I don't really care if they remove the time limit as long as they leave the timestamp for the edit
Maybe even allow for multiple timestamps for multiple edits and not just the last one if the time limit is removed
I found the combat very samey for the majority of the game as well. A few fights here and there were more interesting, usually because of some scripted event so that I couldn't start with my usual volley from stealth.
You can recruit them as soon as you get the option to even if your party is full. You just send them to your stronghold if you don't want to replace a current party member