Why not make the late game collectors (crystal desert, southern shiverpeaks) that offer armour require large amounts of collector items (~20-30) but offer some truly unique armour pieces that you can't get anywhere else. Not only would these collector armours look the part, but they would offer PvE only bonuses to make things more interesting.
For example:
You might pick up collectors leggings that offer 10% improvement in speed when enchanted, but 10% reduction in speed when hexed.
You might grab collectors gloves that decrease all elemental fire spells recharge times by 10%, but increase everything else by 10%.
You might find a collectors chest piece that reduces physical damage by 3 points but increases cold damage by 5.
There are literally thousands of combinations.
The advantages of this are obvious...
- Improved longetivity
- Completely optional game mechanic
- Greater sense of achievement
- Interesting PvE only stats (imagine the combinations!)
- Lots of experimentation (armour combinations and skills)
- More freedom to customise your character (fewer clones)
- PvP game unaffected (BONUSES DON'T WORK IN PVP)
- Obtainable by everybody (not out of reach like fissure armour)
- Basic armour would still be available from collectors, but only require 5 collectables as usual.
Any comments?