I remember one of the stranger criticisms that I sometimes heard about The Old Republic immediately after its launch: "My companion keeps getting in the way of me clicking on things!" As a newly rolled trooper, I couldn't relate to this at all. Aric was a fairly meek follower who never got in my way, ever. In fact I frequently had to double-check that he hadn't got left behind on an elevator somewhere.
I love this screenshot of me and my boyfriend casting mortar volley in sync, while both of our Arics... just stand there and look at their toes. Good job, boys. Seriously though, Aric is quite handy. I found his dps very helpful while levelling up as a healer.
However, to go back to the comment about companions getting in the way, I later found out that 99.9% of those complainers had started out rolling Sith inquisitors. Their first companion is Khem Val, a huge monster. And if your companion is really big, it can become an issue occasionally, as I eventually found out when I got M1-4X.
"Do you mind? I was trying to talk to that barkeep."
Nonetheless, 4X has pretty much become my favourite companion since I hit max level. (My boyfriend initially shortened his name to M1, but I kept complaining that he's not a motorway.) Once I started doing dailies on my own, I became really annoyed with Aric's inability to hold aggro, and 4X became my new best friend. You just have to get into a bit of a rhythm while playing with him, as he needs to be in melee range to tank effectively but is usually quite happy to just shoot things from afar whenever his harpoon is on cooldown, so you have to provide him with some direction.
Personality-wise, he's also by far the funniest companion that I've encountered in the game so far. Simply put, he's a Republic zealot, and everything he says and does is so hilariously over the top, you can't help but laugh. Some of the personal conversations we had had me in stitches. And if you click on him one too many times, he might just say: "You needn't worry, sir, my armoured chassis is impenetrable to your touch, no matter how repetitive!" Don't ever change, my crazy killer droid.
Yeah 4X is fantasticly over the top, I've been playing a darkside trooper tank latley and to while trying to avoid the minus rep on my goody-two-shoes companions (Elara) I always have 4X out when I'm being particualry nasty to Imps, he loves it. *shoots another imperial in the face during a cutscene* "4X +40 affaction followed by "such is the fate of all enimies of the republic!" Long live 4X.
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