The big updates to Pirate101 are coming up. However, I'm already seeing some upset posts about the latest fixes. One that sparks many interests is the Advanced Companion update.

What Is It?
The update to Companions is now you can send Companions on Missions that will grant you new rewards (such as Pet Gear/Snacks, Nautical XP, Gold, Quicker Wound Recovery to that Companion, and Training Tomes) the next time they log on. There is also now a new policy in which only the first 3 companions will follow you into battle. Should these companions ever be defeated in PvE combat, they will be sent to Bed Rest and will be out of commission for X amount of time (in early levels it's pretty unnoticable. At higher levels, they may need more time to heal). Players are allowed to see Miracle Mitch to heal there wounded Companions for a gold price or they can delay Bed Rest, but the Companion will recieve a Penalty (similar to Battle Standards)

KI's Intention
One of the more troubling parts of the update for some Pirates is that only the first 3 companions (which can still be moved around) will follow them into battle, removing the randomness. KI's intention is to make it easier for players who don't keep all of there companions at a constant level as well as help players keep those "unhelpful" Companions out of battles. I can understand this idea as many players during Pirate101's beta/early game days didn't like randomness and wanted more control.
As for the Companion Missions, this is to help those "unhelpful" or neglected companions become more useful to the Pirate (who doesn't wanna come online and have a gift waiting for them?).

Suggestion to Update

-Pick from the First- Only 3 Companions can feel very limiting. I feel KI should instead consider making it a much harder restriction on the current system. What I mean is, the AI should only pick 2 random Companions (+1st Mate) from the 1ST page (making it a 15 roll). If a player doesn't want a Companion on the 1st page to join, they may always give the Companion a mission which will remove it from the roll. I'd also suggest having it restricted it to only the top 12 (which I prefer) or the top 8.
-Recruit Tokens- If players want 2 definite Companions, plus their First Mate, to always follow them into battle, regardless of page, KI should consider removing Sleep Tokens and give Recruit Tokens. These tokens will make 2 other Companions always come into battle and the AI will ignore the random roll. If a Recruited Companion becomes "Busy" the Token will be removed and can be reused for another Companion. The token will remain if the Companion is busy.

Suggestion for Players
I would first suggest the Players give this system a good try before calling the quits. You may find it not as bad as you make it out to be. I would also suggest putting many of your main Companions on Bed Rest, which will make them recover from Wounds faster.
Also, realize change is always possible and nothing is yet set in stone.