I totally get what you mean. It also does feel a bit odd to have characters like Dame Aylin, Isobel, Volo, Yanna, and Barcus just hanging around camp doing nothing at all. And Dame Aylin being always in full armor is just weird...
It would be great if these characters had more involvement at camp too, taking part in some of the interactions there. Otherwise, I don't know why they're even there in the first place. I also don't get why everyone vanishes during camp attacks. It's likely for gameplay reasons, but it does break the immersion.
As for the pets, they are just there too doing nothing most of the time. Scratch brings Tav random items, which is fine, but the owlbear seems to just roam around without much purpose, so there could also be special interactions between pets and companions.
Additionally, there are plenty of unused buildings at camp, such as the ruins in Act 1, the house in Act 2, and the barn and other buildings on the Wyrm's cross camp in Act 3, which seem like wasted opportunities to add some interactions there.
