i dont simple use melee weapons if you read my post properly i point out my main weapon is a shot gun and when you spec knife handeling you can deal some heavy damage, your not even arguing this your just trolling, if your gunna do that not that i can stop you but at least try to make up a remotely valid point. Patches The Hyena agreed with me and different melee weapon's isnt as crazy or senseless then the other post, just take a deep breath and look at this subjectively and not as a douche who just wants to egg all my ideas.

Here's the question - outside of racial variants of secondary weapons (i.e., Caldari, Minmatar, Ammar, Gallente combat knives) - what would this add to the combat equation?

Without becoming a melee combat simulator, it couldn't add much. As you already noted, the melee weapon can be a very powerful piece of equipment. In the new build, it is apparently getting even more powerful. So...yes. You could have a Minmatar Thukker Tribal Axe...but how would it be better than the knife? And at what point does carrying an axe or sword simply replace the standard weapon in comparison to a combat knife? And then, does that weapon have to be made powerful enough to be a viable main weapon choice? And then how does the game NOT become a bunch of scouts running around cutting at each other with lightsabers...er...KOTR?