Weightmaps are a timesaver, but they can't compensate for the versatility of JCMs.

If I had to choose between weightmaps and no JCMs, and no weightmaps but JCMs, I'd definitely choose the JCMs.

(And hence, your PML. Or GoZ.)  ;-)

 

V4WM uses several helper bones to compensate for her lack of JCMs.

Not always 100% suceessfully IMO.

The multiple "fixer" sets released for V4 demonstrate that you can get similar and often better results with conventional falloff zones and fix morphs.

 

Weightmaps can do a lot, but they have limits.

Attached is a render of V4 17k LOD which I recently weightmapped.

There are no JCMs in that render and I think she bends "fairly well",using just bulgemaps.

But the final version already got a few JCMs for better joints.

 

So, the best results are achieved if you combine both, but I still say that JCMs are more important than weightmaps for a realistic joint.