We need to have them return, I feel it is a very important part of the game to stride towards and I'm just not getting that feeling anymore. Headhunter is truely the only one left. I remember back in the day when things like Shavronnes Wrappings or Kaom's Heart were items I know I'd likely never find but it kept me going hoping maybe this would be the map that drops it and knowing the value it held back than...It just doesn't feel the same anymore. Thoughts?
I like the state of Uniques right now. Uniques taking up the same slots on everyone's builds is super lame (same reason GGG doesn't want Sets in the game). I don't like deterministic Uniques being BiS/chase unless they have mechanic-bending mods needed for a specific build (stuff like Shavs, Kaoms, HH, Acuity, Skyforth, Tukohama, Nightmare Jewels, Void Battery, Soul Taker, Pledge being BiS = Bad; stuff like, Mjolner, Scold's Bridle, Eye of Innocence, Taming (pre-emberwake nerf) = Good).
However, I think RNG-based things like godly Rares, Ventor's Gamble and Eyes of the Greatwolf (and to a lesser extent, Biscos; but that item has it's own issues) are the best kind of chase items for this genre. Especially in the case of Rares and Eyes of the Greatwolf. Essences (particularly Hysteria, Delerium, Horror, and Insanity; and to a lesser extent Dread, Misery, Scorn, and Envy) allow Rares to get some amazing stats on them, previously unseen in the game. Well crafted, theses Rares can be truly unique, unlike Uniques themselves (but if anything, Rares need even more mods like these in the pool to make them compete with things like Belly and Kaom's Heart). Greatwolf is the same way, you can get some truly awesome and cool stat combos on it. Even better that it can't be mirrored, so these items won't lose their value as much over time (looking at you, Loath Bane, which was actually sold to a collector last year due to the number of Mirrored copies in circulation).