The Starfield developers have revealed a few more details about the companions that can join you in-game, including the fact that there are over 20 named characters for you to recruit among the possible Starfield companions.
"There are over 20 named characters who can join your Starfield crew," lead quest designer Will Shen said in a recent Q&A on the official Bethesda Game Studios Discord. Shen added that "four of them are from Constellation and have the most story and interaction with the player, but all of the named characters have their own backgrounds and can follow you around (and carry your stuff)."
Bethesda boss Todd Howard previously noted that Starfield will have four main romance options, and it seems very likely those are the same as the four Constellation members with expanded backstories noted here.
Regardless of whether we're talking about the romanceable options, Starfield companions will each start with a certain "set of skills at specific ranks," Shen explained in today's Q&A. Lead designer Emil Pagliarulo added that these characters "don't level up," but their skills will help define their stories and offer you some notable gameplay bonuses.
"Some are there for flavor, to highlight the companions’ backgrounds and interests. But you’ll really feel the benefit of the ship- and combat-related ones. Getting a boost to your shields, or seeing your companion laying down fire with a weapon they’re proficient in, are pretty sweet moments."
Companions are distinct from the Starfield crew members you use to staff your Starfield ships and Starfield outposts, though it seems there's some crossover in that you can still assign named characters to your crew. Either way, don't worry too much about how you're going to pay your crew's salaries. "You just pay them once," Pagliarulo explained. "We actually experimented with paying them regular salaries, but ultimately decided to just have the one cost up front."
Starfield won't officially let you do a pacifist playthrough, but it does offer a lot of non-lethal options.
