Make Followers Stop Attacking Each Other Skyrim

Making Peace in Skyrim: How to Stop Follower Fights and Keep Your Companionship Harmonious

Skyrim's immersive world allows you to recruit companions, bolstering your adventures with their unique skills and personalities. However, this camaraderie can sometimes turn sour, leading to frustrating – and sometimes deadly – follower infighting. This article will explore the common causes of follower conflicts and provide practical solutions to ensure peaceful coexistence within your adventuring party. Learn how to manage your followers and prevent those pesky, potentially game-breaking fights.

Understanding the Roots of Follower Feuds

Follower aggression in Skyrim stems from several key factors:

• Proximity and AI: The game's AI sometimes struggles with managing multiple followers in close proximity. Unintended collisions or proximity triggers can lead to misunderstandings, resulting in a sudden brawl.
• Combat Triggers: Followers, especially those with aggressive personalities, can misinterpret situations during combat. Accidental attacks on friendly NPCs or even on each other can escalate rapidly.
• Incompatible Personalities: Certain follower combinations are inherently more prone to conflict. For example, pairing two followers with aggressive combat styles might increase the likelihood of clashes.
• Bugs and Glitches: While less common, occasional bugs or glitches in the game can cause unpredictable follower behavior, including unwarranted aggression towards other companions.

Strategies to Prevent Follower Fights

Fortunately, several methods can help minimize or eliminate follower conflicts:

• Strategic Spacing: Maintaining a safe distance between your followers is crucial. Try to keep them spread out during exploration and combat. This reduces the chances of accidental collisions and triggers. Consider using shouts or spells to control enemy positioning, ensuring your followers don't become clustered in a chaotic melee.
• Careful Companion Selection: Choose followers whose personalities and fighting styles are complementary rather than conflicting. A balanced team is less likely to engage in internal disputes. Avoid pairing highly aggressive followers together. Consider a mix of ranged and melee fighters to distribute combat pressure.
• Commanding Followers: Use commands strategically. Sending a follower to wait at a safe distance can prevent them from getting involved in unintended conflicts. This is particularly useful during negotiations or tense situations.
• Managing Combat Encounters: During combat, prioritize controlling the battlefield. Use shouts, spells, or your own combat skills to draw enemy attention away from your followers. This reduces the chances of them accidentally attacking each other.
• Avoiding Overcrowding: Some locations, especially crowded cities or dungeons, can exacerbate follower problems. Try to avoid bringing a large group of followers into these areas, limiting your party to a smaller, more manageable number.
• Reload Saves: If a follower fight does erupt, consider reloading a previous save. This can prevent a potential cascade of errors or unintended deaths within your party.

Advanced Techniques and Troubleshooting

For persistent problems, consider these advanced strategies:

• Unofficial Skyrim Patch (USKP): This community-created mod addresses numerous bugs and glitches, including some that contribute to follower aggression. It's a widely recommended mod for improving game stability and reducing unexpected behaviors. (Note: This requires modding your Skyrim game.)
• Follower Mods: Some mods offer enhanced AI or improved follower management. These mods can provide a more refined and stable experience, reducing the frequency of follower conflicts. (Note: This requires modding your Skyrim game.)
• Experimentation: Try different combinations of followers and strategies to find what works best for your play style. Observing your companions' reactions can help you learn to anticipate potential conflicts.

By understanding the underlying causes of follower conflicts and employing these preventative measures, you can enjoy a more harmonious and productive adventuring experience in Skyrim. Keep your companions loyal, prevent unnecessary battles, and maintain your dream team for the ultimate Skyrim experience.