I think some people need to get out of the WoW mentality and get into the SWTOR mentality. Companions use the same gear as player characters. What is the problem with rolling need for a companion? My friends and I do it when we group together, it is called adapting to the game that you are playing. This is not WoW, this is a different MMO with different rules and design. Everybody has a companion and they use they to play the game.
Some old fashioned ideas here, ideas that do not apply to this game.