I disagree that implementing those things is a waste since both are available spells. Speak with animals is even a first level spell, plus druids can shapeshift. Hell, speak with plants is a third level spell like speak with the dead. It's a lot, but I do think that stuff like that is what helps really make the game stand out, and I don't think it's the same problem that the rest of the game's writing has. I think there's space for something with the breadth of Larian's approach to those 'speak with' spells, but that's also less overall bombastic. I think allowing for the silliness those spells can provide is only a positive.