WARNING! Use the "GIVE" with EXTREME care!

[MidrikBrandy81]

Heres what I'm aware of. I played Farin all the way through the end without switching.
The next playthrough from the start of the game, I played the Elf Loremaster.
What I found in her inventory was all items "found" but "not equipped" by Farin. But, if I go back to Farin during this new game, I also found he still has his best equipment on from the end of the last game. "If I switch to him"
That said, items that arent equipped "should" show up at least when you start a new game. I can't say otherwise because at first I only played Farin. As far as given items, everything that I gave to the other characters didnt show up in there inventory the next playthrough. So, my best guess is the AI characters will only still have it if they choose to equip it. Otherwise it will be lost. I also found if you don't give the AI players anything they will upgrade with the best that they can find, at certain times during the game. I did fine all the way through the game, barely giving anything to the AI characters.

Here is something cool I found out though. One of my Gold epic weapons from Farin that he didn't have equipped I was able to give to the AI version. Since it is a much better weapon, it was an instant equip, the AI Farin still wields. For now, if I "play" Farin he also shows all the weapons I used from the last game. That said I could uniquip armour and weapons switch to another character, and then give them back to the AI version of Farin. It's still possible I think though, that I could loose items, if I give the AI Farin items lower than what he has/has equiped. It could just be that my playable version of Farin still has the sword I gave the AI, because he chose to wield it right away, and then I switched back to him right away afterwards, while he still had it equipped.

Did I confuse you yet?.... I hope not Give it a try. Any questions and Ill try to explain myself better.

Alltogether, I think what it is is that the AI and playable version of characters equip differently, but this is sort of a loop hole for getting favorite items equiped onto your AI, while not taking them from your playable character. Just make sure to switch back as soon as they equip, and the game might even have to SAVE first. So dont quit until you see that rotating loading ring at the bottom. Still not 100% sure on how all this worked out. But, it seems to have worked so far.

So, just be careful what and how you sell/give, if its something you prefer to use on another character.

*My only wonder is that I couldn't give 2 of 4 shields to Farin that he previous found, and equipped at times (and they were the cheaper ones. It seemed odd, but I think something may have happened to his stats at the start of the new game to cause this.Or it could just be that the AI turns down lower items if they have something better.

[sacrilege83]

Yes I was confused about this as well when I gave equipment to an A.I. character and then when I switched over he doesn't have his own separate inventory with nothing that I gave him.

So basically you have your OWN inventory (Team inventory, not individual characters) for all three characters when you play them, and then each A.I. character has it's own inventory that you can't access when you switch characters. So what I'm going to do is keep all the best loot for every single character in my inventory and give away all the equiment that I don't use that will only upgrade my A.I. companions. If it doesn't upgrade them, then it's a waste.

I read a post before of someone saying of not liking the whole tell of upgrades or downgrades when giving an item in multiplay because it prevents co-operating and only promotes hoarding. I say why not? I like this tell system of if what I'm giving is going to improve my partners character or he's just going to keep the loot for himself to sell because it's useless for him to equip.

[MidrikBrandy81]

Yes I was confused about this as well when I gave equipment to an A.I. character and then when I switched over he doesn't have his own separate inventory with nothing that I gave him.

Yeah that's basically what I found out, but if you read my post you might find a loophole, unless you already figured that part out.

[MidrikBrandy81]

Actually, I may have proven myself wrong here. No sooner than I loaded up Farin again later this afternoon. All his unequipped items went missing. Fortunately on the plus side, Farin still wields and wears the armour and weapon he last held. I don't think that's too bad, considering that the AI doesn't seem to downgrade.

[yllbardh]

One thing for sure is that giving weeapon to an NPC is a waste off a gear 'cause emmidiatly when you loot a chest they'll switch to some crapy weapon/armour.... so when this is said equiping/giving your best gear to an AI controlled character is a foolish thing to do,

[Passive Chicken]

First and foremost, welcome, good yllbardh, to the War in the North forums! Remember that your NPC companions have their own inventory just like you do, and they equip themselves with the best of what they have at their disposal. If you give them a weapon better than that which they have (when it offers for you to give the character something, I believe it is a bright white if it is better than that which they are currently using) they will equip it. When you open a chest and loot it, both of your NPCs get their own loot from that chest. If they find something better then what they are using, they will equip it. Personally, I enjoy giving gear to my NPC buddies, but I almost keep the good stuff for myself Don't tell Andriel and Eradan.

[yllbardh]

Thank you Passive chicken for the welcome
So far I have seen this game is mainly designed for multiplayer option so giving a good gear to an NPC is not the smartest thing to do (as you also mentioned). So it's up to one self if you want to do that or not.

[Redcarpet]

Give your companions your second best weapon, one you won't use but is just under your's damage/armour rating, etc. I do that.

[Jorob]

Got the ps3 game here in the States yesterday, been playing solo--mostly as Farin. At one point I had two very good 1-handed swords--one with a stat boost and the other just plain good--and I switched over to Eradan at the first available store "return to Bree" option. Then I selected Eradan from my choice screen and once loaded, equipped both the weapons in his hands. I then popped back over to Farin and continued on through the rest of Chapter One.
That was yesterday. After reading this thread I stopped what I was doing at Sarn Ford (just patching up before heading over onto the Barrow-Downs at the start of chapter Two) I changed over to Eradan. Not only was he still carrying my two precious swords, the guy had changed hands to carry the better damager in his right (moving the stat boost) to his left.
Lovely A.I., imho. for thinking like that.

[renzn]

I don't play games a lot, so the forum abbreviations and jargon are a bit foreign to me. I'll make this a simple question and I'm seeking a kind, honest answer please.

I only play this game offline on a PS3. I use Eradan as my primary mission character. Once a mission is complete, I switch players and go back through a mission as Andriel to gather items for potions and Farin to gather hidden treasure. All horded items other than weapons and armor stay in one general cache, which is what I assumed, so that I can access the potions and treasure once I switch back to Eradan. Prior to moving onto the next mission, I resume the role as Eradan and purchase armor and weapons and GIVE them to the elf and dwarf building up the support characters equally to Eradan or greater knowing that I have control of him and realize what he’s utilizing is adequate for the Hero level I’m on. I just spent a ton of money on both characters, began a level and then stopped at a location within a mission and realized Andriel was using a different staff, didn’t have the sword I gave to her with two slotted stones, and was no longer wearing a helmet, but had a hood on. Farin’s armor looked right, but had changed his super tough, very expensive two-handed mace to a small single handed hammer.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I have to build up all three characters in their own missions and I’m basically ok with that, but here comes the question.
If I’m playing on my primary mission as Eradan, do the supportive characters utilize what I give to them? I see them change in front of me that they have it, but inevitably during a stage or when I change characters, they randomly change what I’ve given to them.
Should I GIVE to the support characters or should I hoard the weapons and treasure to better the primary character?