How about a new item type that is only obtainable by completing certain tasks in missions (finally giving scriptures and grims a good reason to be picked up and searched for) or by completing penances? Each unique item is just that—“unique”—which means they always drop with the same baseline of abilities like traits/blessings and have blessings/traits that are not obtainable via crafting. The baseline of stats is randomized like the other ones. They can only be upgraded to maximize their stats, so they can be found on lower levels and upgraded to be viable later on.
These uniques could be weapons or curios and should maybe not be character-bound, so if you manage to get one, you could get an incentive to try out new builds/characters.
This would not be the final “best” item class in the game but would provide additional customization and playstyles like character perks/traits. They could do stuff like replace blitz abilities or ultimates, add new passive keystones, provide mechanics from other classes like certain “stacks,” or introduce completely new stacks.
In addition to this, they could behave completely differently—a rifle with head-seeking bullets like Assail’s, a plasma gun with a stream like a flamer, a power sword with a short-ranged alt, an autogun with an under-barrel attachment that replaces nades, and so on. Just sidegrades with a fun alternative way to play.
These could also be a thing Melek could sell to finally give his shop a bit of uniqueness back, as we can now create our perfect weapons faster than he can roll them.
I know it’s hard to imagine something like this happening at FS’s backend, as this would require much more model and animation work, and it seems they are really, really slow to produce anything nowadays.