Here's a discussion topic...what does everyone think of the fact that the NPCs pretty much refuse to travel with you about half of the way through the game? I was bummed out when Myles and Vi suddenly started running away whenever I came to new (and critical) areas, after spending so much time levelling them up.
On one hand, it kind of makes sense that a group of people destined to become gods (?haven't finished the game yet) wouldn't want any hangers-on. And they do only start to become fussy once your party is powerful enough to stand on its own.
On the other hand, why bother creating such neat little side characters if they're only going to leave?

Death to Private Sparkle and Urq the Jerk!

i don't use'm at all. My newest start is 4 chars, travelling light gets more xp, but too light is much more work. Read their minds, pp'm, kill'm, if your challenge isn't speed, they don't help at all. If you're going for faster games, they might come in handy, but only until you catch up. (spoiler?) The droid will follow you everywhere, zatoichi makes it worth having.

Uh, who's Urq???

All NPC's have one or more areas they refuse to enter. However, you can always pick them up again when you're done with that location.

Vi may not want to go to the water areas, but she will go with you everywhere else, including the Cosmic Circle. RFS-81 will stay with you everywhere except the Rapax Away Camp. Those are just a couple of examples.

Urq is a Mook psionic; you can find him on the second level of Mook compound in Arnika. He really isn't worth taking, though.

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