In addition to the tons of great ideas above;
I’d like to run across some naturally occurring warp stones that transport me someplace new. Maybe this is a way to introduce instanced content or the idea of a random fun/unique/cosmetic reward. As a balancing tool the new area or reward would be based on character level + world level found on, including atmosphere. I envision a small area to explore and something interesting with some lore attached and a reward.
Things you might find:
- A shrine to an ancient Oortian. It contains a place-able randomized (unique) object with instructions for you to spread the tale of this long lost Oortian explorer. i.e. show it off to your noob neighbors.
- A big pile of gleam. Think a bigger than standard for the planet chunk or totally random color or just a non-normally found color.
- An abandoned mine entrance. Inside is a temporary speed hammer and is loaded with something great to mine, level dependent. Maybe put it on a timer. Maybe you get to pack everything you mine into a crate so your inventory doesn’t overflow.
- A long lost grove of mushrooms. A place just chock-full of level-dependent 'shrooms.
- A giant beanstalk to climb and get a horde of beans
- A HUGE dormant meteor with an appropriate cache of oort.
- A Gleambow meteor
- Ruins of a crashed/sunken vessel! Raft, Pirate, Tanker, Space, full of interesting goodies.
- Ruins of a famous craftsman’s workshop. You can use this workshop to make new clothing or body paint or some other cosmetic thing. Variations for a Cobbler, Tailor, Painter or Hatter (is that a real thing?)
- An abandoned forge. Forge ingredients, an increased stats unforged item for you to forge.
- A nest of some mysterious creature! Maybe it’s a fight, maybe it’s a rescue, maybe it’s an egg-stealing raid, maybe it’s a McDuck money bin of coins!
Anyhow, you get the idea.