Is there any reason to hire companions with skills that you can't designate a role for?

[Rallehop]

For example, if i hire a companion with Tactics skill, or Roguery. Can my party draw use of these skills in some way if my character doesn't have it specced?

[GIJoe597]

If the stat for the category is high enough you can assign them the role and they will gain experience in it. Problem is too many companions are generic and have terrible stats. For example a surgeon should have high Intelligence, and low in rest. But I commonly see them with a 2 or 3 in Int.

[Malecar]

The only way I can find use of those kinds companions in the current build is sending them to do certain missions more efficiently. Leveling skills like roguery and tactics is a pain in the ass even for the player, so the AI absolutely will not be able to do it. Tactics is very useful for AI party leaders including your caravaneers, but it's just not something that levels at all.

[RJboxer]

every wanderer in the game is garbage. ALL OF THEM. Not one has a decent attribute in the categories that matter.

It was worse before.. they'd have WRONG perks. (the majority of all their perks.. were the wrong ones ).. and u couldnt respec.

I'd avoid wanderers.. I make 1.. To finish the Sibling quest.
Then as I am leveling Engineering on my sister,, and maybe a brothers wife. I will randomly pick up a wanderer to stick in a town i acquire.. based on culture.

but as soon as possible. I dump them all. And if I am too lazy to do that. They go on Caravans.. or are parked in a town (LeaveSomeoneHere). and just get charm, and fight in tournys.. But have no daily wages.

TLDR: wanderers are garbage. Use your family members. Even then, you will see the perk system is pretty bad, with the way things are set up. You can't really make anyone great.. least of all your Main Character.

[Urmel]

companions are fine. they are not perfect with min/max skills but can do the job.
some meele companion have 200 fighting skills.

aserai wanderer is the best companion in the game. (for party leader)
she have 100 tactic and 100 scouting + other good skills.

2nd best is "falcon" he have no scouting but lvl it fast when he leads a party.
and "tracker" have nearly ALL skills between 100 and 200.

[lar unuruur]

companions are the best asset for player in the game, besides family members, of course.
problem with children is that when they finally are grown ups, campaign is over 9 times out of 10. that leaves player with siblings if it is story campaign. siblings are far superior than companions, no doubt, but comanions, properly leveled are great, best assed besides family as said before.
having one of each culture with leveled bow and athletics(which is easy to do on anyone) and player can have great loyalty governors at hand at any time to stabilize fief to keep or give away to kingdom later.

rougery will level up when companion led party is raiding. player can lead army what is raiding and companion may be in the party attached to player`s army. rougery will level up. tactic will level up while companion is leading party too. but very slowly. good skill, but very hard to level up.