I'm surprised there wasn't more feedback on this thread, and I apologize if there is another thread more proper.
Okay, I'm posting this in the hopes that someone from development may read this.
I MISS the hell out of modding my companions. True, that you had limitations and had to work at gearing them up, but... that was FUN!!!! What made it so fun, was that prior to the end game, gearing up all of your companions significantly was sort of a mini game, but once you reach level 50, gearing your companions up became more important. It was a grind, but one that made your accomplishments felt! I also liked some of my really nice gear didn't go to waste, as a few of my companions could take over my legendary gear and up their stats.
It was the BEST!! Now it's like... you don't really have a go-to companion, as they all have roughly the same stats. The influence system was already in play since the beginning, so... I don't know how that's an argument in defense.
Please PLEASE, bring back companion stat mods. Changing how they look isn't a challenge, and having every single companion capable of filling every role is... boring. I liked how one companion was better at healing or tanking than another. ***It made them unique*** Unique to the player who spent time picking out a good companion for a certain role, and then gearing them up properly for that role.
Uniqueness... Right now, they're just different looking toons with the same abilities. I'm not trying to be rude, just attempting to give you another perspective on this.