Starfield: Now with Competent Companions
By KujKuj
Required mods
Install these creations before using this mod on Bethesda.net.
Requires DLC: Terran Armada
Community Rating
[UNITED COLONIES SYSDEF DIRECTIVE // TACTICAL CREW REASSESSMENT] “For too long, captains have relied on crew members who act like glorified pack mules with a death wish. No flanking. No cover. Useless skill sets. That ends today. Competent Companions V2.0 is a complete, ground-up rewrite of squad AI and crew logistics. Choose your squad. Issue your orders. Dominate the Settled Systems.”
What is Version 2.0? Welcome to the complete overhaul. Version 1.0 made them stronger; Version 2.0 makes them smarter. We have completely rewritten the combat AI (CSTY records) using a custom Relative Weighting system to ensure your companions actually do their jobs. Furthermore, every single named crew member has been rebalanced with a strict, lore-friendly perk tier system. No useless player perks. No duplicate Master skills. Every choice matters.
🔥 CORE FEATURE 1: Tactical AI Combat Styles We didn't just tweak numbers; we rebuilt the AI decision trees. Companions are now assigned one of four distinct combat roles:
The Operator (Sarah, Sam, Simeon, etc.): Long-range specialists. They will actively seek hard cover, maintain suppressive fire, and fall back if enemies rush their position.
The Infiltrator (Andreja, Amelia, Tane): Mobile and lethal. They prioritize crouching, wide flanking maneuvers, and sideswipe charges to hit enemies from their blind spots.
The Tank (Vasco, Heller, Lin): The juggernauts. They completely ignore cover, sprint directly at the heaviest fire, and draw enemy aggro so you can breathe.
The Medic (Rosie, Autumn, Mickey): True support AI. They stick to you like glue, avoid engaging in firefights unless necessary, and prioritize keeping themselves (and you) alive.
🔥 CORE FEATURE 2: The "No Overlap" Perk Guarantee Tired of every companion feeling exactly the same? We audited every named NPC in the game and rebuilt their stats using actual, functioning Crew_Skills. No two companions in this mod share the same 4-Star Master skill. If you need maximum cargo space, you must hire Erick Von Price. If you want a flawless mining outpost, you need Heller.
The Constellation Core (4/3/3/2 Tier System) The main cast retains their status as the best in the galaxy, uniquely balanced for hybrid combat and ship support:
Sarah (Operator): 4-Star Astrodynamics, 3-Star Lasers / Leadership.
Sam (Operator): 4-Star Piloting, 3-Star Rifle Cert / Payloads.
Andreja (Infiltrator): 4-Star Stealth, 3-Star Particle Beams / Theft.
Barrett (Operator): 4-Star Starship Engineering, 3-Star Particle Beams / Gastronomy.
The Vasco Anomaly (Unstoppable Tank) Vasco is no longer a liability. He has been injected with a custom stack of hidden engine-level perks (Rank 4 Wellness, Pain Tolerance, Energy Dissipation, and Stability). He will not stagger. He will not stop. He will charge.
The Specialists & Legends (4/3/1 Tier System) Over 15+ named elite hirelings (Lin, Hadrian, Amelia, Marika, etc.) have been completely overhauled into hyper-focused professionals. One 4-Star Master skill, one 3-Star Professional skill, and one 1-Star Basic skill.
⚙️ Technical & Installation Notes Load Order Positioning: SysDef recommends placing this in Block 6 (Factions & NPC Overhauls) of your load order. However, because this mod completely rewrites core AI and NPC records, dropping it into the Final Authority block (at the very bottom of your load order) is highly recommended. It must win all conflicts against unauthorized third-party modifications for these behavioral overrides to take effect.
Clean Save Recommended: Because V2.0 completely rewrites NPC perk structures and AI logic, installing this on a brand-new playthrough (or immediately after jumping through the Unity into a new NG+) is highly recommended for all scripts to fire perfectly.
Feedback: I am actively refining this mod and value user input. If you encounter issues or have suggestions for specific companion perks, please reach out.
