Perfectly said, couldn't have done better myself! Loads of guns, armor, outfits, and general loot is a huge part of what has made Fallout such a hit. In a perfect world, FO4 should be a mix of the best aspects of the previous games. Since I have not played FO1 or 2 (sad, I know) I can only speak for FO3 and NV. Fallout 3 had one of the greatest backdrops I've ever seen in a game, the ruins of DC and the capital wasteland seem more serious and hazardous than the Mojave wasteland. The quests also felt more meaningful and worthy of spending time on than those in NV. However, where NV was lacking in meaningful quests and environment, it more than made up for in variety - not only weapons aspects, but every aspect. NV had a higher number of interesting locations to visit, had so many unique items to collect, and the general gameplay experience seemed more enjoyable. The ammo and explosive crafting system in NV was spectacular, and is definitely something that FO4 needs to include, especially when crafting is such a HUGE part of FO4, it only makes sense.
If Bethesda is truly serious about giving their fans - their CONSUMERS - what they want, then there should be no question to applying these additions to the game. WE ARE THEIR DLC BUDGET! And the mechanics and experience are already there to be built upon. Mods are great, but they should not be relied upon for additional content and missing items due to the fact that many gamers may not have the access to the necessary mods to add what is missing. By all means, mod away. But I'm not going to rely on Modders to supply all of the missing links to this game.