>>16319734
Man, different patrols with random number generator for smaller patrols and set patrols for larger ones. Traders with travelling ones having nothing but consumables, ability to repair and shit items, small town traders having so-so stuff and large town having great tier items, then make the small town traders have specific stuff for the place they are at, like weapons with specific status effects or unique items. Have rampaging monsters, both unique and randomly generated for cool items, have some clues to when one is nearby by having birds and stuff run away for weak ones, and actual monsters running away for strong. Then have to go where they were running from and try and find it without a waypoint. Have a ton of stuff to scavenge, mostly disposible weapons, some consumables but have a set currency system like far cry 2 where you have to do jobs and find predetermined chests/spots hidden around the world in landmarks, caves, mountains tops, points of interest you can see with your own eyes and on the map without the need for a waypoint. Then add in some more stuff to spice things up like unique weapons, armour, lore documents, tools, unique consumables and npcs hidden all over the map but around points of interest. God-tier would be have a ton of points of interest with a random chance of set amount of stuff spawning to stop people from using guides and make ever play through unique. Then maybe some easter eggs, cool ancient statues, cool collectables with lore, secret art, weird stuff not seen on the map.
The possibilities for making a cool and interesting open world game are endless, but having all of them since far cry 3 have the same complete dogshit design has butchered that chance.