Discord: @kujo357
Release notes
Xbox
-
2.03[UC SECURITY NOTICE // THE VIEWPORT INCIDENT] “Per order of the United Colonies MAST Security Division: Recent reports of severe civil unrest, unprovoked brawls, and aggressive tactical posturing by off-duty crew candidates inside The Viewport have been officially quelled. Drunken and disorderly conduct, unauthorized weapon draws, and public safety threats will absolutely not be tolerated under UC law. Order has been restored to the spaceport district.” ### Fixes & Behavioral Adjustments * Fixed [The Viewport Bar Brawl Bug]: Resolved a major conflict where potential crew members would instantly turn hostile and initiate a massive firefight against the player and local security forces upon loading into New Atlantis on a fresh game save.
Adjusted: Reverted the baseline baseline aggression levels for all unhired companions back to their original vanilla game defaults. While they retain their high confidence and protective combat assistance loops once officially signed to your crew, they will now remain perfectly peaceful civilian patrons until you actually hire them. -
1.00Core AI & Aggression Overhaul
Adjusted [Companion Instincts]: Modified the base AI personality and confidence data for all primary companions to ensure an immediate, lethal threat response.
Result: Companions will no longer stand idle or wait to be struck first. The absolute second combat initiates, your squad will instantly defend the player and actively hunt down enemy targets with zero hesitation.
Generic Crew "Survival" Protocol
New Feature: Implemented a completely custom, defense-oriented combat style strictly for basic, hireable ship and outpost specialists.
Result: Generic crew members will now prioritize their own lives during ship boarding events or outpost raids. They will actively seek heavy cover, retreat from close-quarters attackers, and provide defensive fire. This drastically reduces crew casualties and the need to constantly rehire them.
Perk Audits & Roster Maintenance
Fixed [Double Perks]: Conducted a deep-engine audit to remove leftover vanilla perks that were duplicating and improperly stacking on top of our custom loadouts.
Adjusted: Vasco, Lin, and Heller have had their specific Tank, Outpost, and Ship-operation perk lists scrubbed and verified. The game engine will now perfectly read their intended skills without conflict. Vasco's hidden survivability traits (like stagger-resistance) have also been firmly secured.
Taren Armada DLC Integration
New Roster Addition: Successfully integrated the tactical robot companion "Delta" into the custom framework.
Adjusted: Delta's factory firmware has been completely rewritten. He now utilizes the aggressive "Operator" combat profile to push from cover to cover, supported by a fully customized tactical infantry perk loadout focused on rifle mastery, precision targeting, and heavy explosives. -
2.02fixes to perks
-
2.02Logic Fixes
**Fixed [Interior Freezing]:** Resolved the "Analysis Paralysis" bug where companions would lock up or strut in place within cramped interior cells (e.g., Nova Galactic Staryard).
**Adjusted:** Significantly lowered extreme spatial parameters across Operator, Infiltrator, and Tank CSTY records. Cover Search Distance, Flanking Distance, and Charging - Disengage thresholds have been reduced.
**Result:** The AI engine no longer freezes while searching for "perfect" cover or flanking angles multiple rooms away. Companions will now utilize immediate, localized cover or transition directly into functional, forward-advancing combat loops if the interior navmesh is heavily restricted.
Known Issues
Rosie Tannehill Vendor Status: Rosie has been reconfigured to act as a mobile field doctor. However, the dialogue trigger and background script implementation linking to her vendor chest are currently unstable and not functioning as intended. This is actively being diagnosed for a hotfix. -
1.00== Describe this release ==
-
2.01aSystem & AI Adjustments
Added: Four new custom Combat Style (CSTY) records implemented into the master plugin.
Modified: Engine-level Relative Weighting for NPC AI parameters capped at 1.000000 to prevent logic processing errors.
Adjusted: CSGD - General, CSCR - Close Range, CSLR - Long Range, and CSCV - Cover Search multipliers adjusted across the four new CSTY records to enforce strict behavioral roles (Operator, Infiltrator, Tank, Medic).
Modified: All associated NPC_ (Actor) records updated. The ZNAM - Combat Style field now correctly points to the newly established CSTY Editor IDs.
Perk & Stat Overhauls
Removed: All invalid, player-only perks (e.g., Security) stripped from PRKZ - Perks arrays on all NPC records.
Modified: Enforced a mathematically unique Rank 4 (Master) perk assignment across all 20+ named companions. Zero overlap exists for Rank 4 Crew_Skills.
