OK, since been seeing lots of topics/discussions lately and don’t think necessarily they go in the right direction here’s my 3rd attempt to “summarize” the way to fix the itemization in as least as possible ways
DISCLAIMER: long topic below, tried to separate in sections as much as possible, so take your coffee with you 
INTRO/background - what made me write this topic overall
A bit of brief intro - made a LH build that is quite decent actually, and then tried out a few Uniques that are widely considered bad (as is) and came to the following conclusions that there are 2 relatively bad problems with the itemization in the game:
1 - level gating affixes makes people default (to safest and most popular options) a bit too often (for ex. can’t get cost red. before lvl40 and can’t get mana re/gen before lvl70)
2 - Uniques are bad only cause they have 1 or 2 bad affixes (newsflash - it’s not the item, it’s the affix that’s bad, fix the affix and the item will get better)
Now, since those 2 problems are “identified”, what are the fixes (remember, been talking about this quite a bit so here it is)
PART 1 - Fixes (birds eye view)
Fix #1 - Empower the inherent roll on weapons at the cost of their DPS baseline.. Also offer alternatives to inherent rolls
I mean the very fact that almost no-one says pants or boots are bad in this game should tell you something and the reason is quite simple actually - as opposed to weaponry THEIR INHERENT ROLL VARIES… Yes, they’re similar in nature BUT they still vary
Here are some examples:
Staff in game:
- 2.2k dps, 30% damage vs CC-ed
Staves that we COULD have if inherent rolls took more of the power pie and varied:
- 1.5k dps, 65% damage vs CCed
- 1.7k dps, 45% increased Overtime damage
- 1.4k dps, up to 30% higher non-Ultimate damage based on resource
- 1.6k dps, Ultimate CD reduced by 10 sec.
Or daggers:
Right now in game:
- 1.5k dps, 15% damage vs close
Could have:
- 1.1k, 55% damage vs close
- 1.3k, 30%/15% increased Basic/AS
- 1.2k, 350 thorns
- 1.3k, 30% bonus damage vs CC-ed
OR the most obvious (and probably could be the “heavyweight” of itemization impact even from early in game), Amulets
Right now:
Amulet: All Res 8% (yes, deliberately showing difference/s even in early game)
Could roll:
- 6% Barrier/Fortify generation
- +3 Max Resource (or say 4% RCR)
- 5% MS
- 5% Basic AS
Now some will say, what’s the biggie ?, well, if you get a resource retention item early (like the second example) a certain someone might be tempted to try out something else than Crit
Even more so with the first example, they could (not necessarily would, but COULD) be tempted to try something out with Overpower (maybe), especially if later in game those same (remember, these are inherent rolls, not the affixes below) rolls could look like:
Amulet (late game)
- 10% bonus armor while under Barrier/Fortify
- 14% Resource gen
- 18% MS
- 25%/15% Basic/AS
Ofc, by the time lategame there will be additional ones like:
- +20 All stats
- +10% non/Physical/Overtime damage
- 10% CDR
And that’s on amu only mind you, think about the possibilities for off-hands (Both Focus & Totem) or even a Mace
Fix #2 - Go through the excessive, duplicates and too situational, rework
Excess = The ones that feel unimpactful and unnatural…
- LH: chance to slow (someone correct me if I’m wrong but this can be only used from a bleeding Barb and even then is situational)
- Slow duration
- Impairment duration
Remove these and put something more “interactive” instead:
- CD removes impairments & slows
- Overpower removes impairments & slows
- Overpower casts a wave slowing targets nearby
Duplicates = Pyromancy skill damage vs Fire damage… I mean ?, just keep Fire… Same/similar with Lightning and Shock, or Poison and Poison imbue, e.t.c.
Too situational:
- SBD (shrine buff duration)
- On elite kill
Change that to be some thing more reliable: on Evade, on Overpower, on CD use… I mean in both cases Overpower needs some lategame love (and perhaps LH even), here are some examples that could take over instead:
- LH up to 10% chance to double-cast a skill
- LH up to 10% chance to reset durations of buffs and overtime
And a one specific for late-game (if people care to try it)
- LH effects echo 3 seconds later when triggered on bosses & elites (though tbh this one sounds like a candidate for legendary or unique)
And for Overpower (respectively)
- Overpower reduces CDs by [0.5-3] sec (0.5 early game, 2-3 late)
- Overpower refills [10-50%] resource (10% early, nearing 50% late)
- Overpower grants 25% increased AS (or MS) for 4 sec.
For those that may or may have not noticed - the last one kinda directly correlates from those “on elite kill” affixes (deliberately showing it in there for people to see the difference of impact of it)
About the SBD ? - just make it generic:
- Buff durations increased by 1.5 sec:
This one alone means: 4.5 sec. Berserk (instead of 3), 3 second run burst after evade (instead of 1.5), Barrier duration increased by 1.5, e.t.c.
