Also might be worth considering Marketplace run with ability to pick up nord weapons/arrows/bolts/throwables, even shields maybe. Same equal ground for everyone, but easier and more dynamic. Obviously with specially designed nord weapons where almost (if not all) things would be pickable.
Ofc various players like various event ideas. But I remember April servers and we had spike of new players in the mod, many people would like to play NI if it was more new player friendly. Some players even have difficulty to get player crafted gear in the first place, it's too hard to find people to craft this and that, and many people don't want to communicate at all and see that as difficulty, they will rather play more casual game or mod. NI has no future if making content only for 20 (maybe 30) most dedicated players.
Many games have both casual-friendly and more competitive modes, even MMORPGs where all characters might uses same PvP gear and level, but need to gather gear for PvE for example. Or card games with draft modes where players don't need to have any collection to succeed. Implementing similar mode in NI might help, whatever it will be called event or not. Maybe even several rotating events with no or lowered gear requirement.
EDIT: Another idea: seasons. Everyone making new character and compete in event servers. No materials drop. No craft. All items (player/house craftable and legendaries/upgraded legendaries) drop from bots. Legendaries drop rate like x100-x1000, so everyone might get top gear fast. Also might be experiments like crafting random legendary from 4 legendaries and similar ideas like Woody posts usually here. Ofc all gear not equippable to non-season characters. After season end (~3 months or so) players get I don't know some amount of gold/materials/collectibles/even legendaries for things they collected in the season, and seasoned characters reset. Might be pause between seasons. Should be good for both new and old players.
Ofc various players like various event ideas. But I remember April servers and we had spike of new players in the mod, many people would like to play NI if it was more new player friendly. Some players even have difficulty to get player crafted gear in the first place, it's too hard to find people to craft this and that, and many people don't want to communicate at all and see that as difficulty, they will rather play more casual game or mod. NI has no future if making content only for 20 (maybe 30) most dedicated players.
Many games have both casual-friendly and more competitive modes, even MMORPGs where all characters might uses same PvP gear and level, but need to gather gear for PvE for example. Or card games with draft modes where players don't need to have any collection to succeed. Implementing similar mode in NI might help, whatever it will be called event or not. Maybe even several rotating events with no or lowered gear requirement.
EDIT: Another idea: seasons. Everyone making new character and compete in event servers. No materials drop. No craft. All items (player/house craftable and legendaries/upgraded legendaries) drop from bots. Legendaries drop rate like x100-x1000, so everyone might get top gear fast. Also might be experiments like crafting random legendary from 4 legendaries and similar ideas like Woody posts usually here. Ofc all gear not equippable to non-season characters. After season end (~3 months or so) players get I don't know some amount of gold/materials/collectibles/even legendaries for things they collected in the season, and seasoned characters reset. Might be pause between seasons. Should be good for both new and old players.