Adjusted: Constellation core companions (Sarah, Sam, Andreja, Barrett) rescaled to a 4/3/3/2 Perk Rank distribution format.
Adjusted: Elite Bar Hirelings and Quest-Specific Companions (Lin, Heller, Marika, etc.) rescaled to a 4/3/1 Perk Rank distribution format.
Modified [Vasco - 000057DD]: Injected engine-level hidden perks into the PRKZ list to force survivability scaling. Added Rank 4 Wellness, Rank 4 PainTolerance, Rank 4 EnergyWeaponDissipation, and Rank 3 Stability.
NPC Role Designations
Assigned to Operator AI: Sarah Morgan, Sam Coe, Barrett, Marika Boros, Simeon Bankowski, Gideon Aker, Erick Von Price.
Assigned to Infiltrator AI: Andreja, Jessamine Griffin, Dani Garcia, Lyle Brewer, Sophia Grace, Amelia Earhart, Tane Salas. (Note: Sophia Grace's Rank 4 perk changed to Lasers to resolve overlap with Andreja).
Assigned to Tank AI: Vasco, Lin, Heller, Moara Otero, Hadrian Sanon, Ezekiel.
Assigned to Medic AI: Rosie Tannehill, Autumn MacMillan, Mickey Caviar. -
2.01Small Fixes
-
1.00Public Release
Crew Adjustments
Generic Crew:
*All generic crew members now have a 3-star rating to better reflect their status as specialists.
Elite Crew:
*Adjusted perks for all elite crew members to be more thematic and impactful.
*Vasco: Significantly enhanced perks to reflect his robotic nature and programming, making him a highly effective ship companion and ground support unit.
World Adjustments
Enemies:
*Implemented changes similar to "Royal Enemies," resulting in a wider variety of enemy strengths and types.
*Enemies are no longer capped at a certain level, making high-level systems more challenging.
Planets:
*Creature levels are now uncapped.
*High-level planets will now offer greater challenges and rewards, providing a more "unleveled" and dynamic exploration experience.
PC
-
2.03[UC SECURITY NOTICE // THE VIEWPORT INCIDENT] “Per order of the United Colonies MAST Security Division: Recent reports of severe civil unrest, unprovoked brawls, and aggressive tactical posturing by off-duty crew candidates inside The Viewport have been officially quelled. Drunken and disorderly conduct, unauthorized weapon draws, and public safety threats will absolutely not be tolerated under UC law. Order has been restored to the spaceport district.” ### Fixes & Behavioral Adjustments * Fixed [The Viewport Bar Brawl Bug]: Resolved a major conflict where potential crew members would instantly turn hostile and initiate a massive firefight against the player and local security forces upon loading into New Atlantis on a fresh game save.
Adjusted: Reverted the baseline baseline aggression levels for all unhired companions back to their original vanilla game defaults. While they retain their high confidence and protective combat assistance loops once officially signed to your crew, they will now remain perfectly peaceful civilian patrons until you actually hire them. -
1.00Core AI & Aggression Overhaul
Adjusted [Companion Instincts]: Modified the base AI personality and confidence data for all primary companions to ensure an immediate, lethal threat response.
Result: Companions will no longer stand idle or wait to be struck first. The absolute second combat initiates, your squad will instantly defend the player and actively hunt down enemy targets with zero hesitation.
Generic Crew "Survival" Protocol
New Feature: Implemented a completely custom, defense-oriented combat style strictly for basic, hireable ship and outpost specialists.
Result: Generic crew members will now prioritize their own lives during ship boarding events or outpost raids. They will actively seek heavy cover, retreat from close-quarters attackers, and provide defensive fire. This drastically reduces crew casualties and the need to constantly rehire them.
Perk Audits & Roster Maintenance
Fixed [Double Perks]: Conducted a deep-engine audit to remove leftover vanilla perks that were duplicating and improperly stacking on top of our custom loadouts.
Adjusted: Vasco, Lin, and Heller have had their specific Tank, Outpost, and Ship-operation perk lists scrubbed and verified. The game engine will now perfectly read their intended skills without conflict. Vasco's hidden survivability traits (like stagger-resistance) have also been firmly secured.
Taren Armada DLC Integration
New Roster Addition: Successfully integrated the tactical robot companion "Delta" into the custom framework.
