Thanks for the help so far.
I do seem to keep circling back to a short course truck. They weren't popular before, so it fits the bill for "something different"-- they look cool, off-road well-enough, and with lipo, are plenty fast.

Probably the one thing I know for sure is I want 4wd. It seems best suited to my terrain and driving style. Would you recommend the prosc 4x4, slash, or something else?

I really like the rear suspension on the baja rey and would probably go for one, but it seems that its like a toy in that you are stuck with the factory set-up and parts and the non-traditional body attachment and goofy figures in the cab.

I initially liked the e-revo brushless for insane speed while still very off-road capable, but decided I didn't really like the look. The Arrma Kraton falls in this category too.

But looking at arrma, I discovered the Nero. looks more like a maxx, is brushless, and offers the locking diffs that I like the summit for, but is at the absolute top of my price limit. I had never heard of arrma before this week. Aparently, my local shops do carry them. I hadn't noticed. I'll have to check it out. How are the quality, aftermarket parts, and support?

Thanks for reading my ramblings.