I just started another character to try out some mods, and I've been finding that with the companion affection gain slowdown mod being installed from when you start the game, and if you long rest regularly right from the beginning (for example I've rested like 3 times since landing on the beach and I'm doing the Withers temple atm), the companion conversations seem to be unfolding at more of a sane, reasonable pace, with interesting and context-relevant responses, instead of the pell-mell race to bumfuckery out of the blue that I got with the game out of the box, while not long resting much (first time round, I don't think I'd long rested till I'd already done that temple and had started the druid grove stuff, as I was playing the game of eking out battles with ordinary attacks as much as possible).
So yeah, I would highly recommend
Approval Tweaks (version B, fickle) and regular long rests for a more sane and conversationally interesting experience in the early game.