And if the organization does decide to have a "one official system" then it will need 118 option parameters or weirdly specific virtual functions in a base clas

And if the organization does decide to have a "one official system" then it will need 118 option parameters or weirdly specific virtual functions in a base class and become a disgusting, complex mess. Because "pretty much the same thing" is not "exactly the same thing." Sometimes it can be hammered into place. Other times those differences were important. So yeah, I agree with you that duplication will continue to happen a lot.