How about making it so that your character has a button for an alternate weapon switch? Obviously the motion has to last 1 sec or so, but it would be faster than clicking on the menu and choosing the item. Also, you get to see what's happening around you as you swap.

I feel that this would bring a lot more strategy into pvp, and also make pve much more interesting. Perhaps the builds would have to be rebalanced a little, but it's the general concept of an alternate weapon that I find interesting....