And the legendaries and uniques affected from a change like this ?, easy:
Esu’s Heirloom
[Before]
- 15% MS
- 7% SBD
- 20% bonus MS after killing an Elite
** Crit % increased based on bonus MS[After]
- 15% MS
- [1-2] sec buff duration
- 20% bonus MS on use of CD
** Crit % increased based on bonus MS
I mean - there are like 3-4 Uniques that improve a passive, the problem isn’t the item, the problem is the passive is bad (Shocking Impact comes to mind as a first candidate to fix)
Does this same item look as bad as before ?, I’d like to think it is better without necessarily putting more damage on it 
Fix #3 - This one is quite simple actually - "Extract affix" at the Occultist rework it a bit
- Extract & keep item
- Extract & keep affix
(or simply when extracting have another screen asking the player what they want to keep)
That ALONE would allow people to re/use good legendaries that dropped with “not so great” affixes… Think I’ve kinda noticed that this tends to happen A LOT MORE than than people would like to admit
Is that all that needs to be done i.e. the complete fix ?, probably not, but pretty damn near, just doing those 3-4 relatively low-cost changes to itemization would be leagues and bounds better and more “surprising” (the inherent rolls and the potential to have an “interactive” affix that look at it
I mean, I’m telling you so trust it
So far it was itemization talk, now let’s talk about gameplay, the simple and easy fix I suggest:
1 - Empower elites in WT3/4 in the Overworld, yes, not everything we fight there has to be inferior… Make elites same level and if it’s a greater/super elite (with 3 or 4 affixes) then make them ABOVE as if they were in a NMD
2 - At some certain places (playtest a bit), group up those elites in specific places (in a corner or on a highground somewhere, doesn’t matter but try add at least 1 per area or act maybe), the largest elite in that group now has a chance to drop:
- A sygil
- A unique
- A glyph shard (for Paragon Glyph XP)
The reason ? - it is important to offer people a place to (I hate this term but have to admit)
- “target farm” uniques (or at least some of them a bit)
BUT, even more importantly
- Need an alternative way to upgrade Glyphs (I’d even say find the glyph drop itself previously to begin with)
And that’s mainly because:
Not everyone of us has to have “exploit” BUT probably everyone of us should feel fine (to an extent) if not re-running over and over again NMDs
Make Glyphs and Shards feel more like a part of the loot - almost as if they were like runes in a way, give that impression of them being part of the game (other than a simple upgrade/reward after beating a NMD)
Step 4 - This is kinda longer term but consider pls:
Expand the concept of the Sygil itself, not all of them should “open” a NMD
- Some could transport directly to a boss fight
- Some could alternate a Cellar with either mass Malignant or Helltide-looking event
- Some could even reset a Stronghold but this time have to retake it with mobs being buffed-up by affixes
- Some could be “surprises” i.e. spawn a mini-boss or a mega-elite right where you’re standing…
PART 2: Concrete suggestions for alternative Inherent rolls (per item type)
Alternative inherent rolls to most item types in game shown below
Wand
- Standard: Lucky hit 10%
Alternatives:
- [10-20]% Increased damage under Fortify/Barrier
- [1-3] (additional) resource generation
- [10-20]% healing received
Staff:
- Standard: 30% Damage vs CC-ed
Alternatives
- Up to [30-40]% bonus damage based on Resource amount (does not affect Ultimate)
- Barrier/Fortify Generation increased by [20-30]%
- Baseline % for Lucky hits increased by [4-6]%
- Ultimate CD reduced by [8-14] sec
Offhands:
Focus: Standard: 5-10% CDR
Alternatives:
- [5-10]% Life per kill
- Baseline % for Lucky hits increased by [2-3]%
- Overtime damage increased by [10-20]%
- [10-15]% Barrier/Fortify generation
Totems:
Standard: Basic AS increased by [5-10]%
Alternatives:
- Up to [15-20]% damage increased based on resource amount (non-ult)
- Damage vs Close/Distant increased by [10-20]%
- Overpower damage increased by [15-25]%
- [7-12]% Resource Cost Reduction
Mace (1H):
Standard: Overpower damage increased by [25-35]%
Alternatives:
- [15-25]% Damage while Healthy
- [20-30]% Chance to wound (apply injury earlier)
- [10-20]% Thorns
Mace (2H)
Standard: Overpower damage by [45-65]%
Alternatives:
- [30-40]% Damage while Healthy
- [30-50]% Damage vs CC-ed
- Overpower reduces CDs by [2-4] seconds
Dagger:
- Standard: 10-20% damage vs Close
Alternatives:
- [7-12]% Life per kill
- [10-20]% Overtime damage
- [10-20]% Thorns
Axe/Polearm (2H):
- Standard: 25-35% damage vs Healthy/Injured
Alternatives:
- [15-25]% Increased physical damage
- [30-45]% Chance to wound (apply injury earlier)
- Overtime damage applies [1-2] seconds faster
Bow:
- Standard: 20-30% damage vs distant
Alternatives:
- [2-4]% Crit. chance
- [10-20]% Attack speed
- [20-30]% Damage vs slowed/impaired
That’s kinda it (for now)… It will be trickier to figure out X-Bows and, Axes (1H) & Swords cause they are already used often due to their Standard options being more useful than other items currently overall , either way: hope you like the update of this thread (the alternatives I posted above) though…
Summary:
There ya go folks, I mean sure, there are a couple/few QoL changes needed as well but this is kinda more important/longing topic (I think ), hope to have have it summarized finally in one place as much as possible