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I just had a thought... and this is for Drocket. Benson Oils- I had a thought on making them more sought after...
Now, before you judge that staement, let me clarify it a bit more- yes, they're awesome as they are right now. However, MANY people think they are simply a waste of money and time, since they more often than not, net you only a paultry item of defense or something... nothing really worth the 50 items of guarding and tempered items of *combat skill here* you turned in, PLUS the 10K you paid to get it... so, the underlying reason for which they were created- to reduce item count by having people turn in those lesser magic items to get a magic potion, goes unfulfilled. Not many people would actually PAY 10K for a fine item of defense...
I propose a menu pop-up when you use a potion and target that exceptional item you wish to make magical. Better to give an example than to try to explain it fully first:

I get my Magic Oil, I d-click it, and target say... a pair of exceptional studded gloves. I get a pop-up menu that has maybe 5 options on it:

1.) a fine studded gloves of guarding
2.) a durable studded gloves of tinkering
3.) a tempered studded gloves of quality
4.) a durable studded gloves of defense
5.) a durable studded gloves of guarding and swordsmanship.

I can choose any of those I would like, and get that item from my oil. Now, here's the interesting part- grant each option a point value: each prefix or suffix has a point value associated with it, and upon using a Benson Oil, your account is tagged with an x/Z equation relating to your total point value over your potions used- when the point value exceeds a given amount- (greed begets greed) - and your options greatly diminish upon using further potions. For example:
Prefixes- fine = 2 pt. - durable = 3pts. - rugged = 4pts. - tempered = 5pts. - indy = 6pts.
Suffixes- defense/quality = 2pt. - guarding/might = 3pts. protection/maiming = 4pts. - fortification/power = 5pts. - invulnerability/destrustion = 6pts.
And if it is a skill buff, you double the point value for the prefix - fine of "x" = 4pts. durable of "x" = 6pts. etc, etc...

Multiply the prefix and the suffix (or both suffixes, if there are more than one), total up your point value for and option, and stick it over your total number of potions used to get an average. Then, when your average goes into the "greedy" range, you stop getting decent options from the Oils until your average drops below a certain point- which should be lower than the point value it had to get to in order to consider you "greedy" since it should be a sort of penalty. In my previous example, the options would be worth the following points: 1.) 4pts. 2.) 6pts. 3.) 10pts. 4.) 6pts. 5.) 18pts.
If your points "average" exceeds so many points, you are considered "greedy", and you have to use a potion or two, or TEN, getting the lowest possible point value in order to even be presented with a decent option again- basically, it'd be well worth it to take the option of that Indestructable Heater Shield of Invulnerability and Parrying, but you'd only be getting the option of making a fine item of quality" for like your next 20 potions you used... and the point value could be whatever you, Drocket, decided. Maybe you'd want it to be 20. Maybe as high as 50... that'd be the beauty part of it. Want to reduce magic item count? Make the "greed" value as low as 10. The point is, I think it would make "Benson'ing" those lesser magic items more worthwhile to a lot of people, and reduce your overall item count significantly. Not to mention making a LOT of people happy about FINALLY getting that +6 buff they've been looking for, and what have you...

*** Thought of this after I originally posted, so I'll edit to add it: Say the "Greed Point Value" is set to 20, and you make an item worth 38 points. You have exceeded the greed value by 18 points. Your "greed count" is 18. Now, for every potion you use after this, you lose 2 "greed points" toward being "non-greedy" again. Until you have been declared "non-greedy", the maximum point value of all options available to you are set to 2-4 points. The server would still calculate your point average each time you make an item, but as long as you have "greed points", you get mimimal options to choose from. ***

*** Thought of THIS after my last edit: What about having multiple menu pop-ups? First, one for the prefix, then one for the suffix, then one for a possible additional suffix? That way you'd even get to "choose" whether or not you wanted to get a greed count or not. Sure, you'd have a few people maxing out their greed meter right off the bat, but then they'd have a long long time before they ever got anything decent again... ***

Anyway, just a thought for the D-man to chew on.

Cel

Well, I really don't think this sytem would be very fun. All you'd really do is pick an uber piece of equipment, then know that you'd have to get crap items from the next X potions before you could pick another uber item. If your sole goal is to guarantee that you get uber items every once in a while, then I suppose its OK, but personally, I think the current system, where any item COULD be uber - or not - is a lot more fun.

OH! No, no... It shouldn't be intended to guarantee you could make an uber piece of equipment... the options available to you would still be random, and you would just pick which one of those random ones you wanted... so, inevitably, you would still quite often be faced with 5 options of completely NON-uber items.

Either way, I thought it might add a bit more excitement to people's eyes when they headed out to Benson's, because the random chance would still be in effect.

Well, even if its not a guarantee, it would make a system where you'd deliberately pick several pieces of junk to get your greed rating down so that it would be more likely to get something good. Still doesn't sound like as much fun to me...