HT rider here….
have had a bash on a fair few FS bikes (was guiding for 6 months, 6 day a week on a Cannondale1 140 Rize out on Gran Canaria) but just prefer the more direct feel of the HT. i used to take my Alpine on the “freeride” tours and never felt like i needed a fully.
i’ve also ridden over 20 transalp tours on my HT. covering up to 90km and climbing over 2200m a day was never a problem.
have toyed with the idea of getting a big FS (Canyon Torque), but as it is i’m as quick, if not quicker (where’s my trumpet?) than most of the people i ride with so i don’t see how having a FS is going to help other than increasing my chance of a big crash.
the only time i wish for a little extra cushioning out back is in the bike parks (Leogang, Saalbach) when i hit the braking bumps which cause me to anchor up. or on some of the bigger jumps/gaps/drops where i’m having to scrub off speed to avoid a heavy landing. as i don’t ride “park” that often it is not really an issue.
to the OP… i think you will learn bike control quicker and better on a HT. a FS allows you to plow through things without having to think too much about line choice or where you might have to flick the rear wheel over obstacles.
stick with the HT for the time being.
less shit to go wrong, too.