Look, we've obviously gotten off on the wrong foot here. At the very beginning of this thread you indicated that you wanted feedback. I feel that I have provided that. As combat vehicles, they're fine. As vehicles working within an infantry environment, they are not desirable. That is not an attack on you. That is my opinion.
I understand that you based them on some minis from another game. That's all well and good, but it is not entering into my equation. My critique is in regard to the design, not the minis. As for being them being "clunky halftracks," well they aren't, not really. At 45 tons they're as big as a tank. That's because they are tanks.
Furthermore, while I hesitate to continue using real world examples, since you mentioned that you are a vet as I am, I'm sure you are also aware that all of the most popular infantry carriers currently in service have the capability to engage, and defeat, opposing infantry. I'm not aware of any that don't have this capability; if you are, please enlighten me.
Some of the designs you posted perhaps *could* engage infantry to an extent, depending on the ammo load. But as you have stated, these are primarily anti-vehicular units. And again, from that standpoint I don't have an issue with them. I just wouldn't call them infantry support vehicles, because that's not what they are doing.
Your closing comments are perplexing. Yes, I believe that any "infantry support vehicle" would benefit from a flamer and/or a couple of automatic weapons so that it isn't an expensive paperweight when working in an infantry environment. Given the overly large infantry bay, this weakness would be a very easy fix. And if that makes me an optimizer, whatever that means, then yes, I'm an optimizer.
You indicate that you've tested these designs. Great! If your opponents never field infantry, then yes, the design is fine. If however they do, then I don't understand why you wouldn't equip the vehicle in such a way that once its troops are deployed, it can help them win a close quarters firefight against other troops.
Just my .02.