Originally Posted by Wormerine
Originally Posted by RagnarokCzD
Originally Posted by Wormerine
Companions take a lot of resources and there are a lot of classes and races to cover.
I dont think this is true ...

Implementing class? > Done, its playable class.
Implementing model? > Done, that character allready exists.
Recording voice lines? > Yes, this one will be needed ... BUT! (and this is important) The actor A, who would voice character A, would most likely cost simmilar (if not the same) amount of money as Actor B, who would voice character B.
Comeon Rag. Do you really think that all resources companions take is: class, model, and recorded voicelines, that somehow written and implemented themselves. Unless you suggest that Minsc/Jaheira won't be companions per say, but sidekicks like in PoE2 - so characters with no content past initial recruitment. That would make more "companions" more viable, but we have seen no evidence for that.

Yes, we don't know definite amount of companions but what we know:

Companions in EA:
1) Shadowheart - Priest
2) Wyll - Warlock
3) Gale - Wizard
4) Lae'Zel - Fighter
5) Astarion - Rogue

Datamined:
6) Karlah - paladin/barbarian?
7) Helia - bard?
8) Minsc - ranger?

And now confirmed, assuming that translation is correct (I am still sceptical, for a variety of reasons)
8) Minsc again - ranger?
9) Jaheira (also datamined BTW, but with no connection to being a companion) - druid?

I agree with this list and I am going to say that I do think we will end up with twelve companions IF Larian adds non-origin companions. If they stick to just origin ones - I doubt we get twelve. I am thinking seven or eight... the ones we have seen/obviously been datamined and then maybe one more added on top (Helia coming back).

Also, I think saying that class + model + voice = companion. I think a ton more goes into it than that. The need to design quests around said character, give them purpose in the story, have every companion be able to interact/banter with them, give them a purpose in camp, potentially write a romance for them, consider potential branching paths that they open up, etc.

Then on top of that you have to make them interesting because if some companions become insanely important and have massive narratives, then the ones who do not have huge narratives/importance will be complained about - this happened with D:OS2, so it is a thing.