I'm making a character for a Starfinder game that's essentially a Shirren that was modified by the swarm to have a Hydralisk type battle form, but outside of that they're a kind of naive, inquisitive fellow.
I think I'm leaning toward trying to build this idea as a Summoner who takes on their Eidolon form with "Meld Into Eidolon".
Meld Into Eidolon appears to mostly just make me a bad martial. Is there a way to optimize it to get the most out of it? Has anyone played a summoner where you don't use the Eidolon separately at all? Any advice?
Honestly, I don't think there really is a way to optimize that. Meld Into Eidolon is mainly a utility trick that helps with things like noodle armed summoners making difficult traversals. As a combat plan, it can be safer for AoE rich environments (or especially for enemies with "make separate Strikes against many different creatures" abilities who can be horrendously dangerous to a summoner). As a full time combat plan, it's just drastically weaker than not using the feat.
This thing isn't written to be the 2E coming of Synthesist.
As Hammerjack notes, it's not a foundational feat for a combat style; it's more a side trick. Unfortunate given how many transforming PCs I have in mind, but that's the way of it.
You're losing the Cantrip damage, extra action, & other benefits of having the Summoner separate to gain the Summoner being at less risk. That's a loss since "Cantrip + modest Strike" is kinda what the hybrids are built to do, and you're left with modest Strike which as you've noted makes one a bad martial. It's hindered further that feats outside of the set that directly boost the Eidelon do nothing for your Eidelon, just the locked-away Summoner inside.
For now, I'd look at Animal Barbarian, maybe even Wildshape Druid for that transformative/Bruce Banner feel. Ranger has some options, though iffier.
Or maybe think of the Eidelon as some remote controlled Hydralisk entity, much like many anime characters who become more heroic running avatars (though in this case one's own body is in play too). There are other ways to consider the Eidelon as some manifestation of your Summoner's deeper/alternate/parasitical/etc self so there's more a feeling of the PC transforming even though remaining themself (and maybe becoming "more" themself with the extricated portion manifested).
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Thanks for the input!
I think I will go with Animal Barbarian and just reflavor the bear attacks. It ends up being pretty dang close to what I want in the end.