About that, I was playing the game and going through the Homestead missions, and I realized: Connor's 'Assassin buddy' isn't one person - it's all of them. The recruits, the Homesteaders, the Aquila's crew, they're all so close to him. It really strikes me as what Ubisoft was aiming for. Unlike the Villa or the Brotherhood Assassins, you talk to these people and help them out and watch them live their lives. I guess it depends on how you play the game, but in the end, Connor ends up with a big, happy family.