Adjusted: Delta's factory firmware has been completely rewritten. He now utilizes the aggressive "Operator" combat profile to push from cover to cover, supported by a fully customized tactical infantry perk loadout focused on rifle mastery, precision targeting, and heavy explosives. -
2.02fixes to perks
-
2.02Logic Fixes
**Fixed [Interior Freezing]:** Resolved the "Analysis Paralysis" bug where companions would lock up or strut in place within cramped interior cells (e.g., Nova Galactic Staryard).
**Adjusted:** Significantly lowered extreme spatial parameters across Operator, Infiltrator, and Tank CSTY records. Cover Search Distance, Flanking Distance, and Charging - Disengage thresholds have been reduced.
**Result:** The AI engine no longer freezes while searching for "perfect" cover or flanking angles multiple rooms away. Companions will now utilize immediate, localized cover or transition directly into functional, forward-advancing combat loops if the interior navmesh is heavily restricted.
Known Issues
Rosie Tannehill Vendor Status: Rosie has been reconfigured to act as a mobile field doctor. However, the dialogue trigger and background script implementation linking to her vendor chest are currently unstable and not functioning as intended. This is actively being diagnosed for a hotfix. -
1.00== Describe this release ==
-
2.01aSystem & AI Adjustments
Added: Four new custom Combat Style (CSTY) records implemented into the master plugin.
Modified: Engine-level Relative Weighting for NPC AI parameters capped at 1.000000 to prevent logic processing errors.
Adjusted: CSGD - General, CSCR - Close Range, CSLR - Long Range, and CSCV - Cover Search multipliers adjusted across the four new CSTY records to enforce strict behavioral roles (Operator, Infiltrator, Tank, Medic).
Modified: All associated NPC_ (Actor) records updated. The ZNAM - Combat Style field now correctly points to the newly established CSTY Editor IDs.
Perk & Stat Overhauls
Removed: All invalid, player-only perks (e.g., Security) stripped from PRKZ - Perks arrays on all NPC records.
Modified: Enforced a mathematically unique Rank 4 (Master) perk assignment across all 20+ named companions. Zero overlap exists for Rank 4 Crew_Skills.
Adjusted: Constellation core companions (Sarah, Sam, Andreja, Barrett) rescaled to a 4/3/3/2 Perk Rank distribution format.
Adjusted: Elite Bar Hirelings and Quest-Specific Companions (Lin, Heller, Marika, etc.) rescaled to a 4/3/1 Perk Rank distribution format.
Modified [Vasco - 000057DD]: Injected engine-level hidden perks into the PRKZ list to force survivability scaling. Added Rank 4 Wellness, Rank 4 PainTolerance, Rank 4 EnergyWeaponDissipation, and Rank 3 Stability.
NPC Role Designations
Assigned to Operator AI: Sarah Morgan, Sam Coe, Barrett, Marika Boros, Simeon Bankowski, Gideon Aker, Erick Von Price.
Assigned to Infiltrator AI: Andreja, Jessamine Griffin, Dani Garcia, Lyle Brewer, Sophia Grace, Amelia Earhart, Tane Salas. (Note: Sophia Grace's Rank 4 perk changed to Lasers to resolve overlap with Andreja).
Assigned to Tank AI: Vasco, Lin, Heller, Moara Otero, Hadrian Sanon, Ezekiel.
Assigned to Medic AI: Rosie Tannehill, Autumn MacMillan, Mickey Caviar. -
2.01Small Fixes
-
1.00Public Release
Crew Adjustments
Generic Crew:
*All generic crew members now have a 3-star rating to better reflect their status as specialists.
Elite Crew:
*Adjusted perks for all elite crew members to be more thematic and impactful.
*Vasco: Significantly enhanced perks to reflect his robotic nature and programming, making him a highly effective ship companion and ground support unit.
World Adjustments
Enemies:
*Implemented changes similar to "Royal Enemies," resulting in a wider variety of enemy strengths and types.
*Enemies are no longer capped at a certain level, making high-level systems more challenging.
Planets:
*Creature levels are now uncapped.
*High-level planets will now offer greater challenges and rewards, providing a more "unleveled" and dynamic exploration experience.
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Mod Information
- Published
- Aug 07, 2025
- Last Updated
- May 18, 2026
- Platforms
- PC, Xbox
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