>It's not something that could happen by some automatic process. Each script owner would have to completely overhaul and rewrite their scripts for something like that to happen.
Not necessarily. What I would do would be to allow for a limited number of items per character (1 to x) to go through an "attunement" process, whereby the ability to increase that items potential grows over time. You would not need to store that information on the item, or even within its script, but rather in an external system (item/table/dataprop, whatever). Over time, this would increase the potential for an unlock to occur. Random chance increases over time, up to the point where the unlock would occur on a guaranteed basis. This could be handled via an object or npc similar to something like the auto-flarer or fusion shaman, or even via some sort of Adv Guild tasks, which would also assign the pricing on the unlock based on the item creator's criteria. (These systems are what would need to be created or modified.)
For pro level coding - do it as a series of progressive quest steps. (Kill this many things, then bring this many hides to the furrier, then help this many local citizens, then find this many gems.) In order for this attunement credit to be given, the item must be worn or otherwise on the character's person vs. in a locker. You'd put that check into the system that's giving the quest steps.
