I read the -entire- thread about the new changes regarding familiars. This thread has nothing to do with the combat system.
I would simply like to tell a story.
Once upon a time, for a somewhat short period in time, I played on a very different server. It was Planescape themed, and my PC was a Githzerai Zerth. For those of you who don't know hat that is, consider it a fighter/wizard.
This unnamed server had their own collection of familiars, one of them being an incredibly weak one called the Mimir.
In short, it's a floating skull that stores all information it gathers. A dungeon and dragons USB key, that my Githzerai could log onto any time he wished.
Anyways, i'll make the story short and simply say that my Mimir was awesome. He wasn't just a meatshield and rarely participated in combat. Rather, he was a roleplay device I could use whenever things grew stagnant. The simple ability to roleplay between my Gith and my Mimir added such an incredible depth to my roleplay that others noticed it too. Soon enough, i discovered other PCs implementing Arc the Mimir into their own roleplay, their own personal goals and even some considered the Mimir their friend. He became almost a second PC to me, being able to switch from Gith to Mimir at a hat's drop to encourage roleplay between other PCs. This allowed me to come up with player-driven plots, stir up conflicts between the uncanny duo. I recall a specific time where My Gith grew so angry at the Mimir he attempted to kill it. Other PCs took it upon themselves to defend the Mimir from the Gith and the show ended with the Gith being subdued and the Mimir triumphiig. I grew so fond of the interactions between them the two almost became two completely separate identities.
I'm writing this to suggest the incredibly deep roleplay potential Familiars have. Unfortunately this potential is being nixed by current scripts. I desire to see these scripts changed, because frankly the command method is simply too tedious as it is. There is a huge tool here to be used in the way of player-driven quests, and I would like to see the ability to speak, emote and flutter about through transitions to my heart's content restored in full.
Thoughts, opinions?