mediocrepoet

One thing I'd like to see that I haven't seen mentioned yet is a difference in how different types of armour protects against different types of attacks. This can be found in various editions of (A)D&D's optional rules but also in other games. So for instance, chain mail may be particularly effective at stopping slashing attacks but susceptible to piercing and perhaps bludgeoning attacks while plate is good at stopping slashing attacks but less so at stopping piercing and bludgeoning attacks. Perhaps certain styles of armour are more flammable or conductive to electricity, etc. Beyond that, I would like to see different materials of various effectiveness - whether or not that's a linear system where one material is simply better than another or whether there are tradeoffs. I think that another poster's idea about technological differences is interesting and may come up if you're approaching a tomb with advanced or archaic forms of armour, but otherwise might be a bit strange assuming the game doesn't take place over generations. There might be ultra rare or unique armours gained through questing whether through an ultraskilled craftsman or lost legendary armour of some sort. You might also consider having equipment not have to be traded out all that often. There may well be weapons and armour that are of better quality than others with other considerations being trade offs between pieces that are more or less equal with advancement primarily coming through your characters becoming more skilled as opposed to primarily gathering ever more powerful loot. I'm not generally a fan of just seeing a cultural name attached to equipment to make it better or worse like in KotOR or Dragon Age because for it to have meaning you'd have to be familiar with the culture in question and it might seem strange that a given culture's stuff is simply better than everyone else's. I much prefer differing materials and possibly technological differences as appropriate.

It's unclear to me why you shouldn't expect people to be able to read what the abilities they're choosing do and to live with that choice once chosen. Not many games give you take backs on any choice you make simply because you realize later it may not have been optimal or you were careless - and if you do so need that option, there is a feature called load saved game. Having stable skills and abilities is part of what makes a character that character instead of a specialist in whatever catches the player's fancy that instant. Beyond that, what is the rationale in a world for having a person (PC/NPC) who one day is great at something and the next day barely understands the basics of it?