Project Eternity Update Tackles Companion Design

No matter how important a protagonist’s role is in saving the world (or whatever rock he or she is stuck on), not all jobs should be tackled alone. Even the grandest of heroes needs a good, strong companion to count on, and that's exactly Obsidian’s thought when it comes to Project Eternity. The Kickstarter success story, which includes tactical, progression-based gameplay, will allow players to enlist a handful of unique companions during their quest, and a new update on the game’s official page details just what that exactly means.

Designer Chris Avellone has plenty to say about companions this week, starting with the fact that Eternity supports eight pre-made companions and eight hired adventurers, with five being able to join your party at any time. All of these battlers will have a small narrative arc to experience, and thankfully, each personality will be introduced pretty early in your journey.

“We want to allow you to encounter all companions before the mid-point of the story,” Avellone said in the update. “One issue we’ve found with introducing companions too late is that it doesn’t give players enough time to bond with them, and/or the player may have already formed a strong attachment to their other allies so much so there’s no physical or emotional room for more party members in their lives.”

When designing the companions, the team considered race, class, and their actual role in the conflict mechanics of the game. Not only does this companion need to be effective in combat, but the class should also have an impact on his or her personality. These characters will continue to grow with the world, though, so don’t expect attitudes and mechanics to keep steady throughout the adventure.

If you’re interested in hearing even more from Avellone, check out the full interview we conducted with him earlier this month. Other than that, look forward to Eternity’s launch in the middle of 2014.