While I agree that the freedom to completely customize a build would likely cause a massive amount of bad balance, and result in a handful of optimal builds, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more freedom in terms of loadout customization. For example, instead of letting me only choose between the three primaries on my Infil to pair with my grenade launcher, how about give me a few unlockable choices for my grenade launcher as well? I'm not talking about swapping a GL for a TOW launcher or anything funky like that; I'm thinking more variety in the same vein, like a sticky grenade launcher that doesn't bounce, but still detonates after a short time after wall contact (or player contact... that would be FUN! Sticky an enemy, watch him take it to his mates, or sticky a friendly and let them do the dirty work), or maybe even a Flak grenade or something that has a much smaller splash radius but randomly-spread shards that do more damage up close, but can be evaded is luck on your side... it'd be like the "skillz" grenade.
Or, how about a TOW launcher that you can actually steer, trading power and splash radius for control? Or a TOW that doesn't have mid-air det, but does more damage and splash? More skillz!! Oh man, just thinking about it I'm getting a raging Hawken bon... err... bonfire... here. Lighting that bonfire... yes.
Anyway, not a bad idea to have more customization. Yes, new weapon varieties would need balancing, but I think players would love it. I know I would.
Hell, even mech-specific variants of existing weapons would be grand. Brawler TOW variants: direct-hit TOWs drop extremely low HP orbs (like 8HP), or TOWs that air-det into Reflak-like shards to do some damage around corners. Pred EOC-P variants: lower damage mines that ping friendly radar when an enemy mech or enemy weapon triggers it but doesn't actually reveal the location of the enemy, just where the mine was that got detonated, or lower power mines that cause sub-second distortions to the enemy HUD (like in the order of 200-250ms... enough to annoy, but not enough to really be more than an annoyance). SS Sabot variants: reflectable rounds, or lower-power penetrator rounds that do less damage than normal sabot on direct hit, but can do damage through to other mechs (maybe 1 more, and less damage than the Breacher). These are just examples, btw. Some of these would probably not be terribly fun to fight against, but I would love me some variety.
:)
Edit: OMG ninja'd by EVERYONE. Ah well. still got my bonfire going.
Edited by -Tj-, 25 January 2016 - 05:50 PM.