I'm really not getting why you both @Tuco and @virion are dropping on me elaborated Option 1, which I listed myself as a good one. Like really? If I wasn't clear enough: I do not hate Larian version, because there is worse like what I listed as Option 2. Do I see it as a perfection? No, but that's still better than a furniture-like companions from some other games.
The main point is that your very concern that "Point 2 is bad enough that I'd rather not get extra companions at all" is not agreeable in the slightest, as far as I'm concerned.
In fact, it sounds ridiculous to me to even worry about something so trivial and at the same time easy to address/handwave, over its FAR larger implications in terms of gameplay/mechanics.
And I even felt a little dubious about it, Ragnarok giving you a +1 works pretty much as a kiss of death, anyway.
