I don't think they've changed but as a spear main, I think you might be overlooking some of the advantages of spears. They don't have a combo and initially their hitbox is very clunky and difficult to use. I admit that I occasionally still miss because I take a gamble, but I stick with them because I think the advantages outweigh the downsides if you use dodge and parry heavily in combat instead of just relying on armor and food to tank stuff.

Basically the spear primary attack comes out quicker than the sword or mace so you can take advantage of pauses and windows that would cost you health if you were using a slower weapon. Wolves are a great example of this. They tend to attack 2 or 3 times in quick succession. The spear is the only weapon (as far as I can tell) that's fast and strong enough to interrupt their combo without exposing you to hits.

The fact that the spear can't hit things that are at a lower elevation than you (by even a little bit) can be frustrating at first, until you realize that you can use the throw at close range as an extended jab. At close range the spear will go right back into your hand as soon as it hits your target or the ground, so it's like you never threw it.