I have also had the idea for a few years now, that would take an entire thread of it's own, and would hurt my fingers to type it all out in a well thought out way; So I'll make it quick and brief here because I would think the dev's are smart enough to get the gist of it:
All high end loot should be craftable. Arties, good armor, weapons, etc. This would/could also be the only way to get high end loot.
Creatures would drop ingredients. Different creatures would drop different ingredients. Not just peerless like we have now. A crafter could make weaps, jewels, armor with a CUSTOMIZABLE crafting interface, to be able to put the mods you want on it. NO MORE RANDOM # GENERATOR.
Different ingredients would give different properties. More properties would use more ingredients, and have a higher chance to fail, thus using up more ingredients.
All creatures, even mongbats would drop these different types of ingredients.
Artifacts, including the ones from Doom, would be craftable. Take away artifacts completely, as one could craft the same piece anyway, or something even better than a Doom arty. (Even an orny...tinkers 4tw). Doom creatures could then drop specific types of ingredients that would be a requirement for certain properties/items.
ALL of said customized crafted equipment would decay. Yes, I said decay.
This way, you would have a continual renewal/decay system in place somewhat like we had pre AoS. This would make a lot of people (esp. crafters) happy.
Even IF everyone has a crafter, and can make their own suits, so be it. At least your crafter would have a purpose other than being a mule and a BOD crossword puzzle completer. They would be a crafter.
All items could start at 255 durability (or even have it as a property with some type of ingredient as the key) and it would last for quite awhile. The more use it gets, the more it wears out, and the quicker it needs replacing.
Creatures could then be hunted with a purpose. You would need to hunt specific creatures for specific ingredients, for specific properties.
NERF PoT and then smoke it all.
Renewal and decay for the win. Crafting with a purpose. Hunting with a purpose other than gold farming.
Ok, it wasn't as quick and brief as I originally planned
/edit
You could also use Cygnas' idea for certain creatures dropping different ingredients for specific properties. Keep in mind ingredients don't have to be ingredient's at all. Could be parts like a sword hilt, sharpening stones, mongbat juice, etc.
If it 'taint a hilt and it 'taint mongbat juice, it must be Taint!
sorry couldnt resist.