I complete am there with you, a sidearm slot for a knife/laspistol/revolver/autopistol, wholesale agreed.
But this is not about an alternate mode, you see, it is rather more simple, I’ll give you now an example of my vaunted pseudocode:
Kinetic Flayer (old):
Kinetic_Flayer
When attack hit:
Check if Timer is 0
Check if Peril is not Critical
Check Random 1 from 10: On 1: Apply Brain Rupture to target, Start 15s Timer.
Else: Pass
Kinetic Flayer (suggested):
Kinetic_Flayer_Activate
When wielding Brain Rupture: When input: Weapon Special
Check if Timer is 0: On 0: Kinetic_Flayer_Activation = 1
#This toggles on Kinetic Flayer with the press of Weapon Special
Kinetic_Flayer
When attack hit:
Check if Kinetic_Flayer_Activation = 1
Check if Peril is not Critical: Apply Brain Rupture to target, Start 15s Timer, Kinetic_Flayer_Activation = 0
#This allows for the use of a weapon.
Kinetic_Flayer_Cast
When wielding Brain Rupture
Check If Kinetic_Flayer_Activation = 1: Apply Brain Rupture Cast Speed modifier: 10000, Apply Brain Rupture Peril Cost Modifier: 0.
Upon Brain Rupture Cast: Start 15s Timer, Kinetic_Flayer_Activation = 0
#This allows for a appreciable approximation of instant casting and a cost of 0 for casting brain rupture.
This is not an" alternative mode" for Brain Rupture, or no less an “alternative mode” than what Kinetic Flayer is currently.
As for the “alternative mode” for Smite, it is as alternative as the current developer-suggested Charged Strike, but at least my suggestion has you use Smite, by switching to it and activating the Peril-Build Up effect that also activates the code which applies the electrocution to your melee and non-Warp Ranged attacks, and which shuts down at 100 Peril.
The same code for the on-hit effect can be used which as the devs suggested is always active and only triggered on melee heavy attacks.