And I'll say for starters, while I find the process of swapping companions out to be pretty tedious, in that they only stay where you leave them, no matter how out of the way that may be,
Yes, it's not really until BG2 that companions become companions - with their own story arcs, romances and all (though even in BG2 there are only few of those). I was never underimpression that we were meant to swap character around much, outside ditching some of the companions if we spot someone we like more, or if someone dies permanently. BG2 does have an inn one can send companions to for an easier access.
