This is looking a bit forward, but I’ve been making a few different exotic sets to try out different runes in PVE/WVW and for the looks/fun of it. But today I realized that as soon a the level cap is lifted, this gear will essentially just be obsolete junk with a skin. For example, a full set of dungeon armor is about 21 runs… and to turn 2 or 3 full sets of those into junk overnight, and to have to return to that same grind if I want to keep my skin but get the higher level of armor, would be painful.
So my idea would be to allow for upgrades e.g. from exotic to ascended (if that’s the new highest tier) or from lvl 80 to 90 to 100 or whatever the new level cap is. These could be through crafting (i.e. the armorsmith upgrades your old armors into new ones, preserving the skins and stat sets) and would require a reduced crafting cost as compared to making completely new ones (even if it just split the difference). Alternatively, something using the mystic forge like the current upgrade of exotic to ascended backpieces from FotM could also be feasible. Maybe the upgrade materials would be new materials made available in the expansion.
Essentially, this would serve to require players to continue playing, leveling, exploring, and a modest grind to keep the best equipment. But it would prevent players who spent a lot of time grinding their current equipment (be it for stats or for looks or both) from getting the rug pulled out from under them and everything they worked for totally devalued (i.e. why legendary weapons will always be automatically upgraded). I think this type system would combine the value that the Guild Wars 2 mods have emphasized time and time again of NOT requiring a tedious grind treadmill to stay with top tier gear with not just giving stuff away for free and requiring players to maintain interest and dedication to the game.
Tl;dr allow upgrades from current level 80 exotic armor/weapons to higher levels of equipment and rarity while maintaining skins/stats/maybe even upgrades through crafting or mystic forging with grindable upgrade mats (could be rare drops, combinations of high tier crafting mats, daily rewards or even karma/(shudder)gem purchases).
It would be great, too, to be told if any system like this would be considered or otherwise is definitely out of consideration… so I (we) can stop spending time and gold on trying out new rune sets and armor prefixes and start saving up for when all the gear you grinded for turns obsolete overnight.
