Seems like you'd pretty much have to be remaking the game, except from bits and pieces and from scratch.

Hm... I wonder if it could be combined, weapons can have modifiers sort of thing. And rank weapons by levels levels 1-10 is one rank or weapon grade 10-20 is another, etc.

maybe something like f = 1-10 E = 10-20 D = 20-30 C = 30-40 B=40-50 A=50-60 S= 60-70 SS = 70-80 SSS=80-90 and X = 90-100 (assuming there's a level cap or some such thing. Or, if letters are a pain, maybe numbers will do, from 9-0 or 10-1 and legendary/unique items are 0? Something like that.

And within the grades there's - and + to help figure out where it is within the weapon grades. Idk, just something that popped into my head.

So there are modifiers and rankings that are based on levels something that's f+ strong or whatever modifier/ranking is better than e or e- but no way better than e+?

Then again, I think that doesn't solve the issue you brought up of a lower level weapon being stronger, and perhaps within each grade there's also a min and max strength and dex or something?