Rifts - my issue with MegaDamage

I think one of the biggest problems most gamers have with Rifts is the MegaDamage system. It kind of works, but in reality, at least for me, it sucks. Here are two thoughts I have on it:

1. There's too damn much of it. If megadamage was limited to mecha and major monsters, it would be fine. But when any average headhunter can go buy a set of megadamage armor, it just cheapens the effect. I have no problems with a tank or glitter boy having and dealing megadamage. I think it's just dumb when a guy wearing some plastisteel armor suddenly has it. Same with a pistol that deals megadamage. No reason for it. A rail gun, yes. A pistol you wear in a gunslinger holster? Heck no!

2. Purely for aesthetics, I'd love it if it was more like Savage Worlds!. Give the item a Heavy listing, so it can deal damage to big creatures, without having two sets of hit points. There is no reason to have MDC, SDC, and hit points in the same game. Really. Just give everything one stat. If it's something like a SAMAS suit, give it armor 50 (Heavy), etc.

Wanted: Fantasy Rifts

No, not the Palladium Fantasy game, which I have and love. But something more like an OSR game. All wizards and fighters and thieves and such. Maybe have the various fantasy races (elves, goblins, etc) all coming from Rifts. Some are helpful, some are evil. Splugorth can still hang out as one of the big bads, though. They are a fantastic race.

It's kind of surprising someone hasn't done this. It would be hard to have the same feel without robots and cyborgs and other hi-tech stuff, but I think it would be doable. More ruins, less standard fantasy areas.

Actually, having one or two races using golems extensively (similar to the Asura in Guild Wars 2) would be kind of cool, but keep it limited to them. Not everyone should have one.

Rifts - books best avoided?

What books are best avoided in the Rifts line? I know at least South America 2 is probably on this list. I don't like the players being super-powerful, and some of the books put them on the level of taking on gods.

Stuff I currently have:

Rifts anniversary edition
Sourcebook I: Archie
Lone Star (mainly for the dog boys)
Mercs
Mystic Russia (haven't delved too deeply into this. Are there any ridiculous PC races/classes?)

Books I know I want:
Vampire Kingdoms
New West
Spirit West

I used to have a bunch of Rifts stuff, but sold it off. I regret it now. Most of the games I've gotten rid of are in better hands, but I still love the idea of this game, if not all of its implementation.

Rifts rpg

I wish there was a big worldbook for Rifts, but with no stats in it. Just lots of text and lots of cool art. Keep the era near the beginning of the setting, before all the Tolkien metaplot garbage. I'd buy this book in a second.

I used to really like the Palladium system, as it was obviously based upon AD&D, but with guns and robots and magic and psychics and tons and tons of awesome stuff. It really is my favorite published setting (except for maybe gray box Forgotten Realms). It's a shame the rules are so mediocre (they are not horrible, but they are not great).

A book without rules baggage would be great, and I suspect it would be a good seller for Palladium. Sadly, I don't think Siembieda would ever consider it, as he really does believe his system is the best.