How do I use my companions abilities?

[Phill]

For example, I've been putting technology points into Hexogen. He has over 200 in the technology ability. I have 30. I need to pass a check, but I'm the only one who can do it.

How can I make Hex do it? Like how I can make someone else pick a lock. Is there no way to do it? Otherwise, why can we give them these points?

[Pronóxius de Macaé]

If you're required the skill to pass a dialogue check, only your skill counts, if it's something like opening a box, you can hold a button(mouse2 i think) and it opens a little wheel on your companion, and you can tell him to do something for you

[Phill]

Nah, doesn't work.

For example - the lantern in the docks that either needs two batteries or a high skill to bypass. Can't use my companion's ability there.

On the ship you need to scuttle - opening the cell doors. Couldn't use my companion's lockpicking there. That one seemed odd as you typically can lockpick with a companion.

It's pretty inconsistent and frustrating. A lot of the time it seems pointless to upgrade some of their abilities. It happened a lot in the first game too which I had played through all of last week.

[Phill]

Case in point, lockpicking the door of this car:

https://i.imgur.com/aYtA6qw.jpeg

Hexogen has a lockpicking level of 252, as illustrated here:

https://i.imgur.com/5WcGaw5.jpeg

I have a level of 35 on my main character. The lockpick fails. Now some people might figure the stat of the highest level lockpicker is used, but it isn't.

To test this I made myself level up enough in the console and gave my character a 100 skill in lockpicking. Success:

https://i.imgur.com/nwKZHu2.jpeg

It worked at lockpicking level 100 on my main character, yet Hex had a lockpicking level of 252 and I couldn't use him.

So again... why can't you use another character who has a higher skill? This is a basic CRPG mechanic that is only sometimes present in this game. It makes no sense.

[longspace82]

Companion system in this game is really bad compared to other CRPGS, not controllable and can't share skills.

[Phill]

It's really bonkers. I don't understand why this isn't a bigger complaint. You can put points into companions for literally no usable reason. Those abilities should be removed from companions if they can't be utilised when you need them.