, but not to pull the trigger.

 

Anyway, can we please punt the "Let's Kill Lana!" fury back over to its own thread? This thread is about giving ALL companions more screen time--a worthy goal that I'm sure you can agree with.

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