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You have a definite point that for competitive play taking bad variants is stupid. I disagree with your reasoning on what is a stupid variant though. Boated platforms are quiet often good and very easy to use (like Frostiken pointed out this is the very reason quite a few good players do not like them. They are easy which makes it boring and that is an issue when competitive play "forces" you to use them). There are however several points to massed units that you miss.
All you ever need is to get enough fire-power to quickly dispatch the focused target. As long as you can get this "critical mass" you do not need more. In this way mechs with a varied loud-out may be very useful since they can bring this power effectively to multiple ranges. Take the Timberwolf C for instance, if you have a bunch of them (2 or 3) those lbx-10s dispatch enemies like crazy. Had I had 3 Timberwolf B instead (much more expensive) I would achieve pretty much the same. The 3 Timberwolf C on the other hand can adapt more easily to other situations. Get them in range for the SSRMs and some insane cockpit rocking begins, greatly reducing incoming damage. If suddenly it turns out the opposition has a force that easily overheats, well then the 3 Timberwolf C can be manoeuvred to engage with flamers.
I see you also consider flamers bad altogether. I must disagree. Killing themselves? Well, I would say bad player and since this was a discussion aiming at usefulness at competitive level I must say those players would most likely lose anyhow unless their incompetence was limited to flamers alone. I will agree though that it sometimes feels like the older super-hard-to-hit-with flamers did more heat transfer. Might have to test that some day I think. But calling them useless is simply not correct at all.
/Merf - Thinking you have a valid point, but are also disregarding a few other valid points.
