Would you read a guide to Dragon Age: Origins companions?

I don't really see the need. Personally I know Origins and its companions' relative strengths and build options like the back of my own hand by now, and during those playthroughs where I've felt compelled to look up advice on how to build the ones with the weirder and less optimal ability loadouts (the rogues, obv.) I've never had to look very far.

Unless you really think you have some super insights that can't be found elsewhere, I wouldn't bother adding to the pile.

An approach that your editor might find more catchy, if you insist on doing this with classic RPGs, would be a series exploring abilities and builds that haven't been used a lot over the years. Things that the average player might never have thought to invest in because they aren't obvious or seem counterintuitive, but are nonetheless effective and fun if done in particular ways. A way to freshen up your next playthrough, so to speak.

Most of the guides I bother to read are about specifically unorthodox and flavorful builds. For example, how to play a classic single-saber Jedi melee killing machine in Kotor 2 that can actually compete against the freak double-saber powerhouses those games always try to forge you into because one saber just hasn't been enough for people since Phantom Menace and everyone loves dual wielding.

The idea (which is more or less dead) was to do a full guide with as much info as possible on "typical" builds, like for example, a Merrill Blood Mage Tank which is actually what her best build is. It is a bit min-maxy, but a lot of primary guides are to maximize the effectiveness of companions from a mechanical sense. 

I know folks said before to do something unique with them, but each character in Origins, and to an extant each character in each RPG I mentioned above, is tailored to a specific role for the party. So the goal was to go over typical builds and mention a bit of lore and persona in there as well.

So, here is a sample of what I mean: This I wrote for Alistair, edited down from my original writing which was longer and actually went into personality and quest-lines and such. 

"Alistair

• Location: Ostagar (Automatically Joins)

• Class: Warrior

• Specialization: Templar

• Party Role: Tank

• Starting Skills: Combat Training



Attributes (Level 4)

• Strength: 20

• Dexterity: 17

• Willpower: 15

• Magic: 12

• Cunning: 11

• Constitution: 13



Starting Talents (Level 4)

• Warrior: Powerful

• Weapon and Shield: Shield Bash, Shield Pummel, Shield Block, Shield Cover

• Templar: Righteous Strike



Alistair is the first permanent companion players may receive, outside of the Mabari War Hound of the Human Noble Origin. A young Grey Warden who joins you for much of the adventure, Alistair represents the classic sword-and-board archetype found in most RPGs. Thanks to his starting talents, he is easily one of the best tanks in the entire game.



Alistair’s statistics easily reflect this role. At level 4, his best attributes are his strength and dexterity, ranked at 20 and 17 respectively. His weakest stat, cunning at 11, is also good due to it not being necessary for a tank build, though you will need to increase it slightly for skills such as master combat training and master combat tactics. Other stats to keep in mind for builds include a decent willpower at 15, and a below average constitution at 13.



The best method to build up Alistair is to focus on constitution first. While a high dexterity makes sense for a tank character, in this case it may see Alistair go down constantly if constitution is completely ignored. At least one attribute point should go into strength at each level up as well, and because of his Templar Specialization, players might want to consider putting some points into willpower for good measure.



Due to the spread of needing four out of the six stats, my recommendation for a typical tank build would be alternating levels of constitution and strength at a 2-1 ratio, and dexterity and strength at a 2- 1 ratio at first. Once your dexterity hits the number 26, (around level 10-12) switch to willpower until level 18. This array gives Alistair not only a deeper stamina pool for his sustained abilities, it also keeps him on pace health-wise to absorb a ton of damage in the thick of battle.



Ideally you want Alistair to have at least 42 strength, 26, dexterity and 16 cunning to have access to all skills and talents needed. The 42 strength also allows him to wear Dragonbone Plate Armor, arguably the best massive armor in the game. Another armor set to consider is King Cailan’s Armor, which is found in the Return to Ostagar DLC, as it provides not fatigue penalty, meaning you can use more sustained abilities at a time.
Towards the end of the game, the attribute array could be more flexible, changing it to a +1 across strength, willpower and constitution evenly, with occasional dips into cunning to 16 and dexterity to at least 30.



Talents-wise, Alistair is rigid as a weapon and shield warrior. Every companion, regardless of when you recruit them in the game, comes with pre-determined talents and spells that cannot be changed. It would take the expansion, Awakening, to add respecing, while subsequent Dragon Age games would include it as a feature going forward.
Some combat talents like Threaten are a must and should be taken as early as level 5. The entire Shield Block line will increase his survivability, hence the need for 26 dexterity. Shield Balance is also useful to eliminate attack penalties and Overpower gives you a reliable ability to employ in combat that can be devastating to defensively weaker enemies like mages. Alistair’s Templar Specialization also provides abilities that increase the party’s sustainability, such as Cleanse Area, and increase his mental resistance, making him ideal for isolating mages and eliminating from the field quickly.



Since each character gets a second Specialization at level 14, the best choice to compliment Alistair would be Champion if it is available. Access to powers such as War Cry and Rally from the Champion talent line give Alistair an area of effect debuff along with a sustainable buff for the rest of the party, that synergizes well with other sustained affects such as Miasma.



Overall, Alistair is a great companion, and arguably the most indispensable warrior you can get in the game. He won’t be doing massive amounts of damage, but he will be able to take a ton of hits, isolate threats like mages, and provide cover for the party with ease.
"

So something like this for each companion was the idea. Break down the role they play, what stats to build into, what talents/spells to take, and then if time, equipment to enhance it.